Student Classification

Students at the Aristotle University Institute of Law and Jurisprudence, who are enrolled in the J.D. program which qualifies one to sit for the State of California Bar Exam are classified, by year recognition, in the following manner: Classification of J.D. Law Students - State Bar Exam Qualifying Program First Year Law Student Any law student currently enrolled in 1-22 units of credit who has not yet successfully passed the FYLSE. Second Year Law Student Any student who has successfully passed the FYLSE, and has completed, or is currently enrolled in a number of credit hours which will bring his total credit hours completed to 23-44 units of credit Third Law Student Any student who has successfully passed the FYLSE, and has completed, or is currently enrolled in a number of credit hours which will bring his total credit hours completed to 45-66 units of credit Fourth Year Law Student Any student who has successfully passed the FYLSE, and has completed, or is currently enrolled in a number of credit hours which will bring his total credit hours completed to 67-84 units of credit Students at the Aristotle University Institute of Law and Jurisprudence, who are enrolled in the Executive J.D. program which does not qualify an individual to sit for the State of California Bar Exam, are classified, by year recognition, in the following manner: Classification of J.D. Law Students - Non-State Bar Exam Qualifying Program First Year Law Student Any student who has completed, or is currently enrolled in a number of credit hours which will bring his total credit hours completed to 1-22 units of credit. Second Year Law Student Any student who has completed, or is currently enrolled in a number of credit hours which will bring his total credit hours completed to 23-44 units of credit. Third Law Student Any student who has completed, or is currently enrolled in a number of credit hours which will bring his total credit hours completed to 45-66 units of credit.. Fourth Year Law Student Any student who has completed, or is currently enrolled in a number of credit hours which will bring his total credit hours completed to 67-84 units of credit. Regular Students Regular students are students who satisfy the general admission requirements to the academic programs at the Aristotle University Institute of Law and Jurisprudence commensurate with Rule II, Admission to Practice Law, and Rule VII, Educational Requirements, of the California State Bar Rules Regulating Admission to Practice Law in California. Special Students Special students are students who can not satisfy the general admission requirements to the academic programs at the Aristotle University Institute of Law and Jurisprudence, but who have a genuine desire and ability to continue their education. Upon personal request by an applicant to be admitted as a Special Student, the Dean of the Aristotle University Institute of Law and Jurisprudence will review an applicant’s request for admission. Upon review of such application, the Dean will forward the application to the Admissions Committee of the Aristotle University Institute of Law and Jurisprudence with either a recommendation to admit or deny admission to the applicant. The Admissions Committee of the Aristotle University Institute of Law and Jurisprudence will make the final decision as to the applicant’s admission. Factors to be considered are inclusive of, but not limited to: genuine desire to study law; general ability to study law; maturity; special considerations; conditional acceptance to study law (maintenance of grade point average of 2.5 in all courses taken for a period of one academic year); scores obtained on College Level Equivalency Program (CLEP); personal interview; ability to communicate; etc. Accordingly, those students who have not satisfactorily completed at least two (2) years of college work, but pass examinations given by the College-Level Examination Program (CLEP), may satisfy the requirements to study law. The CLEP Examination includes testing in English Composition and at least two (2) of the following subject areas: History, Humanities, Mathematics, Natural Sciences, or Social Sciences. The maximum total credits granted through CLEP examination is 60 credits, as based upon the minimum score for awarding credit recommended by the American Council on Education. Under these circumstances, the Aristotle University Institute of Law and Jurisprudence requires that the applicant have attained the following CLEP scores: At least a score of 500: English Composition or English Composition with Essay examination. At least a score of 430 on each of the two (2) of the following CLEP administered tests: Humanities, Mathematics, Natural Sciences, Social Sciences, and History. Applicants who are to be admitted to the Aristotle University Institute of Law and Jurisprudence under this category, must register to take the examinations directly with CLEP with the request that the score reports be submitted to the Aristotle University Institute of Law and Jurisprudence and to the Office of Admissions of the State Bar of California. Applicants must have taken and passed all required examinations before beginning their law study. Special students are typically students who have accelerated their pre-law education or have completed most of their pre-law education through the CLEP program. Critical factors of consideration in determining admission of a special student to any of the J.D. degree granting programs of the Aristotle University Institute of Law and Jurisprudence shall include the following: Prior successful completion of a minimum of sixty (60) transferable semester units, or 90 transferable quarter units, towards a degree at a recognized college or university. At least ninety percent (90%) of all college pre-law preparatory units presented for admission to the Aristotle University Institute of Law and Jurisprudence must be in academic courses. Overall grade point average; No pre-law college credit may have been given for prior experiential learning. Be of good moral character; Have completed and submitted an Application for Admission; Have completed and submitted a Personal Statement; Have completed, prior to starting the study of law, or intend to complete within one year of commencing the study of law, the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) (This requirement does not apply to Executive J.D. students). Have completed a mandatory Personal Interview. Maturity. Apparent Ability to Study Law. Consideration of Special Circumstances. Conditional Acceptance The Dean and the Admissions Committee of the Aristotle University Institute of Law and Jurisprudence reserve the right to offer admission to the study of law, either in the J.D. or LL.M. program, on a conditional basis. Such conditionally accepted students must maintain at least a 2.5 overall grade point average during their first year of study in J.D. program (or 3.0 overall grade point average in the LL.M. program for one semester), and (in the J.D. program) obtain at least a 3.0 grade point in two of the first three courses attempted at the Aristotle University Institute of Law and Jurisprudence in order to continue their study of law at this institution. Foreign / International Students Foreign or international pre-law students who either reside or have received their pre-law education from institutions of higher education outside the United States are subject to the same academic and admission requirements as applicants from within the United States. Accordingly, foreign or international pre-law students must have their pre-law academic records evaluated by an agency designated or referred by the State Bar of California. Such students should contact the State Bar of California web site and review applicable requirements. All applicants to the J.D. programs for which they intend to become eligible to sit for a State bar examination – whether form within or outside the United States - are strongly advised to thoroughly familiarize themselves with the each and every requirement necessary to qualify them to sit for a state bar examination or for the State of California Bar Examination (such as the California State Bar Rules Regulating Admission to Practice Law in California). Foreign or international students may be subject to additional criteria by the State of California Committee of Bar Examiners, or by other State Bar organizations in other States. Transfer Students Students who desire to transfer to the Aristotle University Institute of Law and Jurisprudence are subject to the same general admission requirements and procedures as included within the Aristotle University Institute of Law and Jurisprudence academic catalogue. All potential transfer students must have their official transcripts sent to the Aristotle University Institute of Law and Jurisprudence for review by the Admissions Committee of the Aristotle University Institute of Law and Jurisprudence. The Admission Committee will decide upon the acceptance for transfer and which courses must be taken at the Aristotle University Institute of Law and Jurisprudence by the student if the student is to be accepted for transfer. No course and no units with a grade point average of less than 2.0 shall be accepted for transfer. No transfer units or grades will be used to determine the student’s grade point average for academic, advancement or graduation purposes while the student is studying law at the Aristotle University Institute of Law and Jurisprudence. The Admissions Committee of the Aristotle University Institute of Law and Jurisprudence will make the final decision as to the applicant’s admission as a transfer student. Factors to be considered are inclusive of, but not limited to: genuine desire to study law; general ability to study law; maturity; conditional acceptance to study law (maintenance of grade point average of 3.0 in all courses taken for one academic year); scores obtained on College Level Equivalency Program (CLEP); personal interview; passage of FYLSE; special circumstances; etc. In respect to Transfer Credit, the Aristotle University Institute of Law and Jurisprudence follows the following guidelines: Transfer Credit During First Year of Law Study; Not Passed FYLSE. The Aristotle University Institute of Law and Jurisprudence shall not accept any transfer credit for law students transferring from other BPPVE approved or regionally accredited institutions who desire to enter the first year of study of law at the Aristotle University Institute of Law and Jurisprudence who have taken and not successfully passed the First-Year Law Student Examination (FYLSE) offered by the State of California, Committee of Bar Examiners. For students who have not yet become eligible to take the FYLSE however, and desire to transfer to the Aristotle University Institute of Law and Jurisprudence, no transfer credit shall be awarded unless the student had attained at least a GPA of 3.0 in each course for which the student is requesting transfer credit. Under no circumstance, shall the Aristotle University Institute of Law and Jurisprudence award greater than fifteen (15) semester units of transfer credit where the aforementioned circumstances exist. Transfer Credit During First Year of Law Study; Passed FYLSE. The Aristotle University Institute of Law and Jurisprudence shall accept transfer credit for law students transferring from other BPPVE approved or regionally accredited institutions who desire to enter the study of law at the Aristotle University Institute of Law and Jurisprudence upon proof and verification of successfully passing the First-Year Law Student Examination offered by the State of California, Committee of Bar Examiners. Pursuant to BPPVE Section 71865(b)(2), the Aristotle University Institute of Law and Jurisprudence may accept transfer credits from the types of institutions of higher learning as described in BPPVE Section 71850(b)(1), such that per BPPVE Section 71865(b)(2)(c), no more than thirty (30) graduate semester units awarded by another institution may be credited toward the Juris Doctoral degree at the Aristotle University Institute of Law and Jurisprudence. Transfer Credit for Executive J.D. Program. The Aristotle University Institute of Law and Jurisprudence shall not accept any transfer credit for law students transferring from other BPPVE approved or regionally accredited institutions who desire to enter the Executive J.D. program at the Aristotle University Institute of Law and Jurisprudence. Similarly, credits earned in the Executive J.D. program are not transferable to the J.D. programs at the Aristotle University Institute of Law and Jurisprudence which do qualify an individual for admission to sit for the State of California Bar Examination. Transfer Credit for LL.M. Program. The Aristotle University Institute of Law and Jurisprudence shall accept only four (4) units of transfer credit from law students transferring from other BPPVE approved or regionally accredited institutions who desire to enter any of the LL.M. programs at the Aristotle University Institute of Law and Jurisprudence. Auditing Students Any student at the Aristotle University Institute of Law and Jurisprudence who desires to audit a course, without the possibility of receipt of credit, must obtain prior permission by the Dean. Tuition will not be charged for such auditing. Re-Admission of Former Students On occasion, and with the recommendation of the Dean to the Admissions Committee of the Aristotle University Institute of Law and Jurisprudence, students who withdraw in good standing from the Aristotle University Institute of Law and Jurisprudence may be readmitted. Such students are strictly advised to review all rules and regulations governing eligibility to sit for the California State Bar Examination or the State Bar Examination in any other State.