Transcript Document
The University of Alabama School of Law MyBama MyBama is an interactive website, providing access to email, personal calendars, course and registration information, campus news and more. • • • • • • MyBama Account information Possible problems with your tuition or schedule Class schedule Grades Email: IT IS IMPORTANT TO CONFIRM THAT YOUR UA EMAIL IS REACHING YOU. YOU SHOULD ELECT TO HAVE ALL YOUR UNIVERSITY EMAILS FORWARDED TO YOUR LAW SCHOOL ACCOUNT UNLESS YOU INTEND TO CHECK YOUR MYBAMA ACCOUNT REGULARLY. Create a BamaCash account What does the Records Office Do? • Schedule days and times for classes and exams • Monitor the registration process each semester • Post class cancellations and assignments on the Law School website • Supervise examinations What does the Records Office Do? • Enter your grades into myBama each term • Rank students at the end of each semester (excluding summer) • Update your permanent law school transcript each semester • Provide official certification to all state bars prior to students taking bar examinations Services Offered by Other Campus Departments Tuition information - Student Receivables, 105 Student Services Center Financial aid (including loan deferments) 106 Student Services Center; [email protected], 348-2973 Official transcripts - Order on line at http://registrar.ua.edu/transcripts.html Diploma ordering and mailing - Academic Records, 206 Student Services Center Services Offered by Other Campus Departments ADA accommodations - Office of Disability Services, 133-B Martha Parham Hall East ACT card purchase or replacement and Bama Cash - Auxiliary Services, 104 Student Services Center, http://actcard.ua.edu Transportation services (pay parking tickets, purchase a hang tag or a replacement hang tag) - 103 Student Services Center Parking A hang tag for your vehicle must be purchased and clearly displayed. Students registered for fall classes may pre-register for their parking permits by logging on to mybama.ua.edu and selecting the “Student” tab. In the Student Services section, select “Register HERE for a parking permit” and complete the information requested. The assigned parking permit will be mailed to the student’s home address two weeks prior to the beginning of classes. Permits may also be purchased at the Transportation Services office located in the Student Services Center . Parking Parking services aggressively tickets student vehicles parked in the front lot of the Law School. Students are not allowed to park in that area. You should park only in the lot on the Coliseum side of the Law School – the SE Commuter Lot. • Zone enforcement in the SE commuter lot is from 7:00 am to 4:30 pm. • Students must be parked in the “Law Only” parking by 4:00 pm on the Fridays before home football games. •In addition to the regular parking decal, law school students should display an additional hang tag that has a big “L” on it. The Law School Records Office distributes these hang tags. •The “L” hangtag allows students access into the Coliseum lot during athletic events – home football games, basketball games, gymnastics meets. Pick up your “L” hangtag at the Records Window (second floor). Security Guards Lehman Jaggers and Frank Blazer 205-310-5950 - Alcohol on the Law School Campus Participating in drinking games in class puts a student at risk of disciplinary measures If a law school group wants to have a function on campus where alcohol is present, the group must submit a request to Associate Dean Noah Funderburg. Smoking Area The Smoking Area is at the northwest entrance of the building, near room 187. Please note that cigarette butts do not disappear when you drop them on the ground. Class attendance is required. You may miss class only for a VERY GOOD CAUSE (listed on page 33 of your Student Handbook). Generally, you are allowed 3 hours of absences per semester credit hour. For instance, if you are registered for a 3 hour class, you may miss only a total of 9 classroom hours. HOWEVER, professors may adopt a more strict attendance rule. YOU MUST personally accept responsibility for class attendance. You may not get advance notification if a professor asks me to drop you from a class based on your exceeding his or her attendance requirements. Every aspect of the examination is subject to the provisions of the Honor Code http://www.law.ua.edu/students/info.php?re=honorcode Students are graded on a +/- 4 point scale. 4.3=A=, 4.0=A , 3.67=A-, 3.33=B+, 3.0=B, 2.67=B-, 2.33=C+, 2.0=C, 1.67=C-, 1.33=D+, 1.0=D, 0.67=D-, 0.0 =F. Final examinations must be taken at the regularly scheduled time, unless the Dean’s Office has permitted an alternate time. Bona fide emergencies include • • • sickness which clearly disables a student from commencing or continuing an exam; death of a close family member; an accident which prevents the student’s attendance or continued attendance for the exam. . Exams must be taken at the regularly scheduled time except under extraordinary circumstances. If a student arrives late for an exam, no additional time is given to finish the exam; the student is expected to turn in his or her exam at the time the exam proctor indicated when the exam was distributed to other students. If a student does not show up for an exam and the absence is not excused, a grade of “F” is the usual penalty. Generally, ExamSoft is required by professors. One advantage of ExamSoft is that an encrypted copy of your exam is placed on the computer’s hard drive. ExamSoft ExamSoft is a secure word processing program. One advantage of ExamSoft is that an encrypted copy of your exam is placed on the computer’s hard drive. Download the software program by going to examsoft.com/alabamalaw ExamSoft The Law School purchases ExamSoft for all law students. If you have a Mac, special software is required, which can be downloaded from the Exam Soft website. ExamSoft Avoid any thumbdrive with security software installed. Your exam will not save properly unless that security software is disabled. (example: U-3). We have never lost an exam using this software. Please be sure myBama lists your correct phone number so that the Record’s Office may contact you in the event your exam does not print properly. Grading Each semester you will be issued an anonymous number. The number will be located on the Law School website on your Student Information Page at http://www.law.ua.edu/students/info Your anonymous number will change each semester. Grading • You identify your exam using your anonymous • number, not your name. Professors grade your exams anonymously and turn in the grades to the Law School Records Office. Grades are then decoded and your name attached to the grade received. Printing from Lab Computers Begin the print process just as you would for any other Windows-based computer. At the printer-selection dialog box, choose Uniprint The printer-selection dialog box will close and a second dialog box will open. You will be asked to name the print job you have just ordered. Name it anything you want, but if you will be ordering several print jobs before you print them, give each job a different name. Printing from Lab Computers Go to the printer station, and swipe your Action Card through the reader on the top of the monitor. Select your print job. Your BamaCash account will be debited $.05 a page. Click the Log Off button. Otherwise you may be paying for printing done by the lucky student behind you. How to establish a BamaCash account or add money to an existing account: Click the padlock icon on the screen of a library lab computer or go to http://alabama.blackb oard.com Login using the same MyBama user id and password that you used to register for classes. Click on the MyAction Card Account tab in the upper-right region of the screen. Helpful Links Student Honor Code http://www.law.ua.edu/students/info.php?re=ho norcode Student Handbook http://www.law.ua.edu/students/handbook.pdf SBA Constitution http://www.law.ua.edu/students/sba-const.pdf Law School Classes Biographical Information http://www.law.ua.edu/studentdirectory Law School Catalog of Courses http://www.law.ua.edu/students/courses.pdf The Guide to the Law School Curriculum http://www.law.ua.edu/students/curriculum.pdf Students may post documents, items for sale, exchanging books, etc. The URL is http:// www.law.ua.edu/mboard. It is also linked to the student page http://www.law.ua.edu/students The electronic bulletin board uses the same username and password as the one you use to log in to your email. Transferred Credits from Across Campus Students may take up to six hours of graduate level course work from divisions other than law so long as Associate Dean Jenelle Marsh gives prior approval, and you can demonstrate in writing that the class enhances your law school curriculum. Your grade is transferred as a “Pass” as long as a “B” or better is earned in the course. The credit earned will be applied toward hours needed for Law School graduation and will be recorded on your transcript; however, grade points earned will not be used in the computation of your overall law school grade point average. Transferred Credit from Other Law Schools Coursework taken at other law schools requires advance written approval of Associate Dean Marsh In certain classes graded on a P/D/F basis, professors may designate up to 1/3 of the grades as “High Pass.” This option applies to trial advocacy classes, P/D/F law clinics, and appellate advocacy classes. Other classes designated as P/D/F may be graded this way. Independent Studies Students may use up to 3 hours of independent study. Independent studies can be for 1-3 hours and graded or pass/D/fail, depending on the agreement between the student and the supervising professor. Students can only enroll for one independent study each semester. y do independent work under the direction of a faculty member for academic credit. Each summer the Law School offers students the option of three sessions for classes – Interim, Summer I and Summer II. Students may register for only one interim course and no more than two courses per summer term. In addition, students may take advantage of the Law School’s summer programs at the University of Fribroug in Switzerland and the Australian National University in Canberra. Each of the summer abroad programs is five weeks long. Students also may participate in summer abroad programs at other ABA-approved schools. Semester Abroad Programs Tel Aviv University TAU in India First-year students may not undertake outside work and secondand third-year students may not work more than 20 hours per week. . Law School Email and Distribution Lists The Law School email server, including use of email addresses and distribution lists, can only be used for messages pertaining to the official business of the Law School and matters related to the Law School community Sharing Music and Video The Recording Industry of America (RIAA) and the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) strictly monitor our campus network for illegally Peer to Peer (P2P) shared music and video. You will be blocked from our network if we receive a detailed complaint from either the RIAA or MPAA. Multiple complaints could lead to releasing your personal information and potential University misconduct proceedings. Laptop use is generally allowed by professors; however, students may only use them during class for academic purposes. Faculty members may restrict use of laptops through notice in the syllabus. The Law School not only offers the traditional four-year joint JD/MBA program, but it also now offers students the option of finishing both degrees in three years. Five years are required if the degrees are sought separately. There also is a joint JD/advanced degree in political science program, a joint JD/advanced degree in economics program, and a joint program towards a masters in civil engineering. Several students are dually enrolled in the Law School and in other masters and Ph.D. programs on campus. Lockers • Please do not “homestead” a locker. If you are dissatisfied with your locker, please, see Brenda McPherson (room 257) for options. Putting your belongings in another person’s locker, even if it appears unused, creates problems. • In the Spring, you can sign up for a new lockers. Lockers Student organizations can sign up for a locker. The student organization lockers are in the locker room on the south wall. They are black and wooden with keyed locks. Moot Court • • • Class: First-year students participate in a moot court program during the second semester. Students draft a brief and argue it in front of their professor and several upper-class students. [2 credits] Campbell Competition: This course involves advance brief writing and oral advocacy at the appellate level. Second- and third-year students may compete in an intramural competition. [1 credit] Interscholastic Competition Teams: Most teams are chosen from third-year students who have participated in the Moot Court Competition. Some teams operate independently of the Moot Court Competition. [2 credits] Trial Advocacy • Trial Ad I: This course provides a general overview of litigation topics, including discovery and pre-trial issues, through lecture, simulation, and practical exercises. This course may address both civil and criminal cases. [3 credits] • Trial Ad II: Advanced litigation skills are developed through the preparation for and trial of two mock civil or criminal cases, the conduct of small-group exercises designed to develop particular skills, and, perhaps, attendance at an actual trial. [3 credits] • Trial Advocacy Competition Class: Students compete for selection to national trial advocacy teams by trying cases based on prepared file materials. [2 credits] • Trial Advocacy Teams: Second- and third-year students are chosen for teams after participating in the Trial Competition Class. Alabama’s trial teams compete against teams from other law schools across the country. Graduation Requirements Maintain an overall grade point average of at least 2.33 for all work attempted in the School of Law to remain in good academic standing Earn at least 90 semester hours of credit for work in the Law School, including all required courses Successfully complete at least three credit hours in designated Professional Skills courses (labeled “PS” on the course listing.) Graduation Requirements Successfully complete one seminar. Students may take no more than two seminars without special permission Maintain a satisfactory record of honorable conduct befitting a prospective member of the legal profession. Complete requirements for the J.D. not less than 24 months after matriculating as a law student and not more than 6 calendar years after matriculating as a law student Recognition of outstanding academic achievement for law graduates is based on a percentage of the graduating class. Top 5% - summa cum laude Next 10% - magna cum laude Next 10% - cum laude A complete list of honors and awards are listed in the Student Handbook, among those are: Order of the Coif: Awarded to the top 10% of the graduating class. Students may not have more than 22 pass/d/fail hours to qualify. Students not pursuing this honor do not have a limit on the number of pass/d/fail hours they can take. • Order of Samaritan (highest honor) Dean’s Community Service Award Alabama Volunteer Lawyers Program Student Award Independent Legal Public Service Program Award http://www.alabar.org Click on the link on this page Go to “Programs/Departments Click on “Admissions”, then “Law Student Application” and proceed according to the directions. Make a copy of the application to use as a worksheet. http://www.alabar.org The records office has the fingerprint cards. Your fingerprints may be processed at the UA Police Station Tuesday & Thursday afternoons from 1:00 to 4:00 or at the Tuscaloosa Police Station Tuesdays & Thursdays from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. or 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. Complete the entire application (except your signature), THEN have the application notarized. The Law School Records Office personnel (Karla, Caroline or Brenda) can notarize your bar application. http://www.alabar.org If your application is received in Montgomery within 60 days of the first day of fall classes you will do not have to pay an application fee. You will need to be registered with the Alabama State Bar to participate in some clinics and to get a Third-Year Practice Card.