Graduation Requirements
A student must complete all of the following to be eligible for graduation from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law:
- 88 Credits
- 65 Credits earned "in regularly scheduled class sessions"
See ABA requirements regarding classroom contact hours - 6 semesters of full time enrollment (minimum of 10 credits per semester)
- All required first year courses
- Legal Profession (Ethics) - 3 offerings (Ross (two sections of Law & Ethics of Lawyering) and Wettick (Legal Profession)
- Upper Level Legal Writing Requirement(ULW) - fulfilled through a seminar, legal writing independent study or other course specifically designated as meeting writing requirement in the course description.
- 2 credits in any course designated as satisfying the professional skills requirement. (See list of designated courses)
- Beginning with the Class of 2012:
- - International/Comparative Law requirement - Completion of any course designated as satisfying the international/comparative law requirement. A list of courses so designated will be posted to the website with curriculum materials for 2010-2011.
- - Foundations of Legal Research (1 credit) - Must be taken during the second year. A section of this course will be offered each semester
- - Writing Requirement ("W") - fulfilled by completing either a second/separate seminar, legal writing independent study, or course meeting the upper level legal writing (ULW) requirement above or one course designated as satisfying the W requirement in the course description. Course descriptions for 2010-2011 will be distributed with the 2010-2011 registration materials.
- All students must download and complete the Graduation Requirements Checklist which is found below. It is the student's responsibility to monitor their records to ensure they have completed all of the graduation requirements. Information that will assist you in completing the checklist is available online. You can locate the information by logging into the Student Portal at www.my.pitt.edu . Once there, go to Student Services, then to the Student Center, Self-Service and Academic Records. You can view all the courses you have completed as well as your current term registration.
- All students must complete the University Application for Graduation found on the University Registrar's web page. Joint degree students must submit an Application for Graduation to both schools in order to receive the degree from either school.
Certificate program students should verify with the Certificate Program Administrator that they have completed the requisites to be awarded the certificate upon graduation.