In determining honors (i.e., Latin Honors, Coif Eligibility, and Dean’s List), the Law School will use the following definition from the Coif Constitution: “Graded courses” are those for which academic accomplishment is recorded on the basis of educational measurement involving four or more discriminators. And to resolve fractions related to eligibility, “one additional student may receive the honors designation if the remainder in the quotient is five or more.”

1. Law School Latin Honors

Latin Honors designations will be determined for each graduating class and will be awarded on an annual basis after Winter Semester grades are completed. To qualify for Latin Honors, students must meet two requirements.

First, the Law School will consider the grades of the graduating class. For graduates of the classes of 2015, 2016 and 2017, summa cum laude requires 3.80 or higher, or the top 2% of the class, whichever is greater; magna cum laude requires a grade point average of 3.60 to 3.79; and cum laude requires a grade point average of 3.45 to 3.59. For graduates of the class of 2018 or later, to qualify for summa cum laude students must finish in the top 2% of the graduating class; magna cum laude in the next 10% of the graduating class; and cum laude in the next 20% of the graduating class.

Second, the Law School will consider the amount of credit from graded courses taken by those students who otherwise qualify. To be eligible for Latin Honors a student must complete at least 67.5 hours from graded courses at BYU Law School (meaning 75 percent of the 90 credit hours required for graduation). In other words, under this two-part test, if a student’s rank would warrant Latin Honors but the student fails to take enough credit from graded courses at BYU Law School, the student would not receive Latin Honors. Students participating in joint-degree programs listed in Part II.J.a of these Policies and Procedures will need at least 62.5 hours from graded courses at BYU Law School.

Exceptions to the Graded Credit Requirement. Students who otherwise would not have sufficient graded courses at BYU Law School to qualify because they (1) transferred to BYU Law School, (2) spent one or two semesters visiting another institution, or (3) participated in a study-abroad program, may petition the Law School’s Curriculum Committee for individual consideration for Latin Honors by June 1 of the student’s graduating year (such years run from September 1 to August 31). Before petitioning, students are encouraged to check with the Law School Registrar to see if they otherwise qualify. In considering such petitions, the Curriculum Committee will consider factors such as those listed below and students may supplement their petitions with relevant information:

• The overall rigor and richness of the student’s experience
• The reason the student participated in experiences outside of the Law School
• Quality of school/program outside the Law School
• Courses taken
• All available grades posted by the deadline
• Number of graded credits both at the Law School and outside the Law School
• Other indicators of success in school/program outside of the Law School (e.g., awards or letters of support).

 

2. The Order of the Coif

The Law School was chartered as a Chapter in The Order of the Coif in March, 1984. The Chapter may elect to membership in the Order of the Coif a graduating student (1) who has completed at least 75 percent of his or her law studies in graded courses and (2) whose grade record ranks in the top 10 percent of all graduating seniors of the school. Please see the Coif Constitution, which is available on the Internet, for complete rules regarding eligibility and election to Coif. The Coif year will be from September 1 to August 31.

 

3. Dean’s List

Each student achieving grades in the top 30% of his or her graduating class in any semester in which the student has completed at least 9 credit hours in graded courses will be designated as a “Dean’s List Student‟ for that semester. The Dean, or his or her designee, will communicate the designation by letter to each Dean’s List Student. The Law School will not post the Dean’s List publicly.