1) Non-Academic Separations. A student who has previously voluntarily withdrawn from the law school with decanal approval or who has been previously dismissed for administrative or disciplinary reasons, must submit a petition seeking readmission in order to reenter the law school. Such petitions will be considered by the Faculty Administrative Committee. In the case of a student dismissed for disciplinary reasons, the Administrative Committee will make a recommendation to the faculty, which will determine whether to readmit the student. A student who is readmitted to the law school after having withdrawn or having been dismissed for administrative or disciplinary reasons is subject to the academic requirements and regulations in force upon reentry.

Such former students seeking readmission must submit a written petition, in letter form, to be considered by the Administrative Committee. The petition must address, in detail, the reasons for the student’s prior withdrawal or dismissal, along with a statement explaining why the prior circumstances will no longer affect the student’s ability to successfully study law and practice law.

2) Academic Separations. A student who has previously been dismissed for academic reasons and wishes to reenter the law school must submit a written petition for readmission. Such petition, submitted on a form provided by the Admissions Office, will be considered by the Faculty Academic Standing Committee or its designees. The Academic Standing Committee shall not act favorably upon a readmission petition unless the petitioner has demonstrated to the Committee’s satisfaction by clear and convincing evidence that the petitioner possesses the requisite ability to succeed in the study of law.

The petition shall be in three parts:

Part I shall inform the Committee of the reasons for the petitioner’s academic deficiency while enrolled in the law school. Full documentation of the circumstances must accompany the petition. If such reasons involve physical or psychological incapacity before or during examinations, full documentation of the problem from a treating professional must accompany the petition.

Part II shall inform the Committee of all events in the petitioner’s life since the date of his or her academic dismissal that bear on the petitioner’s ability to succeed in the study of law. Part II shall include relevant information, supported when appropriate by verifying documentation, pertaining to the petitioner’s post-dismissal employment history and/or academic pursuits, post-dismissal medical history (to the extent that it bears on the ability to study law) and post-dismissal arrests and/or convictions, if any.

Part III shall inform the Committee of the reasons why the petitioner believes that he or she now possesses the requisite ability to succeed in the study of law. Included in Part II shall be an explanation of why the cause(s) of the petitioner’s academic deficiency will not continue to interfere with the petitioner’s ability to succeed in the study of law.

A petitioner’s failure to apprise the Committee of all relevant facts that bear on the petitioner’s ability to succeed in the study of law, including those that are adverse to the petitioner, or to furnish appropriate verifying documentation, in and of itself is grounds for denial of the readmission application.

Historically, readmission to the law school following academic dismissal is rarely approved. In those cases where the Committee acts favorably on a petition for readmission, the Committee has wide latitude to place conditions on readmission as it deems advisable in order to increase the likelihood that the readmitted student will succeed in the study of law. By way of example only, the Committee may require that no academic credit be awarded for a course for which the petitioner received a satisfactory grade while enrolled at the law school prior to academic dismissal. An applicant who is readmitted to the law school following academic dismissal is subject to the academic requirements and regulations in force upon reentry.

1) The following Paragraphs (2-5) do not apply to students who previously withdrew from the law school with decanal approval or were suspended from the law school.

2) If a student was previously dismissed for administrative or disciplinary reasons, the former student may not submit a petition for readmission sooner than 12 calendar months from the effective date of dismissal. If the applicant is readmitted, the applicant may not enroll before 24 calendar months have elapsed since the effective date of dismissal. The Administrative Committee shall indicate the “effective date of dismissal.”

3) If a student was previously dismissed for academic reasons at the end of the first year of Day/Evening Division legal study or the second year of Evening Division legal study, without review by the Academic Standing Committee at the time of said dismissal pursuant to Academic Rules and Regulations II C (1)(a), the former student may petition for readmission to the law school no sooner than March 1 of the calendar year following dismissal. The petition for readmission must be submitted no later than April 1 of the calendar year in which the petitioner seeks to reenter the law school. If the applicant is readmitted, the applicant may enroll no sooner than 12 calendar months following the academic dismissal.

4) If a student was previously dismissed for academic reasons at the end of the first year of Day/Evening Division legal study or the second year of Evening Division legal study, by vote of the Academic Standing Committee pursuant to Academic Rules and Regulations II C (1)(b), the former student’s petition for readmission may not be submitted sooner than 12 calendar months from the effective date of dismissal. If the applicant is readmitted, the applicant may not enroll before 24 calendar months have elapsed since the effective date of dismissal. When the Academic Standing Committee dismisses a student , the committee may reduce the number of months within which the former student is restricted from reapplying and gaining readmission.

An applicant submitting a petition for readmission pursuant to this paragraph must submit a completed petition no later than March 1 of the calendar year in which he/she seeks to reenter the law school.

5) Upperclass students previously dismissed for academic reasons by vote of the Academic Standing Committee pursuant to Academic Rules and Regulations II C (2) may not submit a petition for readmission sooner than 12 calendar months from the effective date of dismissal. If the applicant is readmitted, the applicant may not enroll before 24 calendar months have elapsed since the effective date of dismissal. The Academic Standing Committee shall indicate the “effective date of dismissal.” When the Academic Standing Committee dismisses a student, the committee may reduce the number of months within which the former student is restricted from reapplying and gaining readmission.

All petitions for readmission must be submitted through the law school's Office of Admissions. For applicants seeking readmission following an academic dismissal, the petition must be submitted on a Form available from the Office of Admissions. A petitioner is entitled to an interview with a designee of the appropriate committee (Academic Standing Committee or Administrative Committee). The interview must be requested in the petition. All petitions and any accompanying materials must be received by the Office of Admissions by the appropriate date as set forth in Paragraph B (Time Restrictions). Petitions that are not submitted by said deadline will not be considered, except for compelling reasons.

If a student, previously dismissed for an academic, administrative or disciplinary reason, is denied readmission by the Academic Standing Committee, the Administrative Committee or the Faculty (in the case of a dismissal for disciplinary reasons), the denial is final and unappealable. A subsequent petition for readmission may not be submitted.