Supervised Reseach and Writing
Upper-class students may pursue a special research interest under the guidance of a faculty member and earn up to three semester credits for a Supervised Research and Writing project (also known as an Independent Study). Each year approximately 50 students conduct independent supervised research on a broad range of topics, including the rights of an unborn fetus, copyright protection for computer software and the constitutionality of the War Powers Act. Such research introduces students to the discipline of thorough scholarship and offers the opportunity to investigate a topic of personal interest.
Any law student may earn 1 to 3 credits of Independent Study work total during law school. (No student may apply toward the JD degree more than three credits in total for Specialized Tutorials and Independent Study.) For more detailed information consult the Academic Regulations. The study must involve a substantial investment of time and effort and result in significant written work that reflects a high standard of legal scholarship. The student's final grade will be based solely upon written work submitted, and will be included in the student's average.
Note: All supervised Research and Writing Projects as described must be completed by the deadlines as provided under the rules for seminar papers. Exceptions to this requirement for illness or other compelling reasons must be obtained from the Academic Standards Committee pursuant to the same requirements of the Academic Regulations that apply to absences from regularly scheduled examinations.