Independent Study Requirements
Supervised Research & Writing Project
Upper-class students may pursue a special research interest under the guidance of a faculty member, and earn up to two semester credits for a Supervised Research and Writing project (also known as an Independent Study). Each year, 20-25 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 2 credits for any Independent Study project. (No student may apply toward the JD degree more than 3 credits in total for Specialized Tutorials and Independent Study. The Academic Standards Committee may, in its discretion, grant a waiver that allows a third credit for a supervised research and writing project.) For more detailed information consult the Academic Regulations in the JD Student Handbook. 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.
Registration Process
Students interested in pursuing a Supervised Research and Writing project with a faculty member must file an Intent Form with the Registrar’s Office. The form is available from the Registrar’s Office or online and must be signed by the supervising faculty member and indicate the number of credits the project will fulfill as determined by the supervising faculty member.
Note: Students may not register for an Independent Study project through WebReg.
If a student’s supervisor for the project is a part-time member of the School of Law faculty, the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs also must approve the Independent Study and sign the appropriate form.
Non-Credit Independent Study
At the end of the fall add/drop period, any third-year student who has not determined how they will satisfy the Upper-class Writing Requirement and has schedule limitations may also consider pursuing an independent research project for no credit. Students interested in this option should consult with the Registrar’s Office. The Intent to Complete the Upper-class Writing Requirement form must be submitted to the Registrar’s Office.
Upper-Class Writing Requirement
Students may satisfy the Upper-class Writing Requirement with a faculty-supervised Independent Study project (credit or non-credit). To do so, students must complete an additional form called the Intent to Complete the Upper-class Writing Requirement and submit it to the Registrar’s Office. The paper version of the form has two parts depending on whether you have an advisor or do not have an advisor and would like to have one assigned. You may print the form from the web or request an advisor online. The Upper-class Writing Requirement Form is in addition to the Supervised Research & Writing Form that is required to complete an Independent Study project.
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.
Third-year students registered for a Supervised Research and Writing Project and Upper-class Writing requirements must be fulfilled by a date which allows the supervising faculty member sufficient time to make a final evaluation of student papers to the deadline prior to the deadline for certifying students for graduation.
Tutorials
The tutorials are designed to give the student an intensive writing experience with one of our distinguished faculty member’s expertise. Students may register for up to three credits of tutorials. However, no student may apply toward the JD degree more than three credits in total for tutorials and supervised research and writing (Independent Study). Students may apply for as many tutorial offerings as they wish. Of those who apply, one or two students will be selected for each tutorial offering. The tutorial offerings will involve several meetings between the student and the professor and the preparation of a research paper under the direction of the professor. This paper may be used to satisfy the Upper-class Writing Requirement.
If you are interested in applying for any of the following tutorials, please e-mail the Registrar’s Office at lawreg@bu.edu with the name of the tutorial, your name, class year, and e-mail address. We will contact you later in the summer regarding the status of your tutorial selection.
2022-2023
Empirical Research on Patents (Bessen)
In this tutorial we study empirical research techniques and participate in ongoing research on patents, including possibly, the patent litigation, litigation costs and the economic value of patents. Familiarity with statistics or econometrics is recommended.