{"id":2454,"date":"2015-07-09T13:52:55","date_gmt":"2015-07-09T17:52:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/?page_id=2454"},"modified":"2025-11-17T11:17:06","modified_gmt":"2025-11-17T16:17:06","slug":"upper-class-writing-requirement","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/about\/offices\/registrar\/curricular-requirements\/upper-class-writing-requirement\/","title":{"rendered":"Upper-Class Writing Requirement"},"content":{"rendered":"

Intent to Fulfill the Upper-Class Writing Requirement Form<\/a><\/p>\n

You must satisfy the Upper-Class Writing Requirement in order to graduate.<\/strong><\/p>\n

You may complete the UCWR in one of four ways:<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Complete one Longer Research Paper or Series of Papers totaling 6000 words or more, excluding footnotes, involving substantial legal analysis and research written in a single seminar, course, clinic, or independent study, for a journal, or by the moot court directors for one of the law school\u2019s intramural moot court competitions. If the requirement is satisfied by a series of papers, at least one paper of 3000 words or more must involve substantial legal research.<\/li>\n
  2. Complete two Shorter Papers of 3000 words or more, excluding footnotes, involving substantial legal analysis written for two separate seminars, courses, clinics, or independent studies. One such paper must involve substantial research.<\/li>\n
  3. Complete with a grade of B or better one designated Dedicated Research and Writing Course in which legal research and writing is the primary focus and in which assignments totaling at least 6000 words, excluding footnotes, are required. Assignments of at least 3000 words must involve substantial legal research.<\/li>\n
  4. Satisfy both of the following:<\/li>\n
  5. Complete with a grade of B or better a designated Professional Writing Course, in which professional legal writing (without a focus on research) is the primary focus and in which assignments totaling at least 3000 words, excluding footnotes, are required and<\/li>\n
  6. Complete one Shorter Research Paper of 3000 words or more, excluding footnotes, involving substantial legal analysis and research written in a separate seminar, course, clinic, or independent study.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    You can find more detailed information on the requirement in the\u00a0JD Student Handbook<\/a>.<\/p>\n

    In order to fulfill the requirement, you need an advisor.<\/strong><\/p>\n

      \n
    1. For any seminar, course, or Supervised Research and Writing (Independent Study) project, the instructor\u2019s signature is required.<\/li>\n
    2. For an Esdaile, Stone, or Albers Moot Court problem and bench memo, the Director of the First-Year Writing Program must sign the form.<\/li>\n
    3. For those satisfying the UCWR through a journal note, you will have get a faculty advisor and sign up for a non-credit Independent Study. (This does not affect the credits that you get through your journal.)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Note: It is the responsibility of the student to find a faculty advisor.\u00a0 However, if you have tried and cannot find one, we are willing to help.\u00a0 Here are the steps:<\/p>\n

        \n
      1. Do your best to find an advisor. A list of potential advisors, along with their areas of interest is here<\/a>.<\/li>\n
      2. If you have approached several faculty members and have not been able to secure their agreement to be your advisor, please fill out this Request an Advisor Form<\/a>, and we will help you to find an advisor.<\/li>\n
      3. In order to fulfill the requirement, you need to file an Intent to Fulfill Requirement Form.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        Upper-class students must file an Intent to Fulfill the Upper-Class Writing Requirement\u00a0Upper-Class Writing Requirement form<\/a>\u00a0no later than the last day of the add\/drop period of the semester in which the students intends to satisfy the Requirement, and in any event\u00a0no later than the last day of the add\/drop period in the student\u2019s fifth semester<\/strong>\u2014even if the student intends to satisfy the Requirement in the following semester. Otherwise, the student\u2019s attempted registration will not be effective.<\/p>\n

        Note:\u00a0 Students working with part-time adjunct faculty must file a 1\u20132 page prospectus outlining the subject matter of the paper, the question that the paper will try to answer, and the plan of research to the adjunct professor. If the proposal meets the adjunct\u2019s approval, they will forward it to the Vice Dean for Faculty.<\/p>\n

        Deadlines: <\/strong><\/p>\n

        First Draft Deadline<\/strong> \u2013 All students in their final semester who have not been certified as having completed the Requirement must provide a first draft of the Upper-class Writing Requirement to their faculty advisor no later than the last class day of the fourth week of the student\u2019s final semester.<\/p>\n

        Additional Information<\/strong><\/p>\n

          \n
        1. Seminars and the Writing Requirement<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

          Almost all seminars (and some courses) provide opportunities for fulfilling all or part of the writing requirement. Students should be aware of the following considerations:<\/p>\n