Academic Standing Rules

a) Good Academic Standing: In order to enjoy continued enrollment at the law school and, ultimately, graduate, students must maintain good academic standing. To maintain good academic standing, each student must:

i) earn a grade point average of at least 1.7 in the first semester;
ii) earn a semester grade point average of at least 2.0 each semester;
iii) maintain a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0; and
iv) receive no more than 2 F’s during the student’s law school career.

a) As soon as practicable after grades are due each semester, the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at their location shall notify a student in writing that they failed to meet the minimum standard of academic performance.

The student may submit to the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at their location a written petition seeking reinstatement to good standing within 5 business days after the student receives notice. A student may request an extension of the five-day period upon written request to the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at their location delivered before expiration of the five-day period. A student may include as part of the petition a written personal statement and written statements from faculty members or other persons whose views may be relevant on the issue of grounds for reinstatement to good standing.

A student who does not submit a written petition seeking reinstatement within the five-day period (or an authorized longer period) will be dismissed from the law school as of the last date for submission of a petition.

A student may request a hearing before the Academic Rules Committee in the petition. If so requested, the Academic Rules Committee shall schedule a hearing as soon as practicable following receipt of the student’s petition. The purpose of the hearing is to permit the student to make a statement based on issues raised in the written petition and to answer questions of the Academic Rules Committee. The student must appear alone. Counsel, witnesses, or other observers are not permitted.

a) To merit reinstatement to good standing, the student must present evidence sufficient to overcome the presumption that arises from the student’s academic performance that:

i) The student is unable or unwilling to undertake the discipline of study to succeed in law school and the legal profession; or
ii) The student’s failure to meet the minimum standards of academic performance was substantially attributable to inability or unwillingness to meet minimum academic standards and not to disabling circumstances which the student reasonable could not have anticipated or rectified. (In no case will employment during the semester be considered a disabling circumstance).

b) In addition to the student’s petition, the Academic Rules Committee may request information related to the student’s academic performance from the student’s current or former instructors.

The decision of the Academic Rules Committee on a petition for reinstatement is final and not appealable to the Academic Rules Committee for reconsideration.

The transcript of a student dismissed for failure to maintain minimum academic standards under this rule will show that the student was dismissed on academic grounds. ABA Standard 501(c) applies to students dismissed on academic grounds who subsequently seek admission to another law school.

a) Involuntary Withdrawal

i) A student will be deemed to have withdrawn from Penn State Dickinson Law if:

1. After the initial registration, the student fails to register for any subsequent year for which the student is eligible to register or gives written notice to the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at their location of election to withdraw;
2. During a school term for which they are registered, they are absent from all scheduled classes for a continuous two-week period without having informed the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at their location in writing that their absence is attributable to cause; or
3. They fail to appear for any scheduled final examination in any course and also fail, within one week thereafter, to inform the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at their location in writing of the reason for their failure to appear for such examination.

b) Voluntary Withdrawal

i) A student who has withdrawn voluntarily will not be entitled to return as a matter of course at a later date; such privilege must be requested prior to their withdrawal.
ii) Any student contemplating voluntary withdrawal and desiring the privilege of returning at a later date may apply in writing to the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at their location for permission to withdraw with the privilege of later return, and the student may postpone final decision on withdrawal until their request is acted upon. The Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at their location may grant or deny the request or refer it to the Admissions Committee for a decision.
iii) Any student who withdraws voluntarily without first obtaining written permission to withdraw from the school with the privilege of later return and who later seeks permission shall be required to apply for readmission to the Admissions Committee, whose decision shall be final to the same extent as its decision on applications for original admissions.
iv) Students must submit their petitions for withdrawal by no later than 11:59 p.m. on the last day of law school classes for the term.

c) Degree Completion within 84 Months

i) In considering requests to return after withdrawal (either voluntary or involuntary), Penn State Dickinson Law requires that students complete the course of study for the J.D. degree no later than 84 months after the student commenced law study at the law school, except in extraordinary circumstances.
ii) Requests to return after withdrawal must be submitted in writing to the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at their location.

d) Military Withdrawal

Penn State Dickinson Law works closely with the University Registrar to support our military students. For more information, please review the University policy governing Military Withdrawal and contact the Law School Registrar.

a) Readmission After Academic Dismissal

i) A student who seeks to return to Penn State Dickinson Law after academic dismissal may not file a Petition for Readmission until two years following the date of dismissal. This rule is under review by the Academic Rules Committee in 2025-26.
ii) In order to be readmitted, the student must show that the prior disqualification does not indicate a lack of capacity to complete Dickinson Law’s program of legal education and be admitted to the bar.
iii) A student seeking readmission must file a Petition for Readmission with the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at their location that shows why the student believes that readmission is warranted under the standard listed above.
iv) The Associate Dean at their location will forward the Petition for Readmission to the Admissions Committee. If the Admissions Committee decides to readmit the student, it will issue a Statement of Considerations that explains its reasoning. The Statement of Considerations will be included in the official student record. If readmission is granted, the student may be subject to conditions of probation, which must be met by the student for advancement. The transcript of a student readmitted after academic dismissal shall include a notation of the prior academic dismissal.

b) Readmission After Withdrawal or Failure to Return

i) A student who seeks to return to Dickinson Law after withdrawal or failure to return after leave must file a Petition for Readmission with the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at their location that shows why the student believes that readmission is warranted. Once a decision is reached, the Associate Dean at their location will issue a Statement of Considerations which will be included in the official student record. If readmission is granted, the student may be subjected to conditions of probation, which must be met by the student for advancement.