University of Virginia Library

ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS.

Suggestions as to Preliminary Education.—Students, and their parents
or guardians, are admonished that the law is peculiarly an intellectual profession,
and for its successful prosecution, whether in a law school or in the
broader fields of professional life, demands a well-trained mind. If it be
true that untrained recruits, in rare instances, under diligent and persistent
effort, develop into successful practitioners after entrance upon the practice,
such exceptional cases but serve to illustrate the rule that out of a
given number of young men entering upon the study of law, those with
sound preliminary training will have incomparably the advantage, while
those without such training are likely never to rise above mediocrity in
their profession.

The experience of the Law Faculty—indeed, of all law teachers—is, that
the standing and progress of law students may, in general, be measured by
their academic preparation. Young gentlemen are therefore advised not to
begin their legal studies until they have completed an academic course approximating
that required for a baccalaureate degree. So high a
standard, however, is not exacted as a condition of entrance into the Law
School. These conditions are shown in the following sections.

1. Regular Students.[2] —Candidates for the degree of Bachelor of laws must
have attained the age of at least eighteen years before entering the department,
must produce a certificate of good character from the school or college
last attended, or from other satisfactory source, and must conform to
the general requirements following:

For Admission to the Deparment of Law,[3] in addition to the completion
of an approved high school course of four years, or its equivalent, the
candidate must present evidence that he has pursued at least one year, of
fifteen session-hours, of standard college work, of which he must have successfully
completed at least twelve session-hours, distributed among three
or more courses, one of which must be in English,[4] and exclusive of courses
in Art, Music, Commercial Law, Education, Physical or Military Training,
and Public Speaking.

A session-hour is one hour a week of recitation, or two hours a week
of laboratory work, throughout the college year.

Credit will be given for completed courses only. A completed course
is one for which the student is entitled to final credit toward a baccalaureate
degree.

In addition to the required course in English, it is deemed avisable that

in preparation for entering the Law School the student select his courses
from among the following subjects: Latin, French or Spanish, History, a
Natural Science, Mathematics, Government, Accounting, and for students
of more than average maturity Economics, Logic and Ethics.

Forensic Debating.—As indicated in the preceding regulation, Forensic
Debating is excluded from the category of courses accepted in fulfillment
of entrance requirements. This course, however, as one of the
required subjects in the regular curriculum of the Law School, may be
substituted by the completion of an equivalent course in the College of
this university, or other institution of collegiate rank, evidenced by proper
certificate. But the student is advised to defer the pursuit of this course
until entrance into the Law School.

The High School Subjects for Admission to the College, and their
values in units are indicated in the General Catalogue of the University,
in connection with that department.

Evidence of the Required High School and College Work must be in
the form of a certificate, properly authenticated by the Registrar or other
authorized official of the institution at which the work was done.

2. Special Students.—An applicant who is at least 23 years old, and who
presents proper evidence of good character, and of needful maturity and
training, though unable to fulfill the foregoing entrance requirements, may,
by special action of the Law Faculty, in exceptional cases, be admitted as a
special student, and not as a candidate for the degree.

Every applicant for admission as a special student is required to make written
application to the Dean of the University, on a blank furnished for the purpose,
with detailed information as to his age, general habits, his educational
and business experience, and his general fitness to undertake the study of
law. Such application, together with such testimonials as may be required,
should be filed with the Dean of the University not later than September 1
of the year in which the applicant desires to enter the Law School.

Every such applicant for admission as a special student must (if required)
pass a satisfactory examination, to be held at the University during the registration
days of the session. The examination, which will be conducted by a
committee of the Law Faculty, may include the subjects of English, American
and English History, and Civil Government.

This regulation is subject to the general university regulation as to delayed
entrance examinations.

Special students who fail to complete 60 per cent of the work taken during
any session may be declared ineligible for readmission the following
session.

Admission of Women—Entrance Requirements.—With the beginning of
the session 1920-21, women were admitted to the Law School for the first
time. The conditions of their admission as Special Students are the same
as in the case of male applicants.

The required qualifications for women who desire to enter as Regular
Students, and candidates for graduation, are as follows: The applicant
must be more than 20 years of age, must have completed an approved
high school course of four years, or its equivalent, and, in addition, must
(1) hold a baccalaureate degree from a standard college; or (2) failing
such degree, must be 22 years of age at nearest birthday, and must present
evidence of the completion of two years of standard college work, comprising
courses aggregating 30 session-hours (60 semester hours). Evidence
of the fulfillment of these requirements must be by properly authenticated
certificates as in the case of male applicants. Blank forms of
applications and of required certificates will be supplied by the Registrar.

Admission to Advanced Standing.—No credit is given, in any case, for attendance
at another law school, nor for time spent in private reading.[5] The
candidate for graduation must spend three years in residence.