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 candidates 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. Students 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.—Candidates for the degree of Bachelor of Laws
must have attained the age of at least nineteen 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 Department of Law, 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 two years,
of fifteen session-hours each, of standard college work, of which he must
have successfully completed at least twenty-four session-hours, distributed
among three or more courses, and exclusive of courses in Art, Music, Commercial
Law, Education (Course B3, as described in the bulletin of the Department
of Education of this University, or its equivalent completed elsewhere,
will be accepted), 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.

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

Admission of Women.—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, and, beginning with the session of
1922-1923, as Regular Students, are the same as in the case of male applicants.

Forensic Debating.—As indicated in a 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 to Advanced Standing.—No credit is given, in any case, for attendance
at another law school, nor for time spent in private reading.[2] The
candidate for graduation must spend three years in residence.