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 nineteen years (counting to the nearest birthday)
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
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.

Prospective law students should take notice that the minimum college
hours here indicated will be increased to 27 session hours of standard college
work beginning with the session of 1926-27.

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 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 Law School, 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 Law School 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 with Credits.—No advanced standing, or other credit, is
given, in any case, for attendance at another law school, nor for time
spent in private reading.[1] The candidate for graduation must spend three
years in residence, and pursue all required courses in the curriculum, and
pass the regular examinations therein.