Explore Cal Northern School of Law’s
Academic Programs!

Attendance: Cal Northern School of Law is for those students who want to become lawyers. Attendance is not only required but is a measure of desire and motivation. Students are required to attend eighty percent (80%) of scheduled classes. A student who fails to attend the required 80% is considered to have an unsatisfactory attendance record and may be asked to withdraw from school. A student who misses three class periods of a course in one semester without permission of academic-standards Dean is subject to automatic withdrawal from school. The policy of the school allows the Dean to approve absences in case of illness or emergency.

Examinations: Final examinations are given at the end of each semester. Mid-terms are given in all bar courses. Instructors of non-bar courses may, at their discretion, give mid-term examinations. Each instructor will announce his/her grading policy at the beginning of the semester.

Probation: A numerical percentage of 2.00 is required for good standing and graduation. A student who earns a semester grade point average below 2.00 will be placed on academic warning. A student who has a cumulative numerical percentage below 2.00 at the end of an academic year may be advanced to the next year of study on probation under the following circumstances:

The student must petition the Dean for advancement on probation.
Advancement on probation will be granted for only one year, and once granted the student must thereafter maintain at least a 2.00 average.
The minimum numerical percentage for advancement on probation is:
From first year to second year… 1.80
From second year to third year… 1.90

A student who fails to maintain the average requirement will be academically disqualified. Upon approval of a timely petition to the Faculty Senate a student may be permitted to repeat coursework and continue their studies at Cal Northern.

Student Services – Tutoring Program: At the end of the Fall semester any 1st Year student in the J.D. program with a course grade of less than 70, and any 1st Year student in the M.L.S. program with a course grade of less than 65, will be required to participate in a minimum of three (3) tutoring sessions as part of Cal Northern’s Student Services-Tutoring Program.

Any student in the J.D. program with a cumulative semester grade point average of less than 2.00 and any student in the M.L.S. program with a cumulative semester grade point average of less than 1.50 will be placed on Academic Warning and will be required to participate in a minimum of three (3) tutoring sessions as part of Cal Northern’s Student Services-Tutoring Program.

The Tutoring Program is designed to best serve students’ academic needs by carefully developing individualized curriculum designed to meet students’ expectations for successful completion of law school. While required for the above referenced students the Tutoring Program is available to all students.

Eligibility to advance to the next year of study may be contingent upon a student’s participation in the tutoring program (absent extenuating circumstances which will be reviewed by the Dean on a case by case basis). These workshops are designed to help develop essay exam skills such as issue spotting, outlining, organization and factual analysis and are open to all students.

All “Special Students” are required to take the First Year Law Students Examination (FYLSX). A “Special Student” who is required to take the FYLSX shall not receive credit for any law study until the applicant has passed the examination. A “Special Student” who passes the examination within three consecutive administrations of first becoming eligible to take the examination upon completion of one year of law study, shall receive credit for all law study completed to the date of the administration of the examination passed. A “Special Student” who does not pass the examination within three consecutive administrations of first becoming eligible to take the examination but who subsequently passes the examination shall receive credit for his or her first year of law study only.

Cal Northern School of Law policy requires that all first year “Regular Students” who do not have cumulative grade point average of 2.00 or better after the Fall semester of study at Cal Northern, must register to take the FYLSX.

If the cumulative grade point average is less than 2.00 at the end of the Spring semester, the student is required to take the FYLSX. If the cumulative grade point average increases to 2.00 or better by the end of the Spring semester, the student is not required to take the FYLSX.

A “Regular Student” who is required by school policy to take the FYLSX and who does not pass on the first attempt, may be permitted to advance to the second year of study at Cal Northern on academic probation. The student is required to register and take the next scheduled FYLSX.

Any student who fails to pass on the third attempt will be academically disqualified from further attendance at Cal Northern School of Law.

The fees paid to the Committee of Bar Examiners to register for the FYLSX may not be refundable. Any student who is required by Cal Northern policy to register for the FYLSX but is not required by Cal Northern policy to take the examination, may lose the registration fee. This fee is not reimbursable by Cal Northern School of Law.

First year students must check with Admissions no later than February 1 of their first year of study to determine whether they are required under this policy to register for the FYLSX.

Students are eligible for the degree of Juris Doctor (J.D.) when they have completed a minimum of 84 semester units in accordance with the prescribed curriculum; maintained a cumulative grade point average of 2.00 or better throughout their study at the law school and attended the Kaplan PMBR 7-Day Foundation Multistate Bar Review program prior to graduation.

All examinations given at Cal Northern School of Law shall be conducted under the Honor System. The Honor System is hereby defined as follows:

1. Each student participating in any mid-term, final, or other examination given by any of the instructors at the law school shall be on his or her honor not to bring outlines, notes, or other materials into the examination room during the time in which the student takes the examination.
2. No student shall protect other students seeking assistance, either oral or written, during the examination.

Standards have been developed which define expectations Cal Northern School of Law has of its students; other policies have been implemented which address student rights and the procedures students may use to exercise those rights. 

Student Handbook 2023-2024

Academic Integrity Policy Statement 2021-2022 Virtual Classroom Policies & Expectations