Associate Dean Sowle's Announcements, January 23 - January 27, 2023


Fall 2022 Grades and Class Ranks. Fall grades will be uploaded to the central transcript system early this week, and we will then run class ranks. We will send out an email once revised GPA's are available, and then again when class ranks have been calculated.  Please note: Students do not receive class ranks until they have been here for at least two semesters. For students entering in 2022 or after, class ranks will be assigned only to the top half of the class. (See the Student Handbook, section 6.13, for more information.)


Spring 2023 Semester Information.  Please see the Spring 2023 Quick Guide page for information about the Spring 2023 semester.

Spring 2023 Schedule of Classes (with Classroom Assignments and Exam Information). The most recent version of the Spring 2023 class schedule is available here. It includes classroom assignments and exam information for Spring courses.

Add-Drop Period. The add/drop period runs through Tuesday, January 31, 5:00pm. You may add and drop classes without tuition penalty through January 31. After that date, you may still withdraw from a course (except a required course, a clinical course, Law Review, Moot Court, or an intersession class) up to the date of the final exam or final paper (see §3.10(c) of the Student Handbook), but you will not receive a tuition refund.

Applications for Graduation. If you are graduating this semester, please submit an Application for Graduation (click here) no later than Tuesday, January 31, 5:00pm.

Pass/Fail Elections and Limitations. Pass/fail elections for the Spring semester must be made online no later than Tuesday, January 31, 5:00pm. In order to make an election, you should:

  1. Log into Web for Students

  2. Select the "Take Class Pass/Fail" option under the "Online Forms" heading

  3. Select the course you would like to take on a pass/fail basis

  4. Submit your selection

The Registrar's Office will review your request and inform you if there is any problem with your request.

Although there is no overall limit on pass/fail credits, there are two types of limits to the pass/fail credits you can take:

Pass/fail election: Students may elect up to 6 credits pass/fail during their entire time at Chicago-Kent. This pass/fail election applies to upper-level elective courses that normally are letter-graded; classes that are only offered pass/fail do not count toward this 6-credit limit. The following classes may not be elected pass/fail: (1) required courses, including Professional Responsibility; (2) seminars, whether or not being taken to fulfill the graduation seminar requirement; (3) courses that have been designated by instructors as ineligible for the pass/fail election (these courses are indicated on each semester’s schedule of classes); (4) courses that are graded only on a pass/fail basis (as noted above), such as clinical courses, Moot Court, and Law Review; (5) Financial Services LL.M. courses; (6) Trial Advocacy and Appellate Advocacy courses; and (7) courses taken to fulfill the requirements of any certificate program. Fall pass/fail registration will open shortly before the start of the Fall semester. A student taking a course on a pass/fail basis must earn at least a C to receive a P (Pass). If you pass the course but fail to earn at least a C, you will receive a grade of LP (Low Pass).

Clinic limitation: You may take no more than 24 credit hours toward graduation for clinical courses and externships combined. (Students in the Litigation and Alternative Dispute Resolution Program (LADR) and the Criminal Litigation Program are exempt from this limitation.)

Academic Calendar for 2022–2023. The academic calendar is available here.

Classrooms for Remote Use. If you are taking an online class this semester, we have reserved rooms at the Law School for you to use if you won't have sufficient time to travel from home to school (or vice versa) in between your online class and an on-site class you have the same day. These rooms will remain the same throughout the semester. Click here for the list. Please note: You will each connect to class individually in Zoom and should have earphones or headphones with you.

Graduating Students: Reduced Loads and Tuition Discounts. J.D. students graduating at the end of the Spring semester who need fewer than the minimum number of hours to graduate may take fewer credits without special permission. Taking a reduced load may affect your eligibility for financial aid; please contact the Financial Aid Office if you have questions about this.

In addition, if you will be graduating at the end of the Spring semester, and will be taking more than the 87 credits required to graduate, you may receive a 50% discount on each credit you take over the required 87 credits. If this affects you, please contact me by email no later than Tuesday, January 31, and I will arrange for the credit to be applied to your account. Please note: Financial aid is not available for any courses you take that are not necessary for you to reach the required 87 credits.


Dean's Certificates for February 2023 Illinois Bar Exam. We will mail a Dean's Certification form to the Illinois bar examiners for every Fall J.D. graduate prior to the deadline later this month. We compile the list of graduating students from the list of those who submitted Applications for Graduation listing Fall 2022 as their final semester. Important note: University policy does not allow the certification of any student to the bar examiners if the student has an outstanding balance owed to the school.


July 2023 Illinois Bar Applications. Applications for the July 2023 Illinois bar exam are due by February 15, 2023. You may file a late application up to May 15, but penalty fees apply. The forms and instructions are available on the bar examiners' web site: www.ilbaradmissions.org. All information you disclose on the bar application should be consistent with answers to questions on your Application for Admission to the law school. Please note, however, that the bar application asks for a considerable amount of information that you were not asked to provide on our Application for Admission. You only need to be concerned about the consistency of your answers for questions asked on both forms. You can amend your Application for Admission, if necessary, by addressing a letter to me setting forth the details of the omission or misrepresentation and the reason for it.

Dean's Certificate: The law school sends a “Certification of Juris Doctorate” to the Illinois bar examiners for every student who graduates in December or May. Please be sure to file an Application for Graduation (see information above for how to file one) at the beginning of your last semester so we will know you plan to graduate at the end of that semester. Important note: We will not certify any student to the bar examiners if the student has an outstanding balance owed to the school.


Bar Exams in Other States. If you plan to take a bar exam outside of Illinois, you should provide Dean Sowle with appropriate forms for the Law School to complete as soon as possible (by email to ssowle@kentlaw.iit.edu). 


MPRE: Registration Information for 2023 Test Dates. The Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam (MPRE) is required for admission to the bars of most jurisdictions, including Illinois. Students planning on taking the Illinois bar exam may take the MPRE at any time during or after law school. Click here for a list of 2023 test dates and deadlines for applying. The first 2023 test administration is March 28 or 29, with an application deadline of January 26, 2023. 


Public Safety Escort Service. In the evening hours, a Public Safety officer is available to provide a walking escort for those with concerns about their personal safety. This service applies to any location within a two block radius of the Conviser Law Center, including Union Station and many adjacent parking locations. Please see the officer(s) on duty at the front desk, or call the Public Safety number, 312-906-5030. 


Academic Counseling. I am available for counseling about course selection, certificate programs, bar preparation, academic rules and regulations, and other academic matters. If you are interested in a particular area of law, I can also arrange for you to meet with a faculty member who specializes in that area. You may contact me by email (ssowle@kentlaw.iit.edu) or by phone at (312) 906-5282.


Counseling Services. This is a reminder that the university provides counseling services free of charge for students. Click here for details on the available resources, including individual counseling through Skylight Counseling Services. In addition to resources available through the university, the Lawyers Assistance Program also provides assistance to law students. LAP provides free and confidential assistance to members of the Illinois legal community, including students, and can help you with issues of addiction, stress, anxiety, depression, focusing, worries about the character and fitness process, and having a successful first-year transition. Click here for more information about LAP and the services it provides.