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Charleston School of Law Juris Doctor Program Catalog and Student Handbook 2024-2025

Academic Catalog and Handbook

General Information- Office of the Registrar

The Office of the Registrar is located on the third floor at 385 Meeting Street, Charleston, S.C. The Office of the Registrar administers registration, student schedules, the recording of grades, and the maintenance and certification of student transcripts. The Office also processes requests for letters of good standing and enrollment verification, for permission to change enrollment credits, and for permission to withdraw from a course. The Office can be reached at CSOLRegistrar@CharlestonLaw.edu or 843-329-1000.

Recent Curricular Changes Approved by the Faculty and in effect for Fall 2024

  • The Bar Preparation course will be letter graded, not subject to the curve. 
  • Criminal Procedure will be 4 credits.
  • Legal Skills will be 1 credit, letter graded, not subject to the curve.
  • Secured Transactions:
    • For students entering in Fall 2023 and thereafter, Secured Transactions is no longer a required course. The course will continue to be offered as an elective.

    • For classes entering prior to Fall 2023, Secured Transactions is still required for graduation.

Registration Information for Fall 2024 Classes

Rising 3Ls

If you are not able to secure a seat in the below courses in the fall, at least one section of each will be offered in the spring semester: Wills, Trusts and Estates, Secured Transactions, and Sales.

Rising 2Ls

Students must take Constitutional Law I and Legal Skills in the fall semester; neither of these courses will be offered in the spring semester. Students will be pre-registered into Constitutional Law I by the Registrar’s Office.

Rising 2Ls must register for and take the following courses during their second year:

  • Professional Responsibility
  •  Business Organizations
  • Evidence
  • Criminal Procedure
  • Criminal Law
  • At least one section of the above courses will be offered in the spring semester if you are unable to secure a seat in a specific course in the fall semester. Please note:  The Registrar will review registration status on Monday, May 20. The Registrar may remove you from elective courses if you fail to register for required courses.   

Student Self-Service Portal

You can access the Student Self‐Service Portal 24 hours a day/7 days a week by logging into your CSOL Access account, using your email login and pin.  Once there, you can:

  • View your enrollment history.
  • View and print an unofficial transcript.
  • Check financial information, including tuition and student loans.

Ordering Official Transcripts

Through the National Student Clearinghouse, a non-profit organization serving the higher education community, you can order official transcripts online. The benefits of this service include:

  • Convenient 24/7 access
  • Secure transactions
  • Automatic order updates via email
  • Online order tracking
  • Ability to order multiple transcripts for multiple recipients in one order

There is a $5.00 per copy fee for all official transcripts. Additional fees may apply for transcript requests involving electronic transmissions or overnight delivery.  Please note that we do not fax transcripts.

Transcript requests will be processed within 48 hours of receiving the request. Processing time may be longer during peak periods including beginning and end of term, graduation, holidays or days when the School of Law is closed.

Letter Requests

Note:  Please allow 3-5 business days for completion of your request. Incorrect or incomplete information will delay your letter.

To request letter of standing or class rank, please complete the appropriate form below and return to: 

 csolregistrar@charlestonlaw.edu.

 

Using the online Transcript Ordering service, we will also accept up to 3 document uploads to be included with your transcript mailing requests. This service is available to alumni, current students and former students.

Student Records and Maintenance

  1. Confidentiality of Official Student Records and Maintenance of Progress Records

All official student information records maintained by the academic and administrative offices of the Charleston School of Law are considered confidential, and only such information as is necessary to the normal operations of the school is maintained in official student information records. The Law School requires each record-keeping office to establish and maintain procedures and practices that will reinforce the principle of confidentiality.

The academic and administrative offices of the Law School may maintain the following types of academic and non-academic student information records: permanent records of academic achievement (transcripts), including supporting documents; deans’ files; documents relating to academic status such as notification of academic probation or disqualification; documents regarding appeals or waiver of academic policies; updates to identifying information such as name, social security number, etc.; admission files; loan and scholarship files; medical documentation; student conduct and activity files; Department of Career Services files; foreign student files; alumni files; student account files; and delinquent library files.

All official student information records are maintained by Law School staff members in the course of performance of their normally assigned duties, and only those administrative, faculty and academic staff personnel who have a legitimate educational interest and require access to student information records in the course of their normally assigned duties shall have that right of access.

Only information directly relevant to the educational processes of the Law School or that is voluntarily offered by the student and accepted from the student shall be included in the officially maintained student information records listed above. Specifically excluded from such student information records are references to political or social beliefs and practices, membership in any organization other than professional and/or honorary societies, and student activities listed by the students themselves.

  1. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

FERPA affords eligible students certain rights with respect to their education records. Please review the information on FERPA below.

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords eligible students certain rights with respect to their education records. (An “eligible student” under FERPA is a student who is 18 years of age or older or who attends a school beyond the high school level at any age.) These rights include:

  1. The right to inspect and review the student’s education records within 45 days after the day the School of Law receives a request for access. A student should submit to the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs a written request that identifies the record(s) the student wishes to inspect. The school official will make arrangements for access and notify the student of the time and place where the records may be inspected.
  1. The right to request the correction of the student’s education records that the student believes is inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of the student’s privacy rights under FERPA. Eligible students who wish to ask the School to amend a record should write the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, clearly identify the part of the record they want changed, and specify why it should be changed. If the School decides not to amend the record as requested by the eligible student, the School will notify the eligible student of the decision and advise him or her of the student’s right to a formal hearing regarding the request for amendment. If the school still decides not to amend the record, the student has the right to place a statement with the record setting forth his or her view about the contested information. Additional information regarding the hearing procedures will be provided to the eligible student when notified of the right to a hearing.
  1. The right to provide written consent before the School discloses personally identifiable information (PII) from the student’s education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent.
  1. FERPA permits the disclosure of PII from students’ education records, without the prior written consent of the student, if the disclosure meets certain conditions found in the FERPA regulations:
  1. To school officials:  The Law School discloses education records without a student’s prior written consent under the FERPA exception for disclosure to school officials with legitimate educational interests. A school official typically includes a person employed by the School in an administrative, supervisory, academic, research, or support staff position (including law en­forcement unit personnel and health staff); a person serving on the board of trustees; or a student serving on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance com­mittee. A school official also may include a volunteer or contractor outside of the School who performs an institutional service or function for which the school would otherwise use its own employees and who is under the direct control of the school with respect to the use and maintenance of PII from education records, such as an attorney, auditor, or collection agent or a student volunteering to assist another school official in performing his or her tasks. A school official typically has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an educa­tion record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibilities for the School.
  1. To officials of another school where the student seeks or intends to enroll, or where the student is already enrolled if the disclosure is for purposes related to the student’s enrollment or transfer.
  1. To authorized representatives of the U. S. Comptroller General, the U.S. Attorney General, the U.S. Secretary of Education, or State and local educational authorities.  Disclosures under this provision may be made in connection with an audit or evaluation of Federal- or State-supported education programs, or for the enforcement of or compliance with Federal legal requirements that relate to those programs. These entities may make further disclosures of PII to outside entities that are designated by them as their authorized representatives to conduct any audit, evaluation, or enforcement or compliance activity on their behalf.
  1. In connection with financial aid for which the student has applied or which the student has received, if the information is necessary to determine eligibility for the aid, determine the amount of the aid, determine the conditions of the aid, or enforce the terms and conditions of the aid.
  1. To organizations conducting studies for, or on behalf of, the school, in order to: (a) develop, validate, or administer predictive tests; (b) administer student aid programs; or (c) improve instruction.
  1. To accrediting organizations to carry out their accrediting functions.
  1. To parents of an eligible student if the student is a dependent for IRS tax purposes.
  1. To comply with a judicial order or lawfully issued subpoena.
  1. To appropriate officials in connection with a health or safety emergency.
  1. Information the school has designated as “directory information” unless the student has requested such directory information be withheld [see below].
  1. To a victim of an alleged perpetrator of a crime of violence or a non-forcible sex offense, the final results of the disciplinary proceeding with respect to that alleged crime or offense, regardless of the finding.
  1. To the general public, the final results of a disciplinary proceeding, if the school determines the student is an alleged perpetrator of a crime of violence or non-forcible sex offense and the student has committed a violation of the school’s rules or policies with respect to the allegation made against him or her.
  1. To parents of a student regarding the student’s violation of any Federal, State, or local law, or of any rule or policy of the school, governing the use or possession of alcohol or a controlled substance if the school determines the student committed a disciplinary violation and the student is under the age of 21.
  1. Except for disclosures to school officials, disclosures related to some judicial orders or lawfully issued subpoenas, disclosures of directory information, and disclosures to the student, § 99.32 of FERPA regulations requires the institution to record the disclosure. Eligible students have a right to inspect and review the record of disclosures.
  1. By law, the Charleston School of Law may release the following “Directory Information” without written consent by the student, unless the student has advised the School to the contrary in accordance with the School’s procedures for “opting-out” of this release (please see below).  “Directory Information” is defined as information contained in the education records of a student that would not generally be considered harmful or an invasion of privacy if disclosed.  The School of Law designates the below information as “directory information” :
  1. name,
  1. address,
  1. telephone number,
  1. campus email address,
  1. photograph,
  1. date and place of birth,
  1. dates of attendance,
  1. enrollment status,
  1. degrees sought and conferred,
  1. awards and honors, and membership in officially recognized School educational programs or organizations.

A student has the option of completing an Authorization and Consent to Release Education Records, available through the Office of the Registrar, and requesting in writing that his or her Directory Information not be released.

If a student requests in writing that his or her Directory Information not be released, the student will not be included in news releases in area and home newspapers or on radio and TV broadcasts regarding honors, awards, or participation in campus activities.  Such a student would also not be eligible to be included in campus programs, publications, campus directories, School of Law graduation composites, or on the School of Law’s website or campus brochures.

  1. The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the School to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the office that administers FERPA is:

Family Policy Compliance Office
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20202