Long Paper

As a requirement for graduation, all students must complete a comprehensive research paper after their first year of law school. Students are advised to complete this requirement before their final semester. The paper should be written under the supervision of a full-time faculty member. If no full-time faculty member is willing to supervise the paper, the paper may be supervised by an adjunct professor of law with advance permission of the Vice Dean for Academic Affairs. Generally, supervision by an adjunct faculty member is appropriate only if the paper is completed as part of a course taught by that adjunct faculty member and has been previously authorized by the Vice Dean. A faculty member must agree to supervise the paper before any drafts are written.

There are three ways for a student to meet the Advanced Research & Writing requirement:

1. the student may write the paper as an independent research project (see additional information under Independent Research in Course Descriptions), in which case a student may receive up to 4 credits for the project;
2. the student may write the paper as part of a course, competition, or Law Review, in which case a student receives the credits normally assigned to the course or activity; or
3. the student may write the paper apart from a course or independent research, in which case a student will receive no course credit.  

After the paper is completed, the student should fill out and have the supervising faculty member sign an Advanced Research & Writing Certification form. The signed form must be submitted to the Registrar in order for the requirement to be satisfied.

» Comprehensive research paper guidelines