Student Records--Buckley Amendment
On November 19, 1974, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (commonly referred to as the Buckley Amendment), which was enacted as part of the Educational Amendments Act (P.L. 93-380), took effect. The stated purpose of the Buckley Amendment is the protection of the educational interest, rights of privacy and confidentiality of students and their parents. As applied to law schools and other post-secondary educational institutions, it is normally the rights of the students that are protected.
The School of Law's policy has always been to release personal or academic information only upon request by the student or graduate.
Federal law prohibits the release of any information by the law school concerning a student unless notice of intent to release such information is first given to the student. It is the policy of the School of Law to release the following information regarding students: (1) the student's name; (2) address; (3) date and place of birth; (4) participation in officially recognized activities; (5) dates of attendance; (6) degrees and awards received; and (7) the most recent previous educational institution attended by the student.
Should any student desire that this information not be released, a "No Release" form should be completed by the student and filed with the law school Registrar during the first week of the first semester.
The school, from time to time, receives requests for scholastic information, but the information will not be released until the student has completed the "Authorization" form and filed it with the law school Registrar.
Bar Admission
Students should be aware that requirements for admission to the bar vary among the states. Students are responsible for ascertaining the requirements for admission to the bar in the state in which they intend to practice. The Placement Office has a list of addresses and information about each state that should be consulted by the student.
Adviser-Advisee Program
Each incoming law student is assigned an adviser who is a member of the law school faculty. This faculty member will be available to the student for personal consultation throughout his or her law school career. The adviser can be most helpful in planning class schedules and in assisting with academic or other problems the student might face. Each student is encouraged to take advantage of this relationship. Also, students are urged to use the services of the Office of the Dean when confronted with any problems having an actual or potentially adverse effect on their performance in law school.
Part-time Employment
The study of law is essentially a full-time task. Most students devote from 50 to 70 hours a week to classroom attendance, preparation for class, and other activities directly related to their legal education. As a consequence the opportunity for self-support through employment while attending law school is limited. Although a few law students do engage in part-time work, such employment inevitably reduces the quality of the educational experience. Faculty advisers as well as the Office of the Dean are available to counsel students concerning employment while in school.
