Suffolk Law Summer 2018 Student Handbook

2. Credit Hour Policy: The study of law, as well as its practice, requires diligent preparation, engaged attention, and thoughtful reflection. In order to prepare students thoroughly for legal practice, the Law School adheres to the federal 1 and ABA 2 definitions of a credit hour. Standard 310(a) of the American Bar Association Standards and Rules of Procedure for Approval of Law Schools requires that: “A law school shall adopt, publish, and adhere to written policies and procedures for determining the credit hours that it awards for coursework.” ABA Standard 310(b) provides:

A "credit hour" is an amount of work that reasonably approximates:

(1) not less than one hour of classroom or direct faculty instruction and two hours of out-of- class student work per week for fifteen weeks, or the equivalent amount of work over a different amount of time; or (2) at least an equivalent amount of work as required in subparagraph (1) of this definition for other academic activities as established by the institution, including simulation, field placement, clinical, co-curricular, and other academic work leading to the award of credit hours.

The Law School adheres to ABA Standard 310 concerning credit hours. The following policies and procedures are intended to comply with Standard 310.

(a) Credit for Classroom Instruction

The number of credit hours awarded for a course is a representation of the amount of work that the course requires. A credit hour signifies a certain minimum amount of classroom or instructional time, plus time for out-of-classroom student work expected in the course, such as class preparation, homework assignments, papers, projects, exam study, and examinations. In general, the definition of credit hour calls for two hours of out-of- classroom work to be required for every hour of classroom instruction . 3

The specific number of weekly classroom and out-of-classroom hours required to satisfy the definition of a credit hour depends on the length of the relevant academic term, as set forth below.

1 34 C.F.R. § 600.2 (2015), Regulations of the Offices of the Department of Education. 2 ABA Standards and Rules of Procedure for Approval of Law Schools (2014-2015), Standard 310(b). 3 A classroom hour is defined as 50 minutes of direct faculty instruction, assuming a 15-week semester. An hour of out-of-classroom work is defined as 60 minutes, assuming a 15-week semester. Standard 310, Interpretations 310-1 & 310-2.

7