III-B-4. Supervised Research and Writing

A. A supervised research and writing project may be either a one- or two-credit course, depending on the scope of the project as determined by the supervising instructor. No student may take more than four credit hours of supervised research and writing toward the J.D. degree; nor may any student register for more than two credits of supervised research and writing in any semester. Although specific requirements fall within the discretion of the individual instructor, and are dependent upon the other requirements of a given course or project, the principal writing requirement for supervised research courses, as in seminars, is typically 15 pages, or 3,750 words, per credit hour. Students may not satisfy required-course obligations through supervised research and writing; they may, however, satisfy the upper-level writing requirement. Any proposals for research supervised by anyone other than members of the full-time law faculty must first be approved by the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. For purposes of this policy, full-time law faculty members include full-time visiting law faculty and emeritus law faculty.

B. Before registering for a supervised research project, a student must have the permission of the supervising instructor or, where required, of the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. No instructor may undertake supervision of more than five (5) student research projects in any semester.

C. The supervising instructor and the student shall establish a regular schedule of consultation for the entire semester.

D. The student must submit the following items at the times established by the supervising instructor: (a) a detailed outline of the project; (b) a first draft of the written product; and (c) the final written product. The final written product must be submitted no later than the last day of the regularly scheduled examination period for the semester, unless the supervising instructor sets an earlier deadline. In individual cases, the supervising instructor may grant an extension and permit the student to take a grade of “Incomplete.” A final grade will be entered after the student’s submission of the final written product. The final written product shall conform to either ALWD Citation Manual: A Professional System of Citation or THE BLUEBOOK: A UNIFORM SYSTEM OF CITATION.

E. The individual supervising instructor may impose more stringent requirements prior to the date set for submission of the first draft of the written product.

F. The supervised research project contemplates original research and writing by the student performed under the supervision of an instructor. It is not to consist substantially of work done for compensation or in other academic programs, or simply be a compilation of work done by others. The project, however, may be carried out and its product submitted for purposes of a student’s participation in a legal writing competition.

Adopted by the Law Faculty, March 2002

Courses in Other UST Academic Units III-B-5