"After 30 years spent in courtrooms in Texas, ... I am comfortable that SMU's emphasis on how to think as opposed to what to think has been instrumental in procuring justice for a number of deserving clients."
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Partner, Law Offices of Frank L. Branson, PC
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Registration FAQ

Table of Contents

  1. How do I add/drop/swap courses?
  2. I am interested in the course which is identified as a paper course, but is also listed on the exam schedule. Will this course require a paper or an exam?
  3. I am interested in the possibility of taking a course at the Cox School of Business next semester. What is the procedure for doing this?
  4. Why are there so many different course listings for Trial Advocacy?
  5. How do I search for a class to check seat availabilities?
  6. Can I make changes to my schedule after the add/drop deadline?
  7. How would I go about registering for Law Review hours?
  8. There is a course called "Public Service Requirement" listed on my transcript that I did not add to my schedule. Why has it been added and does it have to be completed this semester?

1. A. How do I add/drop/swap courses?

All upperclass continuing students may add, drop, and swap courses through Access.smu during the add/drop period. You may click on this link for the tutorial. If you are not able to add a class and there is not a hold on your account, please check the seat availabilities for the class to make sure that the class is still open. See number 5 for instructions on checking seat availabilities.

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2. A. I am interested in the course which is identified as a paper course, but is also listed on the exam schedule. Will this course require a paper or an exam?

Generally this is done because the course has a paper/exam option. The Professor will give you further instructions regarding this option in his or her syllabus or on the first day of class.

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3. A. I am interested in the possibility of taking a course at the Cox School of Business next semester. What is the procedure for doing this?

Graduate-level courses in other graduate or professional schools of the University that are relevant to the student's program may be taken with approval of the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs, who shall also determine the law school credit equivalents to be awarded for such study. Students may not take courses that are designed to teach an area of law (i.e., Business Law), nor may students take a course the subject matter of which is taught in a Law School course.

A student may take no more than one such course in a given semester, and may earn no more that six total credits toward the JD degree in other graduate or professional schools of the University. Students must earn a "C" or better to receive credit toward their law school degree. The grade will not, however, be included in calculating the student's law school grade point average. Request for Permission forms are available on-line as well as, in the Registrar's Office.

NOTE: You must receive permission from the Law School prior to attempting to register at the other graduate or professional school. Receiving permission from the Law School, however, does not guarantee that you will be permitted to enroll in the course at the other graduate or professional school.

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4. A. Why are there so many different course listings for Trial Advocacy?

Trial Advocacy has two components. First, there is one large lecture section that meets once a week that all students who register for the course are required to attend. Second, there are several small "practice" sections scheduled at various times throughout the week where the students actually practice the different parts of a trial, and, ultimately, do an entire trial. Students must register for the large section AND the small section of their choice. The number of small sections varies depending on the total enrollment in the course.

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5. A. How do I search for a class to check seat availabilities?

You may search for a class via Access.smu. Click on the Class Search/Browse Catalog under Guest Features, select the term, select search classes, and click GO. Select the subject (Law), uncheck the open classes box, and click search, then OK. On the right hand side of the screen for each class you will see the status (a green circle if the class is open or a blue square if the class is closed) of the class and the unrestricted and restricted seat availabilities. The unrestricted seat availability tells you how many available seats are in the class. There are no wait lists for law school classes except clinic.

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6. A. Can I make changes to my schedule after the add/drop deadline?

After the add/drop deadline continuing upperclass students may drop a class with the Instructor's approval up until the last day of classes. Please refer to this link for a withdrawal form. All forms must be turned in to the Law School Registrar's Office to be processed. A grade of "W" will be reflected on your transcript. First year students must see the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs to receive permission for withdrawal and are not permitted to add or drop classes through access.smu.

In order to add hours to your schedule after the add/drop deadline you must petition the University Registrar's Office and pay a $25 fee for each transaction. Your petition and fee must be turned in to the Law School Registrar's Office. A schedule change request form and an approval form will be attached and submitted to the University Registrar's Office for processing. A confirmation will be mailed to you once the transactions have been processed. Please click on the following link for further details. Petition for Enrollment

*Please refer to the academic calendar for add/drop deadlines.

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7. A. How would I go about registering for Law Review hours?

In order to register for your Law Review hours, you must contact the Law School Registrar's Office during the add/drop period for the semester in which you wish to add the hours. You may contact us by phone, e-mail, or visit us in person. We will need your name, student ID number, and the name of the Law Review and how many hours you would like to add. You may not register for these hours through access.smu.

*Note: Students are allowed to take a maximum of 6 non-graded hours during law school. This does not include externships.

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8. A. There is a course called "Public Service Requirement" listed on my transcript that I did not add to my schedule. Why has it been added and does it have to be completed this semester?

The Public Service Requirement is added to every student's schedule before the fall semester of their second calendar year. Students are eligible to begin this requirement in their second year of law school, but are not required to complete it during that year. It is a requirement for graduation and must be completed in order to be eligible for graduation. No credit will be recorded on the transcript until the requirement has been completed, at which time, a grade of P or F will be recorded.

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