Revised: October 2016 Office of the Registrar
Leave of Absence and Visiting Away Policies
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Leaves of Absence:
1. Students who are unable to complete a semester or unable to return for the next regular semester must submit a request for a
leave of absence to the associate dean or director for Law Student Support. A leave of absence will be granted only for
documented, exigent circumstances of a non-recurring nature, such as acute illness of oneself or a dependent. Leaves will not
be granted for academic or financial reasons. JD students who fail to comply with the policy on continuous study (see
Student Handbook) may be administratively withdrawn from the School of Law. Students who wish to be considered for a
leave of absence must be in good academic standing and must be making satisfactory academic progress.
2. Leaves of absence will be granted for one or two regular terms and may not be granted for a period longer than one academic
year, except in extraordinary circumstances. The year begins from the start of the first term on leave. First-year students
granted leaves may be required to be on leave for a full year, due to the year-long first-year program. JD students are allowed
to take only one leave of absence during their careers at GGU School of Law. Once students register for courses at the end of
their leaves, they have officially returned from leave.
3. In order to extend a leave of absence, students must submit written petitions for an extension to the associate dean or director
for Law Student Support before the expiration of their original leaves. Students who wish to return to the School of Law
before the expiration their leaves of absence must comply with the appropriate notice deadlines, below. Students who fail to
provide timely written notice or to request an extension of a leave before the original leave expires may be denied permission
to return to Golden Gate University and be administratively withdrawn.
4. Students taking leave of absence in the middle of a term must complete the appropriate paperwork concerning the courses in
which they are enrolled, in addition to completing the leave of absence request form. For each course, students must do one
of the following: (1) complete the course requirements and earn credit or a grade; (2) withdraw from the course; or (3)
request an incomplete grade. The associate dean or director for Law Student Support determines which options are available
for each course depending on students’ individual circumstances and the nature of each course and its place in the JD
curriculum. Students should consult with the Financial Aid Office regarding the impact of withdrawing or taking an
incomplete grade in the middle of a term; federal regulations may require students to return portions of loan money received.
5. When students return from leaves of absence, they must submit the Notice of Intent to Return from Leave of Absence form to
the associate dean or director for Law Student Support by the start of priority registration for the term in which the student
intends to return from leave. Delays in completing this step may affect the availability of courses and/or the timing of
financial aid disbursements. To be considered to have officially returned from leave, a student must complete registration
(i.e., pay in full or make other arrangements to pay registration charges) by the last day of General Registration for that term.
Students should consult with the Financial Aid Office regarding deadlines for applying for aid.
6. All JD students returning from a leave of absence must receive approval of their schedules from the associate dean or director
for Law Student Support before being permitted to register. Law Student Support also may require documentation to show
that the conditions necessitating the leave (medical or otherwise) have been resolved.
7. JD students who have completed a minimum of two semesters and are on a leave of absence during the spring semester will
be evaluated for academic standing following the completion of the first fall or spring semester back from leave. Evaluation
for continuing scholarships may be affected by the timing of a leave of absence. Students should consult with the Financial
Aid Office regarding scholarship questions.
8. JD students who decide not to return from approved leaves of absence must submit Withdrawal from Law School forms. JD
students who do not return from their leaves by the third semester after the start of their leaves will be administratively
withdrawn, and a notation regarding administrative withdrawal will be made on their transcripts.
9. JD students who voluntarily withdraw from the law school, or who are administratively withdrawn for any reason, must
reapply for admission and be readmitted as entering first year students before they may enroll again in law school courses.
Readmission of JD students who previously withdrew from Golden Gate is extremely unusual, and no assurances can be
given that such students will be readmitted. In most cases, JD students who are readmitted must restart their JD degree
programs from the very beginning; units earned previously at GGU or other ABA-accredited law schools typically will not be
applied toward graduation requirements. However, their prior academic history will continue to appear on their transcripts
and will be considered in the review process for readmission to the law program. ABA Standard 311(b) mandates that a JD
be completed no later than 84 months after a student has commenced law study at the law school or a law school from which
the school has accepted transfer credit, except in extraordinary circumstances.
Visiting Away:
10. JD students who receive permission to visit away at another law school must submit a Request for Transfer of Units to JD
Program form to the Law Student Support Office prior to the beginning of the term. Students who visit away must have their
official transcripts sent from their host schools back to GGU Law School in order to have the units transferred back.
