Attendance - Law Students

Policies & Rules — Attendance

Law schools approved by the American Bar Association must adopt, publish and adhere to a written policy requiring regular class attendance. The rules below implement this requirement at MU, and were adopted by the faculty on January 23, 2015:

1. Class Attendance
   1. Attendance is expected, in accordance with the ABA Standard 308.
   2. Administration of the attendance policy lies with the individual instructor for each course.
   3. The individual instructor determines the number and nature of absences from each course for an excess of which sanctions may be imposed, as well as the sanctions which will be imposed, up to and including dismissal from the course.
   4. If the instructor intends to attach a formal sanction (grade reduction or dismissal from the course) to inadequate attendance, he/she must announce to the class in writing at the beginning of the course what the rules governing attendance in that course will be, with appropriate provision for notice to students who enroll in course late.
   5. A student who is in danger of accumulating excessive absences must be given notice by the instructor in advance of the absence which will give rise to a significant sanction (major grade reduction or dismissal from the class).
2. Appeals
   1. A student who is dropped from a course for excessive absences may meet with the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and request reversal of the decision. A student may seek the assistance of the Student Bar Association in support of the request.
   2. A final decision on the appeal rests in the discretion of the Dean.