The Future of Legal Education: Comparative Perspectives

Requirements for Independent Research Credit

Students may enroll for Law 7256 (Independent Research) and receive up to two credit hours which can be counted toward graduation requirements. Students must undertake a project "which involves investigation, research and scholarship and culminates in a research paper of publishable quality." Click here to download the application form which must be signed first by Professor Cunningham and then by one of the associate deans before you can register.

Minimum requirements to receive 1 credit:

-- Submit a written report on your foreign fieldwork beginning with an executive summary and including a description listing by dates your major activities and indicating on each date the approximate number of hours expended on each such activity. For students completing fieldwork by August 22, the report is due by September 5.

-- Create a web site of reference information relating to your fieldwork site(s). This web site should be suitable for posting in relation to the February 2008 Conference on the Future of Legal Education. For students completing fieldwork by August 22, a draft web site should be completed by October 26 and be ready for posting on the conference web site by November 9.

-- Prepare a draft book chapter for presentation at the February 2008 Conference that could be co-authored by you and one or more scholars from your fieldwork site(s). This draft book chapter will also satisfy the final paper requirement for this course but the draft book chapter must be at least 30 pages (excluding bibliography). For students completing fieldwork by August 22, this draft book chapter must be submitted to your potential co-author(s) for review and approval by October 19 with the expectation that a working draft, approved by your co-author, will be posted on the web site of the February 2008 Conference by November 9.

Minimum requirements to receive 2 credits:

Same requirements as for 1 credit except that the draft book chapter must be at least 40 pages (excluding bibliography).