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Requirements for receiving the degree of Juris Doctor (J.D.) from Southwestern follow. 

• Successful completion of 87 units. Credit will not be awarded for a course in which a grade of F is received. A student may not graduate with a grade of incomplete on his or her transcript.
• A cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.33, calculated based on all work completed at Southwestern.
• Successful completion of all required courses as outlined in the Graduation Requirements found in the Academic Disqualification, Academic Probation, and Academic Improvement Program Policies on the Institutional Policies page.
• All required courses must be passed with a D- or higher grade. A student who fails a required course must repeat that course during the next semester in which it is offered. Failure to pass the required course a second time will automatically result in academic disqualification.
• Any student who anticipates graduation but has been academically disqualified and subsequently readmitted to the law school may be required to meet additional requirements as determined by the Admissions and Scholastic Standards Committee.

Note: With the written approval from the Dean of Students, a Southwestern student may take course work at another law school, and under certain circumstances, have a maximum of six (6) units counted toward completion of the Juris Doctor degree. Please see the Institutional Policies page. 

Academic record verification may be obtained through the Registrar’s Office. There is no fee for this service.

The office cannot verify enrollment beyond the current academic year. Enrollment will be verified for the official dates of each semester once a student has completed the registration process. Academic record verification will not be provided before the first day of class of the current term.

Students are verified as full-time if they are registered for 10 or more units, part-time/half-time if they are registered for 8 or 9 units, and less than part-time if they are registered for 7 or fewer units per semester.

Students may request academic record verifications by completing an Information Request Form. Please allow five working days to process requests, except at peak periods when more time is needed. Academic record verification will not be released by telephone or fax.

Information Request Form

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Transcripts may be requested by completing the Transcript Request form (PDF).

Transcripts may also be requested through , a secure online service. There is a processing fee of $3.00 per order, in addition to the regular transcript fees charged by Southwestern. Payment may be made by credit or debit card.  Additional policies apply when ordering through Parchment and should be reviewed before creating an account and requesting transcripts.

The following policies apply:

• Official and Unofficial transcripts may be requested from the Registrar’s Office. Transcripts are $7.00 each (processed within 1-5 business days), payable in advance.
• Normally, 1-5 working days are required for processing transcript requests, except at peak periods when more time is needed to fill all requests.
• Consent must be obtained for transcript order due to the confidential nature of a student's records.
• Transcripts include all work completed at Southwestern. Partial transcripts are not issued.
• Official transcripts can be issued directly to students, agents or institutions.
• We do not copy other college/university or law school records.
• Transcripts mailed directly from the Registrar’s Office to scholarship foundations for current students are free.
• Unofficial transcripts bear the "Issued to Student" stamp.
• Transcripts sent via postal mail will be sent first class through U.S. postal mail to the address indicated by the Requestor on the Transcript Request Form.
• Electronic transcripts are subject to the above policies and will be delivered through the FERPA compliant Parchment network provider. The Recipient's email address is required. It is the requester's responsibility to determine if the Recipient accepts electronic transcripts. Southwestern is not responsible for transcripts that are requested to be sent to unsecure email sites or the Recipient's use of said document(s). Corrections to incorrect Recipient email addresses provided by the Requestor are considered a new transaction and subject to additional fees. 

Visiting Alumni

Southwestern alumni are welcome to return and audit two (2) courses with available seats in the requested course(s).  Audited courses will not receive a letter grade. Please note that seminar, writing, or skills course are not open to Alumni Visitors.

Tuition is offered at a 50% discount from the current per unit tuition rate, and the standard Student Services Fee will be waived. You will have access to use  Southwestern’s fitness center and the ºÚÈË̽»¨. 

Attached please find the Visiting Alumni Registration Form.

You may opt to receive Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credit for the course(s) you are auditing; please indicate your interest on the registration form and our Institutional Advancement Office will contact you with more details. 

To complete your registration, you must return the following documents to the Registrar’s Office:

1. A completed registration form
2. Payment for the course as mentioned above.

Registration Form - Visiting Alumni

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Visiting Attorneys

Visiting attorneys are welcome to take up to two (2) courses at Southwestern, usually on an audit basis. Seminars or skills courses may not be audited and are subject to a registration approval based upon enrollment and course requisites.

Registration will occur after priority registration for continuing Southwestern students. Cost to attend will be the current per unit tuition rate and a $100 non-refundable student services fee.

In order to complete your registration, you must return the following documents to the Registrar’s Office:

1. A copy of your bar card,
2. A completed registration form, and
3. A $100 non-refundable student services fee

Registration Form - Visiting Attorneys

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Diplomas are processed by the Registrar’s Office. Original diplomas are distributed to students after commencement once the degree is conferred.

Reissued diplomas can be ordered by completing the Reissued Diploma Request Form and submitting it to registrar@swlaw.edu. Reissued diplomas cost $75 and are processed in 6 – 8 weeks. Reissued diplomas are printed with the name ºÚÈË̽»¨ has on record. To update or change the name printed on the diploma, official documents will be required to verify the name.

If you have the original diploma and are ordering a reissued diploma, the Registrar’s Office will request that the original is mailed back to our office. If the original diploma is not submitted to our office, a footnote of the reissued diploma will include the following note: “Reissued Diploma, Issued Date XXXX." This will be covered when you place the diploma on your frame.

Reissued Diploma Request Form

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