UB Law enjoys one of the lowest academic dismissal rates among New York law schools alongside strong bar passage rates. One reason for these results is our continued commitment to student success.
Our resources for ensuring student success include: the Office of Student Affairs, the Office of Academic Success, a structured student advising program, and an on-site counselor. We also regularly assess our academic requirements and course offerings.
Nonetheless, a small number of students fall below the academic dismissal threshold each year. When this happens, students who are dismissed receive written notice and are advised of any options they may have to petition for reinstatement.
The academic dismissal thresholds at UB Law are informed by longitudinal data concerning the relationship between a student’s grades, the student’s demonstrated commitment to addressing academic issues, and their prospects of success in school and on the bar.
Students performing below the academic threshold are afforded a one-time opportunity to petition for reinstatement. Academic dismissal is not a disciplinary process, and the reinstatement process is not an appeal. A committee composed of faculty and staff (the “Committee”) reviews petitions to consider whether a student has a reasonable likelihood of future academic success notwithstanding their academic performance at the time of dismissal.
The reinstatement process begins with the timely filing of a Petition for Reinstatement with the Office of Student Affairs. The petition should disclose any unusual individual circumstances that contributed to academic underperformance. The Committee will request input from UB faculty who have taught the student and will not consider recommendation letters solicited by the petitioning student.
The Committee will conduct a holistic review of all available information pertaining to the student’s academic record at UB Law, including but not limited to the Petition, student’s transcript, feedback from faculty, the reasons for failing to meet the minimum grade threshold, and indicia of the student’s commitment to remedy the issues with academic performance in evaluating whether the student has a reasonable likelihood of success in law school and in gaining admission to the bar.
Reinstatement is conditional. Readmitted students must raise their cumulative Law GPA above the academic threshold in the next semester; maintain a Cumulative Law GPA above this threshold for the remainder of their time at UB Law; and must agree to, and fulfill, additional requirements set forth by the Committee.
“To be considered for reinstatement, the student must demonstrate to the Committee’s satisfaction, through an affirmative showing in the petition, that the student has a reasonable likelihood of successfully completing the Law School’s program of legal education and being admitted to the bar.” GARP, § III.E.b. (for students matriculating in August 2025 and later), and interpretive guidance for GARP § III.E.b. approved by the UB Law faculty (for students matriculating before August 2025).
Factors the Law School correlates with graduation and bar passage include:
After the Committee makes a reinstatement determination, the student will receive written notice of the outcome.
If the petition is approved, the notice may – and most often will – include conditions that the student must satisfy if they elect to return to the law school. These conditions do not supplant the mandatory supplemental curriculum, though they may specify certain courses that the student must take within it. No condition set by the Committee may be waived by the law school administration.
If the petition is denied, there is no further appeal. The student may apply for readmission after two years. Any readmission application must identify what the student has done in the intervening period to address any factors that contributed to their dismissal and why they are better prepared to be successful in law school.