Your complete reference for degree requirements, deadlines, and support

Staff & Office Directory

Law On Campus (LOC) Intensives

Current Northeastern materials describe three required 1L Law On Campus sessions and three optional upper-level sessions, each approximately four days. The listed September 17–19, 2026 session is subject to change; confirm cohort dates with the FlexJD program.

Nearby hotels: Midtown Hotel (220 Huntington), Colonnade (120 Huntington), Sheraton Boston (39 Dalton), Hilton Back Bay (40 Dalton). T: Northeastern (Green E) or Ruggles (Orange).

Class-Year Pages

Cohort-specific pages with your class's co-op requirement, key contacts, and DAS pointer. Class of 2026 is not yet published — check with SBA for interim info.

• Class of 2027
• Class of 2028
• Class of 2029
• Class of 2030

Disability Access Services (DAS)

You don't have to navigate this alone — and you don't have to know exactly what you need before reaching out.

Northeastern is required to provide reasonable accommodations for qualified students with disabilities — including instructional, course-load, or exam modifications, interpreters, note-takers, and co-op accommodations. This applies fully to FlexJD students, remote or on-ground. Note: the office was renamed from the Disability Resource Center (DRC) to Disability Access Services (DAS) in July 2024 — if your handbook still says DRC, that's outdated language; DAS is the current name.

Timing matters: if you want accommodations in place for the current semester, reach out as early as possible — processing takes time, and cutoffs exist for each term.

Co-op note: accommodations on co-op work differently than in-classroom accommodations, since you hold both student and employee status simultaneously. Ask ASA about this specifically if you're heading into a co-op term.

A dedicated FlexJD point of contact for DAS questions is being confirmed. [Contact name pending confirmation — check with SBA in the meantime.]

Milestone Requirements (83 total credits)

NUSL uses narrative evaluations rather than GPA or class rank. Academic risk, deficiency, probation, remediation, dismissal, and appeals are governed by the current NUSL Academic Rules and the student’s record. Confirm any consequence or deadline with Academic and Student Affairs; this peer guide does not determine standing. See the official degree-requirements page.

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) for federal financial aid: No GPA-based threshold at NUSL — good academic standing under the Handbook operationalizes the qualitative SAP standard. The 67% completion-of-attempted-credits and 150% maximum-timeframe quantitative rules apply normally. SAP appeals: studentfinance.northeastern.edu/policies-procedures/satisfactory-academic-progress

Enrollment, Co-op & Requirement Details (per ASA)

Source boundary: Detailed procedures in this subsection were drawn from the 2024–25 JD Student Information Handbook and prior ASA materials. Preserve them as historical planning context only; confirm every current requirement, form, deadline, credit rule, and approval path with Academic and Student Affairs before acting.

Per-semester upper-level load: minimum 7 credits, maximum 10. Enrolling under 7 or at 11 requires a petition to ASA (under 7 only granted in extraordinary circumstances: Under Enrollment Notification Form; 11 credits: Over Enrollment Form). 12+ credits is not permitted. Separately, at least 67 of your 83 total credits must come from courses with direct faculty instruction (including online coursework) — petition ASA to waive this down to 64 if needed.

Co-op, in detail: the required field-placement co-op is paired with a concurrent reflections seminar. Current admissions materials state that each of the two experiential terms requires at least 275 hours during a non-academic semester, and describe the first co-op as occurring in the second spring semester. Confirm credits, schedule, employer-placement rules, concurrent-work limits, and any adjustment process with the Center for Co-op and Career Development.

The separate practical experience requirement (a second co-op, a field placement, or an approved experiential project — e.g. a professor-run policy project, a practice-focused RA role, or a project through NU’s Experiential Network or Community-Engaged Teaching and Research) needs a minimum 275 hours during a non-academic semester, typically the summer after 3L year, with no coursework or TA/RA work alongside it.

Additional relevant-work requirement: Northeastern's public pages currently conflict on whether the requirement is 350 or 1,000 hours. This peer guide does not resolve the conflict. Ask Academic and Student Affairs to identify the controlling requirement and any waiver rule for your matriculation cohort.

The Public Interest Requirement is satisfied by any one of: a co-op in a public interest setting (this alone auto-satisfies it), one of NUSL’s public interest clinics, 30 pre-approved uncompensated hours in a public interest setting (after 1L year), or a 3-credit directed study with faculty approval. Qualifying settings include government agencies, legal aid/public defender offices, victim advocacy organizations, and pro bono/law-reform organizations. It does not include judicial clerkships, work at a private firm (unless exclusively on the firm’s own pro bono matter), or pro bono work through your current employer. Document it via the Public Interest Requirement Completion Form.

The Upper-Level Writing Requirement needs a revised, well-researched piece of at least 15 pages (3,750 words) — or a 2–3 piece portfolio from one course or co-op — certified by a supervising professor (or, for co-op writing, by your supervisor plus Faculty Review Committee review). Submit via the Writing Requirement Completion Form. If you haven’t completed a qualifying piece by your final semester, you must submit a Writing Requirement Plan by the Add Deadline and finish by the last day of exams. You cannot use the same course for both this requirement and the Experiential Education Requirement.

Planning disclaimer: confirm all current requirements, forms, deadlines, and approvals against the current NUSL Academic Rules and directly with Academic and Student Affairs.

4-Year Course Sequence: Upper-Level Elective Projection

FlexJD’s official 3-year elective projection, current as of October 20, 2025. All courses are online/asynchronous unless marked with an asterisk (*) — starred courses have some synchronous component but can still be completed remotely. Terms are projected and subject to change; confirm with your advisor before planning around a specific term. Source: FlexJD Curriculum Projection 2025–2028 (distributed by ASA).

Course Catalog & FlexJD Availability

IMPORTANT: FlexJD students are eligible to register for ALL JD upper-level courses, including in-person classes. However: (1) Only FlexJD-specific courses follow online/hybrid modalities. (2) If you register for an in-person course, you MUST attend in person — Zoom is NOT an option for in-person courses. (3) Confirm course modality with Hanna Kim (617.373.8847) or Jorgelina Uribe (617.373.5016) before registering.

catalog.northeastern.edu/course-descriptions/law | Upper-level curriculum: law.northeastern.edu/academics/programs/jd/upper-level-curriculum

✅ FlexJD Core — Confirmed Available (Required 1L Courses)

That’s 26 podium credits plus 8 LSSC credits = 34 first-year credits, spread across four terms instead of the two full-time JD uses — one podium course per term in your first two terms alongside LSSC, then two podium courses per term after that. Source: law.northeastern.edu/academics/programs/jd/first-year-curriculum and 2025–26 catalog: catalog.northeastern.edu/course-descriptions/law.

Only one upper-level course is actually required: Professional Responsibility. Everything else upper-level is elective, drawn from the projected schedule below — but availability and offering terms shift, so re-confirm with your advisor each registration cycle.

❌ Confirmed NOT Available to FlexJD Students

The SBA Chair of FlexJD Interests has raised the absence of these courses and the lack of catalog transparency directly with NUSL administration — the catalog does not flag any of this, so you will not find it out until you try to register. If you are affected, contact your SBA Chair.

This list reflects what current/recent FlexJD students have reported being unable to register for — it is not an official NUSL list. If you have documentation of additional exclusions, send it to the SBA Chair to add here.

Courses NOT Offered at NUSL (2025–26)

These subject areas do not exist as JD electives at all (distinct from the FlexJD-specific exclusions above, which ARE offered to on-campus students). Researched against the 2025–26 course catalog and upper-level curriculum list:

Source: cross-referenced against the 2025–26 course catalog (catalog.northeastern.edu/course-descriptions/law) and upper-level curriculum page (law.northeastern.edu/academics/programs/jd/upper-level-curriculum). If a subject is missing from this list, that most likely means it genuinely isn't offered at NUSL under any name — not that FlexJD is excluded from it.

Certificates, Concentrations & Dual Degrees

NUSL offers seven JD x Certificates — interdisciplinary certificates built into the JD, combining coursework, co-ops, clinics, or a substantial paper: Health Law and Policy, Human Rights Law, Legal Design, Poverty Law and Economic Justice, Privacy Law, Sustainability and Climate Change, and Women, Gender, Sexuality and the Law. Source: law.northeastern.edu/academics/programs/jd/jdx-certificates. The 2025–26 Academic Catalog lists six of these as stand-alone graduate certificates (all but Sustainability and Climate Change, which appears to be newer than the catalog’s last update) plus separate business-focused certificates in Business Law, Healthcare Compliance, Health Law, Human Resources Law, Intellectual Property Law, and United States Law. Source: catalog.northeastern.edu/graduate/law/graduate-certificates.

NUSL also offers seven dual-degree programs: JD/MSAMBA (Accounting and Business Administration), JD/MBA, JD/PhD in Criminology and Justice Policy, JD/MS in Criminology and Criminal Justice, JD/MPH, JD/MPP, and LLM/MBA. Source: catalog.northeastern.edu/graduate/law/dual-degrees. These are built around full-time, in-person coursework and dedicated co-op semesters (the JD/MBA, for example, includes three full-time co-op terms) — none of the catalog pages confirm a part-time or remote track. Treat dual degrees as presumptively incompatible with the FlexJD schedule unless your advisor confirms otherwise in writing.

The official caveat on every certificate applies directly to FlexJD: “Concentrations and course offerings may vary by campus and/or by program modality... certain options may be required at certain campuses or for certain program modalities.” Confirm current eligibility and course availability with your advisor or admissions coach before counting on any certificate or dual degree.

Clinics & Externships

NUSL’s official clinic page describes seven in-house clinics: Civil Rights and Restorative Justice, Community Business, Domestic Violence, Immigrant Justice, Intellectual Property Law, Prisoners’ Rights, and Public Health Advocacy. It states that more than 100 students participate annually and provide over 25,000 hours of legal assistance. Source: NUSL clinical programs. Clinic location, weekly commitment, prerequisites, and modality can change; remote students should verify the current section before planning around it. NUSL’s official experiential-course list identifies Virtual Legal Advocacy Clinic (FlexJD), LAW 7983, as the clinic designed for FlexJD students.

Contact: Professor Hemanth C. Gundavaram, Director of Clinical Programs (617.373.6802); James Tracey, Administrative Operations Manager, Law Clinics (617.373.8947).

Externships and co-ops are the other remote-friendly path: FlexJD students can access the same co-op employer pool (1,000+ employers across 40 states and 71 countries) for flexible/remote placements. Always verify current placement options with the Co-op and Career office before registering: nulawcareers.sites.northeastern.edu.

Quick reference

Registration Process

Adding a course: you cannot add anything after the first 14 calendar days of an upper-level semester. Dropping a course: you can drop any upper-level course within the first 21 calendar days of the term with no transcript record; drop after that window and a “W” (withdraw) appears on your transcript instead. For limited-enrollment courses and clinics specifically, tell the instructor by the end of the first class session if you're not staying, or drop before the end of week 3 to avoid the “W.” First-year students need the Dean's advance approval to drop a required 1L course — only granted for compelling reasons. Source: NUSL JD Student Information Handbook (2024–25 edition — confirm current-year edition with ASA), Adding and Dropping Offerings.

The registration failure that cancels your aid

This is the consequence most easily missed by a student who is working full time and assumes a quiet term is a harmless one. Northeastern's FlexJD tuition and budgeting page states that a student who fails to register properly for an academic period they were expected to attend, or who fails to register with the Center for Co-op and Career Development for their co-op rotation, is automatically considered to have withdrawn from the institution — and that financial aid for those periods is automatically cancelled. Nobody has to initiate anything for this to happen; it happens by omission. If a term is going to be difficult, the move is to talk to Academic and Student Affairs and to the director of financial aid before the registration window closes, not after.

A reduced course load is a formal route, not an informal one: it requires a petition to, and approval by, the Office of the Dean. If it is approved and you receive aid, your eligibility is reviewed — school-based merit and need-based scholarships are adjusted in proportion to the enrolment charged, and you must remain enrolled at least half time to be eligible for any federal financial aid at all. Discuss the effect with the Director of Financial Aid before petitioning. Source: law.northeastern.edu/admissions/flexjd/tuition-and-budgeting, read 29 August 2026.

MPRE: the next registration deadline is 17 September 2026

The MPRE is administered by the National Conference of Bar Examiners, not by Northeastern, and its deadlines are hard. NCBE states that registration is a multi-step process — you must complete the NCBE portion, schedule the appointment with Pearson VUE, and pay the fee by 11:59 p.m. Central time on the deadline — and that absolutely no new registrations are accepted after it. Test accommodations must be applied for and determined before you register and schedule; they cannot be added to an existing appointment.

Financial aid can help once: the student expense budget may be increased one time to cover both the MPRE and one bar examination fee, but the fees must be paid during a period of enrolment — not afterwards — and you must bring documented receipts to the Office of Financial Aid while you are still enrolled. Bar preparation courses are not covered. Sources: ncbex.org/exams/mpre and law.northeastern.edu/admissions/flexjd/tuition-and-budgeting, both read 29 August 2026. Confirm the deadline on NCBE's own page before relying on it.

Key Academic Dates

Pulled from Northeastern's official 2025–26 University-Wide Academic Calendar, School-of-Law-tagged entries plus the holidays that cancel classes. Always check the registrar's live calendar for the current term — these are published as subject to change.

Source: registrar.northeastern.edu — 2025–2026 Academic Calendar (PDF).

Quick reference

Login URLs & Platforms

NUSL uses Examplify for in-person LOC exams. Install, register, and run a mock exam BEFORE your first LOC.

Install instructions: support.examsoft.com

Select 'Northeastern University School of Law' as your institution — credentials provided by OCS (SLAW_OCS@northeastern.edu) before your first LOC

Financial aid budget includes up to $2,000 for a one-time laptop purchase (JD Handbook) — contact lawfinaid@northeastern.edu

Student computer discounts for personal purchases: computer-discounts.northeastern.edu

Library Databases

You get individual passwords to Westlaw, Lexis, and Bloomberg Law before classes start — those are your core legal research subscriptions. Beyond that, the Law Library page links to Legal Research Guides (1L subjects like contracts and torts, upper-level topics like administrative or immigration law, plus skills guides like Bluebook citation), specialized databases such as AILALink for immigration law, interdisciplinary databases like JSTOR through the University Library, and Scholar OneSearch (SOS) for the university's full catalog. Remote/24-hour access applies to all of it — you don't need to be on campus.

Research help: the official NUSL Law Library page lists walk-in, email, and phone assistance from 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Monday–Friday at 617.373.3332; the library’s co-op resources page also lists individual research appointments during those hours. For law-school computer issues, email SLAW_OCS@northeastern.edu; the current NUSL staff directory identifies Jacob Bouvier as the Computer Services information-technology support specialist at 617.373.8919. Last primary-source check: August 20, 2026.

Quick reference

NUSL runs 40+ student organizations, funded by the School of Law but entirely student-run. Most hold meetings during a regular activities period or early evening — FlexJD students can join remotely where the org accommodates it, but participation is inherently easier if you can attend during an LOC or live near Boston. Source: law.northeastern.edu/student-life/student-organizations.

Student Bar Association (SBA)

The elected, representative student body, affiliated with the ABA Law Student Division. It's the forum between students and administration, and includes the dedicated Chair of FlexJD Interests seat. SBA also runs social/charitable events (Bar Review, the annual Barrister's Ball). Instagram: @nusl_sba.

FlexJD Student Association (FSA)

A FlexJD-specific student organization (registered 2026) built to give remote/part-time students their own community structure, separate from SBA. Contact the SBA Chair of FlexJD Interests for current FSA leadership and how to get involved.

Peer Mentorship Program

Pairs FlexJD students across cohorts (1L–2L, 2L–3L) with structured touchpoints at Weeks 2, 6, 10, and end of semester. Contact the SBA Chair of FlexJD Interests to get matched.

Affinity & Identity Organizations

Practice-Area & Career Societies

Advocacy & Public Interest Organizations

Publications, Competitions & Other Groups

Northeastern University Law Review (NULR, publishes twice a year plus the Extra Legal and Online Forum online publications), Mock Trial Team, Cooperative Income Sharing Program (CISP — funds unpaid public-interest co-ops; runs the campus bookstore and snack table).

Full org list with current contacts and social links: law.northeastern.edu/student-life/student-organizations.

Quick reference

SBA Office Hours

Day and time are confirmed. The Zoom link and feedback-form link are still being finalized — check back soon.

NU Law Careers (CCCD) | CCCD LibGuide | FlexJD Co-op Overview

Main career services site: nulawcareers.sites.northeastern.edu. Research guide for job search, pathway cohorts (private firm, business, government, judiciary, public interest), and ethics research: lawlibraryguides.neu.edu/CCOPAResources. FlexJD co-op requirements overview: asa.law.northeastern.edu/flexjd-co-op-requirements.

Bar Exam Planning

⚠️ Bar-eligibility rules for distance-education graduates vary by jurisdiction and can change. This student guide does not determine eligibility. Confirm your individual pathway with the licensing authority in every target jurisdiction, the NCBE jurisdiction directory, and NUSL Bar Success before making enrollment or application decisions.

Alumni Resources

Northeastern University Alumni Association (~290,000+ alumni worldwide)

Center for Co-op and Career Development (CCCD) advises post-grad through three years out

Boston Bar Association Young Lawyers Division: bostonbar.org/get-involved/young-lawyers-division

ABA Young Lawyers Division: americanbar.org/groups/young_lawyers

NUSL-affiliated legal organizations: Massachusetts LGBTQ+ Bar Association, Greater Boston Legal Services (EJW/Skadden fellowship sponsorships)

Quick reference

Who to Contact (Official Online Programs Directory)

FlexJD Tuition & Budgeting

2026–27 FlexJD estimated student expense budget, as published by Northeastern and read on 29 August 2026: tuition $50,952, living expenses/transportation $24,000, books & supplies $2,250, student activity fee $54, loan origination fees $198. (The 2025–26 figures were tuition $49,230 and a $51 activity fee.) Living/transportation allowance is capped at $2,000/month ($685/month if living with parents) — contact Financial Aid if your actual costs run higher. Source: law.northeastern.edu/admissions/flexjd/tuition-and-budgeting.

Tuition & Fees

Tuition is distributed evenly across three semesters (fall, spring, summer) in years 1–3, then across two semesters (fall, spring) in year 4. Your $500 tuition deposit applies to your first bill. Health insurance (billed in the fall term only, for the whole year, whether you are in class or on co-op, and waivable with comparable coverage through the StudentHub portal in September — the university published $2,849 for 2025–26 and states the 2026–27 rate is not yet finalised) and a one-time budget increase for the MPRE + one bar exam fee, a computer purchase (up to $2,000), or documented childcare costs can all be added — bring receipts to Financial Aid. A monthly payment plan is available through Nelnet Campus Commerce for a $35/term enrollment fee (no interest): northeastern.afford.com or 855.217.0551.

Tuition Refund Schedule — official page checked August 20, 2026

FlexJD first-year students (your first four terms — fall, spring, summer, fall) get 80% back in week 1, 60% in week 2, 40% in week 3, 20% in week 4, 0% after week 4. FlexJD upper-level students (from your fifth term on) get 100% through week 3, 60% in week 4, 40% in week 5, 0% after. Non-attendance does not count as withdrawal — you must formally withdraw. Failing to register for a term you were expected to attend, or failing to register your co-op rotation with the Center for Co-op and Career Development, is treated as an automatic withdrawal and cancels aid for that period. Seat deposits are never refundable. Federal loan funds follow the separate Title IV Return calculation (fully "earned" once you've attended 60% of the term). Source: law.northeastern.edu/admissions/flexjd/tuition-and-budgeting.

Federal Aid

File the FAFSA every year (Northeastern's school code: 002199; priority filing date February 15; no parental info required for law students). Federal loan rates, limits, repayment options, and transition rules depend on loan type and disbursement period. Verify current terms at StudentAid.gov and with NUSL Financial Aid before borrowing.

Federal loan availability, limits, rates, repayment options, and transition rules depend on the law, loan type, disbursement date, program continuity, and individual enrollment facts. Verify the current rule at StudentAid.gov and with NUSL Financial Aid before borrowing.

Contact: NUSL Financial Aid Office, lawfinaid@northeastern.edu, 617.373.4620. Source: law.northeastern.edu/admissions/flexjd/financial-aid, studentfinance.northeastern.edu/applying-for-aid/federal-updates.

Scholarships & Grants

HBCU Scholarship: law.northeastern.edu/admissions/jd/financial-aid/scholarships | LDF: law.northeastern.edu/admissions/jd/financial-aid/ldf | All FlexJD financial aid: law.northeastern.edu/admissions/flexjd/financial-aid

Leave of Absence

Leave, reduced-load, reentry, readmission, academic-standing, and loan consequences depend on current NUSL Academic Rules, university policy, and individual facts. Contact Academic and Student Affairs and NUSL Financial Aid before acting; this peer guide does not determine the procedure or deadline. University policy: registrar.northeastern.edu/article/leaves-of-absence.

Quick reference

law.northeastern.edu/admissions/flexjd • catalog.northeastern.edu/graduate/law/law-jd | FlexJD Projected Curriculum 2025-28 • JD Student Handbook 2024–25 • NUSL Staff Directory • ABA Employment Summary 2024 • ExamSoft Requirements

Alumni outreach is one of the most underused career tools available to law students. Here is how to do it well — starting in 1L year, not after graduation.

This self-directed approach pairs well with NUSL's own alumni infrastructure — the Office of Development and Alumni Relations runs a Connections program that can help match students with alumni by practice area and location. Use both: the institutional program surfaces contacts you might not find on your own, and the LinkedIn approach above gives you a direct way to build the relationship once you have a name.