Registrar

Registration Information

Registration for Fall 2008 and Spring 2009 Classes

Registration for the 2008/2009 school year will start on Monday, May 12, 2008, with rising 3L, and rising 5th & 6th year JD/PhD students beginning the on-line process; see priority details below.  Rising 2L students and the remaining JD/PhD students will register the following week.  The registration process itself is largely unchanged from last year, with the start times for the first two phases of registration beginning at 8:00pm.  This allows more students to get on-line and try for the courses they want as soon as registration begins.

Once again, Wednesdays are scheduled lightly with primarily first-year courses, small sections of specialized courses, and multi-sectioned courses.  This is done to allow students involved in externships to schedule their required on-site hours. 

The law school uses the NOVASIS system for registration, which means you can register from anywhere you choose.  All the information you need to register and navigate the registration site can be found on the Registrar’s web site as well as in the Registration Booklet.  Both the web site and the booklet contain important information you will need to review before registration begins.

It is important for you to know that registration is divided into three distinct phases, and that you will be registering for both fall and spring classes during your designated time. 

Phase One will start on Monday, May 12, 2008 at 8:00pm with rising 3L’s and rising 5th and 6th year JD/PhD students beginning to register.  Registration is on a first-come-first-served basis, so be sure you do not wait until late in Phase One before registering, or the courses you want may be gone.  Phase One will end at 11:59pm on May 14, 2008.  Students in Phase One will not be able to register again until the start of Phase Three.

The second phase will start on Monday, May 19, 2008 at 8:00pm with rising 2L students and the remaining JD/PhD students beginning registration on-line.  Registration is on a first-come-first-served basis, so be sure you do not wait until late in Phase Two before registering or the courses you want may be gone. This phase will end at 11:59pm on May 21, 2008.  Students in Phase Two will not be able to register again until the start of Phase Three.

Phase Three will be an open add/drop period, starting at 9:00am on May 26, 2008, and continuing through the first week of classes.   Once again registration will be on a first-come-first-served basis with all students having access to registration during this period.  

To maximize your chances of getting the classes you want, and to ensure you receive priority for classes, you must register during the time set aside for your class year.  If you miss your designated time, you will have to register during Phase Three when all students will be registering on a first-come-first-served basis.

The Rules for Registration
                         
The registration process is designed to give Phase One students priority in class selection, with one important exception.  If a student has already taken a required course such as a Practical Writing class or a Research Paper class, the student must not register for any classes in that category before Phase Three begins on May 26th.  This restriction is necessary in order to give the students who need required courses an opportunity to register for those classes.

In the spirit of fairness, it is also necessary to restrict students who need required courses to registering for only one class in each required category during phases One and Two.  This includes Practical Writing and Research Paper classes.  Once Phase Three begins the restriction on Practical Writing and Research Paper classes will not apply.  Also, no student may sign up for more than one section of a required course such as Con Law and Legal Profession.  This restriction applies in all phases of registration.

Students are not to register for more than one section of any multi-sectioned courses, such as Trial Practice or Civil Pretrial Practice.   If the course is offered in both fall and spring, students may only be registered in one of the semesters.  This restriction applies in all phases of registration.

The Registrar’s Office will monitor the registration process to ensure compliance and clean up any problems that might arise.  In the event that a student registers for a class without regard for the restrictions outlined above, the Registrar’s Office will remove the class from the students schedule without notice to the student.

To help prevent any unintended problems with your registration, please refer to the course number list below.  Course number ranges for the required courses are highlighted.

Course Numbers

1000 to 1999 - Con Law, Legal Profession, Moot Court
5000 to 5999 - Practical Writing Classes (Includes Most Clinics)
6000 to 6999 - Research Paper Classes (Includes Law Journals)
7000 to 7999 - Elective Classes
8000 to 8899 - Externships and Practicum
8900 to 8999 - Clinics NOT Meeting the Practical Writing Requirement

Before registering it is very important that you consult with an Academic Advisor and also review the Graduation Checklist.  The Checklist is included in this booklet and can also be found on the Registrar’s web site.

Read the course description for each class you are considering.  Be sure you are not signing up for a class for which you do not have the proper prerequisites.  Because we require students to register for a full year of classes during the registration period, the on-line registration program (NOVASIS) will not prevent you from registering for a class for which you do not have the prerequisite.  The program is set up this way so you can for example, register for Con Law I and Con Law II at the same time.  However, you will not be granted credit for any course you take without having completed the prerequisite, even if you complete the entire semester.  Course descriptions are included in this booklet as well as being available on the Registrar’s web site, and students are strongly urged to review them before registering.

To recap, the schedule for registration will be as follows:

Phase One

Rising 3L Students and Rising 5th and 6th Year JD/PhD Students

May 12, 2008 at 8:00pm, Registration Begins
May 14, 2008 at 11:59pm, Registration End

Phase Two

Rising 2L Students and Rising 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Year JD/PhD Students

May 19, 2008 at 8:00pm, Registration Begins
May 21, 2008 at 11:59pm, Registration Ends

Phase Three

All Students

May 26, 2008 at 9:00am, Drop/Add Begins
September 2, 2008 at 8:00am, Drop/Add Ends for the Fall Semester
January 16, 2009 at 8:00am, Drop/Add Ends for the Spring Semester

The Registrar’s Office will be happy to help you with any questions you have about registration.  Here is how you can contact us:

Contact Information

Email: registrar@law.villanova.edu  Phone: 610-519-7017/610-519-7002

Registrar’s Office Staff

Jill Keenan, Registrar’s Assistant
Brenda Comunale, Assistant Registrar
Maureen O’Mara Carver, Assistant Dean for Student Records and Registrar

Back to the Top