Certificate Programs

An Appalachian School of law graduate will receive a Certificate in Litigation with a corresponding notation in the student’s permanent academic record if he or she meets the following criteria:

• In addition to grade requirements, students must complete all required courses and at least one elective from the list above to qualify for the certificate.
• Students entering Spring 2023-Fall 2024 must have received a grade of “CP” in each first-year course required by the certificate and have at least a cumulative 3.0 GPA in the upper-level courses that qualify the student to receive the certificate. 
• Students entering Spring 2023 must have at least a cumulative 3.0 GPA in the upper-level courses that qualify the student to receive the certificate. 
• Absent approval from the Academic Standards Committee, transferred credits for courses taken at other institutions will be counted with respect to 1L required courses, but will not count towards the certificate for 2L or 3L courses.
• If a student chooses Criminal Practice and Advanced Criminal Procedure as optional courses, the Litigation Certificate will reflect that concentration as a Criminal Litigation Certificate. If a student chooses Pretrial Practice and/or Family Law Practice and/or Virginia Civil Procedure (Virginia Civil Procedure & Practice) and/or Remedies as optional courses, the Litigation Certificate will reflect that concentration as a Civil Litigation Certificate.
• The Certificate’s Faculty Advisor, with approval from the Dean and Chief Academic Officer, retains jurisdiction over the implementation, interpretation, and requirements for this certificate program.

*Two years of participation on the Mock Trial team may be substituted for the Trial Advocacy course requirement.