Many JD, JD—Part-Time Program ("FlexJD"), and on-ground LLM students seek opportunities for activities such as as moot court and writing and other competitions through which they can both challenge and distinguish themselves. Through the Opportunities for Student Distinction program, such opportunities are identified and publicized so that students in these programs may take advantage of them. Certain opportunities may involve working with faculty or alumni, and the OSD program identifies those faculty and alumni who are able to commit their time to these activities. For more information about moot court opportunities that are part of the OSD program, visit the ASA website; for more detailed information about the sponsored competitions listed there, including who is eligible to participate, please refer to each competition's rules.
Faculty Resolution (adopted May 8, 2017)
Values Statement: We, the faculty, believe that internal and select external individual and team Opportunities for Student Distinction (OSD’s) offer pedagogical value as supplements to the curriculum and co-op program by providing students with valuable personal and professional development opportunities. As such, we are willing to support and mentor our students who choose to participate in internal OSD and external OSDs approved by ASA so as to attain the skills necessary to perform, at minimum, with strong competence and to aspire to excellence.
ASA, in consultation with OSD faculty advisors, will be responsible for selecting external OSDs and the type and number of team competitions NUSL can credibly support, including affinity competitions proposed by student organizations, and for approving, monitoring and focusing individuals and teams, provided that a full-time member of the faculty shall be identified as the advisor prior to approval of any OSD.
Subject to any adjustment required to comply with ABA and state bar admission criteria, students working under faculty supervision on OSD’s may receive one credit for every 42.5 hours that they are expected to devote to the project, but no more than three credits for any one OSD.
Students wishing to undertake writing competitions should discuss their topic with a faculty member with knowledge of the relevant field. If the writing competition is undertaken for academic credit, a faculty advisor for the writing project is required.