To apply for a leave of absence, withdrawal, or visiting away status from the Law School, complete and sign the relevant form and email it to law.studentaffairs@nyu.edu. Students taking a leave of absence or withdrawing from a program should review the relevant semester's refund schedule specifically for the School of Law and are subject to the refund schedule for students who are completely withdrawing from all courses during the semester. Please attach a short memo explaining your request.
Leave of Absence request form
Withdrawal request form
Visiting Away request form
Leaves of Absence
- Leaves of absence are granted* only for adequate reason and to students who are in good academic standing.
- JD students need to schedule a meeting with the Dean of Students or another Student Affairs staff member before a leave can be granted.)
- Students in the Master of Science in Cybersecurity Risk and Strategy (MS CRS) program should speak to Jinnie Yoon Kim to begin their process for leave of absence.
- Students in the Master of Science in Health Law and Strategy (MSHLS) should speak to Megan O'Sullivan to begin their process for leave of absence.
- To obtain a leave of absence, students must complete at least one term in the Law School. Leave may be obtained for one or two semesters, with the permission of the Dean of Students (Office of Student Affairs, Furman Hall 474). A second year of leave requires the permission of the Executive Committee.
- A leave of absence does not extend the five-year period allotted for obtaining the JD, LLM, MS CRS, or MSHLS degree or the four-year period allotted for the Tax Certificate program. For LLMs, please note that if you need the LLM degree to qualify for the New York State Bar Examination, you will need to complete the program within two years of matriculation.
- For medical leaves, the student must submit a letter from the NYU Student Health Center or their medical provider. Additionally, students must submit a Certification of Readiness to Return Form to the Student Health Center before returning from leave.
- Students who take a leave while in good standing may rejoin the Law School subject to the regulations in force when they reenter provided that they have previously applied for and received a leave of absence from the Dean of Students or the Executive Committee.
- Students who take a leave when not in good standing, fail to return to the Law School upon expiration of their leave of absence, or fail to maintain matriculation by interrupting their course of study without first obtaining a leave of absence may be readmitted to the Law School only by special action of the Executive Committee.
*Note: If your request is approved, you are committed to taking the leave; accordingly, you forfeit your right to housing during that academic term and are responsible for contacting the Office of Financial Services and Law School Housing.
**Fees incurred vary; Enrollment Status Fee, University Registrar Registration Fee, and NYU Facilities Access Fee.
Student Health Insurance Enrollment While on Leave
You are eligible to continue your enrollment in the Basic, Comprehensive, and GSHIP plans for no more than a 12-month period if you are on an approved medical or personal leave of absence and you were enrolled in the plan during the preceding academic term.
To enroll in a student health insurance plan while on leave, you may apply and make payment directly to Consolidated Health Plans online at www.chpstudent.com/nyu by clicking on the Leave of Absence Enrollment link on the left side of the web page. The application will not be processed until a copy of the official letter of approval from the Dean of Students is faxed to Consolidated Health Plans at (413)214-6482. Applications received after September 30 for the fall semester and February 10 for the spring semester will not be accepted.
Please note if you are not registered for classes or maintaining matriculation, you are not eligible to use the Student Health Center (SHC).
Withdrawals
- A withdrawal does not extend the five-year period allotted for obtaining the JD, LLM, or MS CRS degree or the four-year period allotted for the Tax Certificate.
- If your withdrawal request is approved, you will receive a letter via email and regular mail explaining the necessary next steps after withdrawing (such as contacting Financial Services or Law School Housing if you are a recipient of either).
Visiting Student Status
- NYU School of Law JD students who wish to be visiting students at another ABA-approved law school must be third-year students and request permission from the Office of Student Affairs, Furman Hall 474. Such permission is granted only in rare cases when there are compelling personal circumstances. NYU students spending their third year elsewhere must comply with all NYU School of Law graduation requirements. It is highly recommended that students complete all required coursework (Professional Responsibility, Constitutional Law, Substantial Writing Requirement) before visiting away.
- If permission to visit away is granted, NYU School of Law will transfer up to 15 credits per semester towards the JD degree for coursework in which a grade of "C" or higher is earned. The specific number of credits accepted and course equivalencies will be determined by the Office of Academic Services. Students must submit a list of proposed courses to the Office of Academic Services prior to finalizing registration. In some cases, a course description and/or syllabus will also be required to determine course content. For more information, email Academic Services at acadservices@exchange.law.nyu.edu.
- To obtain a letter of good standing to submit to another law school, contact the Office of Records & Registration at (212) 998-6040 or law.registration@nyu.edu.
- Students approved to visit away will be charged maintaining matriculation and applicable registration and service fees. Associated fees for maintaining matriculation will be applied according to the degree program of the student.* You will receive a bill for these fees from the University Bursar.
- If you are approved to visit away, you will receive a letter via email and regular mail explaining the necessary next steps to prepare for your leave (such as contacting Financial Services or Law School Housing if you are a recipient of either).
*Fees incurred vary and include: Enrollment Status Fee, University Registrar Registration Fee, and NYU Facilities Access Fee.