Law

Limited Lottery Enrollment Instructions

The College of Law offers several classes each semester that have limited enrollments. Therefore, a lottery process is used to register students for classes.

Here's how our lottery system works:

  1. Students sign into Catalyst and select lottery choices, indicating whether or not they’d like to be placed on a waitlist.
  2. Lottery preferences are randomized by the computer and students receive their first preferences as long as a preferred class has not reached its limit. When a student's first preference cannot be satisfied, the student's second preference is satisfied; if both first and second preferred classes are filled, an unusual occurrence in the first round of the lottery, the student's third choice is satisfied.NOTE: selecting “Waitlist OK” acts as another preference. Also, 3L selections take priority over 2L selections. After all third year students have been considered in the first round of the lottery and their highest possible preferences are satisfied, the computer randomizes the second set of preferences and the process is repeated until all third year students' preferences have been reviewed and satisfied if possible.
  3. Only after all third year students have been placed are second year students' preference forms considered. The process is the same, except, of course, there are fewer available positions in the classes. 

Waitlists for Lottery Classes:

Waitlists will be created for lottery classes that reach maximum enrollment. The College of Law Registrar will maintain the waitlists, and will regularly check class enrollments. When a seat becomes available in a waitlisted class, the Registrar will contact the first person on the list to offer the seat. Faculty policy states that students offered a seat have 24 hours to respond to the offer; if the student does not respond the seat is forfeited and the next person on the waitlist will be contacted. 

Here's how to participate:

  1. Gather a list of limited enrollment lottery classes, and make a note of which you would like to be considered for during the lottery process.
  2. Sign into your Catalyst Account. On the “My Academics” tab, look for the “Lottery Class Preferences” link under the “Classes and Schedule” menu on the left side of the page.
  3. Enter the term for which you’d like to select lottery classes. Hit search, then confirm your term.
  4. Enter the five-digit class number for each lottery class you’d like to be considered for. NOTE: You can make modifications to your preferences as much as you’d like, up until the lottery selection process runs.
  5. The Registrar will run the lottery selection process on a specific date, and will post results on the following day by 5:00 PM. NOTE: As soon as the lottery process has been run, you will no longer be able to make adjustments to your preferences. 

 

3Ls: Failure to participate in the lottery does not give you priority over 2Ls that participated. This is an especially important notice if you need a lottery class to graduate!

REMEMBER: You cannot register for conflicting classes and be sure to preference higher the one(s) you want the most!

Also note: The drop/add period for limited enrollment classes will end one week from the first day of classes. The College of Law Registrar will send you an e-mail if an opening becomes available; you will have 24 hours in which to reply to that email. If you do not respond, then the next student on the wait-list will be notified and you will have missed your opportunity to get the class