The Order of the Coif is legal education's national honorary society. The purpose of the Order of the Coif is
“to encourage excellence in legal education by fostering a spirit of careful study, recognizing those who as 
law students attained a high grade of scholarship, and honoring those who as lawyers, judges, and teachers 
attained high distinction for their scholarly or professional accomplishments.” Chapters are established at 
those law schools that demonstrate that their programs serve these objectives.

A history of the Order may be found in the Coif Handbook and in Strong, Order of the Coif: English Antecedents 
and American Adaptation, 63 A.B.A.J. 1725 (1977).

A. CRITERIA (adopted by the Executive Committee January 9, 1982)

This statement of the requirements for the establishment of a chapter is issued in exercise of the responsibility
imposed by Sections 2.2 and 8.1 of the Coif Constitution upon the Executive Committee to interpret the 
Constitution, pass upon the national policy of the Order, and administer its affairs. The statement is based 
upon the general principles stated in the Constitution. In determining in particular what those general principles 
require, the Executive Committee is guided by the settled practices of the Order.

To merit a chapter of the Order of the Coif a law school must comply with the following requirements:

        1) ABA Approval and AALS Membership.  The law school must be in full compliance with the Standards 
for the Approval of Law Schools by the American Bar Association and with the requirements of membership 
in the Association of American Law Schools.

        2) An Established Program. To assure that the law school and its program are firmly established, a 
chapter may not be established at a school until the school has offered instruction for ten consecutive years and
have had one sabbatical site evaluation after the three-year site evaluation following the granting of full approval.

        3) University Affiliation. A law school should be a functioning part of a university. It is in a university setting 
that a law school is most likely to encourage scholarship in its students and faculty. If a law school if not a part 
of the university or is situated apart from its parent, it must make the arrangements necessary to bring to its 
students and faculty the advantages that would normally flow to it from being a part of a university. These 
advantages include library resources relating to other disciplines and the involvement of faculty from other 
disciplines in its teaching and scholarship.

        4) Part-time Program. A law school may offer a part-time as well as a full-time first degree program and 
graduate degree programs. If a law school offers a part-time first degree program, it must offer to the part-time 
students an instructional program substantially as rich as that offered the full-time students and must make 
arrangements concerning its co-curricular programs that facilitate participation therein by the part-time students. 
The law school shall remove the obstacles to scholarship by the full-time faculty that is sometimes presented by 
teaching in an evening program. This may be done by giving appropriate attention to, among other things,
teaching loads and schedules.

    5) Educational Environment. The law school shall provide for its students a stimulating intellectual environment
for the study of law.

    6) Commitment of the University and Law School Administration to Quality Legal Education. The University 
and law school administration must be committed to quality legal education and must make the necessary
institutional arrangements that will facilitate the presentation of a program of quality legal education. The 
institutional arrangements among the faculty, dean, central administration and, in the case of state-supported 
institutions, the central state educational authority shall fully recognize the professional competence and
judgment of the law faculty and dean concerning the school’s educational program and faculty appointments. 
The dean and faculty shall periodically examine the school’s educational, effective discharge of the missions 
selected.

        7) Faculty. The faculty must be not only dedicated and effective teachers but also productive scholars of 
works of quality. Quality scholarship may include law reform, such as that done by reporters for the American 
Law Institute, National conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws, and state law revision commissions. 
The law school shall maintain conditions that facilitate the full-time faculty members effective discharge of their 
teaching and scholarly responsibilities. These conditions include adequate secretarial and research assistance 
and adequate funds for professional travel.

        8) Educational Program. The law school’s first degree program shall provide instruction not only in the basic 
courses but also in some of the newer areas of the law. Through courses and seminars the students must be 
given opportunities to develop their research and writing skills. The school shall present a rich and varied 
program of cocurricular activities, such as law journal, moot trial and appellate court and client counseling, that 
will assist the students in developing their skills of scholarship and lawyering. The approach taken in teaching
must include a jurisprudential and humanistic view of the law and have concern not only for what the law is but for
what it might be.

        9) Student Body. The student body should be composed of persons with a rich and varied educational 
experiential background and must bring to their law studies excellent academic credentials. The students shall 
manifest a professional attitude towards their responsibilities as students and an intellectual interest in the law 
and legal institutions.

        10) Law Library. The law library collection must be of the size and quality that will adequately support and 
encourage the research activities of the students and faculty. The library's professional staff shall provide a high 
level of professional assistance to the teaching and scholarly program of the school.

        11) Physical Facilities. The law school’s physical facilities shall be of a size and quality that promote the 
attainment by the law school of its educational goals.
 

B. PROCEDURES

    Summary of the Process. The process leading to the establishment of a chapter at a law school begins its 
review of the criteria for membership (see above).  If the dean or other representatives of the interested law 
school have questions or wish to discuss the matter, the school should contact the national Secretary-Treasurer. 
The process ends when the chapters affirmatively accept by written ballot the Executive Committee’s 
recommendation that a chapter be established at the law school.

        1.    It is the strong preference of the Committee that an application for new chapter be filed within two 
years following sabbatical inspection of the school by the ABA/AALS. The first formal step in the process is the 
dean’s letter on behalf of the law school stating its wish that a chapter of the Order be established at the school.
Accompanying the letter or submitted shortly thereafter is the documentation that will permit the Executive 
Committee to determine whether there is a “presumptive likelihood that the law school merits a chapter.”

        2. If the Executive Committee determines upon the basis of the documentation that there is likelihood that 
the applying school merits a chapter in the Order, the presidential appoints a team to conduct a site evaluation 
of the school. The visiting team inspects the law school and prepares a written report of its findings. On the basis 
of this report and the descriptive and quantitative data submitted by the law school, the Executive Committee 
determines whether the school meets the requirements for the establishment of a chapter.

        3. If it concludes that the school does, the Secretary-Treasurer transmits to the chapters for vote by mail 
ballot the Executive Committee’s recommendation that a chapter be established and a description of the law 
school and its program of legal education prepared by the national Secretary-Treasurer. Upon the favorable 
vote of 80 percent or more of the chapters on a school’s application for a charter, the national Secretary-
Treasurer declares the creation of the new chapter and issues the school a charter. (Source: Coif Constitution 
§3.1)

    Informal Consultation. If the school wishes to consult with the national Secretary-Treasurer concerning the
procedures and criteria for the establishment of a chapter, the dean or other representative of the law school 
should initiate the contact. If there are aspects of a law school and its program that raise questions about 
compliance with Coif requirements, discussions with the Secretary-Treasurer may prove helpful. While the
Secretary-Treasurer is obviously not in a position to determine on behalf of the Order that a potential 
applicant school meets the criteria, he or she should be able to help the law school identify the areas, if any, 
that may need additional attention before a formal application is made.

    Application. The law school makes its formal application for a chapter by a letter signed by the dean that is 
addressed to the President. The letter should state that the dean believes that the law school qualifies for a 
chapter and that accordingly the law school makes application for the establishment of a chapter. In this letter 
or an accompanying memorandum, the dean should describe briefly the particulars that demonstrate that the
law school complies with each of the eleven requirements for the establishment of a chapter.

    Seven copies of the application shall be sent to the Secretary-Treasurer. The application is composed of:

         1. Letter or memorandum from the dean of the applicant school summarizing the school’s compliance 
with the eleven requirements for a Coif chapter.

        2. The law school catalog.

        3. The  reports from the most recent ABA and AALS site inspection along with the correspondence from
the ABA and AALS with respect to their findings, conclusions or concerns based on the most recent site
inspection.  The ABA must have made a final decision, with no outstanding requests for further information, that
the school is in full compliance with the Standards for Approval of Law Schools.  Likewise, the AALS must have
made a final decision, with no outstanding requests for further information, that the school meets the membership
requirements of the AALS.  It is strongly recommended that applications for chapters be filed within two years
following a sabbatical inspection of the school by the ABA and AALS.

        4. Supporting documents setting forth the following information:

            (A) Faculty

                    (1) Biographical information about the education and professional experience of the full time 
                          faculty,
                    (2) A list of the adjunct faculty with the subjects taught,
                    (3) Bibliography of faculty publications for the past five years, and
                    (4) Faculty support (sabbatical policy, research assistance, summer grants, and other types of
                          faculty support.

            (B) Library

                    (1) Total volume count, stating separately the count for hardbound volumes, serials, and
                          microform, and the ranking of the library by the ABA in each of these categories.
                    (2) The financial support provided for the library, listing separately the amount allocated for
                          new acquisitions, and
                    (3) The professional staff of the library.

            (C) Students

                (1) The qualifications (LSAT & GPA) of students admitted for the prior 5-year period, and
                (2) The attrition rate for a 5-year period. This is to be shown by comparing the number of
                      students admitted to a given class with the number who actually graduated. (Example: 
                      students admitted to first year in 1980 - 150; students graduating in June, 1983 - 100.)

            (D) Financial Support

                (1) The annual law school budget,
                (2) Private schools shall in addition state the percentage of the budget funded by tuition.

            (E) Extra Curricular Activities

                (1) List the periodicals edited or published by the applicant school, and
                (2) Describe any special or endowed lectureships or other types of enrichment programs.
 

            Especially where the most recent reinspection occurred some years ago, it may be necessary to 
submit additional materials.

    Executive Committee’s Determination of “Presumptive Likelihood.” Upon the basis of the documentation 
submitted, the Executive Committee determines whether this documentation “indicates presumptive likelihood 
that the applying law school merits a chapter in the Order.”  The national Secretary-Treasurer reviews the 
documentation to determine if there is additional information that the Executive Committee is likely to want. 
If so, he will ask the dean for these additional data.

        The Executive Committee customarily meets only once a year, during the annual meeting of the AALS. 
A school’s application for membership must be filed by the first day of November to be considered at the next 
January meeting.

    Evaluation Inspection. If the Executive Committee determines that the school has made a showing that 
indicates presumptive likelihood that it merits a chapter, the president appoints a visitation team for a site 
evaluation. The on-site inspection of the school may be made in either the fall or spring term; the fall term 
is preferable. As soon as the inspection team is appointed, the dean and the chairperson of the team should 
confer about the times most appropriate for the inspection. It is essential that the inspection team have an 
opportunity to visit classes and confer with faculty and students. Therefore, the inspection must take place
while classes are in session. It is important that the inspection team have an opportunity to confer with the 
chief executive officer of the university; therefore, the inspection should be scheduled at a time that the 
president or chancellor is available for an exit interview.

        The inspection team is composed of three or four persons. A dean, a full time teacher and a librarian 
commonly compose the team. Occasionally, a judge, practitioner or non-legal educator participate in the visit. 
The inspection teams are composed of persons who have been elected to the Order. The applying school’s 
program and organizational structure are taken into account in selecting the visitors; visitors whose experience
especially qualify them to inspect the school in question are sought. However, persons who have an association 
with the law school, university, dean or faculty member that might appear to impair their capacity to make a full,
fair and candid evaluation of the school are avoided. Former members of the faculty and graduates of the 
school are, therefore, not appointed to a school’s inspection team.

    The Inspection. The dean and chairperson of the inspection make the arrangements for the visit and 
develop the schedule for the visit. The team shall be provided with the same documentation as that 
submitted to the Executive Committee.

    The members of the inspection team submit their statement of expenses incurred in making the inspection 
to the dean. The dean should arrange to have these expenses reimbursed promptly. The school shall pay to 
the Order an application fee of $150; this fee is designed to cover the direct expenses of the Order in 
processing the application.

    Inspection Report. The inspection team should promptly prepare a comprehensive report setting out its 
findings with the respect to the different aspects of the school’s administration and program. The chairperson 
of the team should send a draft of the report to the dean, with the request that it be reviewed to determine 
whether it contains any inadvertent errors of fact. The dean should promptly inform the chairperson of the
team of any errors. The inspection report should be put in final form and sent to the Secretary-Treasurer for 
distribution to the Executive Committee, members of the team, and the president and dean. Distribution of the 
report is restricted. The president or dean may make the report available to members of the full time faculty 
and those members of the university and law school administration who official reason to have access to the 
inspection report. Persons obtaining access to the report should be informed of the restrictions on its distribution.

    Consideration by the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee’s responsibility is to determine upon
the basis of the inspection report and the other information that has been submitted to it by the school 
whether to recommend to the chapters of the Order that a chapter be established at the applicant school. 
The dean is invited to submit to the Executive Committee a statement of material developments that have
occurred since the report was written and any germane comments.

    As indicated above, the Executive Committee generally meets only once a year. The Executive Committee, 
may in exceptional cases, make its determination by mail ballot.

    Executive Committee’s Recommendation to the Chapters. If the Executive Committee determines that the 
applicant school meets the criteria for the creation of a chapter, it informs the chapters of its judgment and
recommends that the chapters grant the application.

    Vote by Chapters. The national Secretary-Treasurer submits to the chapters by certified mail the Executive 
Committee’s determination that the applicant merits a chapter and recommendation that a chapter therefore 
be created.

        At this point the applicant school pays a chartering fee of $250 to cover the direct costs of submitting 
the Executive Committee’s recommendation to the chapters and of related actions.

        To avoid submission of recommendations for the creation of chapters arriving at the chapter school at 
times that a number of the faculty are likely to be away, the Coif Constitution specifies that these 
recommendations may not be mailed to the chapters between April 1 and September 15. The chapters 
are asked to vote within 40 days of the mailing of the memorandum containing the recommendation for the 
creating of a chapter. Those chapters that have not voted within 45 days after the mailing of the 
memorandum are recorded as voting affirmatively. A favorable vote of 80 percent or more of the chapters 
is required for the establishment of a charter.