Stanford Law School

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Stanford Law School is a graduate school at Stanford University located near Palo Alto, California in Silicon Valley. The Law School was established in 1893 when former President Benjamin Harrison joined the faculty as the first professor of law. It employs about 50 faculty and hosts over 500 students who are working towards their Juris Doctor.

Stanford Law School is considered one of the most prestigious law schools in the United States. In 2006, and for seven of the last nine years, US News & World Report ranked Stanford Law School second in its annual rankings of law schools. Since USNews began these rankings, Stanford has typically placed among the top three law schools in the reputation scores attributed to it by law professors and by lawyers and judges.

The late Supreme Court Chief Justice William Rehnquist and former Associate Justice Sandra Day O'Connor are both Stanford alumni, as is Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of California Ronald M. George.

Contents

[edit] Academics and Admissions

Clinics
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Clinics

Kathleen Sullivan, the former Dean, remarked at her appointment, "Who could resist a world class law school in paradise?" With beautiful surroundings, a small student body, and a very low student to faculty ratio, the school has an intimate and collegial environment. Class sizes are the lowest of any top law school, with first year classes of 30 to 60 students. [1]

The academic program is flexible and includes a diverse array of courses and clinics. As first years, students take courses in criminal law, civil procedure, constitutional law, contracts, torts, property, and legal research and writing. Upper level courses range from business law to international law and include a growing clinical program. The Supreme Court Clinic is the only one of its kind at a law school in this country and has successfully brought over twenty cases before the Court, making it one of the most active Supreme Court practices of any kind. [2] Because of its proximity to other top academic programs on campus, there has been a growing focus on joint degree programs and classes with other professional schools, such as business, medicine, and education.

Students run about thirty student organizations and publish seven legal journals. The most influential journal is the Stanford Law Review. Advocacy skills are tested in the Kirkwood Moot Court competition.

The law library at Stanford holds 500,000 books, 360,000 microform and audiovisual items, and more than 8,000 current serial subscriptions.

Between 4,000 and 5,000 students apply for admission each year. Selection is intense: the median undergraduate grade point average of students is 3.9 and the median LSAT 169. Beyond numbers, Stanford places considerable emphasis on factors such as extracurricular activities, work experience, and prior graduate study. About three quarters of the members of each entering class have one year or more of prior work experience - often in politics, nonprofits, teaching, banking, or consulting - and over a quarter have completed another graduate degree. In 2005, Stanford Law School's acceptance rate was 7.8%, the lowest of any law school except Yale Law School. [3] The Law School also accepts a small number of transfers each year.

[edit] Programs and Centers

  • Environmental and Natural Resources Law & Policy Program (ENRLP)
  • Rule of Law Program
  • Stanford Program in International Law
  • Stanford Program in Law, Economics & Business
  • John M. Olin Program in Law and Economics
  • Stanford Program in Law, Science & Technology (LST)
  • Martin Daniel Gould Center for Conflict Resolution Programs

[edit] Notable alumni

The Law School has a distinguished history of producing leaders in the judiciary, academia, corporate law, finance, government, and the public interest. Upon graduation, most students join law firms or clerk for a judge. Between 25 and 35% of each graduating class clerks, typically about 95% with federal judges. [4] Stanford alumni practice in 50 countries and 49 states, and are partners at 94 of the 100 largest law firms in the United States. [5] Despite its small size, recently, Stanford has produced the third most professors of law in the country [6] and the fourth most clerks to the Supreme Court. [7]

[edit] Notable faculty

When assessed by academic peers, the law faculty is ranked one of three or four most accomplished in the country. [8] In 2006, the National Law Journal included six Stanford faculty - professors Jeffrey Fisher, Joseph Grundfest, Mark Lemley, Lawrence Lessig, Kathleen Sullivan, and lecturer Thomas Goldstein - on its list of the 100 most influential lawyers in the country. [9]

[edit] Popular culture

The creator of the television show 24 is a Stanford Law graduate. In addition, although the movie Legally Blonde was filmed as though it were about Harvard Law School, it was based on the writings of a former student about her experiences at Stanford Law. Arnold Vinick, the fictional Republican candidate for President on the last season of the West Wing was a Stanford Law graduate. In addition, the school has been mentioned in several movies, such as The Devil Wears Prada and to rather comic effect in Ace Ventura.

[edit] External links


Leland Stanford Junior University

Academics

School of Humanities and Sciences • School of Engineering • School of Earth Sciences • School of Education • Graduate School of Business • Stanford Law School • School of Medicine •


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