Earle Mack School of Law

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Earle Mack School of Law
Motto: Scientia, Ars, Officium
Knowledge, Skill, Duty
Established: 2006
Dean: Roger J. Dennis
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Campus: University City Campus
Affiliations: Drexel University
Website: www.drexel.edu/law

The Earle Mack School of Law is the newest college within Drexel University serving both undergraduate and graduate students.[1] It opened in the Fall of 2006 and is the newest law school in Philadelphia over a thirty year time period.[2]

The Earle Mack School of Law joins five other law schools in the area; Temple University, University of Pennsylvania, Villanova University, Rutgers School of Law - Camden, and Widener University.

Contents

[edit] History

In 2005 Drexel University announced its plans to create a new law school adjacent to the Drexel University Main Campus W. W. Hagerty library in West Philadelphia. Drexel received approval to start the College from the Pennsylvania Department of Education that same year. Following that the Philadelphia Planning Commission approved Drexel's then estimated $13 million law school.[3] The law school building began construction in the Fall of 2006 and completed construction during the winter term, the $14 million building[4] opened for classes on January 8, 2007.[5]

The School of Law building during construction in 2006
The School of Law building during construction in 2006

The inaugural class of the Earle Mack School of Law began classes on August 16, 2006. The anticipated class size was 120 students; ultimately, the inaugural class consisted of 183 students with an incoming GPA of 3.4.[6] While the temporary[6] law school building was under construction, classes were held in various Drexel University buildings.[4] On May 1, 2008 the Drexel University College of Law was renamed the Earle Mack School of Law in honor of Earle I. Mack, a Drexel University alumnus.[7]

[edit] Academics

The Law School offers Juris Doctor degrees and joint-degree programs for those pursuing a degree through Drexel University. The Law School received provisional accreditation from the American Bar Association in February 2008 enabling the first graduating class, 2009, to take the bar exam upon graduation.[8] The College concentrates on entrepreneurial business, health law, and intellectual property law[9] and currently has 24 full time faculty members.[10] The Law School is the first to have enrolled all of its students in the Philadelphia Bar Association's Young Lawyers Section.[11][12] The students also have automatic membership to the Jenkins Law Library.[13]

[edit] Co-operative education

The front glass panels of the CoL building
The front glass panels of the CoL building

Like Drexel University's The Ultimate Internship the Law School offers co-operative education for its students. The Law School is the second law school in the country to have a co-op program for law students, the first being Northeastern University.[14] The first co-op cycle for the law school started in September 2007[15] and over ninety area corporations, law offices, judiciary positions, non-profit organizations, and government offices offered internship positions.[16][17]

During their first year at law school students concentrate on basics such as legal writing and contracts before starting their first six month co-op cycle.[18] In order to be eligible to participate in the program students must complete their first year with a minimum GPA and satisfy any job orientation that is required. While on co-op students are required to work at least 20 hours a week at their position and take an additional 3 credit hours in either a class or an approved academic program.[19]

[edit] Facilities

Construction on the temporary home of the law school was completed in 2006 and students have been attending classes at the facility since January 8, 2007.[5] The 65,000-square-foot complex features a moot courtroom, a two-floor library, a two-story atrium for meetings and casual conversation, faculty/staff offices, and several rooms available for students to meet and work. The building also shares Drexel's campus-wide wireless Internet access.[5] The permanent location for the law school, placed on the corner of Philadelphia's 33rd and Chestnut streets, is projected to be completed and open in 2012.[6]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Key, Peter (April 21, 2005), Drexel outlines law school plan, Philadelphia Business Journal, <http://www.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/stories/2005/04/18/daily35.html>. Retrieved on 2006-09-12 
  2. ^ Drexel University Board of Trustees Authorizes University to Open College of Law. BusinessWire (September 28, 2005). Retrieved on 2008-04-05.
  3. ^ Blumenthal, Jeff (September 29, 2005), Drexel Trustees Approve New Law School, Philadelphia Business Journal, <http://www.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/stories/2005/09/26/daily19.html>. Retrieved on 2008-04-05 
  4. ^ a b Blumenthal, Jeff (September 15, 2006), First response to Drexel law school exceeds expectations, Philadelphia Business Journal, <http://philadelphia.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/stories/2006/09/18/story10.html>. Retrieved on 2006-12-28 
  5. ^ a b c Drexel University: New Law School Building. Earle Mack School of Law (November 21, 2006). Retrieved on 2006-12-28.
  6. ^ a b c Blumenthal, Jeff (November 2, 2007), Drexel's law school hopes to be accredited by summer, Philadelphia Business Journal, <http://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/othercities/philadelphia/stories/2007/11/05/story10.html?b=1194238800%5E1544181>. Retrieved on 2008-02-16 
  7. ^ Drexel U. names law school. Philadelphia Business Journal (April 30, 2008). Retrieved on 2008-05-01.
  8. ^ Drexel law school gets provisional accreditation. Philadelphia Inquirer (February 19, 2008). Retrieved on 2008-02-20.
  9. ^ Monaghan, Suzanne (2006), Drexel U. Marks Opening of Its Brand-New Law School, kyw1060.com, <http://www.kyw1060.com/pages/70937.php?contentType=4&contentId=190691>. Retrieved on 2006-09-12 
  10. ^ Drexel University: Law School Faculty: Full-time Faculty. Earle Mack School of Law (June 6, 2008). Retrieved on 2008-06-10.
  11. ^ Dubey, Aditi (March 9, 2007), Philadelphia Bar Association recognizes Drexel CoL, The Triangle, <http://media.www.thetriangle.org/media/storage/paper689/news/2007/03/09/News/Philadelphia.Bar.Association.Recognizes.Drexel.Col-2770856.shtml>. Retrieved on 2007-03-27 
  12. ^ Philadelphia Bar Association Recognizes College of Law. Drexel Daily Digest (March 8, 2007). Retrieved on 2007-03-27.
  13. ^ Earle Mack School of Law - Jenkins Library. Earle Mack School of Law. Retrieved on 2007-04-27.
  14. ^ Pfeiffer, Sacha (October 20, 2005). New co-op law school will compete with Northeastern. The Boston Globe. Retrieved on 2006-12-28.
  15. ^ Law Co-op Education: Overview. Earle Mack School of Law (April 11, 2007). Retrieved on 2007-04-27.
  16. ^ Baxter, Brian. "Founding Father: Carl Oxholm III, GC of Drexel University", Law.com, December 15, 2006. Retrieved on 2008-06-10. 
  17. ^ Law Co-op Education: Co-op Partners. Earle Mack School of Law (November 7, 2006). Retrieved on 2006-11-25.
  18. ^ Blumenthal, Jeff (April 28, 2006), Drexel law school surpasses goal for 1st class admissions, Philadelphia Business Journal, <http://philadelphia.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/stories/2006/05/01/story7.html>. Retrieved on 2007-04-27 
  19. ^ Law School: Co-op Highlights. Earle Mack School of Law. Retrieved on 2008-02-15.

[edit] External links

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