| Duquesne Law School | |
|---|---|
| Motto | Salus Populi Suprema Lex "The Welfare of the People is the Highest Law" |
| Established | 1911 |
| Type | Private Catholic University |
| Dean | Ken Gormley |
| Location | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, US |
| Affiliations | Duquesne University |
| Website | www.duq.edu/law |
Duquesne University School of Law is a private Catholic university law school located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The School of Law was founded in 1911, and is the only multiple-division law school in western Pennsylvania. Located on the 47-acre (190,000 m2) Duquesne University campus, the law school is walking distance to Pittsburgh's downtown legal, corporate, and government communities. The School of Law currently boasts over 5,800 alumni practicing in every field of law, in all 50 states and several foreign countries. As of 2010, the school is ranked in the fourth tier of law schools in the United States by U.S. News and World Report.[1] Additionally, as of 2011, Duquesne's Legal Writing program is ranked tenth in the United States.[2]
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Duquesne University was established in 1878 on the Bluff of Pittsburgh overlooking downtown. In 1911, the Law School became the first professional school added to Duquesne University. The Law School was first located on 4th Ave in downtown Pittsburgh at the George Building, and is now located on the main university campus less than a mile from the Allegheny County Courthouse and the center of the Pittsburgh legal community. Classes began on September 25, 1911, and consisted of 12 students. The Law School was founded as an evening program, designed to allow individuals with family and work obligations the opportunity to study law. Over the years, Duquesne Law School expanded its programs to include a full-time day and part-time program. However, after almost 100 years, the evening program still remains as the only program of its kind in Western Pennsylvania. Graduates from Duquesne University School of Law comprise over a third of the Allegheny County Bar Association (Pittsburgh).[3] The traditions and goals of the Law School are characterized by the school's motto, salus populi suprema lex, "The Welfare of the People is the Highest Law."
The Duquesne University School of Law offers several degree programs. The Juris Doctor, the primary degree required to practice law in the United States, can be obtained through either the daytime, evening, or part-time division. An LLM, or Master of Laws, is offered through the School of Law for foreign attorneys who have already received a law degree in their native country but wish to become acquainted with the United States legal system.
In addition, Duquesne offers several joint degree programs through other graduate divisions within the university, and other institutions in the Pittsburgh area. The following are joint degrees currently offered through the law school.
In 2011, US News & World Report ranked the legal writing program at Duquesne Law tenth in the nation.[4]
There are over 5,800 alumni of Duquesne Law School practicing in all 50 states and several foreign countries. Almost 30 percent of the practicing lawyers in western Pennsylvania are graduates of the law school. A large number of graduates from Duquesne Law are judges on the local, state, and federal levels, including the highest courts and appellate courts in over 20 states. Of all the law schools in Pennsylvania, Duquesne has produced the most judges seated in the Superior Court, Commonwealth Court, and Court of Common Pleas. Duquesne Law graduates also serve on the United States Court of Appeals and the Federal District Courts. [5]
The Hugo L. Black Law Clinic of Duquesne University School of Law offers several clinical programs which allow students to learn practical lawyering skills while still in law school. Duquesne currently operates six clinical programs, as well as an E-Discovery Simulation Course.[6]
Established at the Duquesne University School of Law in the fall of 2000, the Cyril H. Wecht Institute of Forensic Science and Law collaborates with the University’s Schools of Law, Nursing, Natural and Environmental Sciences, Business, Pharmacy, and Liberal Arts, as well as other academic institutions, to offer graduate degree and professional certificate programs in forensic science and law to a diverse group of students with backgrounds in nursing, law enforcement, pharmacy, business, the environmental sciences, psychology and many other disciplines. The Institute offers several degree and certificate programs. Graduate students at Duquesne University are eligible to pursue a Certificate in Forensic Science and Law. This 12 hour program investigates the promise and the possibilities modern science brings to the pursuit of the truth in civil, criminal and family legal proceedings. Law students can count credits earned in this program toward the total credit requirement for graduation. The institute also offers a Master's Degree in Forensic Science and Law and works with other schools in the university to offer degrees and certificates in Forensic Nursing.
The Law School is housed in the recently renovated Edward J. Hanley Hall and newly constructed Dr. John E. Murray, Jr. Pavilion on the Duquesne University campus. The combined structures occupy nearly 125,000 square feet (11,600 m2). Administrative and faculty offices, classrooms of various sizes, two courtrooms, study areas and a multilevel law library are all under one roof, along with a locker room, café, lounge area and offices for student organizations. Offices and conference areas for the School’s in-house clinics are located in nearby Fisher Hall. Law School facilities feature state-of-the-art computer and audio/video technology for teaching, research and administrative functions. Law School students also have full rights and privileges to use all of the other amenities on Duquesne's 47-acre (190,000 m2) campus, including computer laboratories, the University’s Gumberg Library, dining services and extensive recreational facilities.
In 1999, Duquesne University entered into a historical agreement with Allegheny County for the Duquesne Center for Legal Information to manage the 131-year old Allegheny County Law Library (ACLL), one of the largest and oldest county law libraries in the country. As a result, Duquesne law students have direct access to the historical and rich collection and reading room facility of the ACLL. As a result, students can utilize both the Duquesne Law Library facilities and the Allegheny County Law Library for research and study.
Duquesne Law is home to a variety of student organizations, which allow students to enrich their legal education through conversation, seminars, conferences, fund-raisers, competitions, and community service. The following is a list of student organizations currently active at Duquesne Law School.
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