University of Virginia School of Law

University of Virginia
School of Law
Established 1819 (1819)
Type Public charter, Private funding
Endowment US $ 300 million[1]
Dean Paul G. Mahoney
Students 1100
Location Charlottesville, VA, United States
Campus Suburban
Website www.law.virginia.edu

The University of Virginia School of Law (Virginia Law) was founded in Charlottesville in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson as one of the original subjects taught at his "academical village," the University of Virginia. The law school maintains an enrollment of approximately 1,100 students in its initial degree program (the Juris Doctor or J.D.). It also offers the Master of Laws (LL.M.) and the Doctor of the Science of Law (S.J.D.) degrees.

Virginia Law is regarded as one of the top 10 most prestigious and selective law schools in the United States. U.S. News & World Report currently ranks Virginia Law 9th in the nation,[2] and ranks Virginia Law as 6th among major law firm recruiters.[3] In Vault.com's Top 25 Law School Rankings, Virginia Law is ranked 4th.[4] In the 2010 Super Lawyers Law School Rankings, Virginia Law ranks 4th in the nation.[5]

Virginia Law is third nationally in the number of alumni who are chairpersons and managing partners at law firms nationwide,[6] and a survey by the National Law Journal found that the law school ranked fifth in the number of graduates hired by NLJ's top 250 firms in 2009.[7] Additionally, Virginia Law is second only to Harvard in the number of alumni serving as general counsel at Fortune 500 companies.[8]

From 2000 to 2010, Virginia Law had the fifth-highest placement of law clerks on the United States Supreme Court (tied with Columbia), surpassed only by Yale, Harvard, University of Chicago and Stanford. In the 2011-2012 term, Virginia Law is tied with Yale and Stanford for second in placement of alumni who will serve as law clerks on the United States Supreme Court, second only to Harvard.[9]

The Princeton Review ranked Virginia Law as 1st in "Best Quality of Life" among the nation's law schools, along with 2nd in "Best Classroom Experience," 4th in "Best Professors," 5th in "Hardest to Get Into," and 7th in "Best Career Prospects"[10]

Virginia Law receives virtually no funding from public coffers except for in-state student tuition subsidies.[11] Thus, the Law School depends upon the largesse of private donors, its substantial endowment and student tuition payments. In 1995-1997, the Law School used entirely donated funds to renovate and expand its buildings on the University's North Grounds to include the former facilities of the Darden Graduate School of Business Administration which built a new campus several hundred yards away. The Law School's 51% alumni giving rate is among the highest of the nation's law schools.[12]

Contents

Admissions

Virginia Law is among the most selective law schools in the nation with an overall acceptance rate of 10% in 2010.[13] For the 2010-2011 entering class, the entering class had a median LSAT score of 170 and median GPA of 3.85. Over 8,500 applications were received for approximately 368 seats.

The Class of 2013 come from 42 states, the District of Columbia and seven foreign countries, and attended 155 undergraduate institutions. The Class of 2013 also is the most ethnically diverse class on record: 29 percent identify themselves as minority students.[14]

Student organizations

The Law School maintains an extensive roster of student organizations, including chapters of the Federalist Society, the American Constitution Society and the St. Thomas More Society.

The Virginia Law Weekly, the Law School's student-run weekly newspaper, has been published since 1948. The paper has been cited in several court cases including the U.S. Supreme Court case Patterson v. New York. In addition to its news content, the VLW also contains student-submitted content which often includes humor and creative pieces. The Law Weekly has won the American Bar Association's previous three "Best Newspaper Awards," in 2006, 2007, and 2008.[15]

Each spring over a hundred students write, direct and perform in The Libel Show, a comedy and musical theatre production that was first organized in 1904. Its performers roast Law School professors, student stereotypes and life in Charlottesville throughout each of its three nightly showings. Professors write and sing their response to the students' jokes at the penultimate performance.

Law journals

The Law School is host to 10 academic journals, including the Virginia Law Review, one of the most cited law journals in the country[16]:

Academics

The Law School's curricular programs include the programs in Law & Business [2] and Law and Public Service [3], as well as programs in international law [4], legal and constitutional history [5], criminal law [6], human rights [7], race and law [8], environmental and land use law [9], immigration law [10], intellectual property [11], health law [12], law and humanities [13], and animal law [14].

The Law School also has programs that help students build skills, such as the legal writing program [15], courses in professional ethics [16], trial advocacy and public speaking [17], and other practical-skills courses [18].

Clinics

Among the more than 200 courses and seminars offered each year by the Law School, Virginia has 20 clinics:

Study abroad

Students may participate in six international exchange programs:

In addition, the Law School offers rising third-year students the opportunity to obtain a dual degree from University Paris 1 Pantheon - Sorbonne Law School and Sciences Po/Paris. Students who successfully complete this program earn a French law diploma (entitling them to sit for the French bar exam) and a J.D. degree from Virginia.

Students also may spend one semester abroad through the student-initiated study abroad program or as an external studies project. Each year a one-credit course is offered in Paris through the January Term.

Institutes and centers

The Law School includes several internationally known special programs directed by faculty members who are respected in their fields and often called upon by private and governmental organizations worldwide for their expertise.

Notable alumni

Main article: List of University of Virginia people

Politics

Law

Media

Business

References

  1. ^ "Facts and Statistics - University of Virginia School of Law". http://www.law.virginia.edu/html/about/factsstats.htm. Retrieved 2011-08-04. 
  2. ^ U.S. News and World Report Top Law Schools Rankings
  3. ^ Law Firm Recruiters Rank Best Law Schools
  4. ^ Vault.com's Top 25 Law School Rankings
  5. ^ 2010 Super Lawyers Law School Rankings
  6. ^ UVA Fast Facts
  7. ^ National Law Journal Law Schools Report 2010
  8. ^ UVA Law and Business
  9. ^ http://www.law.virginia.edu/html/news/supct_archive.htm
  10. ^ Princeton Review Law Rankings
  11. ^ Law, Darden build on financial strengths: 06-27-2003
  12. ^ http://www.law.virginia.edu/html/news/2006_spr/record.htm?=feed
  13. ^ [1]
  14. ^ http://www.law.virginia.edu/html/prospectives/class13.htm UVA Admission Stats
  15. ^ Virginia Law Weekly Wins ABA Best Newspaper Award for Second Year in a Row
  16. ^ Law Journals: Submissions and Ranking

External links