| Valparaiso University School of Law | |
| Parent school | Valparaiso University |
|---|---|
| Established | 1879 |
| School type | Private University |
| Dean | Jay Conison |
| Location | Valparaiso, Indiana, US |
| Enrollment | 550 (approx.) |
| Faculty | 70 (approx.) |
| Website | Valparaiso University School of Law |
The Valparaiso University School of Law is located on the campus of Valparaiso University in Valparaiso, Indiana, a community located less than an hour from Chicago. Founded in 1879, the school was accredited by the American Bar Association in 1929 and admitted to the Association of American Law Schools in 1930.[1]
The current Dean of Valparaiso Law is Jay Conison, Indiana Bar Foundation Fellow and American Bar Association Accreditation Committee Vice Chair, Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar. The law school currently has 39 full-time faculty and approximately 30 additional faculty members who teach the 562 enrolled students.[1]
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The city of Valparaiso, Indiana is located 50 miles (80 km) southeast of Chicago, and 10 miles (16 km) south of Lake Michigan and the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore.
The law school is located in Wesemann Hall, in an area of Valparaiso University’s 320-acre (1.3 km2) campus known as “Old Campus” which is next to, and part of, the historic district of downtown Valparaiso. Wesemann Hall is adjacent to Heritage Hall, which was recently reconstructed and houses the Lawyering Skills Center and Law Clinic.[2]
The school was originally named the Northern Indiana Law School and began operation on November 11, 1879. Tuition was set at $10 per term and the first term began with nine enrolled students. The school was one of the first in the nation to admit both men and women, and two women were among the original cohort. DeMotte became the school’s first dean and was one of the original three faculty members. During his appointment he developed the core curriculum that remains in use at Valparaiso today.[3]
Despite difficult economic times and amidst a depression, the Northern Indiana Law School remained and experienced growth during its second decade.[4] At the turn of the century, 21 years after its founding, the school had an enrollment of 170 students and was reportedly the largest law school in Indiana.
In 1905, the law school became part of Valparaiso University and was thus officially renamed the Valparaiso University School of Law. Following consultation and inspection with the American Bar Association and the Association of American Law Schools, the law school expanded its curriculum and received its ABA accreditation in 1929 and was admitted into AALS in 1930. It is the thirty-eighth oldest ABA accredited law school in the United States.[5]
The law school offers a traditional three-year full-time program, an accelerated two-and-a-half year program, and a five-year, part-time program toward the Juris Doctor degree, a Master of Laws degree program, and the following dual degree programs: JD/MBA, JD/MALS, JD/MA (Psychology), JD/Clinical Mental Health Counseling, JD/MA in Chinese Studies, JD/MA in Liberal Studies, JD/MS International Commerce & Policy, and JD/MS Sports Administration, and the S.J.D, the School’s advanced research degree that is open to candidates who have completed an LL.M.[6]
The School of Law offers eight live legal clinics: criminal clinic, civil clinic, juvenile clinic, domestic violence clinic, mediation clinic, sports law clinic, tax clinic, and wrongful conviction clinic.[7] The School also offers more than 85 discrete externship[8] opportunities. In 2005, the School of Law started the nation's first sports law clinic giving free advice to amateur status athletes during the olympics.[9]
Valparaiso Law students can participate in more than 40 student organizations.[10]
Since its inception in 1969, the Valparaiso University School of Law Clinical Program [11] has offered a form of legal representation to the public.
Graduates of the School of Law include:
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