Capital University Law School
Capital University Law School | |
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Established | 1903 |
School type | Private |
Dean | Rachel M. Janutis |
Location | Columbus, Ohio, USA |
Enrollment |
475 291 Full-Time 184 Part-Time[1] |
Faculty | 46 |
Bar pass rate | 87.81% average (2010-2014)[2] |
Website | www.law.capital.edu |
Capital University Law School is an ABA-accredited private law school located in downtown Columbus, Ohio.[3] The law school is affiliated with Capital University, the oldest university in Central Ohio and one of the oldest and largest Lutheran-affiliated universities in North America.[4] Capital Law is perhaps best known for public law, as many recent alumni have gone on to prominent political and judicial positions.
The school was voted a "Best Value Law School" on the basis of tuition by the National Jurist magazine in 2009.[5] In 2011, the National Jurist magazine, as well as preLaw magazine named Capital as one of the nation’s top law schools in preparing students for legal careers in public service.[6] In 2012, the magazines listed Capital as one of the nation’s top law schools in terms of preparing its students for the bar exam.[7] In 2014, Capital was named to the National Jurist Magazine's "Honor Roll" of law schools that provide practical legal education.[8] In 2015, Capital was once again listed in the National Jurist Magazine's "Honor Roll" of law schools that deliver a practical, experiential legal education.[9]
History
Capital University Law School is a premier legal institution. It transformed from the Columbus Law School, which was founded in 1903 as part of a national program sponsored by the YMCA to make legal education practical, accessible, and affordable.[3] Since its affiliation with Capital University in 1966, the law school has grown considerably. Its faculty now stands at 56 and its Law Library holdings have increased to more than 265,000 volumes, periodicals, and microfilms.
Location
Capital University Law School is located in the heart of the Discovery District of Columbus, Ohio. Columbus is the 15th largest city in the United States, while the Columbus, Ohio metropolitan area is the 28th largest in the country by population.
The school is situated near the Ohio Statehouse, the Supreme Court of Ohio, the Ohio Court of Appeals for the Tenth District, the Ohio Attorney General's Office, the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Ohio, the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas, the Franklin County Municipal Court, and the headquarters of numerous banks, insurance companies, state employment agencies, and Fortune 500 corporations.[10] This provides the law school's students with direct access to a variety of diverse internships, externships, and other real-world legal educational opportunities.
The law school building's front entrance is framed by elaborate polished brass relief artwork, commissioned by a well known artist, depicting a ship, most likely the Santa Maria, and surrounded by vintage Art-Deco era accents. At the suggestion and assistance of law school alumnus Michael A Massa, Dean Jack Guttenberg created a Wall of Class Portraits in the front lobby of the law school building in 2006.
Academics
Capital University Law School has been accredited by the American Bar Association since 1950 and has been a member of the Association of American Law Schools since 1983.[11][12] The student-faculty ratio is 13.8:1.[1] The law school has been a charter member of the League of Ohio Law Schools since 1934.[13]
Capital's 2013 entering class was composed of 164 students.[14] Capital Law School maintains a Juris Doctor, an LL.M. in Business, an LL.M. in Taxation, and an LL.M. in Business and Taxation.[15] The school's J.D. program has a full-time day division, as well as a part-time day and a part-time evening division. The J.D. program has concentrations in children and family law, civil litigation, criminal litigation, dispute resolution, environmental law, governmental affairs, labor and employment law, and small business entities publicly held companies. Students in the J.D. program may also avail themselves to joint degree programs in: Master of Business Administration, Master of Science in Nursing, and Master of Theology.
Capital Law is home to The Family and Youth Law Center and the Center for Dispute Resolution. Capital University Law School also serves the legal profession and business professionals through certificate programs (paralegal, legal nurse consultant, life care planner, as well as mediation and dispute resolution) and a variety of scholarly symposia and conferences that offer continuing legal education credit. Capital also offers a general litigation clinic, a mediation clinic, a family advocacy clinic, and a small business clinic.
Bar passage
Capital graduates have performed exceptionally well on the Ohio bar exam. Capital’s average Ohio bar passage rate for first time takers of exams administered from 2010 through 2014 was 87.81 percent - the third highest of Ohio's nine law schools.[16] Capital has the highest Ohio bar passage rate among private law schools in Ohio among first-time test takers.[16]
People
A variety of notable Capital Law faculty and alumni have made significant contributions on the local, state and national levels.
Notable faculty
- Bradley A. Smith - former Commissioner and Chairman of the Federal Election Commission from 2000 to 2005
- Dr. Kevin Griffith - Poet
- Dan Kobil - Clemency and death penalty expert
- David Mayer - a legal historian and noted Jefferson scholar.
- Jack Guttenberg - a legal writer, an expert on professional responsibility, and a co-author of the authoritative source on the Ohio new law of professional conduct for attorneys, Ohio Law of Professional Conduct.
- Stanton G. Darling, II - co-author of Baldwin's Ohio Practice, Civil Practice, a standard two-volume reference work published and updated annually by Thomson West and used by judges and attorneys throughout Ohio.
- Jeffrey T. Ferriell - co-author of two law school hornbooks: Understanding Contracts (2d ed. 2009) and Understanding Bankruptcy (3d ed. 2013). He also serves as one of Ohio’s representatives to the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws and authored Baldwin's Ohio Practice, Commercial Code.
- Rachel M. Janutis - co-author of Remedies, Cases and Problems, (5th ed.); Remedies in a Nutshell, (2d. ed) (Nutshell Series); and Questions and Answers: Remedies.
- Mark P. Strasser - author of Questions and Answers: Family Law (LexisNexis, 2003); The Challenge of Same-Sex Marriage: Federalist Principles and Constitutional Protections (Praeger Publishers, 1999); Legally Wed: Same-Sex Marriage and the Constitution (Cornell University Press, 1997); On Same-Sex Marriages, Civil Unions, and the Rule of Law: Constitutional Interpretation at the Crossroads (Praeger Publishers/Greenwood Publishing Group, 2002).
A 2008 survey of faculty scholarship conducted by Roger Williams University School of Law found Capital's faculty to be one of the most productive scholarly faculties in the nation.[17]
Notable alumni
- Peter Abele, Ohio 4th District Court of Appeals Judge[18]
- Craig Baldwin, Licking County, OH Court of Common Pleas Judge, Domestic Relations Division
- Teresa Ballinger, Marion County, OH Municipal Court Judge[19]
- J. D. Beane, Wood County, WV Circuit Judge[20]
- Hannah Blumenstiel, Judge for the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of California[21]
- Thomas Bonasera, President, Ohio State Bar Association (1999–2000)[22]
- Esther H. Brocker, First female graduate of Capital University Law School [23]
- Susan Brown, Ohio 10th District Court of Appeals Judge[24]
- Jennifer Brunner, Ohio Secretary of State (2007–2010)[25]
- Jerry Buckler, Scioto County Court of Common Pleas Judge, Domestic Relations Division
- Christopher Davis, Mayor of Welch, WV
- John DeMuth, Paulding County, OH Court of Common Pleas Judge, Probate Division
- State Representative Jonathan Dever
- Toni Eddy, Chillicothe County, OH Municipal Court Judge
- Toni Eddy, Ross County, OH Municipal Court Judge
- Jim Fisher, Commonwealth's Attorney for Fauquier County, VA[26]
- Joseph W. George, Pennsylvania District Court Magistrate Judge (Fayette County)
- Christopher Greer, Franklin County, OH Court of Common Pleas Judge, Domestic Relations and Juvenile Division
- Robert Hendrickson, Ohio 12th District Court of Appeals Judge
- Paul Herbert, Franklin County, OH Municipal Court Judge[27]
- Michael Higgins, Licking County, OH Municipal Court Judge[28]
- Alesia Holliday, aka Alyssa Day, Children's author.
- Leonard Holzapfel, Jackson County, OH Court of Common Pleas Judge
- Mark Hummer, Franklin County, OH Municipal Court Judge
- Bruce Edward Johnson, Ohio Lt. Governor (2004–2006)
- U.S. Representative Jim Jordan (R-OH, 2007–present)
- Roger Kline, Ohio 4th District Court of Appeals Judge
- Ed Lane, Washington County, OH Court of Common Pleas Judge
- Greg Lashutka, Mayor, Columbus, OH (1991–1999)
- Allen Loughry, Justice of the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals
- Kay Lias, Franklin County, OH Court of Common Pleas Judge, Domestic Relations and Juvenile Division
- Teresa L. Liston, Franklin County, OH Municipal Court Judge(ret.)
- Brian Mannal, Massachusetts House of Representatives
- Colleen Marshall, Columbus, OH News personality
- John Matthias, Ohio Supreme Court Justice (1954–1970)
- Dennis M. McCarthy, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs (2009-2011)
- Brad McCloud, Mayor of Reynoldsburg, OH
- Matthew McFarland, Ohio 4th District Court of Appeals Judge
- Paul McNulty, United States Deputy Attorney General (2005–2007), United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia (2001–2005)
- Robert Montgomery, Franklin County, OH Court of Common Pleas Judge, Probate Division
- Robert Moorehead, Guernsey County, OH Court of Common Pleas Judge, Probate Division
- Fred Moses, Hocking County, OH Municipal Court Judge
- Mark Musick, Jackson County, OH Municipal Court Judge
- Jim O'Grady, Franklin County, OH Municipal Court Judge
- H. William Pollitt, Jr., Fayette County, OH Municipal Court Judge
- Victor Pontious, Jr., Fayette County, OH Municipal Court Judge
- Dana Preisse, Franklin County, OH Court of Common Pleas Judge, Domestic Relations and Juvenile Division
- Elizabeth Preston-Deavers, Magistrate Judge for the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio
- U.S. Representative Deborah Pryce (R-OH, 1993–2008)
- Rupert Ruppert, Franklin County, OH Municipal Court Judge
- Lisa Sadler, Ohio 12th District Court of Appeals Judge
- Richard Sheward, Franklin County, OH Court of Common Pleas Judge
- Heather Sowald, President, Ohio State Bar Association (2004–2005)
- Phyllis Streitel, Chester County, PA Court of Common Pleas Judge
- Anne Taylor, Franklin County, OH Municipal Court Judge
- David Trimmer, Fairfield County, OH Municipal Court Judge
- Scott Vanderkarr, Franklin County, OH Municipal Court Judge
- Michael Watson, District Judge for the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio
- David D. White, the first African-American attorney licensed to practice law in Columbus[29]
Employment Prospects
Capital University's Law School Transparency under-employment score is 17.8%, indicating the percentage of the Class of 2013 unemployed, pursuing an additional degree, or working in a non-professional, short-term, or part-time job nine months after graduation.[30]
Costs
The total cost of attendance (indicating the cost of tuition, fees, and living expenses) at Capital University Law School for the 2015-2016 academic year is approximately $54,526 for a full-time student.[31] The Law School Transparency estimated debt-financed cost of attendance for three years is $181,156.[32]
Rankings
U.S. News & World Report is perhaps the most well-known publisher of unofficial law school rankings. There are no official law school rankings. U.S. News & World Report organizes rankings into two main sections. The first section is a "Top 145" that lists the top one hundred forty-five schools in order from highest ranked to lowest ranked. While the top 145 law schools are ranked individually, U.S. News groups the remaining schools, or the bottom 25 percent of those that are ranked, into a "Rank Not Published" group.[33] U.S. News also ranks each school's specialty programs using a similar method, if applicable. Although U.S. News listed Capital's full-time Juris Doctor program as "Rank Not Published" in 2016, its part-time Juris Doctor program was ranked 61st in the nation.[1] U.S. News only ranked 198 of the 204 ABA-approved schools in 2016.[34] The ABA has issued disclaimers of any law school ranking system and encourages prospective law students to consider a variety of factors in making their choice among schools.[11] The law school is described as being a "regional" school rather than a "national" school by the U.S. News & World Report.
External links
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-law-schools/capital-university-03122
- ↑ http://law.capital.edu/Bar_Passage_Rate/
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 http://law.capital.edu/Our_History.aspx
- ↑ http://www.capital.edu/about/
- ↑ http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/cypress/nationaljurist0909/#/30
- ↑ http://www.nationaljurist.com/content/best-schools-public-service
- ↑ http://law.capital.edu/News.aspx?id=19084
- ↑ http://www.nationaljurist.com/content/60-law-schools-earn-top-honors-practical-training
- ↑ http://law.capital.edu/News.aspx?id=34975
- ↑ http://law.capital.edu/About_Columbus.aspx
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 http://www.americanbar.org/groups/legal_education/resources/aba_approved_law_schools.html
- ↑ http://www.aals.org/about_memberschools.php
- ↑ http://law.capital.edu/Our_History.aspx
- ↑ http://law.capital.edu/Class_Profile.aspx
- ↑ http://www.lsac.org/OfficialGuide-2013/lsac_1099.asp
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 http://law.capital.edu/BarPassageRate/
- ↑ http://law.capital.edu/uploadedFiles/Law_Multi_Site/About/Publications/08CapLawAnnualR11.pdf
- ↑ "Peter Abele,". 2013 Zoom Information, Inc. Retrieved 25 March 2013.
- ↑ "Teresa Ballinger,". 2007-2013 Marion Municipal Court. Retrieved 25 March 2013.
- ↑ O'Brien, John (19 December 2006). "Delegate Beane named Wood Circuit Judge". West Virginia Record. Retrieved 16 March 2015.
- ↑ http://www.canb.uscourts.gov/judges/blumenstiel
- ↑ "Thomas J. Bonasera, Partner". Dinsmore and Shohl, LLC. Retrieved 16 March 2015.
- ↑ http://law.capital.edu/EstherHBrocker
- ↑ "Members of the Bench - Susan Brown". 10th District Court of Appeals for the State of Ohio. Retrieved 16 March 2015.
- ↑ "Jennifer Brunner". Project Vote Smart. Retrieved 26 March 2013.
- ↑ Moore. "Fisher To Take Over Fauquier Attorney’s Office". Leesburg Today. Leesburg Today. Retrieved 3 December 2012.
- ↑ "Paul Herbert". The Supreme Of Ohio. Retrieved 26 March 2013.
- ↑ "Michael Higgins,". Licking County Municipal Court. Retrieved 26 March 2013.
- ↑ http://www.discoverydistrict.com/who-we-are/member-spotlight/member-spotlight10/
- ↑ "Capital University Profile".
- ↑ http://law.capital.edu/Tuition_and_Sample_Student_Budget/
- ↑ "Capital University Profile".
- ↑ http://www.usnews.com/education/best-graduate-schools/top-law-schools/articles/2012/03/12/methodology-law-school-rankings
- ↑ http://www.usnews.com/education/best-graduate-schools/top-law-schools/articles/2013/03/11/methodology-best-law-schools-rankings