Liberty University School of Law
| Motto | "Ad Fontes" |
|---|---|
| Type | Private ABA-Accredited School of Law |
| Established | 2004 |
| Dean | Rena Lindevaldsen (interim) |
| Location |
Lynchburg, VA, USA 37°21′20″N 79°10′24″W / 37.355475°N 79.173258°WCoordinates: 37°21′20″N 79°10′24″W / 37.355475°N 79.173258°W |
| Campus | Small city setting |
| Colors | Red, White, & Navy Blue |
| Nickname | Flames |
| Website | law.liberty.edu |
The Liberty University School of Law is the law school of Liberty University, a private Evangelical Christian university in Lynchburg, Virginia. According to its website, "Liberty University School of Law is a law school committed to academic and professional excellence in the context of the Christian intellectual tradition. We are a law school where what is taught comports with history, objective reality, morality, and common sense. We seek to produce highly skilled practitioners of law who are capable of making positive contributions to their respective legal bars and communities."[1] Liberty University's 2013 ABA-required disclosures indicate that 35% of the Class of 2013 obtained full-time, long-term, JD-required employment nine months after graduation.[2]
Founding
The Liberty University School of Law was founded in 2004 as a division of Liberty University, an Evangelical school. The original dean was Bruce W. Green, who was responsible for guiding the school in obtaining Liberty's provisional accreditation by the American Bar Association in February 2006. Green resigned in May 2006 at which time Mathew D. Staver assumed the position. Liberty University School of Law became fully accredited by the American Bar Association in 2010.[3]
Buildings and campus
The School of Law is located in the North Campus facility on Liberty's campus, and consists of 116,000 square feet (10,800 m2), all of which is located on one level. 34,000 square feet (3,200 m2) of that space is dedicated to Ehrhorn Law Library.[4] Up until 2015, the facility also housed the offices of the Liberty Counsel.
Tuition and financial aid
Tuition for the 2014-2015 academic year is $29,994, with estimated costs and fees totaling an additional $18,368.[5] The Law School Transparency estimated debt-financed cost of attendance for three years, based on data from the 2013-2014 academic year, is $194,269.[6] The National Jurist in 2008 ranked Liberty third of all United States law schools in student financial aid. Its tuition then was $24,000 and it awarded a median scholarship of $22,000.[7]
Student and faculty
The student to faculty ratio is 13.4 to 1, and it has 28 full and part-time faculty. As of 2012, there are 58 full-time students and no part-time students. For incoming students, the median LSAT score is 151 and the median GPA is 3.255.[8] Of the 2010 graduates, 24.6 percent were employed at graduation (which is a "low" ranking for U.S. News & World Report),[9] and 79.2% were employed within nine months.[10] "U.S. News & World Report has recognized the School of Law as being in the top 17 percent of all law schools for placing graduates as law clerks for federal courts."[11]
Statistics and rankings
In 2014, the School of Law had a 50% first time passage rate on the Virginia Bar Exam, seventh of the eight schools in Virginia. The School of Law's ranking given by the U.S. News & World Report is not published,[9] indicating that it is in the bottom 25% of ranked law schools.[12] Additionally, Liberty University School of Law has reported to National Jurist a 63.40% post-graduation employment rate .[13]
Employment
According to Liberty University's official, ABA-required disclosures, 35% of the Class of 2013 obtained full-time, long-term, JD-required employment nine months after graduation.[2] Liberty's Law School Transparency under-employment score is 32.3%, 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.[14]
Partnerships
The School of Law has two partnerships with the Liberty Counsel:
- The Liberty Center for Law and Policy is a joint partnership between the School of Law and the Liberty Counsel. It provides information, research, and expertise to affect legislation and public policy at the local, state, and national level.
- The Center for Constitutional Litigation Clinic.[16]
The School of Law also partners with the Bedford Commonwealth Attorney's Office for The Prosecution Clinic in order to expose to students to prosecution experience.[17]
Notable alumni
- Matt Krause (first Class of 2007), Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives from District 93; a lawyer in Fort Worth, Texas[18]
- Dennis "Will" Roach II (first class of 2007), General Sessions Judge for Jefferson County, Tennessee.
References
- ↑ "About the Law School | Liberty University School of Law". Law.liberty.edu. 2003-07-08. Retrieved 2015-04-16.
- 1 2 "Employment Statistics". Liberty.edu. Retrieved 2015-04-16.
- ↑ Archived July 16, 2011 at the Wayback Machine
- ↑ "Campus Facilities | Liberty University School of Law". Law.liberty.edu. 2003-07-08. Retrieved 2015-04-16.
- ↑ "Tuition and Fees | Liberty University School of Law". Liberty.edu. 2003-07-08. Retrieved 2015-04-16.
- ↑ "Liberty University Profile". 1stscorereports.com. Retrieved 2015-04-16.
- ↑ Dybis, Karen (October 2008). "Which Law Schools Give Away the Most Money?". The National Jurist. pp. 22–25. Retrieved 2009-08-11.
- ↑ "Third Tier and Fourth Tier Law Schools". Top-law-schools.com. Retrieved 2015-04-16.
- 1 2 Liberty University. "Liberty University | Best Law School | US News". Grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com. Retrieved 2015-04-16.
- ↑ "Liberty Law School | Law School Numbers". Liberty.lawschoolnumbers.com. Retrieved 2015-04-16.
- ↑ "Liberty University School of Law Reports High Number of Graduates in Judicial Clerkships". Prweb.com. Retrieved 2015-04-16.
- ↑ "Frequently Asked Questions: 2016 Best Graduate Schools Rankings". US News. Retrieved 2015-04-16.
- ↑ "Newest Law School Profiles". the National Jurist. Retrieved 2015-04-16.
- ↑ "Liberty University Profile". 1stscorereports.com. Retrieved 2015-04-16.
- ↑ "Employment Summary for 2013 Graduates" (PDF). Liberty.edu. Retrieved 2015-04-16.
- ↑ "About the Center for Constitutional Litigation and Policy". Lc.org. Retrieved 2015-04-16.
- ↑ "News Articles | Liberty University School of Law". Law.liberty.edu. 2011-07-18. Retrieved 2015-04-16.
- ↑ "State Rep. Matt Krause, District 93 (R-Fort Worth)". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved March 18, 2014.
External links
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