Georgia State University College of Law
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Georgia State University College of Law is an urban law school located in downtown Atlanta, Georgia. Founded in 1982, is it accredited by the American Bar Association and is a member of the Association of American Law Schools.
In addition to the Juris Doctor degree, the college offers joint degree programs with other colleges at Georgia State University, including Master of Business Administration, Master of Public Administration, Master of Arts in Philosophy, Master of City and Regional Planning, and Master of Science in Health Administration. The college's educational programs are enhanced through externship and pro bono programs facilitated through the proximity of the Georgia State Capitol, major law firms and corporate offices. In addition, the College of Law has excellent clinics, such as the HeLP and Tax Clinic, that allow students to get hands-on practice experience while also helping their community.
The college offers flexible full time and part time programs to accommodate a varied spectruum of students.
Georgia State University College of Law: Young, Diverse, Progressive
As far back as the early 1970s, Georgia legislators and academic leaders debated the pros and cons of establishing a new law school. In the background waited an untold number of prospective students who needed it – an institution that embraced students who worked full-time, who required evening instruction, and who were older and considering career changes.
The Georgia State University College of Law finally was sanctioned by the state’s Board of Regents in 1981.
Founding Dean Ben Johnson’s steely determination drove the college from the planning documents to the first floor of Georgia State University’s Urban Life Building in the fall of 1982, and the doors opened at last. “I have been in the business a long time… I know what I am doing,” he said. “In a way we envy them (other law schools), but in another way we appreciate the opportunity to do things differently.”
And different it was. The college enrolled 200 students in its inaugural year. Most were part-time and many took classes at night, because they had full-time jobs during the day. Six professors taught them, and two of them – Lynn Hogue and James Bross -- still teach at the college today.
The college’s first seven graduates were hooded in December 1984, at a commencement ceremony keynoted by the late Dan Sweat, president of Central Atlanta Progress. Several months later, the first full graduating class was lauded in an Atlanta Journal editorial: “ A word of acknowledgement is due those who lobbied so long for a law school at Georgia State University in Atlanta… The 39 students who were graduated Saturday have set an example… Far from being a redundancy, Georgia State University Law School is and will be an asset to Atlanta’s legal and business interests.”
At the end of its first decade, full-time faculty had grown to 31. Nearly half were women. More than 120,000 volumes filled the Law Library. Applications for admission exceeded 2,200 for only 180 slots. Yet, the exploding popularity of the college did not alter its institutional DNA. “There’s a liveliness and willingness to try new things,” said Dean Marjorie Girth in 1992. “It’s kind of like Atlanta. If there’s a challenge, Atlanta goes for it. The law college is just like that.”
The challenge of being a young school only sharpened the College of Law’s teeth. It was the first Georgia law school to win the National Moot Court Competition. Students brought home the Wagner Cup twice in three years. Others took notice, too. The Georgia Civil Justice Foundation funded the school’s first endowed scholarship. Atlanta law firms teamed up to recruit top students through the Dean’s Scholars Program. And, driven by the unwavering leadership of Dean Marjorie Fine Knowles, the college received full accreditation from the American Bar Association in 1990.
“It’s accomplished a ton in a relatively short period of time. It’s never satisfied with the status quo,” said Dean Janice Griffith in the college’s 20th anniversary year in 2002. “It’s always looking to improve the quality of education and the services it provides its students. That’s the sign of a high-quality law school.”
Today, the Georgia State University College of Law’s health law program is ranked 6th in the country by U.S. News & World Report, which also ranks the college at number 65 – the youngest law school to be placed in the Top 100. The Princeton Review says that the college ranks fifth in the category of welcoming older students. National Jurist ranks the law school a Top 5 “best value” in the nation. The career information firm, Vault Inc., recently ranked the college as America’s 11th most underrated law school.
“Our college is an environment of camaraderie, professionalism and obligation,” said Dean Steve Kaminshine. “Students here thrive on the college’s many opportunities for applied learning – what they learn in the classroom is brought to life through their work and contributions in the Atlanta community.” The college provides legal and professional skills to organizations that support civil rights and civil liberties, low-income families, neighborhood and community interests, legal advocacy, non-profit causes, and public education.
[edit] External links
 |
This law school related article is a stub. You can help by expanding it. |
