Seton Hall University School of Law

Seton Hall University School of Law
Established	1951
Type	Private
President	Dr. A. Gabriel Esteban
Dean	Patrick E. Hobbs
Academic staff	82
Students	1,142
Location	Newark, New Jersey, USA 40°44′11″N 74°09′59″W
Campus	Urban
Website	[2]

The Seton Hall University School of Law (also known as Seton Hall Law) is part of Seton Hall University, and is located in downtown Newark, New Jersey. Seton Hall Law School is the only private law school in New Jersey, and is the top-ranked of the three law schools in the state, according to U.S. News & World Report. Founded in 1951, it is accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA), and is also a member of the Association of American Law Schools (AALS).

History

The Early Years: John Marshall Law School

Bishop James Roosevelt Bayley founded Seton Hall University in 1856. He named the University after his aunt, Sister Elizabeth Ann Seton, the first American-born saint. Today, a total of more than 10,000 students attend Seton Hall's eight schools and colleges on the University's South Orange campus and the School of Law in Newark.

As early as 1937, a law school had been planned as part of Seton Hall University. But the demands of both the war years and the post-war influx of returning GIs delayed establishment of the law school until 1950. At that time, the New Jersey Supreme Court had adopted rules requiring candidates for bar admission to hold law degrees from law schools accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA). As a result, John Marshall Law School in Jersey City, New Jersey was forced to close. In June 1950, the administration of John Marshall gave its library and many of its assets to Seton Hall. In return, Seton Hall agreed to maintain and administer the records of John Marshall's graduates.

The following month, Miriam T. Rooney, then professor and chief librarian of Catholic University of America School of Law was engaged to develop plans for the Seton Hall Law School. Over the course of the year, Rooney developed a curriculum and hired a staff. She then obtained provisional approval from the New Jersey Supreme Court and recruited an entering class. On February 5, 1951, Seton Hall University School of Law opened on the old John Marshall site, 40 Journal Square, Jersey City with an entering class of 72 students, 16 full-time and 56 part-time faculty members. Under Dean Rooney's stewardship, the first decade of Seton Hall Law School's existence was one of substantial growth.

The Loftus Deanship: Expansion to Newark

In September 1951, the law school moved from Jersey City to Newark, and in 1954, graduated its first class. The following year, full ABA accreditation was granted; and in 1959, the law school became a member of the Association of American Law Schools (AALS). As the law school's enrollment grew to more than 300 students, Dean Rooney worked tirelessly to build the library collection and to upgrade faculty salaries. In the summer of 1961, when Dean Rooney returned to teaching full-time, John P. Loftus succeeded her.

During Dean Loftus' tenure, the law school's student body expanded to nearly 1,000 students. The students worked together to establish the Student Bar Association, the Law Review and the student newspaper, Res Ipsa Loquitur.

When Dean Loftus retired in August 1971, John F.X. Irving was hired with a mandate to move forward in building better physical facilities and further expanding the faculty. Under his able leadership, the law school moved to 1010 Raymond Boulevard and the number of faculty members nearly tripled. In the fall of 1978, Reverend Daniel A. Degnan succeeded Dean Irving.

Dean Degnan placed particular emphasis on alumni relations, establishing the Alumni Office and the Alumni Council. When Dean Degnan's successful tenure ended in June 1983, he was succeeded by Elizabeth F. Defeis. Under the strong leadership of Dean Defeis, who served until June 1987, the law school's scholarly reputation in the world of legal academia grew along with the law school itself.

The Riccio Deanship: One Newark Center

The physical plant finally proved to be inadequate for a law school of Seton Hall's size. In July 1988 when Dean Ronald J. Riccio took the helm, he assumed the mammoth task for arranging for financing and beginning construction of the magnificent $37 million facility located in the heart of Newark's business district which is home to Seton Hall Law School today. At a time when other organizations and businesses were leaving Newark, Seton Hall Law School is proud to have remained, playing a vital role in the Newark renaissance while becoming recognized as one of the finest law schools in the country.

Today, the law school remains a centerpiece of the renaissance of downtown Newark. In 1999, Professor Patrick Hobbs was appointed Dean of the law school. Dean Hobbs continues to improve upon and expand the abilities and reputation of Seton Hall Law School.

Programs

The Juris Doctor degree requires 85 credit hours (88 credits beginning with the Fall 2009 entering class). The program is three years of full-time study or four years of part-time study. All credits must be earned within six years. Seton Hall graduates are eligible to take the bar examination in all states.

Seton Hall designs its course of study to ensure that all students gain basic competence for the many opportunities and responsibilities that will confront them. It offers substantive law taught in classroom settings, predominantly through the casebook, problem, or simulation methods of instruction. Students not only learn the law, but are also encouraged to analyze related policy issues. They explore the development of legal principles and consider alternative ways to regulate the lives and affairs of men and women. The required course curriculum is the foundation upon which later electives, seminars and clinical work build. Upperclass students have wide latitude in program planning and may pursue a "concentration" in several areas of law or informally specialize in a number of other fields.

Clinical legal programs comprise an important facet of the total legal education of many Seton Hall students. Through diverse clinical offerings, students have a first-hand opportunity to engage in a highly supervised law practice. Third-year students, authorized to practice by court rule, represent clients and handle cases and transactions. Through combined classroom instruction and actual practice, students develop lawyering skills and confront professional responsibility issues while simultaneously performing community service.

The Center for Policy and Research: The Guantánamo Reports

The Center for Policy and Research provides law students with an uncommon opportunity to gain experience in forensic analysis and investigation through research into national policies and practices. Expanding their knowledge beyond legal doctrine, students participating in the Center as Fellows gain proficiency in identifying patterns and inconsistencies, and uncovering the truth that can help shape the law and public policy.

The mission of the Center for Policy and Research is rooted in a dedication to scholarly learning, practical training, and impact. Pattern recognition, factual evaluation and careful use of data are essential for both the practice of law and for the application of legal doctrine to real world problems. Seton Hall offers students a unique opportunity to work with facts and data, to find and develop patterns from large quantities of information, and to evaluate the significance of what they discover.

Under the direction of Professor Mark Denbeaux, the Center’s work focuses on three key areas: Interrogations & Intelligence, National Security, and Forensics. Among the Center’s high-profile projects are the world renowned Guantánamo Reports, which were originally spurred from Professor Denbeaux’s representation of two Guantánamo detainees. The Reports were developed by analyzing the government’s own data through the systematic review of literally over 100,000 pages of government documents procured through the Freedom of Information Act. The Guantánamo Reports have been widely cited, published and reported throughout the world.

The Center for Health & Pharmaceutical Law & Policy

The Center for Health & Pharmaceutical Law & Policy exists primarily to educate lawyers and health care industry professionals regarding the extraordinarily complex set of laws that govern patients, health care providers, manufacturers and suppliers. Furthermore, Center faculty and researchers produce scholarship and recommendations for policy on the varied and complex issues posed by health and pharmaceutical law. The Center fosters informed dialogue among policymakers, consumer advocates, the medical profession and industry in the search for solutions to the ethical, legal, and social questions presented in the health and pharmaceutical arena. As part of its educational mission, the Center is a leader in providing compliance education and training on the wide-ranging state, federal, and international mandates that apply to the development, safety, use and promotion of drugs and devices.

The Center for Social Justice

The Center for Social Justice is one of the nation’s strongest pro bono and clinical programs, empowering students to gain critical, hands-on experience as they provide pro bono legal services for economically disadvantaged residents in the region. The cases and issues students work on span the range from the local to global. Providing educational equity for urban students, litigating on behalf of the victims of real estate fraud, protecting the human rights of immigrants, and obtaining asylum for those fleeing persecution – these are just some of the issues that CSJ faculty and students team up to address. The CSJ trains future lawyers in public interest litigation, transactional legal and policy advocacy to produce legal professionals who can effect positive and lasting change.

The Gibbons Institute of Law, Science & Technology

The Gibbons Institute of Law, Science & Technology provides a forum for lawyers, judges, scientists, and government officials to discuss the legal, political and social problems that will continue to arise as scientific and technological changes challenge the existing laws and legal institutions. As educators, the Gibbons Institute aims to educate and train students for the complex legal issues they will face in the 21st century.

The Gibbons Institute brings together a number of Seton Hall Law faculty members who explore the effect of advances in science and technology on law and society. As scholars, the goal is to provide well-informed legal analyses that solve novel societal tensions in both the private and public sectors resulting from technological innovation. The Gibbons Institute also collaborates with the Seton Hall Law Center for Health & Pharmaceutical Law & Policy to create innovative programs addressing the intersection of technology and health.

In addition, the Gibbons Institute provides resources and support to the growing technology and scientific communities, locally and nationally, through its faculty scholarship, publications, symposia and events.

Study Abroad

The Study Law Abroad program at Seton Hall Law is rooted in a dedication to scholarly learning, practical training and the belief that in a globalized community, all students derive significant benefit from an exposure to the practice of international law abroad. The study law abroad programs, Law in Geneva, the two Middle East summer programs: Cairo and Jordan, and the Zanzibar Winter Intersession, include comparative and international law courses that draw on the respective region’s unique culture and legal practices. The study abroad programs in Cairo, Egypt and Jordan are the only ABA accredited programs in the Middle East. Seton Hall School of Law also offers a European Healthcare Compliance Certification Program held in Bruges, Belgium which it addresses the myriad of legal, regulatory and compliance issues faced by pharmaceutical, biotech and medical device manufacturers doing business in the European Union.

LLM Program

Seton Hall Law offers a Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Health Law, Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Intellectual Property Law, and Master of Science in Jurisprudence (M.S.J.) degrees.

Joint Degree Programs

The school also offers several joint degree programs with other faculties of the University. For example, there is a combined J.D./M.A. (or MADIR) program with the University's Whitehead School of Diplomacy. Through the school's alliance with UNA-USA, law students have a unique access to the United Nations.

Campus

One Newark Center
General information
Type	educational/office
Location	Raymond Boulevard Newark
Coordinates	40°44′11″N 74°09′59″W
Completed	1992
Height
Roof	99 m (325 ft)
Technical details
Floor count	22
Floor area	633,000 sq ft (58,800 m2)
Design and construction
Architect	Grad Associates
References

Seton Hall Law School is housed in a modern 22-story skyscraper building in the business and high-tech heart of Downtown Newark known as One Newark Center. Completed in 1991, the Newark Campus building provides 210,000 square feet (20,000 m²) The library measures 65,000 square feet (6,000 m²) and is named for Peter W. Rodino. One Newark Center is one of the tallest buildings in the city and also home to commercial offices and a number of prestigious law firms. The building is located at the corner of Raymond Boulevard and McCarter Highway, two blocks west of Penn Station Newark, offering easy access to New Jersey Transit trains and buses and PATH rapid transit system. While most students commute from within the New York metropolitan area, many reside in nearby high-rise buildings as Eleven 80, the Union Building, and Renaissance Towers.

cWOW Gallery curates exhibitions within the atrium of the building. Nearby cultural attractions include the New Jersey Performing Arts Center and Newark Museum. The nearby Prudential Center hosts home games for the Seton Hall Pirates men's basketball and the New Jersey Devils. Red Bull Arena is home to the New York Red Bulls. Close proximity to New York City also provides for a myriad of social, cultural and sports events and attractions.

Publications

Seton Hall School of Law publishes the Seton Hall Law Review, three legal journals, and a student run newspaper, the Cross Examiner.

Seton Hall Law Review

Seton Hall Law Review is a nationally recognized scholarly legal journal that publishes critical and analytical articles on significant, topical legal issues. Students not only edit the lead articles but also write a Comment on recent judicial decisions and developments. The Law Review is published quarterly and is edited and managed by its student editorial board and staff. Most members are selected on the basis of their demonstrated writing ability through a competition each summer that is based on a combination of competition scores and grades.

Legislative Journal

The Seton Hall Legislative Journal is a nationally recognized periodical that focuses on legislative, statutory, regulatory topics. Authors include state and federal legislators, judges, members of the academic and practicing communities, and students. The Journal subscribers include state and federal legislators, members of the federal and state judiciary, law schools, bar associations, public libraries, and members of the academic and legal communities. Members of the Journal acquire valuable skills and expertise in legislative scholarship and in legal writing and editing.

Journal of Sports and Entertainment Law

The Journal of Sports & Entertainment Law explores the expanding disciplines studying the law and business of the sports and entertainment industries. The Journal is published twice a year and offers scholarly articles on the intersection of sports and entertainment and the law. Each year the Journal also presents a Symposium and publishes the proceedings. The symposia bring together scholars, lawyers, and major figures in the sports and entertainment worlds to consider issues of current importance. Students not only plan and present the Symposium each year but they also edit lead articles. Each member also writes a Comment addressing a novel sports- or entertainment-related topic. Students interested in joining the Journal participate in a writing competition and an interview session.

Seton Hall Circuit Review

The Seton Hall Circuit Review is dedicated to the study of the work of the United States Courts of Appeals. Since only a handful of cases are reviewed by the Supreme Court, the circuit courts stand as the primary judicial law givers for the federal system. The Circuit Review publishes twice a year and features lead articles on recent important developments at the federal appellate level. In addition to editing lead articles, each member writes a Comment addressing a novel topic embodied in a “circuit split,” i.e., an instance where different circuits have announced varying interpretations of the law. New members are chosen based on a combination of their performance in the write-on competition and their GPAs. The Editorial Board is chosen annually by election of the entire Circuit Review membership.

The Cross Examiner

In 2009, after a four year hiatus, Seton Hall Law School reestablished the student run newspaper, the Cross Examiner. In its first year of publication, the Cross Examiner was awarded the title of “Best New Paper” for 2009-2010 at the national Editors Conference held by the Collegiate Network.

Notable Professors

Supreme Court Justice and Former Seton Hall Law School Adjunct Professor Samuel Alito

Former Seton Hall Law School Professor and Congressman Peter Rodino

• Mark C. Alexander - Constitutional Law Professor and former Senior Advisor to then Senator Barack Obama during the 2008 Presidential election
• Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito - Justice Alito served as adjunct professor at Seton Hall Law between 1999 and 2004
• Tonianne Bongiovanni - federal magistrate judge for the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey. She has served in this position since May 30, 2003.
• Garrett Brown Jr. - former federal judge and attorney who has served as the Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey from 2005-2012.
• Wilfredo Caraballo - served as New Jersey Assemblyman from 1996–2008, where he represented the 29th legislative district. Caraballo served as the Assembly's Speaker Pro Tempore in the 2006-2008 legislative session, he was the Parliamentarian from 2002–2006 and Associate Minority Leader from 1998-2001.
• Dennis M. Cavanaugh (SHLS J.D. 1972) - federal judge for the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey
• Patrick E. Hobbs - Dean and former tax law professor
• Bill Baroni - Former New Jersey State Senator and current Deputy Executive Director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Professor Baroni teaches classes in Election Law and Legislation
• Mark Denbeaux - Author of "The Guantanamo Lawyers: Inside a Prison Outside the Law" and activist responsible for publication of the Guantanamo Detainee Seton Hall reports. Professor Denbeaux represented two detainees at Guantanamo,
• Paula Franzese - Property Professor, author and acclaimed lecturer
• Brenda Saunders Hampden - Civil Rights pioneer and entertainment law Professor. At 12 years old, Professor Saunders Hampden desegregated the schools of High Point, North Carolina. At 13, she helped organize the High Point Woolworth sit-in, the first such demonstrations staged by high school students in the United States.
• Jose L. Linares - New Jersey Federal District Court Judge and Criminal Practice Professor
• Lewis D. Lowenfels - Securities Professor and author of the preeminent securities law treatise "Bromberg and Lowenfels on Securities Fraud" which has often been cited by the United States Supreme Court
• Robert J. Martin - Current New Jersey State Senator. Senator Martin teaches Animal law, New Jersey land use and State and Local Government.
• Andrew P. Napolitano - Former New Jersey Superior Court Judge and current Fox News legal analyst. He also served as the host of "Freedom Watch" on the Fox Business Channel. Judge Napolitano taught Constitutional law at Seton Hall Law School.
• Ronald J. Riccio - Former Dean of Seton Hall Law School, author and General Counsel to the national law firm of McElroy, Deutsch, Mulvaney & Carpenter
• Peter Rodino - a Democratic United States congressman from New Jersey from 1949 to 1989. Rodino rose to prominence as the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, where he oversaw the impeachment hearings that led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon. He is also noted for as a proponent of civil rights legislation and immigration reform. Representing a district that was heavily Italian-American when he was first elected, he was best known for his sponsorship of legislation that made Columbus Day a national holiday.
• Herbert J. Stern - Former United States Attorney for New Jersey and United States District Court Judge. Led Prosecution in Malcolm X assassination trial. First and only presiding judge for the United States Court for Berlin. Stern's experience as judge for the United States Court for Berlin was turned into a book, Judgment in Berlin. The book would later be made into a movie, Judgment in Berlin, starring Sean Penn. Judge Stern was played by Martin Sheen.
• John B. Wefing - The longest serving professor at Seton Hall Law, Professor Wefing is a respected New Jersey constitutional scholar. The author of "The Life and Times of Richard J. Hughes: The Politics of Civility". "The Wef" is also widely recognized as the finest dancer in the legal profession

Notable alumni

Main article: List of Seton Hall University alumni

See also: :Category:Seton Hall University School of Law alumni

Governor Chris Chistie '87

• Christopher Bateman (J.D. 1987) - New Jersey State Senator representing the 16th legislative district.
• John O. Bennett (J.D. 1974) - former New Jersey State Senator and acting Governor.
• Peter Cammarano (J.D. 2002) - former Mayor of Hoboken
• Dennis M. Cavanaugh (J.D. 1972) - federal judge for the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey
• Michael Chagares (J.D. 1987) - federal judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
• Chris Christie (J.D. 1987), Governor of New Jersey, United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey.
• Clay Constantinou (J.D. 1981) - former US Ambassador to Luxembourg between 1994 and 1999.
• James D'Agostino (J.D. 1974) - President, Chairman and CEO of Encore Bancshares
• Patrick J. Diegnan (J.D.) - New Jersey State Assemblyman representing the 18th legislative district and Parliamentarian of the New Jersey General Assembly
• Donald DiFrancesco (J.D. 1969) - former Governor of New Jersey
• Michael J. Doherty (J.D. 1993) - New Jersey State Senator representing the 23rd legislative district.
• Reed Gusciora (J.D. 1988) - New Jersey State Assemblyman representing the 15th legislative district
• Thomas W. Greelish (J.D. 1971) - United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey from 1985 to 1987
• Katharine Sweeney Hayden (J.D. 1975) - Federal judge for the United States District of New Jersey.
• Jerramiah Healy (J.D. 1975) - Mayor of Jersey City, New Jersey
• Noel Lawrence Hillman (J.D. 1985) - federal judge for the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey.
• Sean T. Kean (J.D. 1995) - New Jersey State Senator representing the 11th legislative district.
• John F. McKeon (J.D. 1983) - New Jersey General Assembly and former mayor of West Orange, New Jersey.
• Bart Oates (J.D. 1990) - three-time Super Bowl Champion and President of the New Jersey Hall of Fame
• Joel A. Pisano (J.D. 1974) - federal judge for the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey
• Anthony Principi (J.D. 1975) - 4th United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs
• Richie Roberts (J.D. 1970) - former detective and attorney responsible for the arrest and prosecution of Frank Lucas, portrayed by Russell Crowe in the film American Gangster
• David C. Russo (J.D. 1978) - New Jersey State Assemblyman representing the 40th legislative district
• Peter G. Sheridan (J.D. 1977) - federal judge for the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey
• Michael A. Shipp (J.D. 1994) - Current nominee as federal judge for the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey
• Bob Smith (J.D. 1981) - New Jersey State Senator representing the 17th legislative district.
• Lucas C. Townsend (J.D. 2004) - United States Supreme Court clerk under Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito

Rankings

Seton Hall University School of Law is consistently ranked amongst the top 100 law schools in the United States. In 2009 and 2010, Super Lawyers U.S. law school rankings ranked Seton Hall School of Law 40th among the top 180 law schools. In 2011, The National Law Journal ranked Seton Hall School of Law 33rd in its annual survey of the law schools that NLJ 250 law firms relied on the most to fill their first-year associate classes. Seton Hall Law School placed 49 graduates in positions at top 250 firms, one more than Notre Dame Law School.

In 2012, LawSchoolTransparency.com developed a data clearinghouse for law school employment figures. Taking data from U.S. News and World Report and the American Bar Association, scores were developed to reflect employment outcomes, salaries, and student debt loads, essentially creating a ranking based solely on employment prospects. Seton Hall School of Law received a 70% employment score, ranking 38th in the country. In the greater New York City area, Seton Hall placed 3rd in employment numbers behind New York University Law School and Columbia Law School. Seton Hall placed 6th when factoring all law schools in the states of New Jersey, New York, Connecticut and Pennsylvania. Compared to all law schools in the greater northeast (Washington D.C. to Maine) Seton Hall School of Law placed 8th behind Harvard Law School, Yale Law School, Columbia Law School, University of Pennsylvania Law School, New York University School of Law, Cornell Law School, George Washington Law School and Boston College Law School.

The National Law Journal ranked Seton Hall Law 35th for associates who were promoted to partner within the top 250 firms. Based on percentage of graduates employed in the highly coveted federal judicial clerkships, in 2011 U.S. News & World Report ranked Seton Hall Law 29th among all law schools. Based on the number of practicing attorneys across the country who are selected as Super Lawyers, in 2010, the last year tallied, Seton Hall Law was ranked 40th in the nation.

In 2012, U.S. News and World Report ranked the school 69th in the nation. The school's health law program is consistently ranked among the top ten health law programs in the country and is currently ranked 5th by US News & World Report. Seton Hall's appellate advocacy program was ranked 11th in the nation by lawschooladvocacy.com in 2011. According to U.S. News and World Report, Seton Hall is the highest ranked law school in the state of New Jersey and the fifth highest ranked law school in the greater New York City area.

Media Coverage

Albie Manzo, son of Real Housewives of New Jersey star Carolina Manzo, attended Seton Hall School of Law in 2009. After one semester, he left due to academic issues.

A January 15, 2004 New Jersey Law Journal article by Jim Edwards detailed how Seton Hall Law was investigated by the United States Department of Education for discrimination practices. Seton Hall University School of Law was the focus of an investigation by the U.S. Department of Education for allegedly discriminating against white law students. The probe focused on two Seton Hall programs: a minority mentoring effort called Partners in Excellence and a minority job fair. The investigation stemmed from an anonymous complaint by an individual not enrolled at the school. The Department of Education did not progress further than a preliminary investigation.

A September 24, 2007 Wall Street Journal article by Amir Efrati discusses the difficulties law school graduates face in the legal job market. The article focused on law school graduate Scott Bullock. Mr Bullock is a well known critic of the costs of law school, having previously blogged extensively on the subject. Currently, Mr. Bullock is a successful private practitioner at Zeppone & Bullock in Lyndhurst, New Jersey.

An August 15, 2010 Star Ledger article by Leslie Kwoh calls into question Seton Hall Law's published employment statistics, and again interviewed Scott Bullock, quoting him as describing the school as a "Ponzi scheme" The article discusses the law school's questionable "employment statistics" and how they are used to induce students to attend. Notably, the law school did not provide any backup documentation to support these "statistics". Seton Hall Law School has recently been applauded by media outlets for being at the forefront of a movement to become more transparent in the reporting of employment statistics. Seton Hall School of Law was one of only 34 law schools to release their NALP employment data.

External links

• Seton Hall University School of Law
• Seton Hall Law Campus Virtual Tour