Stanford Law School

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Stanford Law School
Stanford Law School Logo.png
Parent school Stanford University
Established 1893[1]
School type Private
Parent endowment $16.5 billion[2]
Dean M. Elizabeth Magill
Location Stanford, California, US
Enrollment 571[1]
Faculty 87 (Full- and part-time)[1]
USNWR ranking 2[1]
Bar pass rate 94% (ABA profile)
Website www.law.stanford.edu
ABA profile Stanford Law School

Stanford Law School (also known as Stanford Law or SLS) is a graduate school at Stanford University located in the area known as the Silicon Valley, near Palo Alto, California in the United States. The Law School was established in 1893 when former President Benjamin Harrison joined the faculty as the first professor of law. It is currently ranked as the second-best law school in the United States by the U.S. News and World Report.

It employs more than 80 faculty and hosts over 500 students who are working towards their Juris Doctor (J.D.) or other graduate legal degrees such as the Master of Laws (LL.M.) and the Doctor of the Science of Law (J.S.D.). It has an average class size of just 170, giving Stanford Law School the smallest student body of any law school in the top 15 of the U.S. News & World Report annual ranking. It also maintains the nation's first Supreme Court litigation clinic.[3]

Stanford Law graduates include several of the first women to occupy Chief Justice or Associate Justice posts on supreme courts: current Chief Justice of New Zealand Sian Elias, retired U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, and the late Chief Justice of Washington Barbara Durham. Other justices of supreme courts who graduated from Stanford Law include the late Chief Justice of the United States William Rehnquist, current Montana Supreme Court Justice Brian Morris, retired Chief Justice of California Ronald M. George, retired California Supreme Court Justice Carlos R. Moreno, and the late California Supreme Court Justice Frank K. Richardson.

Contents

History [edit]

Stanford Law School building

Stanford first offered a curriculum in legal studies in 1893, when the university hired its first two law professors: former President Benjamin Harrison and Nathan Abbott.[4] Abbott was given control over the program, and assembled a small faculty over the next few years. The law department was almost exclusively composed of undergraduates at this time, and included a large number of students who might not have been welcome at more traditional law schools at the time, including women and Hispanic, Chinese and Japanese students.

In 1900, the department moved from its original location in Encina Hall to the northeast side of the Inner Quadrangle. The new facilities were much larger and included Stanford’s first law library. Beginning to focus more on professional training, the school implemented its first three-year curriculum, and became one of 27 charter members of the Association of American Law Schools (AALS).[5] In 1901 the school awarded its first professional degree.

Starting in 1908, the law department began its transition into an exclusively professional school when Stanford's Board of Trustees passed a resolution in 1908 to officially change its name to law school. Eight years later Frederic Campbell Woodward would be appointed the first dean of the school, and in 1923 the school was accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA).[6] Stanford's law program officially transitioned into a modern professional school in 1924 when it began requiring a bachelor's degree for admission.

The 1940s and 1950s brought a great deal of change for the law school. Even though World War II caused the school's enrollment to drop to less than 30 students, the school made quick efforts at expansion once the war ended in 1945. A move to a new location in the Outer Quadrangle, and the 1948 opening of the law school dormitory Crothers Hall (the result of a donation by Stanford law graduate George E. Crothers), allowed the school to grow, while the publication of the Stanford Law Review started building the school a national reputation. The decision that Stanford should remain a small law school with a very limited enrollment was made during this period. For the third time in its history, the law school relocated in the 1970s, this time to its current location in the Crown Quadrangle.

In the 1960s and 1970s, the law school aimed to become more diverse. A great deal of new and progressive student organizations established themselves, several of which focused on legal issues which largely affected Chicanos and women. The first female and black professors were hired at the school during this period, and the school sought to academically diversify its student body by collaborating with the Stanford Business School to create a joint-degree program. In March 2011, Stanford was listed with an "A-" in the "Diversity Honor Roll" by The National Jurist: The Magazine for Law Students.[7]

Earning national recognition in the 1980s and 1990s, the law school made efforts to make its curriculum more progressive. Classes were offered focusing on law relating to technology, the environment, and intellectual property, and international law, allowing students to specialize in emerging legal fields. Additionally, the school’s clinical program was established starting with the public interest East Palo Alto Community Law Project. By the dawn of the 21st century, the law school had created many new opportunities for its students to specialize and get involved in community projects. Over the past few years, a new focus on interdisciplinary education has emerged.[8]

Academics and admissions [edit]

Clinics

Stanford Law School is known for its uniquely low student-to-faculty ratio, with first-year classes counting approximately 170 students.[9]

The academic program is flexible and includes a diverse array of courses and clinics. First-year students (or 1L's) are required to take criminal law, civil procedure, contracts, torts, and legal research and writing during the fall quarter, and constitutional law, property, and federal litigation during the winter quarter. Upper-level courses range from white-collar crime to Supreme Court simulation seminar. SLS also boasts a clinic program that allows student to get hands-on experience. The Supreme Court Clinic has successfully brought over twenty cases before the Court, making it one of the most active Supreme Court practices of any kind.[10] Because of its proximity to other top academic programs on campus, there has been a growing focus on joint-degree programs and classes within the other professional schools.

Students run about thirty student organizations and publish seven legal journals. The most influential journal is the Stanford Law Review. Advocacy skills are tested in the Kirkwood Moot Court competition.

The Robert Crown Law Library at Stanford holds 500,000 books, 360,000 microform and audiovisual items, and more than 8,000 current serial subscriptions.

In August 2008, Stanford Law School changed its grading system, which no longer relies on traditional letter grades, joining Yale Law School, the University of California, Berkeley School of Law, and Harvard Law School. Students now receive one of four grades: honors, pass, restricted credit, or no credit.[11]

Stanford has a chapter of the Order of the Coif, a national law school honorary society whose stated purpose is to encourage legal scholarship and advance ethical standards of the legal profession.[12]

Between 4,000 and 5,000 students apply for admission each year. Selection is extraordinarily competitive: the median undergraduate grade point average of admitted students is a 3.9 and the median LSAT score is 170 (out of 180).[13] Beyond numbers, Stanford places considerable emphasis on factors such as extracurricular activities, work experience, and prior graduate study. About three quarters of the members of each entering class have one or more years of prior work experience and over a quarter have another graduate degree. In 2006, Stanford Law School's acceptance rate was 8.7%, one of the lowest in the nation.[14] The Law School also accepts a small number of transfers each year.

Bar passage rates [edit]

Based on a 2001-2007 six-year average, the California State bar passage rate for Stanford Law students was 88.8%.[15] In July 2010, 98% of Stanford law students taking the bar for the first time passed.[16]

Post-graduation employment [edit]

Based on a 2001-2007 six-year average, 98.7% of Stanford Law graduates were employed 9 months after graduation.[15]

Programs and centers [edit]

  • Environmental and Natural Resources Law & Policy Program (ENRLP)
  • Rule of Law Program
  • Stanford Program in International Law
  • Stanford Program in Law, Economics & Business
  • John M. Olin Program in Law and Economics
  • Stanford Program in Law, Science & Technology (LST)
  • Martin Daniel Gould Center for Conflict Resolution Programs
  • Arthur and Toni Rembe Rock Center for Corporate Governance
  • Center for E-Commerce
  • Center for Internet and Society (CIS)
  • Center for Law and the Biosciences
  • Gould Negotiation and Mediation Teaching Program
  • Stanford Center on International Conflict and Negotiation (SCICN)
  • Stanford Criminal Justice Center
  • Stanford Center for Computers and the Law (CodeX)
  • John and Terry Levin Center for Public Service and Public Interest Law
  • Stanford Law Review

In January 2011, Stanford was given an "A" (#4) in the "Best Public Interest Law Schools" listing by The National Jurist: The Magazine for Law Students.[17]

Notable alumni [edit]

Upon graduation, most students join law firms and about a quarter of the class clerks for a judge.[18] Stanford alumni practice in 50 countries and 49 states, and are partners at 94 of the 100 largest law firms in the United States.[19] Despite its small size, Stanford has produced the fourth-most professors of law in the United States, according to a 2009 study[20] and the fourth-most clerks to the U.S. Supreme Court, according to a 2000 finding.[21]

Notable faculty [edit]

Stanford Law School ranks among the top three in terms of accomplished faculty members.[24] In 2006, six Stanford professors were listed as being among the 100 most influential lawyers in the United States by The National Law Journal: Jeffrey L. Fisher, Joseph A. Grundfest, Mark Lemley, Lawrence Lessig, Kathleen M. Sullivan, and lecturer Thomas C. Goldstein.[25]

Popular culture [edit]

  • The film Legally Blonde was originally set at Stanford Law School, which is also the setting of the book it is based on. Stanford however, did not approve of the script and the setting was changed to Harvard.[26]
  • Arnold Vinick, the fictional Republican candidate for President of the United States in the final season of The West Wing, was a Stanford Law graduate.
  • Greg in Dharma & Greg was an alumnus of Stanford Law School.
  • In the movie Beaches, the character Hillary adheres to family tradition by studying law at Stanford Law School and becomes a human rights lawyer.
  • In the movie Die Hard, villain Hans Gruber reads aloud the educational history of Nakatomi CEO Joseph Yoshinobu Takagi while searching for him in a crowd of hostages. Takagi's pedigree includes University of California, Harvard Business School, and Stanford Law School.
  • The character Eli Stone (from the legal comedy-drama of the same name) is a Stanford Law graduate.
  • The character Sam Winchester from the television series Supernatural is a former student of Stanford Law School.
  • In the film Red Corner, Richard Gere plays a Stanford Law graduate and international businessman who is forced to navigate China's legal system after being framed for murder.
  • The school has been mentioned in many other films and series, such as The Devil Wears Prada and to rather comic effect in Ace Ventura.
  • Elijah Wood's character, Ryan, from the FX TV series Wilfred says that he graduated from Stanford Law School.

References [edit]

  1. ^ a b c d "U.S. News & World Report, Best Law Schools: Stanford University". Retrieved April 14, 2011. 
  2. ^ As of September 26, 2011. "Stanford Management Company announces 2011 results". Stanford Report. Retrieved September 29, 2011. 
  3. ^ Supreme Court Litigation Clinic
  4. ^ http://api.ning.com/files/ALHbJ*Ym8XBveqoKwV4VLeU3aQ1tZP-dmujHJBrICYROltWbP4djE8oCew4EtD0sg7XuHscf6VELUXrMAylZkcP4*KV2-u2U/ABRIEFHISTORYOFTHESTANFORDLAWSCHOOL.pdf
  5. ^ AALS Member Schools
  6. ^ "ABA-Approved Law Schools by Year". ABA website. Retrieved April 20, 2011. 
  7. ^ Larsen, Rebecca (March 2011). "Most Diverse Law Schools (Diversity Honor Roll)". The National Jurist (San Diego, California: Cypress Magazines) 20 (6): 30–37 
  8. ^ History of Stanford Law School
  9. ^ http://www.law.stanford.edu/program/degrees/jd/
  10. ^ Falcone, Michael (March 15, 2006). "Stanford Law Students Get Early Supreme Court Duty". The New York Times. 
  11. ^ http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1202422263549
  12. ^ Order of the Coif member schools
  13. ^ http://officialguide.lsac.org/SearchResults/SchoolPage_PDFs/ABA_LawSchoolData/ABA4704.pdf
  14. ^ http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/usnews/edu/grad/rankings/law/brief/lawrank_brief.php
  15. ^ a b "Internet Legal Research Group: Stanford Law School, 2009 profile". Retrieved April 13, 2011. 
  16. ^ CA State Bar General Statistics Report January 18, 2011
  17. ^ Weyenberg, Michelle (January 2011). "Best Law Schools for Public Interest". The National Jurist (San Diego, California: Cypress Magazines) 20 (4): 24–28 
  18. ^ http://www.law.stanford.edu/experience/careers/ocs/prospective/statistics/
  19. ^ http://www.law.stanford.edu/experience/careers/
  20. ^ http://www.leiterrankings.com/jobs/2009job_teaching.shtml
  21. ^ http://www.leiterrankings.com/jobs/2000_08_scotus_clerks.shtml
  22. ^ USD School of Law Press Release, June 1, 2011
  23. ^ http://starbulletin.com/2007/06/14/news/story08.html
  24. ^ Welcome to Brian Leiter's Law School Rankings
  25. ^ Profiles in Power
  26. ^ "Fictional Stanford". Stanford Magazine. 

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37°25′27″N 122°10′04″W / 37.42417°N 122.16778°W / 37.42417; -122.16778Coordinates: 37°25′27″N 122°10′04″W / 37.42417°N 122.16778°W / 37.42417; -122.16778

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