University of Miami School of Law

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University of Miami School of Law
Established 1926
School type Private
Parent Endowment US$736 million
Dean Patricia D. White
Location Coral Gables, Florida, USA
Enrollment 1,208
Faculty
USNWR ranking 71st
Bar pass rate 61.1% (Feb 09), 83.9% (July 09)[1]
Annual tuition $34,652
Website www.law.miami.edu/

The University of Miami School of Law, founded in 1926, is the law school of the University of Miami, located in Coral Gables, Florida, in the United States.

Contents

[edit] Academics/rankings

From 1948 to 2002, the law school had an evening division for part-time students.[2] Starting in 1952, the school started offering an LL.M. degree in taxation.[2] In 1957, UM began to offer an LL.M. in Inter-American Law, and the Masters of Comparative Law (now an LL.M.) was first offered in 1959. In 1998, the school decided to reduce the size of its entering JD classes by 15 percent.[2]

In 2002, the school established the "Leonard and Jayne Abess Center for Ecosystem Science and Policy" (Abess Center) with the mission to bridge the gap that separates science from environmental policy and law, through innovative, inter-disciplinary initiatives.[2]

The University of Miami School of Law also offers extensive "Public Interest Programs" and opportunities, including the "Center for Ethics and Public Service" that offers in-house clinics and educational programs including the "Children and Youth Law Clinic", "Health and Elder Law Clinic", and "Corporate & Professional Responsibility Program". The HOPE Public Interest Resource Center at the University of Miami School of Law gives students the opportunity to get involved in over 25 different projects each year, reaching various underserved and at-risk populations locally, nationally, and abroad.

The school also offers three official joint degree programs and seven LL.M. programs for post-graduate-level law study. The "Academic Achievement Program" and the "James Weldon Johnson/Robert H. Waters Program" provide participating students additional tools to succeed in law school. Other special programs at the law school include four "Summer Abroad Programs", one each in London, England and Spain and two involving multiple European nations (Greece, Italy, and London) and (Greece, Italy, and Barcelona, Spain).

The University of Miami School of Law is the host of the annual "Heckerling Institute on Estate Planning," a conference for estate planning professionals. The law school also hosts an annual symposium for psychology, public policy, and law.

According to U.S. News & World Report, the school is ranked 71st among all law schools, with its tax law program ranked 6th in the nation.[3]. The law school was ranked 26th overall in the annual 2009 Judging the Law Schools rankings.[4]

The current economic resession has caused an unexpected increase in the number of admisison applications and the percentage of admitted students who agreed to attend. Hence, UM sent out letters in July to about 700 students accepted into the law school class of 2012, saying demand was greater than expected.[5] In 2008, 389 students enrolled from among those accepted. The incoming Dean offer students the opportunity to defer admission for one year in exchange for a $5,000 scholarship during the deferral year. Thirty students accepted the scholarship, which requires them to perform 120 hours of community service.[6]

[edit] Campus

The University of Miami School of Law is located on the main campus of the University of Miami in Coral Gables, just 6 miles southeast of Miami, the 46th largest city in the nation. The School of Law is centered around a central courtyard called the "Bricks." The Law Library has a collection of over 600,000 volumes in print and microform, and subscribes to a large and ever-expanding list of electronic resources.[7] All classrooms have wireless connectivity.[7]

[edit] Curriculum

Due to the size of the faculty, the University of Miami School of Law is able to provide an extensive curriculum selection for second and third year students. First year students take a series of required courses covering the theory and substance of the law while exploring the political, commercial, and social dimensions of legal institutions. In addition to the required courses, first year students also are permitted to choose one elective in their second semester.

Law students at the University of Miami have the opportunity to combine their J.D. degrees with master's degrees in business administration, public health, or marine affairs. There is also a joint J.D./LL.M. program as well where students can complete both degrees in seven semesters in the areas of Taxation, International Law, Ocean and Coastal Law, and Real Property Development. The law school also offers the following graduate programs leading to a master of laws (LL.M.) degree in taxation, estate planning, real property, comparative law, inter American law, international law, and ocean and coastal law.

[edit] Students

The University of Miami School of Law has a total student body of approximately 1,250. The 75th LSAT and G.P.A. percentiles for the 2007 entering class were 160 LSAT and 3.64 grade point average. The 25th LSAT and G.P.A. percentiles for the 2007 entering class were 155 LSAT and 3.23. grade point average. The 2007 entering class of 489 was made up of 56% male, 24% minority and 64% out-of-state students. The 2008 entering class was 41% female, 29% minority, and 55% from out of state. The average age of the entering class was 24, with ages ranging from 20 to 49. Fifty percent of the incoming students were out of undergraduate school one year or more, 55% came from outside the state of Florida, and 44% speak more than one language.[8] As of the 2007-2008 academic school year, the tuition (excluding fees and room and board) was $34,136.[citation needed]

[edit] Student activities

The University of Miami's School of Law offers participation in student activities. The Student Bar Association, ("S.B.A."), serves as the law school's student government and works closely with the faculty and administration to improve student life on the campus. The S.B.A. also acts as a conduit to the American Bar Association, and the school's SBA President and the elected A.B.A. Representative serve as delegates to the national convention of S.B.A. Presidents and A.B.A. Representatives at the A.B.A. annual meeting. The Law School also has a student-run Honor Council, which investigates and adjudicates alleged violations of the Honor Code of the School of Law. It is chaired by the Honor Council President.

The school offers students the opportunity to participate on the Charles C. Papy, Jr. Moot Court Board, which hosts a Negotiation Competition, Mock Trial Competition, Fall and Spring C. Clyde Atkins Advanced Moot Court Competitions, and the John T. Gaubatz 1L Competition, and which participates in numerous inter-school competitions across the nation.

[edit] Journals/publications

The law school publishes four law reviews:

The "Psychology, Public Policy, and Law" is an inter-disciplinary law journal that is published quarterly by the law school and the American Psychological Association.

[edit] Alumni and job placement

The University of Miami School of Law has more than 20,000 alumni practicing law throughout the United States and nearly eighty countries around the world.

The job placement rate for graduates of the University of Miami School of Law is greater than or equal to the average national job placement rate for the past six years. Within nine months of graduation, slightly more than 90% of the Class of 2006 was employed and nearly 4% of the class was enrolled in a full-time graduate degree program. Most of the 2006 graduates – 69.5% – are working in law firms. Other graduates are working in federal, state and local government agencies (12.5%); corporations, banks and other corporate entities (7%); public interest organizations (5.5%); and academia (1.5%). Four percent of the graduates are clerking with federal and state court judges. Furthermore, 78% of the Class of 2006 began their legal careers in the Southeast, 9% moved West, 8% moved to the Northeast, 5% moved to the Midwest, and South/Central area of the country.[citation needed]

[edit] Deans of the University of Miami School of Law

[edit] Current prominent faculty

[edit] Notable alumni

[edit] References

  1. ^ "The School of Law at a Glance". http://www.law.miami.edu/ps/glance.php?op=2. Retrieved 2009-12-03. 
  2. ^ a b c d "History of UM Law School". http://www.law.miami.edu/history.php. Retrieved 2009-12-03. 
  3. ^ "University of Miami". http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-law-schools/rankings/title+university%20of%20miami. Retrieved 2009-12-03. 
  4. ^ "2009 edition of Judging the Law Schools". http://www.cooley.edu/newsevents/2009/011209_judginglawschools.html. Retrieved May 2, 2009. 
  5. ^ "University of Miami Law School Defers 1Ls: This is Not A Joke". http://abovethelaw.com/2009/07/university_of_miami_law_school_1.php. Retrieved 2009-12-03. 
  6. ^ Travis, Scott. "University of Miami law school gets too many takers, pays students to sit out a year". South Florida Sun Sentinel. http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/schools/sfl-um-law-school,0,2523979.story. Retrieved 2009-12-03. 
  7. ^ a b "virtual tour". http://www.law.miami.edu/vtour/. Retrieved 2009-12-03. 
  8. ^ "Fact Sheet". http://www.law.miami.edu/ps/pdf/83858%20Fast%20Facts%20Sheet.pdf. Retrieved 2009-12-03. 

[edit] External links

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