Villanova University School of Law

Villanova University School of Law
Established	1953
Type	Private
Religious affiliation	Roman Catholic (Augustinian)
Dean	John Gotanda
Location	Villanova Radnor Twp, Pennsylvania, US
Website	www.law.villanova.edu

Villanova University School of Law is the law school of Villanova University, the oldest and largest Catholic University in Pennsylvania. Villanova was founded 150 years ago by the Augustinians, a prominent Roman Catholic teaching order. The University is located 25 minutes from Center City Philadelphia in the Main Line suburb of Villanova.

Opened in 1953, the School of Law is approved by the American Bar Association and is a member of the Association of American Law Schools. Approximately 720 students study full time in the J.D. program which offers more than 100 offerings including foundation courses, specialty offerings, drafting courses, clinical experiences, seminars, simulation courses and externships. The faculty /student ratio is 17:1.

The school of law is ranked 84th in the 2011 edition of U.S. News & World Report's Best Graduate Schools.

In November 2007, the Villanova School of Law began construction on a new building to house classrooms, offices, and research facilities. The building was completed in August 2009. The new facility was built according to LEED standards and incorporate a park like setting with a walking trail.^{[citation needed]}

Degrees awarded

• J.D.
• J.D./M.B.A. with School of Business
• J.D./Ph.D. in Law and Psychology with Drexel University Health Sciences (not currently offered)
• J.D./LL.M. in Law and Taxation
• J.D./LL.M. in International Law
• LL.M. in Taxation

Juris Doctor (JD)

Villanova offers a legal education designed to teach the rules of law and their application; to demonstrate how lawyers analyze legal issues and express arguments and conclusions; to inculcate the skills of the counselor, advocate, and decision maker; and to explore the ethical and moral dimensions of law practice and professional conduct.^{[citation needed]}

Joint JD/MBA program

The Villanova University School of Law and the Villanova School of Business offer a joint-degree program permitting simultaneous study for the Juris Doctor and the Master of Business Administration degrees. The Villanova School of Business is one of the few business schools in the nation whose Master of Business Administration and Department of Accountancy program have been approved by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.^{[citation needed]} In the program, credit is given for certain courses by both the School of Law and the School of Business. Through this program, degrees may be completed in less time than it would take to obtain them separately.

Graduate Tax Program

The Graduate Tax program is an interdisciplinary program led by Leslie M. Book conducted under the auspices of the Villanova University School of Law and Villanova’s School of Business. The program has over 30 courses, which are also available to JD candidates, who are able to enroll in LLM courses as well as participate in the joint JD/LLM program. [3] Business students participating in the Graduate Tax Program may earn a Master of Science in Taxation (MST) degree.

Special programs

Beyond the skills of written and oral expression developed in the first-year writing program and the required upper-level moot court program, drafting, and seminar courses, Villanova University School of Law students acquire the fundamental skills of the practicing lawyer—including counseling, negotiation, advocacy, mediation, dispute resolution, conciliation, and mature judgment.^{[citation needed]} Hands-on clinical opportunities allow students to apply classroom experiences to real-world client representation, often while performing public service. Clinical programs include Federal Tax; Civil Justice; Asylum, Refugee, and Emigrant Services; and Farmworkers Legal Aid.^{[citation needed]}

The school also strives to provide leadership in information technology, law and psychology, taxation, and international law, among other fields^{[citation needed]}.

Rankings and honors

The 2009 edition of U.S. News & World Report's "Best Graduate Schools" ranked Villanova Law:

• 84th in the country overall
• 7th in the country (tie) in Legal Writing
• 18th in the country (tie) in Tax Law

Class Statistics

Fall 2010 Entering Class Profile**:

• Total Number Applicants: 3739
• Total Enrolled: 251
• In-state: 37%
• Out-of-state: 63%
• Students of Color: 23%
• Undergraduate Schools Represented: 119

GPA:

• Median GPA: 3.33
• 25th Percentile GPA: 3.15
• 75th Percentile GPA: 3.56

LSAT:

• Median LSAT: 160
• 25th Percentile LSAT: 159
• 75th Percentile LSAT: 163

Publications

Students of the Juris Doctor (JD) program are involved in preparing and publishing the Villanova Law Review, as well as other law journals. Members of the law review are selected on the basis of academic rank or through an open writing competition. The Villanova Law Review was first published in 1956.^{[citation needed]}

The law journals are:

• Villanova Law Review
• Environmental Law Journal
• Villanova Sports and Entertainment Law Journal
• Journal of Catholic Social Thought

The Villanova Environmental Law Journal publishes both student and outside articles dealing with environmental issues. Students are selected for membership by an open writing competition. The Villanova Sports and Entertainment Law Journal contains articles prepared by practitioners and professors in sports and entertainment law as well as by students. Membership is earned by selection through an open writing competition.

Notable alumni

• Frederick Anton III - (law class of 1958), President and CEO of the Pennsylvania Manufactures Association and the Pennsylvania Manufactures Insurance Company
• Richard Joseph Arcara - (law class of 1965), Judge, United States District Court for the Western District of New York (1988–present; Chief Judge, 2003–2010)
• Kelly Ayotte - (law class of 1993), Current United States Senator (Republican from New Hampshire)) (2011–present); formerly New Hampshire Attorney General (2004–2009)
• Lewis R. Carluzzo - (law class of 1974), Trial Judge of the United States Tax Court
• J. Scot Chadwick - (law class of 1978), a former Republican member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives (1985–2000)
• Mary Little Cooper - (law class of 1972),federal judge on the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey (1992–present; formerly Vice-president and general counsel, Prudential Property and Casualty Insurance, Holmdel (1990–1992); Commissioner, New Jersey Department of Banking (1984–1990)
• Craig Dally - (law class of 1988), current Judge for the 3rd District of the Northampton County Court of Common Pleas (2011–present); former member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for the 138th District (1996–2010)
• Charlie Gerow - Influential Republican political strategist
• David F. Girard-diCarlo - (law class of 1973), attorney and United States Ambassador to Austria (2008–2009); former Managing Partner and Chairman of Blank Rome
• William J. Green, III - former Member of the United States House of Representatives (1964–1977); Mayor of Philadelphia (1980–1984)
• Jeff Moorad - owner, San Diego Padres
• Ed Rendell - former Governor of Pennsylvania (2003–2011); former Mayor of Philadelphia (1992–1999)
• Marjorie Rendell - Federal Judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit (1997–Present); former Judge for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
• William H. Ryan, Jr. - Acting Attorney General of Pennsylvania (2011–present); formerly District Attorney of Delaware County (1988–1996)
• Jennifer Santiago - (law class of 1987), Emmy Award-winning journalist
• Donald William Snyder - (law class of 1982), Member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives (1981–2000; Majority Whip 1997-2000)
• Gerald R. Stockman - (law class of 1959), noted fair housing advocate and former New Jersey State Senator (1982–1992)
• Richard Trumka - President of the AFL-CIO and former president of the United Mine Workers of America

Student activities

Competitions

Each year, second- and third-year students have the opportunity to practice lawyering skills through the Client Interviewing and Counseling Competition, the Reimel Moot Court Competition, and several outside moot court competitions.

Student organizations

• Asian-Pacific American Law Students
• Black Law Students Association
• Civil Rights Law Society
• Corporate Law Society
• Criminal Law Society
• Environmental Law Society
• Family Law Society
• OUTLaw (Gay-Straight Alliance)
• Health Law Society
• Intellectual Property Protection Society
• International Law Society
• Jewish Law Students Association
• Labor and Employment Law Society
• Latin American Law Student Association
• Justinian Society
• Phi Alpha Delta
• Phi Delta Phi
• St. Thomas More Society
• South Asian Law Students Association
• Sports and Entertainment Law Society
• Tax Law Society
• The Women’s Caucus
• The Walter Lucas Public Interest Fellowship Program

Library and physical facilities

In the law library, students have access to 130 computer workstations located in a computer lab and throughout the library’s stacks. There are an additional 40 computers dedicated to student usage throughout the remainder of the law school. In addition, all students with laptops can access Villanova University’s high-speed internet connection and all of the technology resources throughout the law school via wired and wireless connections. Finally, the law library contains more than 500,000 volume-equivalents in books and microforms, along with subscriptions to numerous legal databases to which students have ready access.^{[citation needed]}

Career strategy and advancement

The mission of the Career Strategy and Advancement Office is to provide career planning education, recruitment programs, and individual counseling as the foundation for future career development and satisfaction of the students. The office's features and programs include three attorney-advisors, including a public service/pro bono specialist; an open-door policy, including a daily “on call” advisor for walk-ins and “quick questions”; small group workshops for 1Ls; dozens of career workshops and panel programs on topics ranging from interviews, résumés, and networking, to public interest careers, judicial clerkships, and a multitude of practice specialty areas; “Practice Specialty Expo,” which brings nearly 100 attorneys to the law school for a networking experience; recruitment programs throughout the year, including an array of employers in private practice (large and small firms), government, nonprofits, the judiciary, and corporations; special recruitment programs designed to enhance diversity in the profession; job fairs targeting unique geographic or practice preferences; and job search coaching for new graduates on the job market.

Pro bono programs

Pro bono programs, such as “Lawyering Together” and other projects, provide students with the opportunity to serve the disadvantaged while developing skills and positive relationships with practicing attorneys.

Lawyering Together

Approximately 20% of the Villanova Law student body participates in the "Lawyering Together" program. Through the program, law students are matched with volunteer attorneys who assist clients referred through Philadelphia pro bono organizations. The referring organizations include Senior Law Center, Philadelphia Volunteers for the Indigent Program (VIP) and the Support Center for Child Advocates.

Former Dean Mark Sargent

Resignation of Dean Sargent

In July 2009, Villanova Law School Dean Mark Sargent resigned, citing medical and personal reasons. A week later, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported that Sargent was connected with the solicitation of prostitution, although he was never charged.

False admissions data to the ABA

In February 2011, Villanova's newly appointed dean, John Gotanda, revealed in an e-mail to students and staff that a Law School committee had brought to his attention that the school had reported false data to the American Bar Association about incoming students' GPAs and LSAT scores for several years before 2010. The University began a comprehensive internal investigation and commissioned an independent audit by Ropes & Gray to determine the nature and scope of the false reporting. Dean Gotanda worked with the ABA to make them aware of the situation and the Law School's response. Dean Gotanda reconfigured the admission reporting process and organizational structure.^{[citation needed]} The ABA Journal has reported that at this point it appears that the reporting is limited to LSAT and GPA scores.

See also

• Villanova University
• Law School
• Juris Doctor

External links

• School of Law site
• Alumni site
• The Gavel Gazette student newspaper
• Official Villanova University site