Gonzaga University School of Law
The Gonzaga University School of Law is the law school of Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington. It is commonly viewed as a strong regional school in the inland Pacfic Northwest, and is the only law school in the State of Washington outside of the Seattle metropolitan area. It is a private, Jesuit institution and is consistently ranked as a third tier law school.[1]
The recently constructed School of Law building is located along the Spokane River on the south end of the Gonzaga University campus and contains the large Chastek Law Library.
It is a fully ABA-accredited law school, first established in 1912.
Degrees and Curriculum
The Law School offers the standard J.D. degree along with joint J.D./MBA, J.D./Master of Accountancy, and J.D./Master of Social Work degrees.
J.D. students are able to choose from three concentrations during their second and third years of study or continue a generalized course of study. These concentrations include Public Interest Law, Business Law, and Environmental/Natural Resources Law.
A unique program of the law school is the International Law study abroad program in Florence, Italy. This program allows students to travel to and live in Italy on Gonzaga University's Italian satellite campus. Students are also permitted to attend other ABA-approved law schools for a semester or longer if an area of legal study is not available at Gonzaga University.
Clinical Curriculum
Gonzaga University School of Law is recognized in the region for The Gonzaga Center for Law and Justice, a not-for-profit University Legal Assistance clinical program. The clinic has a pool of 40 law students that meet with members of the Spokane community that need legal representation and are without the means to hire a traditional lawyer. The structure of the clinic is patterned after a large law firm, and specializes in family law, elder law, civil rights, disability rights, and criminal defense.
Scholarly Publications
The Gonzaga University School of Law currently publishes two legal journals:
- Gonzaga Law Review (Current legal issues)
- Gonzaga Journal of International Law (GJIL)
Notable Alumni
- Ralph E. Foley, Superior Court Judge
- Christine Gregoire, former State Attorney General and current State Governor
- Carl Maxey, civil rights leader
- George Nethercutt, former Representative and 2004 Republican candidate for US Senate
- Barbara Madsen, Washington State Supreme Court Judge
- Mary Fairhurst, Washington State Supreme Court Judge
Controversy
Gonzaga School of Law has occasionally fallen to the fourth tier in the US News & World Report rankings. This is generally attributed to the fact that in some years only one third of Gonzaga Law graduates passed the Washington State bar exam.[2][3]
The law school's tuition is generally higher than that of other tier three and four schools, and its faculty-to-student ratio is also higher than other schools that it is ranked near.
References
- ^ "Law School Rankings". US News & World Report. Retrieved 2007-04-16.
- ^ Gancarski, Anthony (2003-4-29). "Brush with the Law". The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved 2007-7-6.
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(help) - ^ Hjorth, Roland L. (1999-10-11). "The Dean's Column: Bar Passage Rates Rank High in 1999". University of Washington School of Law. Retrieved 2007-7-6.
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External links
- Gonzaga University School of Law website.
- The Gonzaga Center for Law and Justice description.