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University of New Hampshire School of Law

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Coordinates: 43°12′26″N 71°32′45″W / 43.20722°N 71.54583°W / 43.20722; -71.54583
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Not to be confused with Franklin Pierce University.

43°12′26″N 71°32′45″W / 43.20722°N 71.54583°W / 43.20722; -71.54583

University of New Hampshire School of Law
50
MottoInspiring Excellence
Established1973
School typePrivate
Endowment$15.2 million[1]
DeanJohn D. Hutson, President and Dean
LocationConcord, New Hampshire, United States
Enrollment513
Faculty43
USNWR ranking3rd tier
Bar pass rate83%
Website[1]

The University of New Hampshire School of Law, formerly the Franklin Pierce Law Center is an American Bar Association-accredited law school located in Concord, New Hampshire. The school is named after the 14th President of the United States and New Hampshire native Franklin Pierce and is the only law school in New Hampshire. Pierce Law was founded in 1973 by Robert H. Rines. The school is particularly well known for its Intellectual Property Law program.[2] On April 27, 2010, Franklin Pierce Law Center formally signed an agreement to merge with the University of New Hampshire, pending approval by accrediting agencies.[3]

Academic programs

UNH Law offers both JD and Master's programs in the law. The school awards Master of Laws in Intellectual Property (L.L.M-IP), Master of Laws in Commerce and Technology (LLM-CT) and Master of Law in International Criminal Law and Justice (L.L.M-ICLJ). It is the only law school offering a graduate degree in intellectual property designed for scientists, engineers and any interested persons not holding a law degree (M.I.P.).

The school holds several summer programs in the law that are open to students from other schools, including: the China Intellectual Property Summer Institute in cooperation with Tsinghua University Law School in Beijing; the eLaw Summer Institute in collaboration with the University College Cork Faculty of Law in Cork, Ireland; the Intellectual Property Summer Institute, hosted at UNH Law's main campus; and the Advanced Topics in International Criminal Law and Justice Seminar in Washington, D.C.

Daniel Webster Scholar Honors Program

In 2005, the New Hampshire Supreme Court launched an alternative bar licensing process at the state's only law school, Franklin Pierce Law Center. The Daniel Webster Scholar Honors Program, a collaboration of the Court, Pierce Law, the New Hampshire Board of Bar Examiners, and the New Hampshire Bar Association, is an intensive practice-based honors program that encompasses the last two years of law school. Students apply to the program during the spring of their 1L (first) year. Enrollment in the program is limited to 20 students.

Once accepted to the program, students go through a rigorous program of clinical experiences under the supervision of judges, lawyers, and bar examiners, and compile a portfolio of work. Graduates of the program must pass the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination and meet character and fitness requirements to be admitted to the New Hampshire bar, but are exempt from taking the state's bar examination. Webster Scholar graduates may still qualify to sit for the bar examination in any other U.S. jurisdiction.

The first class of Webster Scholars graduated in 2008.

Student life

File:Fplc, concord, nh.jpg
UNH School of Law in Concord, New Hampshire

Students at Pierce Law run a variety of professional and cultural organizations, including the Student Bar Association (SBA) which serves as the student government. Students participate in two law journals -- IDEA: The Intellectual Property Law Review, and the Pierce Law Review -- and send Moot Court teams to competitions around the United States. Other active organizations include:

  • American Constitution Society
  • Asia Pacific American Law Student Association (APALSA)
  • Black Law Student Association
  • Christian Legal Society
  • Entertainment Law Society
  • Federalist Society
  • Hillel
  • Hispanic National Bar Association
  • International Intellectual Property Organization
  • J. Reuben Clark Law Society
  • Lambda Legal
  • Licensing Executive Society
  • Namaste India
  • Outdoors Club
  • Patent Law Forum
  • Phi Alpha Delta Legal Fraternity (PAD)
  • Significant Others and Spouses Organization
  • South Asian Law Students Association
  • Student Intellectual Property Law Association (SIPLA)
  • Taiwanese Student Association
  • Teen Court
  • Women's Law Student Association

Traditions and activities

During Orientation Week, the school offers an annual ice cream social. Fall mid-terms are followed closely each year by the Buck Bowl, an intramural touch football tournament, and the JIVE! talent show. With a tradition rich in public service, the school hosts The Bruce Friedman Community Service Day each year, honoring the late professor Bruce E. Friedman, an advocate of social justice.

Students from around the world attend UNH Law, and the school celebrates the traditions and cultures of its many international students throughout the year. The school hosts events such as Lunar New Year, the Indian "festival of lights" or Diwali, an Afro-Caribbean Night and a Christmas party.

Each summer, UNH Law holds the Intellectual Property Summer Institute, during which barbecues have become a tradition on evenings during summer.

Reputation

UNH Law is among the top intellectual property law schools in the United States. In its 2011 edition of "America's Best Graduate Schools", U.S. News & World Report ranked Pierce Law's program ninth in the nation in the intellectual property specialty rankings. On April 27, 2010, Franklin Pierce Law Center formally signed a merger agreement with the University of New Hampshire, the first step on the path towards a full merger.[4]The school was named the University of New Hampshire School of Law when the affiliation became effective.

Publications

Notable faculty

Notable alumni

References

  1. ^ As of June 30, 2009. "U.S. and Canadian Institutions Listed by Fiscal Year 2009 Endowment Market Value and Percentage Change in Endowment Market Value from FY 2008 to FY 2009" (PDF). 2009 NACUBO-Commonfund Study of Endowments. National Association of College and University Business Officers. Retrieved February 5, 2010.
  2. ^ "IP at Pierce Law".
  3. ^ http://www.piercelaw.edu/news/posts/2010-04-28-sign-affiliation-agreement.php
  4. ^ http://www.piercelaw.edu/news/posts/2010-04-28-sign-affiliation-agreement.php
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