J. Reuben Clark Law School

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 Please help improve this article by expanding it.
Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion. (May 2008)
J. Reuben Clark Law School
West exterior of law school with Squaw Peak in background
Established: 1973
Type: Private
Religious affiliation: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Dean: Kevin J. Worthen
Students: 450
Location: Provo, Utah, USA
Affiliations: Brigham Young University
Website: www.law.byu.edu

Coordinates: 40°14′54″N 111°38′57″W / 40.24833, -111.64917 The J. Reuben Clark Law School (JRCLS) is a law school located in Provo, Utah at Brigham Young University, the largest religious and second-largest private university in the United States.[1][2][3] Founded in 1973, the school is named after J. Reuben Clark (J.D.)—former U.S. Ambassador, Undersecretary of State, and LDS Church General Authority. The school offers traditional J.D. and LL.M. (Comparative Law) programs, as well as four joint-degree programs, each with a heavy emphasis on ethics.

The school's research focuses on religious and family law—its mission "to teach the laws of men in the light of the laws of God."[4][5] The school is a member of the Association of American Law Schools and is accredited by the American Bar Association.[6]

Contents

[edit] History

On March 9, 1971 the Brigham Young University Board of Trustees announced that a law school would be established at the university. Just two-and-one-half years later the opening ceremonies were held on August 27, 1973. Classes were initially held down the street from the current building in an old Catholic school building, affectionately referred to as "St. Reuben's" by the students. Former U.S. Solicitor General Rex E. Lee was the first dean of the School. The JRCLS Building was completed and dedicated in 1975, and the School graduated its first class in 1976. The School has since graduated over 4,500 students.[7]

[edit] Campus

The JRCLS is located on the east side of the BYU campus. The building's five floors contain eleven classrooms, three seminar rooms, a student commons area, a student lunchroom, spaces for student organizations and activities, a large computer lab, and a computer training room. The north half of the law building houses the Howard W. Hunter Law Library. The library has a paper and microform collection nearing 500,000 volumes and volume equivalents. The library provides 475 individually assigned study carrels and features 20 group study rooms, and two classrooms where library faculty teach classes on legal research and writing, which help familiarize students with specific types of legal research as well as library holdings.[8]

[edit] Academics

The JRCLS offers traditional J.D. and LL.M. (Comparative Law) programs, as well as four four-year joint-degree programs: a JD/MBA in conjunction with the Marriott School of Management (MSM), a JD/MPA administered by the Romney Institute of Public Management within the MSM, a JD/MAcc overseen by the School of Accountancy within the MSM, and a JD/EdD in association with the David O. McKay School of Education. The LL.M. is a one-year program for foreign lawyers leading to a master’s degree in Comparative American Law. Established in 1988, the LLM program is designed specifically for attorneys from foreign countries who intend to return to their home countries upon graduation, and applicants must have a law degree or certification from an institution located outside the U.S. to participate in the program.[citation needed]

The student-to-faculty ratio is at the JRCLS is 18.9.[9] Additionally, the school hosts several events each year, including the World Family Policy Center / United Nations Conference (July),[10] the International Law and Religion Symposium (October),[11] and the Orrin G. Hatch Distinguished Trial Lawyer Lecture Series (November).

[edit] Rankings and admissions

In 2008, the JRCLS was ranked #8 by The Princeton Review and #46 by U.S. News & World Report.[12][13] The former also ranks the school #1 for its Most Competitive Students category and #3 for Heritage Foundation Fellowship candidates.[14] Additionally, ILRG ranks the law school #2 for cost-benefit.[15] From 2000-2007 the school ranked 13th in the country in Supreme Court Clerk placement.[16]

For 2007, the JRCLS had a 28.6% acceptance rate—the median LSAT score 165 and the median GPA 3.68.[17] The school ranked 25th in 2008 among law schools as regards LSAT scores.[18] In scores averaged from 2004-2009, the JRCLS has ranked 8th in 75th percentile GPA scores[19] and 12th in 25th percentile GPA scores.[20]

[edit] Organizations

There are various organizations that BYU Law School students may participate in while a student and beyond graduation. Co-curricular activities include Moot Court,[21] trial advocacy,[22] and participation in the BYU Law Review,[23] and various other journal publications.[24] For extra-curricular activities, students may choose from several college-run and professional associations (e.g., American Constitution Society, Student Bar Association, etc.).[25]

Of particular note is the J. Reuben Clark Law Society, which is an organizateion of law school students and graduates consisting of over 65 chapters throughout the world. Although students and graduates of the J. Reuben Clark Law School are de facto members of the Society, there is no requirement to attend the Law School or to be a member of the LDS Church. The organization currently claims 14 U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Judges, 18 U.S. District Court Judges, 4 U.S. Attorneys, 6 U.S. Senators (including the Senate Majority Leader), 9 U.S. Congressman, 17 Fortune 500 Corporate Counselors, and 85 State Supreme Court, Appellate Court, and District Court judges.[26] The Society holds an annual conference for students and practicing attorneys—the 2008 conference being at the University of Arizona and featuring former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor.[27]

[edit] People

[edit] Students

An institution within BYU, all Marriott School students must also adhere to the university's honor code, which prescribes standards of morality, dress and grooming, academic honesty, and drug and alcohol consumption.

[edit] Faculty

See also: List of Brigham Young University faculty

[edit] Alumni

See also: List of Brigham Young University alumni

As of 2008, 82% of graduates were employed at graduation with 98% employed within nine months.[28] The 2006 full-time starting salaries for BYU Law School graduate were $92,500 for the private sector and $46,440 for the public sector,[29] resulting in BYU as the #10 school nationally for post-grad salary.[30] Alumni of the JRCLS have been quite successful in obtaining Supreme Court clerk positions—the school #13 in the nation.[31] All alumni may participate in the BYU Law School Alumni Association.[32]

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Naparsteck, Martin. The Lord's University. Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved on 2008-05-01.
  2. ^ Freedman, Jamie L. (2004-07-01). GW Law's Utah Connection. GW Magazine. GW Magazine. Retrieved on 2008-05-01.]
  3. ^ UoP About Us. Illustrates BYU second only to UoP in private school enrollment.. University of Phoenix. Retrieved on 2008-05-03.
  4. ^ JRCLS Admissions. Brigham Young University. Retrieved on 2008-05-25.
  5. ^ JRCLS Mission. Brigham Young University. Retrieved on 2008-05-25.
  6. ^ Approved Private Law Schools. American Bar Association. Retrieved on 2008-05-14.
  7. ^ Founding Documents. JRCLS, BYU. Retrieved on 2008-05-27.
  8. ^ BYU Law School. LexisNexis. Retrieved on 2008-05-14.
  9. ^ BYU, Clark. Best Graduate Schools. U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved on 2008-05-27.
  10. ^ World Family Policy Center homepage. JRCLS, BYU. Retrieved on 2008-05-27.
  11. ^ International Center for Law and Family Studies homepage. JRCLS, BYU. Retrieved on 2008-05-27.
  12. ^ Caron, Paul L. (2007-10-27). Princeton Review's Top 50 Law Schools. TaxProf. Retrieved on 2008-05-27.
  13. ^ America's Best Graduate Schools 2009. U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved on 2008-05-27.
  14. ^ Best Law Schools: Ranked (Most Competitive Students). The Princeton Review. Retrieved on 2008-05-27.
  15. ^ Cost-Benefit Analysis of American Law Schools. Internet Legal Research Group. Retrieved on 2008-05-27.
  16. ^ Brian Leiter Supreme Court Clerkship Placement, 2000 Thourgh 2007 Terms
  17. ^ America's Best Graduate Schools 2009. Retrieved on 2008-05-27.
  18. ^ Brian Leiter Student Quality, 2008
  19. ^ Average Raw Data Law School Rankings : Highest GPA (Descending)
  20. ^ Average Raw Data Law School Rankings : Lowest GPA (Descending)
  21. ^ BYU Law School
  22. ^ BYU Law School
  23. ^ BYU Law Review: Home
  24. ^ BYU Law School
  25. ^ BYU Law School
  26. ^ J. Reuben Clark Law Society
  27. ^ J. Reuben Clark Law Society Conference
  28. ^ 2008 Raw Data Law School Rankings : Employed at Graduation (Descending)
  29. ^ ILRG.com - 2009 Law School Profile - Brigham Young University (Clark) (UT)
  30. ^ Law School Rankings by Median Salary
  31. ^ Brian Leiter Supreme Court Clerkship Placement, 2000 Thourgh 2007 Terms
  32. ^ BYU Law School

West exterior of law school

East exterior of law school

Law student carrels in the HWHL

Main floor of HWHL

The Price of Liberty Statue by Steven Lloyd Neal in the HWHL

[edit] External links

v • d • e
Brigham Young University
Academics
Athletics
Campus
History
People
Student life