Quinnipiac University School of Law

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Quinnipiac University School of Law
Established 1990
Dean
Location North Haven, CT, US
Enrollment 388
Faculty (See List)
Annual tuition
Website
ABA profile link
Outlines 0 (See List)
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Quinnipiac University School of Law is located in North Haven, CT

Quinnipiac University School of Law is the law school of the Quinnipiac University. The School is the youngest law school in the U.S. state of Connecticut, having received full accreditation from the American Bar Association in 1995. It is a member of the Association of American Law Schools. It is currently ranked 107th by U.S. News & World Report for 2011.

History[edit | edit source]

The law school was formerly the University of Bridgeport Law School, part of the University of Bridgeport. The University of Bridgeport went through financial hardships in the early 1990s. The University of Bridgeport received financial assistance from the Professors World Peace Academy, (PWPA), an organization affiliated with the Reverend Sun Myung Moon. The law school decided that Rev. Moon was an unworthy associate and severed any legal relations with the University. In order for the law school to remain open it had to merge with a financially-sound university. The law school received bids to be taken over by nearby Sacred Heart University, Fairfield University, and Quinnipiac University. The law school faculty and students voted to merge with Quinnipiac University because they felt it a more financially sound University than Sacred Heart. The law school retained the name University of Bridgeport Law School until the name was officially changed in the 1990s.

Academics[edit | edit source]

The most recent annual U.S. News & World Report law school rankings placed Quinnipiac higher than past years. The 2008 ranking showed a marked improvement, with the law school moving up eight spots to #108 from the previous year. [1]

The Princeton Review, rated the School of Law as one of the nation’s outstanding law schools, featuring the school in the 2009 edition of “Best 174 Law Schools”. [2]

The Princeton Review’s editors praised Quinnipiac's wide variety of courses and small class size. "There are ample opportunities to study any legal subject which interests you." Classes are intimate and "the small size of the academic universe here at QUSL makes it nearly impossible for a student to be lost in the mix." [3] Editors mentioned Quinnipiac's "outstanding" clinics and externship programs, which provide "plenty of hands-on practical learning." The editors also noted the law school's approachable and student-oriented faculty members. The book quoted one student who said, "To be able to sit down, one on one, with some of these people is mind-blowing."[4]

The university offers three degree programs: The Juris Doctor (J.D.), the J.D./Master of Business Administration (MBA) double degree program, and the Master of Laws (LL.M) in health law. Students may have concentrations in civil advocacy and dispute resolution, criminal law and advocacy, family and juvenile law, health law, intellectual property, and tax.

The law school has an enrollment of 388 students. The class of first-year law students was 47 percent male and 53 percent female, with an average age of 25. Eighteen percent of students were people of color. The student-to-faculty ratio is 10 to 1, and the average class size is around 25. There are 37 full-time faculty members, and 35 adjunct instructors per semester. Professors come not only from academia, but include several United States Supreme Court clerks, various state and federal law clerks, private practice attorneys, along with state and federal prosecutors.

Students have had externships in corporate counsel, criminal justice, family and juvenile law, judicial, legal services, legislative, mediation, public interest, field placement II. There are in-house clinical programs in civil, tax, advanced, evening, defense appellate, prosecution appellate. Other learning opportunities include summer study at Trinity College, Dublin in Dublin, Ireland and other opportunities to study abroad.

The 25th–75th percentile range of LSAT scores is 158-160 for the day division (full time) program, and 152-156 for the evening division (part time) program. Tuition for full-time students is $35,600 ($17,800 per semester). Tuition for part-time students is $1,400 per credit. Admitted applicants also automatically considered for merit-based grants and scholarships that range from $3,000 per year to full tuition. Other financial aid is available. The Deans Fellowship is typically awarded to 8-10 students per year and covers full tuition.

Bar Passage Rate: The Class of 2008 achieved a 96 percent first-time pass rate on the Connecticut bar exam this past July. Quinnipiac graduates bested the state-wide first-time pass rate of 88 percent. The Class of 2008 also fared well on bar exams in two additional states: New Jersey (100 percent) and Massachusetts (100 percent). [5]

The dean of the law school is Brad Saxton. The school is fully accredited by the American Bar Association and is a member of the Association of American Law Schools.

The Raymond E. Baldwin Award for Public Service is an award given for public service in honor of Judge Raymond E. Baldwin

There are some 4,800 alumni.

Facilities[edit | edit source]

The Template:Convert, two-level Law Library is recognized by the American Institute of Architects and the Library Administration and Management Association as one of the six most architecturally distinguished libraries in the country. The law library houses more than 425,000 volumes and offers wireless access throughout. An agreement with Yale Law School allows students full use of their law library.

Located within the School of Law Center, the Grand Courtroom is designed as a place where students can conduct a mock trial before a judge and jury and make appellate arguments to a panel of judges. On several occasions it has hosted sessions of the Connecticut Supreme Court and Connecticut Appellate Court. It also serves as a spacious lecture hall for guest speakers who visit the School of Law.

Student Competition Teams[edit | edit source]

Quinnipiac University School of Law boast several student competition teams, including a Mock Trial Society, Moot Court Society, and Society for Dispute Resolution.

While each of these competition teams has enjoyed success over the years, the Society for Dispute Resolution has enjoyed the most success recently. Two times in three years the Society for Dispute Resolution has won the regional mediation competition, sending teams to the national competition.

Below is a list of some of the recent regional and national victories:

  • ABA Client Counseling 2008 Won Region, Advanced to National Competition
  • ABA Mediation Advocacy 2008 Won Region, Advanced to National Competition
  • ABA National Mediation Advocacy 2008, Won National Competition
  • ABA Mediation Advocacy 2010 Won Region, Advanced to National Competition
  • St. Johns FINRA Competition, Won Mediation Competition
  • ABA Client Counseling 2011 Won Region, Advanced to National Competition

The Society for Dispute Resolution is also unlike the other competition teams in that it is not purely a competition team. Instead, the organization has a strong community service arm, and strives to have as many activities as possible that are available to the entire student population. This includes information events, social events, and more than one competition each year that is open to the entire student body.

The Society strives to keep the student body informed of new developments in the field of alternative dispute resolution. This is because over 90% of complaints filed are settled and never go to court. Negotiation, Mediation, Arbitration, and Client Counseling are areas of focus. A new and developing area is collaborative law.

The mission of the Mock Trial Society is to cultivate ethical and intellectual trial advocates whose excellence in courtroom presence and ability will be recognized on both regional and national levels. Through rigorous preparation for student trial advocacy competitions, the society's members gain a unique, invaluable courtroom education that will serve as a foundation for a successful legal career.

Members of the Mock Trial Society obtain a comprehensive understanding of the Federal Rules of Evidence and the Rules of Civil and Criminal Procedure. In addition, the society ensures that its members are properly trained in all areas of trial advocacy and courtroom etiquette by keeping all members apprised of traditional and modern trial techniques.

The Mock Trial Society hosts two competitions each fall, and attends two competitions in the spring competition season. In the fall of 2010, the Mock Trial Society will host its 10th Annual ABA sponsored Criminal Advocacy Competition. http://www.quabacomp.net/

External links[edit | edit source]