Belmont University College of Law

Belmont University College of Law is a private law school in Nashville, Tennessee. Founded in 2011, the College of Law was accredited by the American Bar Association in 2013, the earliest possible time allowed by accreditation guidelines.^[1] Although relatively young, Belmont Law has established a strong reputation in Tennessee for its high bar passage and employment statistics.

History[edit | edit source]

Belmont University announced plans for the College of Law in 2009, with the first class beginning in 2011.^[2] Belmont Law was accredited by the American Bar Association in 2013, making it the first new accredited law program in Tennessee in over 50 years ^[1] and the first new law school in Middle Tennessee in nearly 100 years.^[2] Belmont Law achieved American Bar Association accreditation in the earliest possible time allowed by accreditation guidelines.^[1]

Curriculum[edit | edit source]

The college's curriculum includes the Juris Doctor (J.D.) with specialized certificate programs available in Criminal Law, Health Law, and Entertainment Law.^[3] The College of Law curriculum focuses on creating practice-ready attorneys with a practicum requirement in each semester to help students become proficient in the “practice” of law.^[4] These practicums give instruction in all aspects of the practice of law, such as legal writing, legal research, client interviewing, document drafting, litigation, negotiation, and more.^[4]

In 2017, a dual JD/MBA program was launched, allowing students to take classes for both degrees concurrently and complete requirements for both degrees within three years.^[5]

Facilities[edit | edit source]

Belmont Law Baskin Center

The law school is housed in the Randall and Sadie Baskin Center, a 75,000-square-foot LEED Gold building atop a five-level underground garage.^[6] The Baskin Center houses more than a dozen large classrooms, a trial courtroom, an appellate court room, faculty offices, student commons, and a two-story law library. ^[7]

Organizations and Publications[edit | edit source]

Students can hone their oral and written advocacy skills through local and national competition through the Board of Advocates program, which includes mock trial, moot court, and transactional teams.^[4]

The College of Law publishes four academic journals, the Belmont Law Review,^[8] Criminal Law Journal,^[9] Entertainment Law Journal, and Health Law Journal.^[10]

Employment[edit | edit source]

Statistics for the class of 2018 indicate 96% of students are employed in some capacity, with 95% employed in bar passage required or J.D. advantage positions.^[11] Most graduates remain in state, with 89% employed in Tennessee. ^[12] Of those employed, 63% work at a law firm, 14.5% work in business or industry, 18.5% work in government or judicial clerkships, and 4% work in public interest. ^[12]

Belmont Law's Law School Transparency under-employment score is 6.4%, indicating the percentage of the Class of 2018 unemployed, pursuing an additional degree, or working in a non-professional, short-term, or part-time job nine months after graduation.^[13]

Bar Passage[edit | edit source]

On the July 2019 bar exam, 97.18% of Belmont Law's first-time test takers and 94.52% of its total takers passed, ^[14] the highest of any law school in Tennessee and +23.62% above the state's overall 70.90% pass rate. ^[15] In 2018, 94.52% of Belmont Law's first-time test takers and 90.79% of its total takers passed the bar exam,^[16] ranking 12th in the nation for bar passage. ^[17]

Costs[edit | edit source]

Tuition costs for the year 2019 are $44,470,^[18] with 49% of students receiving scholarships. ^[19] Belmont Law ranks #104 in terms of highest tuition among full-time law students based on 283 tuition rates from 194 law schools, with in-state tuition counting separately. ^[20]

Board of Advocacy Achievements^[21][edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]