University of Virginia School of Law


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University of Virginia
School of Law
Established: 1819
Type: Public charter, Private funding
Dean: Paul G. Mahoney
Students: 1100
Location: Charlottesville, VA, USA
38°03′10″N 78°30′37″W / 38.052890, -78.510232Coordinates: 38°03′10″N 78°30′37″W / 38.052890, -78.510232
Campus: Suburban
Website: www.law.virginia.edu

The University of Virginia School of Law (Virginia Law) was founded in Charlottesville in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson as one of the original subjects taught at his "academical village," the University of Virginia. The law school maintains an enrollment of approximately 1,100 students in its initial degree program. The school's reputation as one of the ten most prestigious law schools in the nation is supported by its perennial appearance among the "top ten" in the U.S. News & World Report rankings, where it is currently ranked 9th, tied with Michigan and Northwestern.[1] According to Brian Leiter's Law School rankings, Virginia Law ranks 17th in the nation in terms of scholarly impact as measured by academic citations of its faculty. [1] And in terms of overall student numerical quality, Virginia Law ranks 8th in the nation. [2]

The Law School receives no funding from public coffers except for in-state student tuition subsidies.[2] Thus, the Law School depends upon the largesse of private donors, its substantial endowment and student tuition payments. In 1995-1997, the Law School used entirely donated funds to renovate and expand its buildings on the University's North Grounds to include the former facilities of the Darden Graduate School of Business Administration which built a new campus several hundred yards away. The Law School's 51% alumni giving rate is among the highest of the nation's law schools.[3]

Contents

Admissions

Virginia Law is among the most selective law schools in the nation. For the 2007-2008 entering class, 24% of applicants were accepted with a class median LSAT score of 170 and median GPA of 3.76. [4] Emphasizing its role as a public institution, Virginia Law reserves 40% of the seats in each first-year class for Virginia residents. The University of Virginia, Harvard University, Princeton University, Yale University, Duke University, Dartmouth College, Georgetown University, and The College of William & Mary are consistently the most well represented schools in Virginia Law's entering class.

Student organizations

The Law School maintains an extensive roster of student organizations, including chapters of the Federalist Society, the American Constitution Society and the Saint Thomas More Society.

The Virginia Law Weekly, the Law School's student-run weekly newspaper, has been published since 1948. The paper has been cited in several court cases including the U.S. Supreme Court case, Patterson v. New York. In addition to its news content, the VLW also contains student-submitted content which often includes humor and creative pieces. The Law Weekly has won the American Bar Association's previous two "Best Newspaper Awards," in 2006 and 2007.[3]

Each spring over a hundred students write, direct and perform in The Libel Show, a comedy and musical theatre production that was first organized in 1904. Its performers roast Law School professors, student stereotypes and life in Charlottesville throughout each of its three nightly showings. Professors write and sing their response to the students' jokes at the penultimate performance.

Law journals

The Law School is host to nine academic journals, including the Virginia Law Review, one of the most cited law journals in the country[4]:

Notable Virginia Law graduates

Main article: List of University of Virginia people

Politics

Law

Media

Business

References

  1. ^ USNews.com: America's Best Graduate Schools 2009: Top Law Schools
  2. ^ Law, Darden build on financial strengths: 06-27-2003
  3. ^ Virginia Law Weekly Wins ABA Best Newspaper Award for Second Year in a Row
  4. ^ Law Journals: Submissions and Ranking
  5. ^ Lowell Palmer Weicker, Jr., Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Accessed December 16, 2007.

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