Law School of the Week: Emory Law School

Emory Law School, located in Atlanta, Georgia, offers one of the country’s strongest programs in the field. With a faculty of diverse backgrounds and an exciting urban environment, students at Emory can take advantage of many opportunities both inside and outside the classroom.

Being in the “top 25” by various rankings, it’s no surprise that Emory’s acceptance rate is a low 23%. While LSAT scores and GPA are important factors of the admissions process, an applicant’s personal statement is one way that their level of responsibility and sense of ethics required for the field may be assessed. Students interested in the school should definitely consider applying early, as this can increase their chances of acceptance. Furthermore, students should not be afraid to be persistent in pursuing their interest in Emory, even if they are waitlisted.

Tuition has increased slightly in recent years at Emory. However, their large endowment has enabled the number of scholarships offered to increase accordingly, and in many cases, Emory offers even more substantial aid in comparison to other similarly ranked schools.

Just like the curriculum of most law school programs today, students take required coursework in areas such as civil procedure, legal methods, and contracts during their first year. In their second and third years, students develop their trial techniques through further coursework and moot court. While preparing for job interviews and applying to law reviews and journals, students also begin to specialize in their area of interest. Emory offers a wide range of specialties, including human rights, environmental, and Constitutional law. Their program in international and comparative law is particularly strong.

Students at Emory can also pursue joint degrees in areas such as business, divinity, and theological studies. For studying abroad, it offers programs in Budapest, Sydney, Hamburg, and Seoul, to name a few.

Upon graduation, about 88.9% of Emory’s students are employed within nine months. Most end up working in law firms, but some end up working in government or public interest positions. In terms of geographic placement, around 80% of graduates find work in the South Atlantic region and Middle Atlantic region.

As for the bar exam, an estimated 94% of Emory graduates pass it.

All in all, law school critics and current students agree that Emory is a top law school offering many opportunities. Due to its strong curriculum, diverse faculty, and appealing environment of the city of Atlanta, many students find it enjoyable. Although graduates face the unpleasant reality of debt, most students are optimistic that their education will lead them to worthwhile careers that will more than compensate for this.

Quick Facts

U.S. News & World Report Ranking: 20^th
LSAT Median: 165
GPA Median: 3.55
Application Deadline: March 1
Application fee: $70
Entering class size: 224
Yearly Tuition: $41,376
Bar passage rate in Georgia: 93.6%
Percent of graduates employed 9 months after graduation: 88.9%
Average private firm salary: $116,155

Contact Information

Emory University School of Law
Office of Admission Gambrell Hall
1301 Clifton Road
Atlanta, GA 30322-2770
(404) 727-6801
admission@law.emory.edu
http://www.law.emory.edu

Sources: http://www.top-law-schools.com/emory-law-school.html#Admissions

Law School of the Week: Hofstra Law School

Hofstra Law School is located in Hempstead, NY. Being less than an hour away from New York City, its location offers students opportunities without the potential stress of an overwhelming environment.

What does it take to get in to Hofstra Law? Although letters of recommendation are not required, a five hundred word personal statement and LSAT scores are. In the entering full-time class of 2009, LSAT scores at the 25^th and 75^th percentiles were 155 and 159, while GPA’s were 3.27 and 3.70 at those same percentiles. Hofstra’s acceptance rate for that year was 38.5%.

Hofstra’s tuition is costly, and with the living expenses of New York City, the price tag can be even higher. Full-time students should expect to pay around $42,000 a year in tuition alone, and around $60,000 a year if other fees and living expenses are included. However, the school does offer financial aid. According to the last data reported to the ABA, 496 of the 870 full-time students received aid, although only 60 out of the 272 part-time students received aid. Hofstra also offers scholarships and grants, but one should know that most of their scholarships require that a GPA of 3.25 be maintained.

Similar to most other law schools, Hofstra’s first year curriculum consists of required classes covering topics such as torts, contracts, and property. In their second and third years, students have nearly two hundred courses to choose from. There is also the option to specialize with degrees being offered in both Family Law and American Legal Studies. Furthermore, Hofstra offers a joint JD/MBA degree and a joint JD/MA degree in Applied Social Research and Policy Analysis.

Outside the classroom, Hofstra offers several fellowships, which are an excellent way to get hands-on experience and receive further financial aid. Some of these fellowships include the Child and Family Advocacy Fellowship and the Fellowship for Health Law and Policy.

Students can also get involved in Hofstra’s clinics, such as the Child Advocacy Clinic and the Community and Economic Development Clinic.

For those interested in studying abroad, Hofstra offers four programs in the Dutch Antilles, Italy, Germany, and Australia.

According to the most recent data from the class of 2008, Hofstra’s bar passage rate (in New York) was 84.86%, and 93.6% of students were employed within nine months of graduation. However, prospective students should beware that these statistics, like many other law schools today, are subject to misleading interpretation due to incomplete or deceiving data. Given this reality, and taking into account the economic downturn that has occurred since 2008, prospective students should not expect Hofstra’s career prospects to be so promising.

All in all, Hofstra Law School is not highly competitive, and with today’s economic climate, the tuition is high and job prospects are limited. Students who are interested in the school should prepare to work especially hard, both in and out of the classroom, in pursuing opportunities so as to reduce debt and the risk of unemployment after graduation.

Quick Reference

U.S. News Ranking: 100

LSAT 
Median: 157

GPA Median: 3.56

Multiple 
LSAT scores: Higher score used

Application Deadlines: 04/15 (Priority RD), 11/15 (EA)

Application fee: Free online, $75 if paper application

Entering class size: combined 400

Yearly 
Tuition: $41,780 (full-time), $31,259 (part-time)

Bar passage rate in NY: 83.86%

Percent of graduates employed 9 months after graduation: 93.7%

Median private sector starting salary: $160,000 (Class of 2007, 23% reporting)

Contact Information:

Office of Enrollment Management

121 Hofstra University, Joan Axinn Hall

Hempstead, New York 11549

516.463.5916

http://law.hofstra.edu/JDAdmissions/index.html

lawadmissions@hofstra.edu

Sources:

http://www.top-law-schools.com/hofstra-law-school.html

http://www.admissionsdean.com/law_schools/hofstra-university-school-of-law/bar-exam-performance

Law School of the Week: Boston College Law School

Located in Newton, MA, Boston College Law School has a prime location for the law school experience. Not only are Harvard and Boston University law schools nearby, but also being within the Boston area opens plenty of opportunities, both educational and social.

While the school has no official cutoff scores for either the LSAT or GPA, its most recent entering class set the standards high. Their LSAT scores at the 25^th and 75^th percentiles were 163 and 167, respectively, while GPAs were 3.34 and 3.68 at those percentiles. In reviewing applications, the admissions at Boston College are most definitely looking for a strong interest in their programs specifically, especially within the personal statement. With such a competitive admissions process, the acceptance rate is about 20.2%.

With yearly tuition approaching $40,000 a year, more than half of students receive grants, which were about $18,000 at the median. 88% of the most recent graduating class had to take out loans to pay for law school expenses, so, many graduate with a fair amount of debt.

However, with strong academics, especially in environmental law, intellectual property law, tax law, and an impressive clinical training program, most students find that attending Boston College Law School is a solid investment.

In terms of curriculum, students spend their first year taking the required coursework, which is typically split into three 90-student sections. In their second and third years, students have three more required courses before specializing into their field of interest. Throughout their years at Boston College Law School, students can enjoy a much more cooperative, rather than cutthroat environment, which is pretty rare to find among most law schools.

Upon graduation, 94% of students passed the Massachusetts bar exam. The employment prospects are even more promising: almost 98% of students in the 2008 class secured jobs within nine months of graduation. This class enjoyed a median salary of $160,000 in their first year, with 65% accepting jobs in the private sector and about 15% taking on judicial clerkships.

With the growing environmental concerns of today, Boston College Law School enjoys a new, green campus. Both the friendly academic environment and the school’s location make Boston College Law School a very appealing option for prospective law students.

Quick Reference

U.S. News Ranking: 26th
LSAT at 25^th and 75^th percentiles: 163, 167
GPA at 25^th and 75^th percentiles: 3.34, 3.68
Application Deadline: 3/1
Application fee: $75
Entering class size: 264
Yearly Tuition: $39,490
Bar passage rate in Massachusetts: 94.0%
Percent of graduates employed 9 months after graduation: 97.4%
Median private sector salary: $160,000 (Class of 2008)

Contact Information

Boston College Law School
Admissions & Financial Aid Office
885 Centre Street
Newton, MA 02459
(617) 552-4351
bclawadm@bc.edu
http://www.bc.edu/schools/law/

Sources:

http://www.top-law-schools.com/boston-college-law-school.html

http://www.ilrg.com/rankings/law/index.php/1/desc/Bar

http://lsr.nellco.org/

Fred Crawford on “The Policy of Intelligence Law”

Last Friday, Fred Crawford, a Carnegie Mellon alumnus (class of 1983) gave a lecture on “The Policy of Intelligence Law: ‘This Shall Never Happen Again’”. Crawford, who received his law degree from Georgetown University, has had many impressive accomplishments thus far, including obtaining his undergraduate degree from Carnegie Mellon in only three years. He also served as an intelligence officer to the United States Navy for twenty years. Crawford currently works as a lawyer for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

In his lecture, Crawford brought up the idea of a “reverse history lesson” multiple times. He used this phrase to describe what he saw as today’s policy of intelligence law. What does he mean by this, exactly? Well, as he sees it, intelligence agencies today often act in a reactive more than a proactive way. It is only when a problem comes up that they address it, and through efforts of finding solutions, they seem to claim, “This shall never happen again”.

He also acknowledged from the lecure’s start that the typical citizen is often under the false impression that the law is a perfect set of rules. However, he clarified that in reality, the law is quite the opposite; he related it to a patchwork quilt, a piece of work that is ever-changing. He also emphasized the importance of understanding the historical context when addressing these issues. Without this, it is impossible to propose a solution that takes into account everything that must be considered.

Crawford focused the discussion on three controversies. The first took place in the 1970s, when a CIA report was released that described some of their practices. The Frank Church of Idaho (also known as “the Church Committee”) argued that the CIA and other intelligence agencies were undermining citizen’s constitutional rights.

The second event took place in the 1980s, when controversy arose regarding Nicaragua. At the time, Nicaragua faced the chaos resulting from the resistance of rebel groups, “Contras”, against their government. Both the U.S. government and the CIA supported these rebel groups, but it became problematic when some of these covert relations were not truthfully communicated with Congress. In an investigative report released by Congress, it stated that these events portrayed “secrecy, deception, and disdain for the law”.

The final event Crawford discussed, one that still faces us today, is the global war on terrorism. Crawford focused on the historical context arising since 9/11, and described how being in a war both changed policies and puts previous rules/laws into question in regards to how a country addresses these issues.

In all three of these events, Crawford emphasized the importance on the part of both the government and intelligence agencies to reflect on the outcomes and identify “structural and performance level flaws”. Overall, he presented this idea of reacting to aftermath as the main reason why the policy of intelligence law is the way it is today. In some ways, it seems acting “reactively” is the only possible way, but Crawford was confident that the CIA was working hard to act more proactively, especially in identifying “friends vs. foes” in today’s war on terrorism.

Law School of the Week: Albany Law School

Not everyone knows that Albany Law School is actually the “oldest independent law school in North America”. Founded in 1851, it is also the only law school in Albany. With New York’s highest court, federal courts and state legislature nearby, it is no wonder that it offers an excellent master’s program in government administration and regulation.

Albany Law School is a third tier law school, and typically accepts 43% of all applicants. It also, like most law schools, has an expensive price tag. Tuition is over $39,000 per year, although it does offer grants; the median grant provided is $18,000.

In their first year at Albany Law School, students will take required classes in lawyering, civil procedure, contracts, constitutional law and property law. “Incoming classes are split into sections of about 80 students who spend the majority of their first year working and studying together”.

Aside from Albany’s specialty in governmental administration and regulation law, it also offers joint degree programs in law and bioethics, business administration, public administration, regional planning and social work. Furthermore, students can choose from fourteen different concentration areas, including civil, tax, labor, family, health, and business, among others.

For students who aren’t so interested in the big city lifestyle, Albany Law School is a good choice. While benefitting from a student-faculty ratio of about 14:1, students can also enjoy excellent residences, facilities, and other buildings, in addition to wireless Internet throughout the law school.

Upon graduation, 85.8% of students passed the New York State bar exam (in 2009), which is above the state average. Employment rates are even better: in 2008, 93.9% of students were employed within nine months of graduation. Most graduates tend to stay in the region, working in New York, New Jersey, or Pennsylvania. Being the only law school in Albany gives certain advantages in the way of opportunities for internships with state government jobs. There is living proof of that in Albany Law’s impressive alumni, which include: President William McKinley and two Supreme Court Justices, David Brewer and Robert H. Jackson.

Quick Reference:

U.S. News & World Report ranking: Tier 3

LSAT Median: 155

GPA Median: 3.30

Application Deadline: March 1

Application fee: $60

Entering class size: 255 (Class of 2012)

Yearly Tuition: $39,050 (2009-2010)

Median private sector salary: $63,000 (Class of 2008, 55% reporting)

Contact Information

Albany Law School of Union University

Office of JD Admissions

80 New Scotland Avenue

Albany, NY 12208

(518) 445-2326

admissions@albanylaw.edu

http://www.albanylaw.edu

Sources: http://www.top-law-schools.com/albany-law-school.html