Pepperdine University School of Law
Encyclopedia
The Pepperdine University School of Law is a law school
located on the campus of Pepperdine University
in Malibu, California.
The school placed 54th among the nation's "Top 100" law schools according to the 2011 U.S. News and World Report rankings and is the third highest ranked law school in Southern California. The school had an 88% California bar passage rate in July 2010, giving it the fourth highest California bar passage rate in the state after: Stanford
, Berkeley
, and University of Southern California. Pepperdine Law is best known for its entertainment law
, and its dispute resolution program, which is currently ranked No. 1 in the nation.
The school offers a Juris Doctor
(J.D.), Masters of Law
(LL.M.) in dispute resolution, and joint degrees with J.D./M.B.A., J.D./M.Div.
, J.D./M.P.P.
, and J.D./Master of Dispute Resolution.
For the second year in a row, the Princeton Review has ranked Pepperdine Law as No. 1 in the nation for faculty accessibility by students. The Princeton Review ranked Pepperdine on the list of colleges with "Dorms Like Palaces" in 2004 and 2007 and No. 1 under "Most Beautiful Campus" in 2006 and 2007. Pepperdine also appeared on other lists, including "Students Pray on a Regular Basis" and "High Quality of Life". Because of its Christian affiliation, many contend that the student body breeds a religious and politically conservative atmosphere. Deanell Reece Tacha
, former Chief Judge of The United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, became Dean on June 1, 2011.
(AALS), and is accredited by the Committee of Bar Examiners, State Bar of California
. Graduates are eligible to apply for admission to practice in any state.
Pepperdine University is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.
The Nootbaar Institute includes three initiatives: 1) Scholarship with respect to issues at the intersection of law and religion; 2) Domestic Justice Initiatives, such as the Legal Aid Clinic and the Asylum and Refugee Clinic; and 3) the Global Justice Program.
In January 2011, Pepperdine was given a "B-" in the "Best Public Interest Law Schools" listing by The National Jurist: The Magazine for Law Students.
, negotiation, arbitration, international dispute resolution and peacemaking. The Straus Institute has consistently ranked the number one Dispute Resolution school in the nation for the past 6 years, and has remained among the top 10 schools over the last decade.
, the JD/Masters of Dispute Resolution degree in conjunction with the School of Law's number one ranked Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution and the JD/MBA degree in conjunction with the Graziadio School of Business and Management.
Law school in the United States
In the United States, a law school is an institution where students obtain a professional education in law after first obtaining an undergraduate degree.Law schools in the U.S...
located on the campus of Pepperdine University
Pepperdine University
Pepperdine University is an independent, private, medium-sized university affiliated with the Churches of Christ. The university's campus overlooking the Pacific Ocean in unincorporated Los Angeles County, California, United States, near Malibu, is the location for Seaver College, the School of...
in Malibu, California.
The school placed 54th among the nation's "Top 100" law schools according to the 2011 U.S. News and World Report rankings and is the third highest ranked law school in Southern California. The school had an 88% California bar passage rate in July 2010, giving it the fourth highest California bar passage rate in the state after: Stanford
Stanford Law School
Stanford Law School is a graduate school at Stanford University located in the area known as the Silicon Valley, near Palo Alto, California in the United States. The Law School was established in 1893 when former President Benjamin Harrison joined the faculty as the first professor of law...
, Berkeley
UC Berkeley School of Law
The University of California, Berkeley, School of Law, commonly referred to as Berkeley Law and Boalt Hall, is one of 14 schools and colleges at the University of California, Berkeley. Berkeley Law is consistently regarded as an elite and prestigious law school...
, and University of Southern California. Pepperdine Law is best known for its entertainment law
Entertainment law
Entertainment law or media law is a term for a mix of more traditional categories of law with a focus on providing legal services to the entertainment industry. The principal areas of Entertainment Law overlap substantially with the well-known and conventional field of intellectual property law...
, and its dispute resolution program, which is currently ranked No. 1 in the nation.
The school offers a Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
(J.D.), Masters of Law
Master of Laws
The Master of Laws is an advanced academic degree, pursued by those holding a professional law degree, and is commonly abbreviated LL.M. from its Latin name, Legum Magister. The University of Oxford names its taught masters of laws B.C.L...
(LL.M.) in dispute resolution, and joint degrees with J.D./M.B.A., J.D./M.Div.
Master of Divinity
In the academic study of theology, the Master of Divinity is the first professional degree of the pastoral profession in North America...
, J.D./M.P.P.
Pepperdine School of Public Policy
The Pepperdine University School of Public Policy is a Master of Public Policy degree program, located in Malibu, California. It is one of five graduate schools at Pepperdine University with specializations in American politics, economics, international relations, and state and local policy.The...
, and J.D./Master of Dispute Resolution.
For the second year in a row, the Princeton Review has ranked Pepperdine Law as No. 1 in the nation for faculty accessibility by students. The Princeton Review ranked Pepperdine on the list of colleges with "Dorms Like Palaces" in 2004 and 2007 and No. 1 under "Most Beautiful Campus" in 2006 and 2007. Pepperdine also appeared on other lists, including "Students Pray on a Regular Basis" and "High Quality of Life". Because of its Christian affiliation, many contend that the student body breeds a religious and politically conservative atmosphere. Deanell Reece Tacha
Deanell Reece Tacha
Deanell Reece Tacha is a retired United States federal judge who served on the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit....
, former Chief Judge of The United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, became Dean on June 1, 2011.
Accreditation
Pepperdine University School of Law is approved by the American Bar Association (ABA) since 1972, holds membership in the Association of American Law SchoolsAssociation of American Law Schools
The Association of American Law Schools is a non-profit organization of 170 law schools in the United States. Another 25 schools are "non-member fee paid" schools, which are not members but choose to pay AALS dues. Its purpose is to improve the legal profession through the improvement of legal...
(AALS), and is accredited by the Committee of Bar Examiners, State Bar of California
State Bar of California
The State Bar of California is California's official bar association. It is responsible for managing the admission of lawyers to the practice of law, investigating complaints of professional misconduct, and prescribing appropriate discipline...
. Graduates are eligible to apply for admission to practice in any state.
Pepperdine University is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.
Herbert and Elinor Nootbaar Institute on Law, Religion and Ethics
The purpose of the Nootbaar Institute on Law, Religion, and Ethics is to bring the redemptive capacities of religious faith and moral insight to law, to find ways in which persons trained in law can serve “the least of these” throughout the world, and to explore how the practice of law might be a religious calling. We seek to do so at a theoretical level through seminars, conferences, and scholarship. We also seek to put theory into action, working with governments and human rights organizations to bring peace, justice, and the rule of law around the globe.The Nootbaar Institute includes three initiatives: 1) Scholarship with respect to issues at the intersection of law and religion; 2) Domestic Justice Initiatives, such as the Legal Aid Clinic and the Asylum and Refugee Clinic; and 3) the Global Justice Program.
Global Justice Program
The Global Justice Program touches all corners of the globe through its initiatives in 1) international human rights and religious freedom, 2) advancement of the rule of law, and 3) global development. Through these initiatives, students and faculty collaborate to seek justice and create a lasting impact in some of the world's most vulnerable places. Under the umbrella of the Herbert and Elinor Nootbaar Institute for Law, Religion, and Ethics, the Global Justice Program is growing rapidly in response to student interest and demand from global partners.In January 2011, Pepperdine was given a "B-" in the "Best Public Interest Law Schools" listing by The National Jurist: The Magazine for Law Students.
Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution
Pepperdine University School of Law’s Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution provides professional training and academic programs in dispute resolution including a Certificate, Masters in Dispute Resolution (MDR) and Masters of Law in Dispute Resolution (LLM). Straus provides education to law and graduate students, as well as mid-career professionals in areas of mediationMediation
Mediation, as used in law, is a form of alternative dispute resolution , a way of resolving disputes between two or more parties. A third party, the mediator, assists the parties to negotiate their own settlement...
, negotiation, arbitration, international dispute resolution and peacemaking. The Straus Institute has consistently ranked the number one Dispute Resolution school in the nation for the past 6 years, and has remained among the top 10 schools over the last decade.
Journals
- Pepperdine Law Review
- Dispute Resolution Law Journal
- Journal of the National Association of Administrative Law Judiciary
- Journal of Business, Entrepreneurship, and the Law
Joint Degree Programs
Joint degree programs include the JD/MPP degree in conjunction with the Pepperdine University School of Public PolicyPepperdine School of Public Policy
The Pepperdine University School of Public Policy is a Master of Public Policy degree program, located in Malibu, California. It is one of five graduate schools at Pepperdine University with specializations in American politics, economics, international relations, and state and local policy.The...
, the JD/Masters of Dispute Resolution degree in conjunction with the School of Law's number one ranked Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution and the JD/MBA degree in conjunction with the Graziadio School of Business and Management.
Faculty
- Roger CossackRoger CossackRoger Cossack is currently a legal analyst for ESPN, TruTV, and a Distinguished Visiting Professor at Pepperdine University School of Law. Cossack graduated from UCLA and UCLA School of Law and worked as a prosecutor in Los Angeles County, California. Cossack also argued in front of the United...
- Colleen GraffyColleen GraffyColleen Graffy is a former deputy United States Assistant Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and professor of law at Pepperdine University's London campus....
- Douglas KmiecDouglas KmiecDouglas W. Kmiec is an American legal scholar, author, and former U.S. ambassador. He is the Caruso Family Chair and Professor of Constitutional Law at Pepperdine University School of Law. Kmiec came to prominence during the United States presidential election, 2008 when, although a Republican, he...
- Mark S. ScarberryMark S. ScarberryMark S. Scarberry is Professor of Law at Pepperdine University School of Law. Much of his research and teaching focuses on bankruptcy and constitutional law. Scarberry is "a self-described evangelical Protestant."-Education:...
- Kenneth StarrKenneth StarrKenneth Winston "Ken" Starr is an American lawyer and educational administrator who has also been a federal judge. He is best known for his investigation of figures during the Clinton administration....
— former Dean, former appellate federal judge, and former U.S. Solicitor GeneralUnited States Solicitor GeneralThe United States Solicitor General is the person appointed to represent the federal government of the United States before the Supreme Court of the United States. The current Solicitor General, Donald B. Verrilli, Jr. was confirmed by the United States Senate on June 6, 2011 and sworn in on June...
Guest speakers and visiting faculty
- John RobertsJohn RobertsJohn Glover Roberts, Jr. is the 17th and current Chief Justice of the United States. He has served since 2005, having been nominated by President George W. Bush after the death of Chief Justice William Rehnquist...
, Chief Justice of the United StatesChief Justice of the United StatesThe Chief Justice of the United States is the head of the United States federal court system and the chief judge of the Supreme Court of the United States. The Chief Justice is one of nine Supreme Court justices; the other eight are the Associate Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States...
(guest speaker)
- Akhil Reed AmarAkhil Reed AmarAkhil Reed Amar is an American legal scholar, an expert on constitutional law and criminal procedure. Having been the Southmayd Professor of Law at Yale Law School, he was named the Sterling Professor of Law there in 2008...
(Visiting) - Lawrence Eric TaylorLawrence Eric TaylorLawrence Eric Taylor is an attorney and author. A graduate of the University of California, Berkeley and UCLA School of Law, Taylor was a public defender and criminal prosecutor in Los Angeles County before entering private practice. He currently heads a law firm in California that limits its...
(visiting) - Justice Samuel AlitoSamuel AlitoSamuel Anthony Alito, Jr. is an Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. He was nominated by President George W. Bush and has served on the court since January 31, 2006....
(visiting) - Justice Antonin ScaliaAntonin ScaliaAntonin Gregory Scalia is an American jurist who serves as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. As the longest-serving justice on the Court, Scalia is the Senior Associate Justice...
(visiting)
Alumni
- Rod BlagojevichRod BlagojevichRod R. Blagojevich is an American politician who served as the 40th Governor of Illinois from 2003 to 2009. A Democrat, Blagojevich was a State Representative before being elected to the United States House of Representatives representing parts of Chicago...
'83 (J.D.) – Governor of IllinoisIllinoisIllinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, 2003–2009; impeached - Mark J. Caruso '82 (J.D.) – State Representative New Mexico Legislature, 1991–1995
- Rick J. Caruso '83 (J.D.) – CEO of Caruso Affiliated; former President of the Los Angeles Police Commission
- Rich ChoRich ChoRichard "Rich" Cho is the general manager of the Charlotte Bobcats of the National Basketball Association. Prior to the Bobcats, Cho was the general manager of the Portland Trail Blazers and the assistant general manager of the Oklahoma City Thunder...
'97 (J.D.) – general manager of the Charlotte BobcatsCharlotte BobcatsThe Charlotte Bobcats is a professional basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They play in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association. The Bobcats were established in 2004 as an expansion team, two seasons after Charlotte's previous NBA... - Talis J. ColbergTalis J. ColbergTalis James Colberg was appointed by Governor Sarah Palin as the seventeenth attorney general of Alaska on December 13, 2006. Colberg resigned in February 2009 over controversy over the Alaska Public Safety Commissioner dismissal....
'83 (J.D.) – Attorney General of Alaska, 2006–2009 - Adam Firestone '93 (J.D.) – CEO, Firestone VineyardFirestone VineyardA family-owned estate winery specializing in fine wines from California’s Central Coast. Firestone Vineyard was founded in 1972 as Santa Barbara County’s first estate winery.Firestone Vineyard is one of the wineries along the famous Foxen Canyon Wine Trail....
- James HahnJames HahnJames Kenneth "Jim" Hahn is an American politician. Hahn was elected the 40th Mayor of Los Angeles in 2001. He served until 2005, at which time he was defeated in his bid for re-election...
'75 (J.D.) – Mayor of Los AngelesLos ÁngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, 2001–2005 - Mark Hiepler '88 (J.D.) – Managing Partner, Hiepler & Hiepler
- Mike Leach '86 (J.D.) – Head Football coach Texas Tech UniversityTexas Tech UniversityTexas Tech University, often referred to as Texas Tech or TTU, is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas, United States. Established on February 10, 1923, and originally known as Texas Technological College, it is the leading institution of the Texas Tech University System and has the...
, 2000–2009 - Todd Russell PlattsTodd Russell PlattsTodd Russell Platts is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2001. He is a member of the Republican Party.The district is located in south-central Pennsylvania, encompassing all of York and Adams Counties, and a large portion of Cumberland County...
'91 (J.D.) – U.S. Congressman from PennsylvaniaPennsylvaniaThe Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, 2001– - Pierre-Richard ProsperPierre-Richard ProsperPierre-Richard Prosper is an American lawyer, prosecutor and former government official. He served as the second United States Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues under President George W...
'89 (J.D.) – United States Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues, 2001–2005 - James M. Rishwain, Jr. '84 (J.D.) – Firm Chair, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw PittmanPillsbury Winthrop Shaw PittmanPillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP is an international, full-service law firm with strengths in the energy, financial services, real estate and technology sectors and offices located throughout the United States and the world, including key financial centers such as New York, London, Tokyo and...
- Brian K. Tester '90 (J.D.) – United States Bankruptcy Judge, District of Puerto Rico