University of Alabama School of Law
Encyclopedia
The University of Alabama School of Law located in Tuscaloosa
, Alabama
is a nationally ranked top-tier law school (First Tier)
and the only public
law school
in the state. In total, it is one of five law schools in the state, and one of three that are ABA
accredited.
The diverse student body, of approximately 520, represent 174 undergraduate institutions from 23 states and Canada. Of the incoming class of 2012, approximately 40% were female and 15% were minority students.
(J.D.) degree, as well as both an International LL.M. and an LL.M. in Taxation. A joint J.D./M.B.A.
program is also available. Students may also pursue a number of graduate degrees through established dual enrollment programs for M.A. or Ph.D. in Political Science, M.P.A., Ph.D. in Economics, or LL.M. in Taxation. In addition, a Certificate in Public Interest Law is available through the Public Interest Institute.
Admissions have become increasingly selective with the median LSAT and undergrad GPAs, of the 2009 incoming class, reaching 164 and 3.76, respectively. The 75% to 25% range for these metrics were from 165-159 and 3.89 to 3.30.
.
Approximately 40% of students graduate with journal experience. This is a slightly lower percentage than many of Alabama's peer schools, but nonetheless above the national average.
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Tuscaloosa is a city in and the seat of Tuscaloosa County in west central Alabama . Located on the Black Warrior River, it is the fifth-largest city in Alabama, with a population of 90,468 in 2010...
, Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
is a nationally ranked top-tier law school (First Tier)
and the only public
Public university
A public university is a university that is predominantly funded by public means through a national or subnational government, as opposed to private universities. A national university may or may not be considered a public university, depending on regions...
law school
Law school
A law school is an institution specializing in legal education.- Law degrees :- Canada :...
in the state. In total, it is one of five law schools in the state, and one of three that are ABA
American Bar Association
The American Bar Association , founded August 21, 1878, is a voluntary bar association of lawyers and law students, which is not specific to any jurisdiction in the United States. The ABA's most important stated activities are the setting of academic standards for law schools, and the formulation...
accredited.
The diverse student body, of approximately 520, represent 174 undergraduate institutions from 23 states and Canada. Of the incoming class of 2012, approximately 40% were female and 15% were minority students.
Academics
The School of Law offers the Juris DoctorJuris 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.) degree, as well as both an International LL.M. and an LL.M. in Taxation. A joint J.D./M.B.A.
J.D./M.B.A.
A J.D./M.B.A. or M.B.A./J.D. is a dual degree program offered jointly by many law and business schools. The program generally lasts four years and results in the candidate earning both a Juris Doctor degree and a Master of Business Administration degree...
program is also available. Students may also pursue a number of graduate degrees through established dual enrollment programs for M.A. or Ph.D. in Political Science, M.P.A., Ph.D. in Economics, or LL.M. in Taxation. In addition, a Certificate in Public Interest Law is available through the Public Interest Institute.
Admissions have become increasingly selective with the median LSAT and undergrad GPAs, of the 2009 incoming class, reaching 164 and 3.76, respectively. The 75% to 25% range for these metrics were from 165-159 and 3.89 to 3.30.
Law Clinics
Students are guaranteed an opportunity to participate in at least one of the school's seven law clinicsLegal clinic
The phrase legal clinic may refer to any private, nonprofit law practice serving the public interest. In the academic context, these law school clinics provide hands-on experience to law school students and services to various clients. Academic Clinics are usually directed by clinical professors...
.
- Capital Defense Clinic provide assistance to counsel in capital cases.
- Civil Law Clinic handles over 200 cases a year.
- Community Development Clinic helps community organizations with everything from tax exemption to licensing requirements.
- Criminal Defense Clinic defends over 100 indigent clients a year through the Public Defender's Office.
- Domestic Violence Clinic provides free legal aid in civil matters such as divorce, custody, orders for protection from abuse.
- Elder Law Clinic represents seniors over 60 in a range of matters including Medicare/Medicaid, durable powers of attorney, protection from abuse, etc.
- Mediation Law Clinic trains students to mediate and settle family-related legal disputes.
Publications
In 2007 Jarvis & Coleman ranked the Alabama Law Review (ALR) 36th "on the basis of the prominence of their lead article authors." This represents an incredible 63 position improvement from the rankings of ten years prior. A year before, ExpressO, UC Berkeley's manuscript submission service, ranked the ALR at 22nd, in terms of "number of manuscripts received." Washington and Lee's methods rank ALR significantly lower at 57th, by the number of citations from other journals, and 75th according to their composite scoring. However, these too show a significant improvement of 41 and 47 positions, respectively, over the preceding 6 years.- Alabama Civil Rights & Civil Liberties Law Review
- Alabama Law Review
- Journal of the Legal Profession
- Law and Psychology Review
Approximately 40% of students graduate with journal experience. This is a slightly lower percentage than many of Alabama's peer schools, but nonetheless above the national average.
Notable alumni
- Mo BrooksMo BrooksMorris Jackson "Mo" Brooks, Jr. is the U.S. Representative for . He is a member of the Republican Party.-Early life:Brooks was born in 1954 in Charleston, South Carolina,and moved to Huntsville, Alabama, in 1963...
, United States Representative from Alabama's 5th congressional districtAlabama's 5th congressional districtAlabama's 5th congressional district is a U.S. congressional district in Alabama, which elects a representative to the United States House of Representatives. It encompasses the counties of Colbert, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, Madison and Jackson. It also includes parts of Morgan County.It is...
(2010-present) - Edward B. AlmonEdward B. AlmonEdward Berton Almon was a democratic member of the United States House of Representatives who represented northwest Alabama's 8th congressional district.- Early life :Almon was born near Moulton, Alabama in Lawrence County, April 18, 1860...
, United States Representative from AlabamaAlabamaAlabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
(1915–1933) - James B. Allen, United States Senator from AlabamaAlabamaAlabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
(1969–1978) - John W. Abercrombie, United States Congressman from AlabamaAlabamaAlabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
(1913–1917) and President of the University of AlabamaUniversity of AlabamaThe University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....
(1902–1911) - Spencer BachusSpencer BachusSpencer Thomas Bachus III is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1993. He is a member of the Republican Party and the senior member of the Alabama U. S. House delegation...
, United States Congressman from Alabama's 6th Congressional DistrictAlabama's 6th congressional districtAlabama's 6th congressional district is a U.S. congressional district in Alabama, which elects a representative to the United States House of Representatives. It encompasses the counties of Chilton, Bibb and Shelby. It also includes parts of St. Clair County, Jefferson, Tuscaloosa, and Coosa counties...
(1993–present) - Hugo BlackHugo BlackHugo Lafayette Black was an American politician and jurist. A member of the Democratic Party, Black represented Alabama in the United States Senate from 1927 to 1937, and served as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1937 to 1971. Black was nominated to the Supreme...
, U.S. Senator, Associate Justice of the Supreme CourtAssociate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United StatesAssociate Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States are the members of the Supreme Court of the United States other than the Chief Justice of the United States...
, (1937-1971) - Emmett Ripley CoxEmmett Ripley CoxEmmett Ripley Cox is a United States federal judge.Born in Cottonwood, Alabama, Cox received an A.B. from the University of Alabama in 1957 and an LL.B. from the University of Alabama School of Law in 1959. He was in the U.S...
, United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh CircuitUnited States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh CircuitThe United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:* Middle District of Alabama...
, - Morris DeesMorris DeesMorris Seligman Dees, Jr. is the co-founder and chief trial counsel for the Southern Poverty Law Center , and a former direct mail marketeer for book publishing. Along with his law partner, Joseph J...
, Southern Poverty Law CenterSouthern Poverty Law CenterThe Southern Poverty Law Center is an American nonprofit civil rights organization noted for its legal victories against white supremacist groups; legal representation for victims of hate groups; monitoring of alleged hate groups, militias and extremist organizations; and educational programs that...
founder - Mark Everett Fuller (J.D., in 1985), Federal Judge.
- Millard FullerMillard FullerMillard Dean Fuller was the founder and former president of Habitat for Humanity International, a nonprofit organization known globally for building houses for those in need, and the founder and former president of The Fuller Center for Housing...
, Habitat for Humanity founder - Harper LeeHarper LeeNelle Harper Lee is an American author known for her 1960 Pulitzer-Prize-winning novel To Kill a Mockingbird, which deals with the issues of racism that were observed by the author as a child in her hometown of Monroeville, Alabama...
, novelist - Frank Minis JohnsonFrank Minis JohnsonFrank Minis Johnson, Jr. was a United States Federal judge, made a number of landmark civil rights rulings that helped end segregation in the South...
, United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh CircuitUnited States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh CircuitThe United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:* Middle District of Alabama... - Jeff SessionsJeff SessionsJefferson Beauregard "Jeff" Sessions III is the junior United States Senator from Alabama. First elected in 1996, Sessions is a member of the Republican Party...
, U.S. Senator - Steadman S. ShealySteadman S. ShealySteadman S. Shealy, Jr. is an American attorney and former college quarterback. He is best known as the starting quarterback on the University of Alabama's 1979 national championship team. Shealy was also a member of the 1978 national championship team, but played back-up to Jeff Rutledge.Shealy...
, starting quarterback on Alabama's 1978 and 1979 national championship teams - Robert Smith VanceRobert Smith VanceRobert Smith Vance was a United States federal judge. He is one of the few judges in American history to have been assassinated as the result of his judicial service.-Early life and career:...
, United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh CircuitUnited States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh CircuitThe United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:* Middle District of Alabama... - George WallaceGeorge WallaceGeorge Corley Wallace, Jr. was the 45th Governor of Alabama, serving four terms: 1963–1967, 1971–1979 and 1983–1987. "The most influential loser" in 20th-century U.S. politics, according to biographers Dan T. Carter and Stephan Lesher, he ran for U.S...
, former governor of Alabama