University of Georgia School of Law
Encyclopedia
The University of Georgia School of Law is a graduate school
of the University of Georgia
. Founded in 1859 and located in Athens, Georgia
, USA, Georgia Law was formerly known as the Lumpkin School of Law. The Law School is the second oldest of the University's schools and colleges. The University of Georgia School of Law is currently ranked 28th in the 2011 edition of U.S. News & World Report
.
According to the National Law Journal, Georgia Law placed 18% of its 2005 graduating class in NLJ 250 firms. In addition to this placement, approximately 15% of 2005 Georgia Law graduates went on to judicial clerkships. The median salary of 2008 graduates in private practice was $130,000, with a median starting salary of all graduates at $90,466. Given the University of Georgia School of Law's low in-state tuition of $14,448, the New York Times recently completed a survey comparing starting salaries and degree costs of law schools and found "Georgia Law graduates earning some of the highest salaries in the country while their educational costs were reported among the very lowest, speaking to the quality of the education as well as the excellent return on investment provided at Georgia Law."
After continuing to grow, the law school moved in 1919 into the former Athenaeum Club building on the northeast corner of Broad Street and Lumpkin Street. The school remained in this building until the Harold Hirsch Building was erected in 1932. Harold Hirsch
Hall was greatly expanded in 1967 with a large addition that provided an expanded library and added several classrooms, common areas and offices.
Applications to Georgia Law continue to increase each year. In 2009, applications were up 33% from the previous year, with 3,074 prospective students applying for admission. Of those applicants, only 24.9% were granted admission.
was Governor, Norman S. Fletcher
was Chief Justice
of the Supreme Court of Georgia, Tom Murphy
was Speaker of the Georgia House of Representatives
and Mark Taylor
was President of the Georgia Senate
.
Five Georgia Law graduates have served the U.S. Supreme Court as judicial clerks since 2003. Georgia Law ranks as third among public laws school for supplying clerks to the U.S. Supreme Court and 11th overall for the time period 2005-10.
Graduate school
A graduate school is a school that awards advanced academic degrees with the general requirement that students must have earned a previous undergraduate degree...
of the University of Georgia
University of Georgia
The University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...
. Founded in 1859 and located in Athens, Georgia
Athens, Georgia
Athens-Clarke County is a consolidated city–county in U.S. state of Georgia, in the northeastern part of the state, comprising the former City of Athens proper and Clarke County. The University of Georgia is located in this college town and is responsible for the initial growth of the city...
, USA, Georgia Law was formerly known as the Lumpkin School of Law. The Law School is the second oldest of the University's schools and colleges. The University of Georgia School of Law is currently ranked 28th in the 2011 edition of U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report is an American news magazine published from Washington, D.C. Along with Time and Newsweek it was for many years a leading news weekly, focusing more than its counterparts on political, economic, health and education stories...
.
According to the National Law Journal, Georgia Law placed 18% of its 2005 graduating class in NLJ 250 firms. In addition to this placement, approximately 15% of 2005 Georgia Law graduates went on to judicial clerkships. The median salary of 2008 graduates in private practice was $130,000, with a median starting salary of all graduates at $90,466. Given the University of Georgia School of Law's low in-state tuition of $14,448, the New York Times recently completed a survey comparing starting salaries and degree costs of law schools and found "Georgia Law graduates earning some of the highest salaries in the country while their educational costs were reported among the very lowest, speaking to the quality of the education as well as the excellent return on investment provided at Georgia Law."
History
The law school was created in December 1859 and was originally housed in the law office of Lumpkin and Cobb, which was located on the corner of Prince Avenue and Pulaski Street. In 1861, the school closed due to the Civil War and was reopened in 1867. Two co-founders, Lumpkin and Cobb, died during this period. When the school reopened, it was located in the Ivy Building (in the south wing of what is now the Holmes-Hunter Academic Building) on the University of Georgia campus.After continuing to grow, the law school moved in 1919 into the former Athenaeum Club building on the northeast corner of Broad Street and Lumpkin Street. The school remained in this building until the Harold Hirsch Building was erected in 1932. Harold Hirsch
Harold Hirsch
Harold U. Hirsch played football at the University of Georgia from 1900 to 1901, studied law at Columbia University and was the general counsel for The Coca-Cola Company for more than thirty years....
Hall was greatly expanded in 1967 with a large addition that provided an expanded library and added several classrooms, common areas and offices.
Admissions
Admission to Georgia Law is highly competitive. Entering students from the class of 2012 boasted a median LSAT and GPA of 164 [90th percentile] and 3.7, respectively.Applications to Georgia Law continue to increase each year. In 2009, applications were up 33% from the previous year, with 3,074 prospective students applying for admission. Of those applicants, only 24.9% were granted admission.
Journals
Georgia Law students publish three highly regarded legal journals, including the Georgia Law Review, the Georgia Journal of International and Comparative Law, and the Journal of Intellectual Property Law. These journals have frequently been cited by federal and state courts, as well as textbooks and other law reviews. Membership on the journals is limited to the 2L and 3L years.Notable alumni
Graduates of the law school number more than 8,400 and include 11 governors, in excess of 35 U.S. and state senators and representatives and scores of federal and state judges, prominent attorneys and corporate leaders. On two occasions, University of Georgia School of Law alumni have simultaneously headed all branches of state government: the last occasion was in 2002, when Roy BarnesRoy Barnes
Roy Eugene Barnes served as the 80th Governor of Georgia from January 1999 until January 2003. Barnes was also a candidate for Governor of Georgia in the 2010 election....
was Governor, Norman S. Fletcher
Norman S. Fletcher
Norman S. Fletcher is an American lawyer and jurist from the state of Georgia. He served on the Supreme Court of Georgia for over 15 years and was the Chief Justice of that body from 2001 through 2005.-Early life and education:...
was Chief Justice
Chief Justice
The Chief Justice in many countries is the name for the presiding member of a Supreme Court in Commonwealth or other countries with an Anglo-Saxon justice system based on English common law, such as the Supreme Court of Canada, the Constitutional Court of South Africa, the Court of Final Appeal of...
of the Supreme Court of Georgia, Tom Murphy
Tom Murphy (Georgia)
Thomas Bailey "Tom" Murphy was an American politician from the U.S. state of Georgia. Murphy was the Speaker of the Georgia House of Representatives from 1973 till his defeat in the general election of 2002, making him the longest serving House Speaker of any U.S. state legislature...
was Speaker of the Georgia House of Representatives
Georgia House of Representatives
The Georgia House of Representatives is the lower house of the Georgia General Assembly of the U.S. state of Georgia.-Composition:...
and Mark Taylor
Mark Taylor (politician)
Mark Fletcher Taylor is an American politician and member of the Democratic Party. He served two terms between 1999 to 2007 as the tenth Lieutenant Governor of Georgia...
was President of the Georgia Senate
Georgia Senate
The Georgia State Senate is the upper house of the Georgia General Assembly .-Composition:According to the state constitution of 1983, this body is to be composed of no more than 56 members elected for two-year terms. Current state law provides for 56 members...
.
Five Georgia Law graduates have served the U.S. Supreme Court as judicial clerks since 2003. Georgia Law ranks as third among public laws school for supplying clerks to the U.S. Supreme Court and 11th overall for the time period 2005-10.
- Eugene TalmadgeEugene TalmadgeEugene Talmadge was a Democratic politician who served two terms as the 67th Governor of Georgia from 1933 to 1937, and a third term from 1941 to 1943. Elected to a fourth term in 1946, he died before taking office...
, JD 1907 - elected Governor of GeorgiaGeorgia (U.S. state)Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
four times. Staunch supporter of conservative principles and advocate of farmers. - Herman E. Talmadge, JD 1936 - served as the 70th Governor of the U.S. stateU.S. stateA U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of GeorgiaGeorgia (U.S. state)Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
from 1947, 1948 until 1954. Also, served as a U.S. Senator from 1956 until 1980. - Roy BarnesRoy BarnesRoy Eugene Barnes served as the 80th Governor of Georgia from January 1999 until January 2003. Barnes was also a candidate for Governor of Georgia in the 2010 election....
, JD 1972 - served as the 80th Governor of the U.S. stateU.S. stateA U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of GeorgiaGeorgia (U.S. state)Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
from January 1999 until January 2003. - Rob WoodallRob WoodallWilliam Robert Woodall III is the U.S. Representative for . He is a member of the Republican Party. Prior to being elected to congress, he was the Chief of Staff to U.S. Congressman John Linder . He worked for Linder from 1994 to 2010.-Early life, education, and career:Woodall was born in Athens, GA...
, JD 1997 - is a republican in the U.S. RepresentativeUnited States House of RepresentativesThe United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
for . - Robert Benham, JD 1970 - is the second African-American graduateAlumnusAn alumnus , according to the American Heritage Dictionary, is "a graduate of a school, college, or university." An alumnus can also be a former member, employee, contributor or inmate as well as a former student. In addition, an alumna is "a female graduate or former student of a school, college,...
of the University of Georgia School of Law and the first African-American to serve on the Supreme Court of Georgia. - Norman S. FletcherNorman S. FletcherNorman S. Fletcher is an American lawyer and jurist from the state of Georgia. He served on the Supreme Court of Georgia for over 15 years and was the Chief Justice of that body from 2001 through 2005.-Early life and education:...
LL.M 1958 - served as a Justice and Chief Justice for the Supreme Court of Georgia. - Bruce P. Brown JD 1984 - served as a supreme court clerk for former 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...
, Warren E. BurgerWarren E. BurgerWarren Earl Burger was the 15th Chief Justice of the United States from 1969 to 1986. Although Burger had conservative leanings, the U.S...
from 1986-1997. - Jason T. Burnette JD 2006 - served as a supreme court clerk for current 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...
, 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...
from 2007-2008. - Anne Dupre JD 1998 - served as a supreme court clerk for the former Associate Justice of the United States, Henry Blackmun from 1989-1990 and has been a professor at the law school since 1994.
- John H. Longwell JD 1999 - served as a supreme court clerk for current Associate Justice of the United States, Stephen BreyerStephen BreyerStephen Gerald Breyer is an Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. Appointed by President Bill Clinton in 1994, and known for his pragmatic approach to constitutional law, Breyer is generally associated with the more liberal side of the Court....
from 2005-2006 and former executive vice president of Infogroup, Inc. - Merrit McAlister JD 2007 - served as a supreme court clerk for current Associate Justice of the United States, John Paul StevensJohn Paul StevensJohn Paul Stevens served as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from December 19, 1975 until his retirement on June 29, 2010. At the time of his retirement, he was the oldest member of the Court and the third-longest serving justice in the Court's history...
from 2007-2008. - Benna R. Solomon JD 1978 - served as a supreme court clerk for former Associate Justice of the United States, Byron WhiteByron WhiteByron Raymond "Whizzer" White won fame both as a football halfback and as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. Appointed to the court by President John F. Kennedy in 1962, he served until his retirement in 1993...
from 1979-1980. - Glen M. Darbyshire JD 1984 - served as a supreme court clerk for former Associate Justice of the United States, Thurgood MarshallThurgood MarshallThurgood Marshall was an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court, serving from October 1967 until October 1991...
from 1986-1987. - Adam Conrad JD 2005 - served as a supreme court clerk for current Associate Justice of the United States, Clarence ThomasClarence ThomasClarence Thomas is an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. Succeeding Thurgood Marshall, Thomas is the second African American to serve on the Court....
from 2007-2007. - Frank Hanna IIIFrank Hanna IIIFrank J. Hanna III is an American entrepreneur and merchant banker who has been described as "one of the leading Catholic philanthropists in the USA."-Education and career:...
, JD 1986 – entrepreneur and CEO of Hanna Capital, LLC. - Frank W. "Sonny" Seiler, JD 1957 – prominent attorney in Savannah, Ga and owner of Uga, a line of english bulldogs that represents the mascot at the University of GeorgiaUniversity of GeorgiaThe University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...
since the 1950's. - Phaedra Pakrs, JD 1998 - entertainment attorney and current cast member on the The Real Housewives of AtlantaThe Real Housewives of AtlantaThe Real Housewives of Atlanta is an American reality television series on the Bravo cable network that premiered in the fall of 2008. Following the format of its predecessors , in 2009 the Atlanta series was not only the highest rated show of the The Real Housewives of... franchise, it was the...
.