Willamette University College of Law
Encyclopedia
Willamette University College of Law is a private law school
located in Salem, Oregon
, United States. Founded in 1842, Willamette University
is the oldest university
in the Western United States
. The College of Law, which was founded in 1883 and is the oldest law school in the Pacific Northwest, has approximately 30 law professors and enrolls about 430 students, with about 150 of those of students enrolled in their first year of law school. The campus is located across the street from the Oregon State Capitol
and the Oregon Supreme Court Building
.
Housed in the Truman Wesley Collins Legal Center, Willamette's College of Law offers full-time enrollment for the juris doctorate
(JD) degree, a joint-degree program, and a Master of Laws
(LL.M.) program. Students may attend part time for the LL.M. program, which focuses on international legal issues. The joint-degree program allows students to earn both a JD and a Master of Business Administration
(MBA) concurrently in a four-year program. Willamette Law's oldest legal journal
is the Willamette Law Review
, which started in 1960 and is housed in the Oregon Civic Justice Center
. The center is a community outreach center housed in a renovated library that Willamette opened in 2008.
. Although the school did not begin a legal department in 1866, Willamette did confer a Doctor of Laws degree on Matthew P. Deady, who would later help establish the University of Oregon School of Law
, Oregon’s second law school.
The College of Law was founded in 1883, and is the oldest law school in the Pacific Northwest
. In April 1884, the Board of Trustees officially approved the new legal department; tuition for the two-year course was $50 per year. William Marion Ramsey
served as the school's first dean. He was dean from 1883 until 1888, and led a faculty of three. The three professors were George H. Burnett
, who taught contract
s, commercial law
, and tort
s; J. T. Gregg, who taught evidence
and common law
; and William H. Holmes, who was the instructor for admiralty
and criminal law
.
The school's first entering class had three students; with Charles A. Packenham as the first graduate in 1886. In addition to being the oldest law school in Oregon and the Pacific Northwest, Willamette College of Law was the 75th law school founded in the United States, and is the second oldest in the Western U.S., behind Hastings College of Law in California
. From its founding until 1923, the law school was located in Waller Hall
.
During the early years of the law school, enrollment fluctuated from as many as 17 graduates in 1898 to as few as zero graduates in 1903 and 1905. Dean Ramsey resigned in 1888 and was replaced by George G. Bingham
, who served until 1891 when replaced by his pupil Samuel T. Richardson
. Women were allowed to enroll beginning in 1892; in 1898, the first women, Olive S. England and Gabrielle Clark, graduated. The third female graduate, in 1899, was Anna Carson, who was part of the Carson legal family of Salem that includes Wallace P. Carson (1923 graduate) a state legislator and Wallace P. Carson, Jr.
(1962 graduate) a state legislator and longtime chief justice of the Oregon Supreme Court.
In 1902, Dean Richardson left the school and was replaced by John W. Reynolds
who served until 1907. In 1908, Charles L. McNary
was appointed dean, serving until 1913, when Willamette selected future Oregon Attorney General
Isaac Homer Van Winkle
. Van Winkle was an alumnus of both Willamette and the law school, serving as dean until 1927.
From 1923 until 1938, the school was located in Eaton Hall
. Roy R. Hewitt was dean from 1927 to 1932, followed by Roy Lockenour, who served until 1939. Willamette University College of Law was first accredited by the American Bar Association
in 1938, and in 1946 it became a member of the Association of American Law Schools. In 1938 the school moved to Gatke Hall
, a former United States Post Office. The law school was housed there until 1967.
During this time deans of the law school included George M. McLeod (1940–1942), Ray L. Smith (1942–1946), and Seward P. Reese (1946–1968). During World War II
, enrollment declined to only five graduates between 1943 to 1945, and classes were moved to the undergraduate library as the United States Navy
used the Gatke Hall. In 1946, enrollment rebounded with a total of 92 students, the largest student body of the law school up to that date.
After 1952, Willamette’s law school received a large Lady Justice
statue when the Marion County Courthouse was demolished to make way for a new one. In 1959, the school started a law review
, while enrollment increased to 185 by the mid 1960s. Because of the increased enrollment, the College of Law Foundation was created by the university's trustees in 1959 to explore the construction of a new facility. Willamette switched to the awarding of the Juris Doctor
from the bachelor of laws
, phased in beginning in 1965.
In 1967, a new $1.1 million facility, the Truman Wesley Collins Legal Center, opened in September. The College of Law moved across campus to the Collins Legal Center along with Lady Justice, a 12 feet (3.7 m)-tall, 300 lbs statue, which was formerly located on the roof of the Marion County
Courthouse. In 1968, Arthur B. Custy became dean and served until 1971, during which time the admissions standards changed at Willamette to require a bachelor's degree and taking the Law School Admission Test
. Later deans of the school include Larry K. Harvey (1971–1977) and Leroy Tornquist (1979–1987).
In 1984 the law school established the Center for Dispute Resolution, an alternative dispute resolution
program. In 1992, the Collins Legal Center went through an award-winning renovation and expansion that ended with a dedication ceremony with a speech by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. In her dedication speech, O'Connor advocated for civility among those in the legal profession and for avoiding personal attacks among lawyers. In December 2005, the school's moot courtroom was used for a real civil trial after the Marion County Courthouse was damaged the previous month.
Deans of the school in recent years include David R. Kenagy (1994-1996 interim), Robert M. Ackerman (1996–1999), and Symeon Symeonides (1999 to 2011). In 2008, the school opened the Oregon Civic Justice Center
to house programs including the Oregon Law Commission, the Center for Dispute Resolution, the Clinical Law Program, Center for Law and Government, and the Willamette Law Review
. The dedication ceremony featured U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg
and was part of the school's celebration of their 125th anniversary.
ranked the school in their Third Tier, while in 2008 the school was ranked sixth by The Princeton Review
in the "Most Welcoming of Older Students" category. As of 2011, Willamette was ranked as the 113th best law school by U.S. News & World Report.
, a joint degree program is offered to students interested in earning both a JD
and an MBA
concurrently. The program allows students to earn both degrees in four years instead of five years if completed separately. The business portion of the program is accredited through the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business
, while the law portion, along with the entire law school, is accredited by the American Bar Association. Both JD and joint-degree students have the option of enrolling in the certificate programs, studying abroad, working at the Clinical Law Program, and taking classes from the Center for Dispute Resolution.
The Center for Dispute Resolution, founded in 1983, was one of the first in the western United States to offer coursework in the areas of arbitration
, negotiation
and mediation
. Focusing on Alternative Dispute Resolution
(ADR), its program is a national model, and the center is annually recognized as one of the top ten programs in the nation. In 2006, the Dispute Resolution program was ranked 7th by U.S. News & World Report.
Willamette's College of Law also offers a Clinical Law Program that gives law students hands-on professional experience in law offices and courtrooms across the country. The program consists of two main components, the Externship Program and the Civil Practice Clinic. Both parts allow students to participate in real-life legal work.
Students have the opportunity to participate in study abroad
programs in Germany, Ecuador and China. The China program began in 1984, followed by the Ecuador program in 1995, and in 2002 Germany was added.
in Transnational Law educates law students on a variety of international law topics such as international business transactions, comparative law
, as well as private international law
. The program also covers dispute resolution
and allows students to enroll in classes at the Atkinson Graduate School of Management. LL.M. students can attend either full-time or part-time, but must complete the ten-credit-hour program within two academic years.
s. In 1992, the Willamette Journal of International Law and Dispute Resolution began publication with a focus on dispute resolution and the law on the international level.
Willamette Law Review
began in 1959, with four editions each year. This general interest legal review also sponsors an annual symposium at the school. The first journal on sports law in the Pacific Northwest was the Willamette Sports Law Journal. The official Bluebook
abbreviations used for citations
are "Willamette J. Int'l L. & Disp. Resol." for the Journal of International Law and Dispute Resolution and "Willamette L. Rev." for the Willamette Law Review.
Willamette's College of Law also produces Willamette Lawyer and Willamette Law Online. Willamette Lawyer is the school’s alumni magazine, published twice annually with one edition in the spring and the second in the fall. Produced primarily by students, Willamette Law Online is a subscription service
that provides case summaries
free to legal professionals in the Pacific Northwest.
used for moot court
.
is one block north of the Collins Legal Center. Built within Salem's 1912 Carnegie library building, the school remodeled the structure at a cost of $4 million. The building is home to the Willamette Law Review; the Oregon Law Commission; Willamette's Center for Democracy, Religion and Law; the Center for Dispute Resolution; the law school's clinical program; and the Center for Law and Government. These programs were chosen due to their community outreach programs, as the school plans to create a community atmosphere between students, faculty, and the general community.
equivalents, which include both state and federal primary law sources, as well as treatise
s, periodicals and other secondary legal sources. The three-story structure is attached to the Collins Legal Center and contains study rooms, video rooms, conference rooms, computer labs, and is staffed by reference librarians. Additionally, it has special collections in tax law
, public international law, labor law
, and is a Selective Federal Government Documents Depository
. Members of the public may access the library when the library is staffed by librarians, while students and faculty have 24-hour access to the library. Law students also have access to Willamette University's Mark O. Hatfield Library
, the Oregon Supreme Court Law Library, the Oregon State Library
, and the Oregon State Archives
.
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 in Salem, Oregon
Salem, Oregon
Salem is the capital of the U.S. state of Oregon, and the county seat of Marion County. It is located in the center of the Willamette Valley alongside the Willamette River, which runs north through the city. The river forms the boundary between Marion and Polk counties, and the city neighborhood...
, United States. Founded in 1842, Willamette University
Willamette University
Willamette University is an American private institution of higher learning located in Salem, Oregon. Founded in 1842, it is the oldest university in the Western United States. Willamette is a member of the Annapolis Group of colleges, and is made up of an undergraduate College of Liberal Arts and...
is the oldest university
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
in the Western United States
Western United States
.The Western United States, commonly referred to as the American West or simply "the West," traditionally refers to the region comprising the westernmost states of the United States. Because the U.S. expanded westward after its founding, the meaning of the West has evolved over time...
. The College of Law, which was founded in 1883 and is the oldest law school in the Pacific Northwest, has approximately 30 law professors and enrolls about 430 students, with about 150 of those of students enrolled in their first year of law school. The campus is located across the street from the Oregon State Capitol
Oregon State Capitol
The Oregon State Capitol is the building housing the state legislature and the offices of the governor, secretary of state, and treasurer of the U.S. state of Oregon. It is located in the state capital, Salem. The current building, constructed from 1936 to 1938, and expanded in 1977, is the third...
and the Oregon Supreme Court Building
Oregon Supreme Court Building
The Oregon Supreme Court Building is the home to the Oregon Supreme Court, Oregon Court of Appeals, and the Oregon Judicial Department. Located in the state’s capitol of Salem, it is Oregon’s oldest state government building...
.
Housed in the Truman Wesley Collins Legal Center, Willamette's College of Law offers full-time enrollment for the juris doctorate
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...
(JD) degree, a joint-degree program, and a Master of Laws
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.) program. Students may attend part time for the LL.M. program, which focuses on international legal issues. The joint-degree program allows students to earn both a JD and a Master of Business Administration
Master of Business Administration
The Master of Business Administration is a :master's degree in business administration, which attracts people from a wide range of academic disciplines. The MBA designation originated in the United States, emerging from the late 19th century as the country industrialized and companies sought out...
(MBA) concurrently in a four-year program. Willamette Law's oldest legal journal
Law review
A law review is a scholarly journal focusing on legal issues, normally published by an organization of students at a law school or through a bar association...
is the Willamette Law Review
Willamette Law Review
The Willamette Law Review is a law review academic journal published by Willamette University College of Law in Salem, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1959 as a predecessor to an earlier publication, the quarterly publication is housed in the Oregon Civic Justice Center. Cited as Willamette L...
, which started in 1960 and is housed in the Oregon Civic Justice Center
Oregon Civic Justice Center
The Oregon Civic Justice Center is a three-story former library building on the campus of Willamette University in downtown Salem, Oregon, United States. Built in 1912 as a Carnegie library for the city of Salem, the building now houses several programs of Willamette University College of Law...
. The center is a community outreach center housed in a renovated library that Willamette opened in 2008.
History
In July 1866, Willamette University's trustees formed a committee to explore the possibility of a legal department. At that time, legal education was traditionally taught as an apprenticeship in which those wishing to be lawyers would study under an existing attorney for several years before being allowed to pass the barBar (law)
Bar in a legal context has three possible meanings: the division of a courtroom between its working and public areas; the process of qualifying to practice law; and the legal profession.-Courtroom division:...
. Although the school did not begin a legal department in 1866, Willamette did confer a Doctor of Laws degree on Matthew P. Deady, who would later help establish the University of Oregon School of Law
University of Oregon School of Law
The University of Oregon School of Law is a public law school in the U.S. state of Oregon. Housed in the Knight Law Center, it is Oregon's only state funded law school. The school, founded in 1884, is located on the University of Oregon campus in Eugene, on the corner of 15th and Agate streets,...
, Oregon’s second law school.
The College of Law was founded in 1883, and is the oldest law school in the Pacific Northwest
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
. In April 1884, the Board of Trustees officially approved the new legal department; tuition for the two-year course was $50 per year. William Marion Ramsey
William Marion Ramsey
William Marion Ramsay was an American politician and judge in Oregon. He was the 43rd Associate Justice on the Oregon Supreme Court serving from 1913 to 1915...
served as the school's first dean. He was dean from 1883 until 1888, and led a faculty of three. The three professors were George H. Burnett
George H. Burnett
George Henry Burnett was an American attorney and judge in the state of Oregon. He was the 21st Chief Justice on the Oregon Supreme Court serving twice as chief first in 1921 to 1923, and then in 1927 when he died in office...
, who taught contract
Contract
A contract is an agreement entered into by two parties or more with the intention of creating a legal obligation, which may have elements in writing. Contracts can be made orally. The remedy for breach of contract can be "damages" or compensation of money. In equity, the remedy can be specific...
s, commercial law
Commercial law
Commercial law is the body of law that governs business and commercial transactions...
, and tort
Tort
A tort, in common law jurisdictions, is a wrong that involves a breach of a civil duty owed to someone else. It is differentiated from a crime, which involves a breach of a duty owed to society in general...
s; J. T. Gregg, who taught evidence
Evidence (law)
The law of evidence encompasses the rules and legal principles that govern the proof of facts in a legal proceeding. These rules determine what evidence can be considered by the trier of fact in reaching its decision and, sometimes, the weight that may be given to that evidence...
and common law
Common law
Common law is law developed by judges through decisions of courts and similar tribunals rather than through legislative statutes or executive branch action...
; and William H. Holmes, who was the instructor for admiralty
Admiralty law
Admiralty law is a distinct body of law which governs maritime questions and offenses. It is a body of both domestic law governing maritime activities, and private international law governing the relationships between private entities which operate vessels on the oceans...
and criminal law
Criminal law
Criminal law, is the body of law that relates to crime. It might be defined as the body of rules that defines conduct that is not allowed because it is held to threaten, harm or endanger the safety and welfare of people, and that sets out the punishment to be imposed on people who do not obey...
.
The school's first entering class had three students; with Charles A. Packenham as the first graduate in 1886. In addition to being the oldest law school in Oregon and the Pacific Northwest, Willamette College of Law was the 75th law school founded in the United States, and is the second oldest in the Western U.S., behind Hastings College of Law in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. From its founding until 1923, the law school was located in Waller Hall
Waller Hall
Waller Hall is the oldest building on the campus of Willamette University in Salem, Oregon, United States. Built in 1867 as University Hall, the five-story, red-brick structure was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975...
.
During the early years of the law school, enrollment fluctuated from as many as 17 graduates in 1898 to as few as zero graduates in 1903 and 1905. Dean Ramsey resigned in 1888 and was replaced by George G. Bingham
George G. Bingham
George Greenwood Bingham was an American judge and legal educator in the state of Oregon. A native of Wisconsin, his family immigrated to Oregon in his teens, though he returned to the Midwest for his legal education...
, who served until 1891 when replaced by his pupil Samuel T. Richardson
Samuel T. Richardson
Samuel Thurston Richardson was an American attorney and educator in the state of Oregon. A native of the state, he was the third dean of the Willamette University College of Law, his alma mater...
. Women were allowed to enroll beginning in 1892; in 1898, the first women, Olive S. England and Gabrielle Clark, graduated. The third female graduate, in 1899, was Anna Carson, who was part of the Carson legal family of Salem that includes Wallace P. Carson (1923 graduate) a state legislator and Wallace P. Carson, Jr.
Wallace P. Carson, Jr.
Wallace P. Carson, Jr. is an American attorney and politician from Oregon. He has spent time in both of Oregon’s legislative branches and served on the Oregon Supreme Court for 24 years. Carson served for 14 years as Chief Justice of the court, which is the longest of any previous Chief Justice on...
(1962 graduate) a state legislator and longtime chief justice of the Oregon Supreme Court.
In 1902, Dean Richardson left the school and was replaced by John W. Reynolds
John W. Reynolds (Oregon attorney)
John W. Reynolds was an American attorney and educator in the U.S. state of Oregon. A native of the state, he was the fourth dean of the Willamette University College of Law, the law school of his alma mater....
who served until 1907. In 1908, Charles L. McNary
Charles L. McNary
Charles Linza McNary was a United States Republican politician from Oregon. He served in the Senate from 1917 to 1944, and was Senate Minority Leader from 1933 to 1944. In the Senate, McNary helped to pass legislation that led to the construction of Bonneville Dam on the Columbia River, and worked...
was appointed dean, serving until 1913, when Willamette selected future Oregon Attorney General
Oregon Attorney General
The Oregon Attorney General is a statutory office within the executive branch of the state of Oregon, and serves as the chief legal officer of the state, heading its Department of Justice with its six operating divisions. The Attorney General is chosen by statewide partisan election to serve a term...
Isaac Homer Van Winkle
Isaac Homer Van Winkle
Isaac Homer Van Winkle was an American attorney in the state of Oregon. A former dean of Willamette University's law school, he served as the 6th Attorney General of Oregon for 23 years.-Early life:...
. Van Winkle was an alumnus of both Willamette and the law school, serving as dean until 1927.
From 1923 until 1938, the school was located in Eaton Hall
Eaton Hall (Oregon)
Eaton Hall is an academic building on the campus of Willamette University in Salem, Oregon, United States. Completed in 1909, the four-story brick and stone hall is the fourth oldest building on the campus of the school after Waller Hall , Gatke Hall , and the Art Building...
. Roy R. Hewitt was dean from 1927 to 1932, followed by Roy Lockenour, who served until 1939. Willamette University College of Law was first accredited by the American Bar Association
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...
in 1938, and in 1946 it became a member of the Association of American Law Schools. In 1938 the school moved to Gatke Hall
Gatke Hall
Gatke Hall is the second-oldest building at Willamette University in Salem, Oregon, United States. A two-story structure, it was originally built in downtown Salem in 1903 across the street from the Marion County Courthouse and served as a post office...
, a former United States Post Office. The law school was housed there until 1967.
During this time deans of the law school included George M. McLeod (1940–1942), Ray L. Smith (1942–1946), and Seward P. Reese (1946–1968). During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, enrollment declined to only five graduates between 1943 to 1945, and classes were moved to the undergraduate library as the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
used the Gatke Hall. In 1946, enrollment rebounded with a total of 92 students, the largest student body of the law school up to that date.
Lady Justice
Lady Justice |Dike]]) is an allegorical personification of the moral force in judicial systems.-Depiction:The personification of justice balancing the scales of truth and fairness dates back to the Goddess Maat, and later Isis, of ancient Egypt. The Hellenic deities Themis and Dike were later...
statue when the Marion County Courthouse was demolished to make way for a new one. In 1959, the school started a law review
Law review
A law review is a scholarly journal focusing on legal issues, normally published by an organization of students at a law school or through a bar association...
, while enrollment increased to 185 by the mid 1960s. Because of the increased enrollment, the College of Law Foundation was created by the university's trustees in 1959 to explore the construction of a new facility. Willamette switched to the awarding of the 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...
from the bachelor of laws
Bachelor of Laws
The Bachelor of Laws is an undergraduate, or bachelor, degree in law originating in England and offered in most common law countries as the primary law degree...
, phased in beginning in 1965.
In 1967, a new $1.1 million facility, the Truman Wesley Collins Legal Center, opened in September. The College of Law moved across campus to the Collins Legal Center along with Lady Justice, a 12 feet (3.7 m)-tall, 300 lbs statue, which was formerly located on the roof of the Marion County
Marion County, Oregon
Marion County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. It was originally named the Champooick District, after Champoeg, a meeting place on the Willamette River. On September 3, 1849, the territorial legislature renamed it in honor of Francis Marion, a Continental Army general of the...
Courthouse. In 1968, Arthur B. Custy became dean and served until 1971, during which time the admissions standards changed at Willamette to require a bachelor's degree and taking the Law School Admission Test
Law School Admission Test
The Law School Admission Test is a half-day standardized test administered four times each year at designated testing centers throughout the world. Administered by the Law School Admission Council for prospective law school candidates, the LSAT is designed to assess Reading Comprehension,...
. Later deans of the school include Larry K. Harvey (1971–1977) and Leroy Tornquist (1979–1987).
In 1984 the law school established the Center for Dispute Resolution, an alternative dispute resolution
Alternative dispute resolution
Alternative Dispute Resolution includes dispute resolution processes and techniques that act as a means for disagreeing parties to come to an agreement short of litigation. ADR basically is an alternative to a formal court hearing or litigation...
program. In 1992, the Collins Legal Center went through an award-winning renovation and expansion that ended with a dedication ceremony with a speech by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. In her dedication speech, O'Connor advocated for civility among those in the legal profession and for avoiding personal attacks among lawyers. In December 2005, the school's moot courtroom was used for a real civil trial after the Marion County Courthouse was damaged the previous month.
Deans of the school in recent years include David R. Kenagy (1994-1996 interim), Robert M. Ackerman (1996–1999), and Symeon Symeonides (1999 to 2011). In 2008, the school opened the Oregon Civic Justice Center
Oregon Civic Justice Center
The Oregon Civic Justice Center is a three-story former library building on the campus of Willamette University in downtown Salem, Oregon, United States. Built in 1912 as a Carnegie library for the city of Salem, the building now houses several programs of Willamette University College of Law...
to house programs including the Oregon Law Commission, the Center for Dispute Resolution, the Clinical Law Program, Center for Law and Government, and the Willamette Law Review
Willamette Law Review
The Willamette Law Review is a law review academic journal published by Willamette University College of Law in Salem, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1959 as a predecessor to an earlier publication, the quarterly publication is housed in the Oregon Civic Justice Center. Cited as Willamette L...
. The dedication ceremony featured U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Ruth Joan Bader Ginsburg is an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. Ginsburg was appointed by President Bill Clinton and took the oath of office on August 10, 1993. She is the second female justice and the first Jewish female justice.She is generally viewed as belonging to...
and was part of the school's celebration of their 125th anniversary.
Academics
Acceptance
The College of Law offers full-time enrollment exclusively for its JD program, with an admissions deadline of March 1 for the JD program. In 2009, the school accepted 39% of all applicants who applied to the school. Enrolled students from that entering class had Law School Admission Test (LSAT) scores in the range of 153 to 157 (25th-75th percentile) and a median score of 154. In 2007 and 2010, U.S. News & World ReportU.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...
ranked the school in their Third Tier, while in 2008 the school was ranked sixth by The Princeton Review
The Princeton Review
The Princeton Review is an American-based standardized test preparation and admissions consulting company. The Princeton Review operates in 41 states and 22 countries across the globe. It offers test preparation for standardized aptitude tests such as the SAT and advice regarding college...
in the "Most Welcoming of Older Students" category. As of 2011, Willamette was ranked as the 113th best law school by U.S. News & World Report.
Programs
The JD program is a three-year, full-time curriculum with new students' initial enrollment beginning only with the fall term each year. Through a partnership between the College of Law and Willamette's Atkinson Graduate School of ManagementAtkinson Graduate School of Management
The George H. Atkinson Graduate School of Management is the Masters in Business Administration program at Willamette University in Salem, Oregon, United States. It is one of only two MBA programs in the world accredited for both Business Administration and Public Administration...
, a joint degree program is offered to students interested in earning both a JD
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...
and an MBA
Master of Business Administration
The Master of Business Administration is a :master's degree in business administration, which attracts people from a wide range of academic disciplines. The MBA designation originated in the United States, emerging from the late 19th century as the country industrialized and companies sought out...
concurrently. The program allows students to earn both degrees in four years instead of five years if completed separately. The business portion of the program is accredited through the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business
Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business
The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business was founded in 1916 to accredit schools of business worldwide. The first accreditations took place in 1919. The stated mission is to advance quality management education worldwide through accreditation and thought leadership. It is regarded...
, while the law portion, along with the entire law school, is accredited by the American Bar Association. Both JD and joint-degree students have the option of enrolling in the certificate programs, studying abroad, working at the Clinical Law Program, and taking classes from the Center for Dispute Resolution.
The Center for Dispute Resolution, founded in 1983, was one of the first in the western United States to offer coursework in the areas of arbitration
Arbitration
Arbitration, a form of alternative dispute resolution , is a legal technique for the resolution of disputes outside the courts, where the parties to a dispute refer it to one or more persons , by whose decision they agree to be bound...
, negotiation
Negotiation
Negotiation is a dialogue between two or more people or parties, intended to reach an understanding, resolve point of difference, or gain advantage in outcome of dialogue, to produce an agreement upon courses of action, to bargain for individual or collective advantage, to craft outcomes to satisfy...
and mediation
Mediation
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...
. Focusing on Alternative Dispute Resolution
Alternative dispute resolution
Alternative Dispute Resolution includes dispute resolution processes and techniques that act as a means for disagreeing parties to come to an agreement short of litigation. ADR basically is an alternative to a formal court hearing or litigation...
(ADR), its program is a national model, and the center is annually recognized as one of the top ten programs in the nation. In 2006, the Dispute Resolution program was ranked 7th by U.S. News & World Report.
Willamette's College of Law also offers a Clinical Law Program that gives law students hands-on professional experience in law offices and courtrooms across the country. The program consists of two main components, the Externship Program and the Civil Practice Clinic. Both parts allow students to participate in real-life legal work.
Students have the opportunity to participate in study abroad
Study abroad
Studying abroad is the act of a student pursuing educational opportunities in a country other than one's own. This can include primary, secondary and post-secondary students...
programs in Germany, Ecuador and China. The China program began in 1984, followed by the Ecuador program in 1995, and in 2002 Germany was added.
LL.M.
The LL.M.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...
in Transnational Law educates law students on a variety of international law topics such as international business transactions, comparative law
Comparative law
Comparative law is the study of differences and similarities between the law of different countries. More specifically, it involves study of the different legal systems in existence in the world, including the common law, the civil law, socialist law, Islamic law, Hindu law, and Chinese law...
, as well as private international law
International law
Public international law concerns the structure and conduct of sovereign states; analogous entities, such as the Holy See; and intergovernmental organizations. To a lesser degree, international law also may affect multinational corporations and individuals, an impact increasingly evolving beyond...
. The program also covers dispute resolution
Dispute resolution
Dispute resolution is the process of resolving disputes between parties.-Methods:Methods of dispute resolution include:* lawsuits * arbitration* collaborative law* mediation* conciliation* many types of negotiation* facilitation...
and allows students to enroll in classes at the Atkinson Graduate School of Management. LL.M. students can attend either full-time or part-time, but must complete the ten-credit-hour program within two academic years.
Certificate programs
The law school offers five certificate programs for students in both the JD program and the joint degree program: Dispute Resolution, Law and Business, International and Comparative Law, Sustainability Law, and Law and Government. The business law, law and government, and international and comparative law certificate programs were introduced to the curriculum in 2002. These programs allow students to specialize in those areas of study and earn a certificate demonstrating that specialization.Law journals
The College of Law produces five publications, including three law reviewLaw review
A law review is a scholarly journal focusing on legal issues, normally published by an organization of students at a law school or through a bar association...
s. In 1992, the Willamette Journal of International Law and Dispute Resolution began publication with a focus on dispute resolution and the law on the international level.
Willamette Law Review
Willamette Law Review
The Willamette Law Review is a law review academic journal published by Willamette University College of Law in Salem, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1959 as a predecessor to an earlier publication, the quarterly publication is housed in the Oregon Civic Justice Center. Cited as Willamette L...
began in 1959, with four editions each year. This general interest legal review also sponsors an annual symposium at the school. The first journal on sports law in the Pacific Northwest was the Willamette Sports Law Journal. The official Bluebook
Bluebook
The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation, a style guide, prescribes the most widely used legal citation system in the United States. The Bluebook is compiled by the Harvard Law Review Association, the Columbia Law Review, the University of Pennsylvania Law Review, and the Yale Law Journal....
abbreviations used for citations
Legal citation
Legal citation is the practice of crediting and referring to authoritative documents and sources. The most common sources of authority cited are court decisions , statutes, regulations, government documents, treaties, and scholarly writing....
are "Willamette J. Int'l L. & Disp. Resol." for the Journal of International Law and Dispute Resolution and "Willamette L. Rev." for the Willamette Law Review.
Willamette's College of Law also produces Willamette Lawyer and Willamette Law Online. Willamette Lawyer is the school’s alumni magazine, published twice annually with one edition in the spring and the second in the fall. Produced primarily by students, Willamette Law Online is a subscription service
Subscription business model
The subscription business model is a business model where a customer must pay a subscription price to have access to the product/service. The model was pioneered by magazines and newspapers, but is now used by many businesses and websites....
that provides case summaries
Brief (law)
A brief is a written legal document used in various legal adversarial systems that is presented to a court arguing why the party to the case should prevail....
free to legal professionals in the Pacific Northwest.
Facilities
Willamette’s College of Law is primarily housed in the Truman Wesley Collins Legal Center (Collins Legal Center). Students have 24-hour secure access to the 75,000+ square foot building, which was renovated in 1992. The building is located on Winter Street in Salem, just south of the Oregon State Capitol. In addition to classrooms, the building houses the law library, administrative offices, and faculty offices. The building also contains a fully functioning trial courtroomCourtroom
A courtroom is the actual enclosed space in which a judge regularly holds court.The schedule of official court proceedings is called a docket; the term is also synonymous with a court's caseload as a whole.-Courtroom design:-United States:...
used for moot court
Moot court
A moot court is an extracurricular activity at many law schools in which participants take part in simulated court proceedings, usually to include drafting briefs and participating in oral argument. The term derives from Anglo Saxon times, when a moot was a gathering of prominent men in a...
.
Oregon Civic Justice Center
Opened in 2008, the Oregon Civic Justice CenterOregon Civic Justice Center
The Oregon Civic Justice Center is a three-story former library building on the campus of Willamette University in downtown Salem, Oregon, United States. Built in 1912 as a Carnegie library for the city of Salem, the building now houses several programs of Willamette University College of Law...
is one block north of the Collins Legal Center. Built within Salem's 1912 Carnegie library building, the school remodeled the structure at a cost of $4 million. The building is home to the Willamette Law Review; the Oregon Law Commission; Willamette's Center for Democracy, Religion and Law; the Center for Dispute Resolution; the law school's clinical program; and the Center for Law and Government. These programs were chosen due to their community outreach programs, as the school plans to create a community atmosphere between students, faculty, and the general community.
Library
The J. W. Long Law Library has 296,000 volumes and microformMicroform
Microforms are any forms, either films or paper, containing microreproductions of documents for transmission, storage, reading, and printing. Microform images are commonly reduced to about one twenty-fifth of the original document size...
equivalents, which include both state and federal primary law sources, as well as treatise
Treatise
A treatise is a formal and systematic written discourse on some subject, generally longer and treating it in greater depth than an essay, and more concerned with investigating or exposing the principles of the subject.-Noteworthy treatises:...
s, periodicals and other secondary legal sources. The three-story structure is attached to the Collins Legal Center and contains study rooms, video rooms, conference rooms, computer labs, and is staffed by reference librarians. Additionally, it has special collections in tax law
Tax law
Tax law is the codified system of laws that describes government levies on economic transactions, commonly called taxes.-Major issues:Primary taxation issues facing the governments world over include;* taxes on income and wealth...
, public international law, labor law
Labour law
Labour law is the body of laws, administrative rulings, and precedents which address the legal rights of, and restrictions on, working people and their organizations. As such, it mediates many aspects of the relationship between trade unions, employers and employees...
, and is a Selective Federal Government Documents Depository
Federal depository library
The Federal Depository Library Program is a United States program created to make U.S. federal government publications available to the public at no cost. As of June 2008, there are 1,252 depository libraries in the United States and its territories. A "government publication" is defined in the U.S...
. Members of the public may access the library when the library is staffed by librarians, while students and faculty have 24-hour access to the library. Law students also have access to Willamette University's Mark O. Hatfield Library
Mark O. Hatfield Library
The Mark O. Hatfield Library is the main library at Willamette University in Salem, Oregon, United States. Opened in 1986, it is a member of the Hatfield Library Consortium along with several library lending networks and is a designated Federal depository library. Willamette's original library was...
, the Oregon Supreme Court Law Library, the Oregon State Library
Oregon State Library
The Oregon State Library in Salem, is the library for the U.S. state of Oregon. The mission of the Oregon State Library is to provide quality information services to Oregon state government, provide reading materials to blind and print-disabled Oregonians, and provide leadership, grants, and other...
, and the Oregon State Archives
Oregon State Archives
The Archives Division of the Office of the Secretary of State of Oregon, or Oregon State Archives, is an agency of the Office of the Oregon Secretary of State charged with preserving and providing access to government records. It also publishes the Oregon Blue Book and Oregon Administrative Rules...
.
Distinguished faculty
- Susan M. LeesonSusan M. LeesonSusan M. Leeson is an American attorney and former judge in the state of Oregon. She was the 94th Associate Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court. Prior to her appointment to Oregon’s high court, the Utah native served on the Oregon Court of Appeals.-Early life:Susan Leeson was born on August 16,...
- Former Justice of the Oregon Supreme CourtOregon Supreme CourtThe Oregon Supreme Court is the highest state court in the U.S. state of Oregon. The only court that may reverse or modify a decision of the Oregon Supreme Court is the Supreme Court of the United States. The OSC holds court at the Oregon Supreme Court Building in Salem, Oregon, near the capitol... - Hans A. LindeHans A. LindeHans Arthur Linde, is a German American attorney and former jurist in Oregon. Born in Germany, he also lived with his family in Denmark before immigrating to Portland, Oregon. After serving in the United States Army during World War II he graduated from college and law school. Linde then worked...
- Former Chief Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court - Charles L. McNaryCharles L. McNaryCharles Linza McNary was a United States Republican politician from Oregon. He served in the Senate from 1917 to 1944, and was Senate Minority Leader from 1933 to 1944. In the Senate, McNary helped to pass legislation that led to the construction of Bonneville Dam on the Columbia River, and worked...
- Former United States Senator - Edwin J. PetersonEdwin J. PetersonEdwin J. Peterson is an American jurist in the state of Oregon. He was the 39th Chief Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court, serving from 1983 to 1991, and is currently a Distinguished Jurist in Residence at Willamette University College of Law in Salem, Oregon.-Education:Edwin Peterson received his...
- Former Chief Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court
Distinguished alumni
- William A. BartonWilliam A. BartonWilliam A. Barton is an American attorney in the state of Oregon. A personal injury lawyer and author, he successfully argued to allow litigation to proceed against the Vatican in the priest sex scandal, despite sovereign immunity that is normally applicable to foreign governments...
- trial attorney, author - Bruce BotelhoBruce BotelhoBruce M. Botelho is an American attorney and politician in the state of Alaska. Born in Juneau, Alaska, he has served as the mayor of Juneau on two occasions and was the Alaska Attorney General for eight years. He is currently mayor of Juneau....
- current mayor of Juneau, AlaskaJuneau, AlaskaThe City and Borough of Juneau is a unified municipality located on the Gastineau Channel in the panhandle of the U.S. state of Alaska. It has been the capital of Alaska since 1906, when the government of the then-District of Alaska was moved from Sitka as dictated by the U.S. Congress in 1900... - Jay BowermanJay BowermanJay Bowerman was an American politician, a Republican, who served most notably as the 13th Governor of Oregon.-Early life:Bowerman was born in Hesper, Iowa, the son of Daniel and Lydia Bowerman...
- former Governor of OregonGovernor of OregonThe Governor of Oregon is the top executive of the government of the U.S. state of Oregon. The title of governor was also applied to the office of Oregon's chief executive during the provisional and U.S. territorial governments.... - Wallace P. Carson, Jr.Wallace P. Carson, Jr.Wallace P. Carson, Jr. is an American attorney and politician from Oregon. He has spent time in both of Oregon’s legislative branches and served on the Oregon Supreme Court for 24 years. Carson served for 14 years as Chief Justice of the court, which is the longest of any previous Chief Justice on...
- former Chief Justice of the Oregon Supreme CourtOregon Supreme CourtThe Oregon Supreme Court is the highest state court in the U.S. state of Oregon. The only court that may reverse or modify a decision of the Oregon Supreme Court is the Supreme Court of the United States. The OSC holds court at the Oregon Supreme Court Building in Salem, Oregon, near the capitol... - Willis C. HawleyWillis C. HawleyWillis Chatman Hawley was an American politician and educator in the state of Oregon. A native of the state, he would serve as president of Willamette University in Salem, Oregon, where he earned his undergraduate and law degrees before entering politics...
- former member of the United States House of RepresentativesUnited 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... - Fern HobbsFern HobbsFern Hobbs was an American attorney in the U.S. state of Oregon, and a private secretary to Oregon Governor Oswald West...
- former secretary to Governor Oswald WestOswald WestOswald West was an American politician, a Democrat, who served most notably as the 14th Governor of Oregon. Called "Os West" by Oregon writer Stewart Holbrook, who described him as "by all odds the most brilliant governor Oregon ever had."- Early life and career :West was born in Ontario, Canada... - Jay InsleeJay InsleeJay Robert Inslee is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1999. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district includes many of Seattle's northern suburbs in King, Snohomish, and Kitsap counties...
- current member of the United States House of Representatives - Virginia LinderVirginia LinderVirginia Lynn Linder is an American judge from Oregon who has served, since January 2007, as the 99th justice of the Oregon Supreme Court. She had previously served since 1997 on the Oregon Court of Appeals...
- current Associate Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court - Conde McCulloughConde McCulloughConde Balcom McCullough was a U.S. bridge engineer who is primarily known for designing many of Oregon's coastal bridges on U.S. Route 101. The native of South Dakota worked for the Oregon Department of Transportation from 1919 to 1935 and 1937 until 1946...
- bridge engineer - Lesil McGuireLesil McGuireLesil McGuire is an American politician in the state of Alaska. As of 2009, she is a Republican member of the Alaska Senate, representing the N District, taking office in 2007 immediately after her tenure as a member of the Alaska House of Representatives from 2000 through 2006.-Early years:McGuire...
- current member of the Alaska SenateAlaska SenateThe Alaska Senate is the upper house in the Alaska Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Alaska. The Senate consists of twenty members, each of whom represents an equal amount of districts with populations of about 31,347 people . Senators serve four-year terms, without term... - Bob MionskeBob MionskeRobert Charles Mionske is a two-time U.S. Olympic racing cyclist and U.S. National Champion . In the 1988 Summer Olympics, held in Seoul, South Korea, he placed fourth in the Individual Road Race. He retired from professional cycling in 1993 and is now an attorney based in Portland, Oregon,...
- trial attorney, author, OlympianOlympic GamesThe Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate... - Paul De MunizPaul De MunizPaul J. De Muniz is an American judge in the state of Oregon. He is the first Hispanic Chief Justice in the history of the Oregon Supreme Court. He was elected to the court in 2000, and elected as Chief Justice in 2006. He won re-election in May 2006 for another six-year term on the state's...
- current Chief Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court - Lisa MurkowskiLisa MurkowskiLisa Ann Murkowski is the senior U.S. Senator from the State of Alaska and a member of the Republican Party. She was appointed to the Senate in 2002 by her father, Governor Frank Murkowski. After losing a Republican primary in 2010, she became the second person ever to win a U.S...
- current United States Senator - Norma PaulusNorma PaulusNorma Paulus is an American attorney and former politician in the state of Oregon. A native of Nebraska, she was raised in Eastern Oregon before becoming a lawyer...
- former Oregon Secretary of StateOregon Secretary of StateThe Secretary of State of Oregon, an elected constitutional officer within the executive branch of government of the U.S. state of Oregon, is first in line of succession to the Governor. The duties of office are: auditor of public accounts, chief elections officer, and administrator of public... - Leonardo RapadasLeonardo RapadasLeonardo Rapadas is the current attorney general of Guam. He was elected in 2010, replacing John Weisenberger. Rapadas was sworn in on January 3, 2011, in Agana. Prior to serving as attorney general, he served as the United States Attorney for Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands from May 2003...
- current attorney generalAttorney GeneralIn most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general, or attorney-general, is the main legal advisor to the government, and in some jurisdictions he or she may also have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions.The term is used to refer to any person...
of GuamGuamGuam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United... - Stephen Yamashiro - Mayor of Hawaii County 1992-2000