Albany Law School

Last updated
Albany Law School
AlbanyLawSchoolPano.jpg
Parent school Union University
Established1851
School type Private law school
Dean Cinnamon Carlarne
Location Albany, New York, United States
Enrollment581
Faculty44 full-time, 47 part-time
USNWR ranking105th (2024) [1]
Bar pass rate83% (July 2023 first-time takers) [2]
Website www.albanylaw.edu
Albany Law School logo.svg

Albany Law School is a private law school in Albany, New York. It was founded in 1851 and is the oldest independent law school in the nation. It is accredited by the American Bar Association as well as the Middle States Commission on Higher Education [3] and has an affiliation agreement with University at Albany that includes shared programs. The school is located near New York's highest court, federal courts, the executive branch, and the state legislature. [4]

Contents

It officially goes by the name Albany Law School of Union University with the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. [5]

History

Albany Law School is the oldest independent law school in the United States. It was founded in 1851 by Amos Dean (its dean until 1868), Amasa J. Parker, Ira Harris, and others. [6]

Beginning in 1878, the Albany College of Pharmacy, Albany Law School, Albany Medical College, Dudley Observatory and Union College created the loose association today known as Union University. Each member institution has its own governing board, is fiscally independent, and is responsible for its own programs. [7] As of 2021, there were discussions about "the continued viability of the Union University relationship." [8]

Albany Law School has a historically close relationship with the New York Court of Appeals. [9] One of the original members of the court, Greene C. Bronson, helped to found the law school. [10] [11] Since that time, Albany Law School alumni have been members of the court nine times with two serving as Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals. [9] In addition, the school hosts the Fund for Modern Courts' Hugh R. Jones Memorial Lecture, which is typically given by a current or former member of the court.

Leadership

President & Dean

  1. Amos Dean (1851–1868)
  2. Issac Edwards (1868–1879)
  3. Horace E. Smith (1879–1889)
  4. George W. Kirchway (1889–1891)
  5. Lewis B. Hall (1891–1895)
  6. J. Newton Fiero (1895–1924)
  7. Harold D. Alexander (1924–1945)
  8. Andrew V. Clements (1945–1965)
    • J. Vanderbilt Straub (Acting) (1965)
  9. Samuel M. Hesson (1965–1975)
    • John C. Welsh (Acting) (1975) [12]
  10. Ralph D. Semerad (1975–1977)
    • John C. Welsh (Acting) (1977–1979) [12]
  11. Richard J. Bartlett (1979–1985) [13]
  12. Martin Belsky (1986–1995) [14]
  13. John Baker (1991–1993)
    • John C. Welsh (Acting) (1993–1995) [12]
  14. Thomas Sponsler (1995–2002)
  15. Thomas Guernsey (2002–2011) [15]
  16. Penelope Andrews (2012–2015)
  17. Alicia Ouellette (2015–2023)
  18. Cinnamon P. Carlarne (2023-present)

Location

Albany Law is the only law school located within 90 miles of New York's Capital District. It is within two miles of the New York State Legislature, New York Court of Appeals, the Appellate Division 3rd Department, the Federal District Court for the Northern District of New York, the New York State Bar Association, several state agencies, and a number of private law firms.

Admissions

For the class entering in the fall of 2022, class, 50.2% of applicants were accepted with 29.2% of those accepted enrolling, the 50th Percentile LSAT score of enrollees being 155 and the 50th Percentile GPA being 3.48. [16]

Programs and centers

Albany Law School offers 14 concentrations for J.D. candidates, [17] as well as an L.L.M program, [18] and joint J.D./M.B.A, J.D./M.P.A., J.D./M.R.P., J.D./M.S., and J.D./M.S.W. programs. [19]

Albany Law School is home to several centers of legal study: The Government Law Center, The Center for Excellence in Law Teaching, The Institute of Legal Studies, The Institute for Financial Market Regulation, and The Center for Judicial Process.

In addition, under the auspices of its Law Clinic and Justice Center, Albany Law School operates several public interest clinics. Some of the clinics available include the Health Law Clinic, Community Development Clinic, Domestic Violence Prosecution, and Family Violence Litigation.

Albany Law School's Schaffer Law Library holds a collection of more than 730,000 volumes and equivalents, [20] including videotapes of oral arguments before the New York State Court of Appeals dating back to 1989.

Academics

Albany Law School offers courses and concentrations for the following degree programs: J.D., LL.M., and M.S. It offers joint degrees with the College of Saint Rose, Union Graduate College, The Sage Colleges, University at Albany, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Alden March Bioethics Institute at Albany Medical College, and Mount Sinai School of Medicine. Albany Law School also has an affiliation agreement with University at Albany that includes shared programs and access for students and faculty to learn from one another. [21]

Law journals

Albany Law Review.jpeg

In 1875, Albany Law published the nation's first student-edited legal periodical, the Albany Law School Journal, which existed for only one academic year before being discontinued. [22] Currently, the school publishes three journals, which are listed in order of their founding:

Ranking

For 2024, U.S. News & World Report ranked Albany Law School #105 out of 196 ranked schools. [1]

Athletics

Albany Law School has one of the oldest law school rugby clubs in the nation. The Albany Law School Rugby Football Club annually hosts the William Watkins tournament in the spring to honor its club founder, Professor William Watkins ("The Wat"), who was a faculty member, player, coach, mentor, and friend to all ruggers and students alike. The Wat established the first Albany Law School Rugby Football Team in 1966. Incredibly, since its inception, Albany Law is undefeated in inter-league law school rugby competition.

Notable faculty

Full-time faculty:

Adjunct faculty:

Former faculty:

Notable alumni

Albany Law School has numerous notable alumni. It is one of only twelve law schools in the United States to have graduated two or more justices of the United States Supreme Court: Robert H. Jackson [25] and David Josiah Brewer. [26] Nine judges of the New York State Court of Appeals, United States President William McKinley, former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, former Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly, and over a dozen members of the United States Congress also attended Albany Law School. The first woman admitted to the New York State Bar, Kate Stoneman, and the first African American man to graduate from law school in New York State, James Campbell Matthews, also both attended Albany Law School. [27]

Other notable alumni include: Richard D. Parsons '71, Former Chairman, Citigroup, Lawrence H. Cooke '39, Former Chief Judge of New York State, Victoria A. Graffeo '77, Former Associate Judge, New York State Court of Appeals, Leslie Stein '81, Associate Judge, New York State Court of Appeals, and Thomas J. Vilsack '75, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture and Governor of Iowa. [28]

Employment and rankings

Albany Law School was ranked 106th in U.S. News & World Report 's 2018 ranking of law schools. [29] The winter 2016 issue of preLaw magazine ranked Albany Law number 1 for government careers, citing its "A" grades in curriculum and employment, and number 6 for public defender and prosecutor jobs. [30]

According to Albany Law School's 2016 ABA-required disclosures, 81% of the class of 2016 [31] obtained full-time, long-term, JD-required employment ten months after graduation. [32] 126 of 151 graduates obtained full-time, long-term work and 4 graduates obtained either part-time short-term, part-time long-term or full-time short-term positions. [33] Albany Law School's 2016 Law School Transparency under-employment score is 18%, indicating the percentage of the Class of 2015 unemployed, pursuing an additional degree, or working in a non-professional, short-term, or part-time job nine months after graduation. [31]

StatusFull time long termFull time short termPart time long termPart time short termNumber
Employed bar passage required106010107
Employed J.D. advantage1772127
Employed professional position10001
Employed non-professional position10001
Employed law school/university funded10001
Employed indeterminable00000
Graduate degree full time2
Unemployed start date deferred0
Unemployed not seeking0
Unemployed seeking12
Employment status unknown0
Total graduates151

Employment summary for 2016 graduates [33]

Costs

The total cost of attendance (indicating the cost of tuition, fees, and living expenses) at Albany Law School for the 2014–2015 academic year is $59,728. [34] The Law School Transparency estimated debt-financed cost of attendance for three years is $234,466. [35] Tuition is $43,248. In 2015, the school awarded $7 million in financial aid, and over 60% of first-year students received merit scholarships. [36]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Georgia School of Law</span> Public law school in Athens, Georgia, US

The University of Georgia School of Law is the law school of the University of Georgia, a public research university in Athens, Georgia. It was founded in 1859, making it one of the oldest American university law schools in continuous operation. Georgia Law accepted 14.77% of applicants for the class entering in 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yale Law School</span> Law school in New Haven, Connecticut, US

Yale Law School (YLS) is the law school of Yale University, a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1824, it has been ranked the number one law school in the country by U.S. News & World Report every year since the magazine started publishing law school rankings. The 2020–21 acceptance rate was 4%, the lowest of any law school in the United States. Its yield rate of 87% is also consistently the highest of any law school in the United States. The school’s small size and prestige have made its admissions process the most selective of any law school in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vermont Law and Graduate School</span> American private graduate school

Vermont Law and Graduate School (VLGS) is a private law and public policy graduate school in South Royalton, Vermont. It is the only ABA-accredited law school in the state. It offers several degrees, including Juris Doctor (JD), Master of Laws (LLM) in Environmental Law, Master of Environmental Law and Policy (MELP), Master of Food and Agriculture Law and Policy (MFALP), Master of Energy Regulation and Law (MERL), and dual degrees with a diverse range of institutions. According to the school's 2018 ABA-required disclosures, 61.5% of the Class of 2018 obtained full-time, long-term, JD-required employment nine months after graduation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brooklyn Law School</span> Private law school in New York City, New York, US

Brooklyn Law School (BLS) is a private law school in New York City. Founded in 1901, it has approximately 1,100 students. Brooklyn Law School's faculty includes 60 full-time faculty, 15 emeriti faculty, and adjunct faculty.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Michigan Law School</span> Public law school in Ann Arbor, Michigan

The University of Michigan Law School is the law school of the University of Michigan, a public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Founded in 1859, the school offers Master of Laws (LLM), Master of Comparative Law (MCL), Juris Doctor (JD), and Doctor of the Science of Law (SJD) degree programs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University at Buffalo Law School</span> State University of New York, School of Law

The University at Buffalo School of Law is the law school of the University at Buffalo. Founded in 1887, and affiliated with Niagara University until 1891, it is the State University of New York (SUNY) system's only law school.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Touro Law Center</span> Law school in Central Islip, New York, USA

Touro University Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center, commonly known as Touro Law Center, is an ABA accredited law school. It is located on Long Island, New York, in the hamlet of Central Islip. The Law Center is part of Touro University, a private, not-for-profit, coeducational institution based in New York City.

The University of Alabama School of Law, located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama is the only public law school in the state. It is one of five law schools in the state, and one of three that are ABA accredited. According to Alabama's official 2023 ABA-required disclosures, 89.4% of the Class of 2023 obtained full-time, long-term, JD-required employment nine months after graduation. An additional 4.8% of the Class of 2023 obtained JD-advantage employment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law</span> Law school in Chicago, Illinois, US

The Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law is the law school of Northwestern University, a private research university. The law school is located on the university's Chicago campus. Northwestern Law is considered part of the T14, an unofficial designation in the legal community as the best 14 law schools in the United States.

Seton Hall University School of Law is the law school of Seton Hall University, and is located in downtown Newark, New Jersey. Seton Hall Law is the only private law school in New Jersey. The school confers three law degrees: Juris Doctor, Master of Laws, and Master of General Legal Studies. Founded in 1951, it is accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA), and is also a member of the Association of American Law Schools (AALS).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marquette University Law School</span> Private law school in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, US

Marquette University Law School is the law school of Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It is one of two law schools in Wisconsin and the only private law school in the state. Founded in 1892 as the Milwaukee Law Class, MULS is housed in Eckstein Hall on Marquette University's campus in downtown Milwaukee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Georgia State University College of Law</span> Law school in Atlanta, Georgia

Georgia State University College of Law is a law school located in downtown Atlanta, Georgia. Founded in 1982, it is accredited by the American Bar Association and is a member of the Association of American Law Schools.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Wyoming College of Law</span> Public law school in Laramie, Wyoming, US

The University of Wyoming College of Law is the law school of the University of Wyoming and the only law school located in Wyoming. It is situated in the Rocky Mountains in Laramie, Wyoming at 7,165 ft. between the Laramie Mountains and Snowy Range Mountains. Frequently, it is referred to as "Law at its Highest Point". Established in 1920, the law school offers the J.D. degree in law, as well "a joint JD/MA in Environment and Natural Resources and joint degrees in JD/MPA and JD/MBA. Other electives include coverage of trial and appellate practice, business planning, estate planning, corporate and commercial law, administrative law, consumer law, international law, Indian law, health law, and education law."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gonzaga University School of Law</span> Law school in Washington, U.S.

The Gonzaga University School of Law is the professional school for the study of law at Gonzaga University. Established in 1912, the Jesuit-affiliated law school has been fully accredited by the American Bar Association since 1951, and is a member of the Association of American Law Schools.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law</span> Graduate school at Arizona State University

The Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law is the law school at Arizona State University in Phoenix, Arizona. The school is located in the Beus Center for Law and Society on ASU's downtown Phoenix campus. Created in 1965 as the Arizona State University College of Law upon recommendation of the Arizona Board of Regents, with the first classes held in the fall of 1967. The school has held American Bar Association accreditation since 1969 and is a member of the Order of the Coif. The school is also a member of the Association of American Law Schools. In 2006, the law school was renamed in honor of Phoenix resident, Stanford graduate, and retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of New Mexico School of Law</span> Law school in Albuquerque, New Mexico, US

The University of New Mexico School of Law is the law school of the University of New Mexico, a public research university in Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States. Founded in 1947, it is the only law school in the state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Howard University School of Law</span> Law school in Washington, DC

Howard University School of Law is the law school of Howard University, a private, federally chartered historically black research university in Washington, D.C. It is one of the oldest law schools in the country and the oldest historically black law school in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Missouri School of Law</span> Public law school in Columbia, Missouri, US

The University of Missouri School of Law is the law school of the University of Missouri. It is located on the university's main campus in Columbia, forty minutes from the Missouri State Capitol in Jefferson City. The school was founded in 1872 by the Curators of the University of Missouri. Its alumni include governors, legislators, judges, attorneys general, and law professors across the country. According to Mizzou Law's 2016 ABA-required disclosures, 82 percent of the 2016 class obtained full-time, long-term, JD-required employment nine months after graduation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wake Forest University School of Law</span> Private law school in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, US

Wake Forest University School of Law is the law school of Wake Forest University, a private research university in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Established in 1894, Wake Forest University School of Law is an American Bar Association (ABA) accredited law school and is a member of the Association of American Law Schools (AALS). The current dean is Andrew R. Klein.

The Albany Law Review is a quarterly law review edited by students at Albany Law School. The Albany Law Review is one of three student-edited law journals published by the school.

References

  1. 1 2 "Albany Law School". U.S. News & World Report – Best Law Schools. Retrieved 13 May 2023.
  2. ↑ "Albany Law School has 83% First-Time Passage Rate on July 2023 Bar Exam (July 2023)". 30 October 2023. Archived from the original on 11 September 2022. Retrieved 20 April 2018.
  3. ↑ "Albany Law School of Union University". Middle States Commission on Higher Education. Retrieved 2024-06-21.
  4. ↑ "LLM - Albany Law School". www.lsac.org. Archived from the original on 9 April 2018. Retrieved 8 April 2018.
  5. ↑ "Albany Law School of Union University". Middle States Commission on Higher Education. Retrieved 2023-09-20.
  6. ↑ Elizabeth K. Allen; Diana S. Waite (2000). Albany Law School 1851–2001: A Tradition of change. Albany Law School. pp. 3, 14–16.
  7. ↑ "Union University - Union College". www.union.edu. Archived from the original on 2008-07-08. Retrieved 2015-06-08.
  8. ↑ "FAQ - The University at Albany Affiliation | Albany Law School". www.albanylaw.edu. 2021-05-10. Retrieved 2024-07-27.
  9. 1 2 Jonathan Lippman, The New York Court of Appeals, Albany Law School, and The Albany Law Review: Institutions Dedicated to the Evolution of the Law in New York State, 75 Alb. L. Rev. 9, 10 (2011/2012)
  10. ↑ Kevin T. Bezio, Greene C. Bronson, in The Judges of the New York Court of Appeals: A Biographical History 11–15 (Albert M. Rosenblatt ed. 2007)
  11. ↑ Elizabeth K. Allen; Diana S. Waite (2000). Albany Law School 1851–2001: A Tradition of change. Albany Law School. p. 3.
  12. 1 2 3 "Albany Law School mourns loss of John "Jack" C. Welsh '55 | Albany Law School". www.albanylaw.edu. 2023-02-03. Retrieved 2024-11-17.
  13. ↑ "Albany Law School Mourns Passing of Former Dean and Trustee Emeritus Richard Bartlett | Albany Law School". www.albanylaw.edu. 2015-05-07. Retrieved 2024-11-18.
  14. ↑ Ohio, The University of Akron. "Portrait unveiling to be held in honor of former Akron Law dean Martin Belsky". The University of Akron, Ohio. Retrieved 2024-11-17.
  15. ↑ "Media Kit - Dean Biography" (PDF).
  16. ↑ "Albany Law School Standard 509 Information Report". abarequireddisclosures.org. American Bar Association. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  17. ↑ "Concentrations". Albany Law School. Archived from the original on 3 January 2014. Retrieved 7 February 2014.
  18. ↑ "Master of Laws". Albany Law School. Archived from the original on 25 April 2014. Retrieved 7 February 2014.
  19. ↑ "Joint Degree Programs". Albany Law School. Archived from the original on 7 November 2013. Retrieved 7 February 2014.
  20. ↑ "Schaffer Law Library". Albany Law School. Archived from the original on 2012-08-19. Retrieved 7 February 2014.
  21. ↑ "Degrees - Albany Law School". www.albanylaw.edu. Archived from the original on 9 April 2018. Retrieved 8 April 2018.
  22. ↑ Jonathan Lippman, The New York Court of Appeals, Albany Law School, and The Albany Law Review: Institutions Dedicated to the Evolution of the Law in New York State, 75 Alb. L. Rev. 9, 10 (2011/2012); Spencer M. Ritchie, The Journal's Journey: a History of the Mississippi Law Journal, 81 Miss. L. J. 1527, 1528 n.7 (2012); Whit Pierce & Anne Reuben, The Law Review is Dead; Long Live the Law Review: A Closer Look at the Declining Judicial Citation of Legal Scholarship, 45 Wake Forest L. Rev. 1185, 1188 n.17 (2010); Michael Closen & Robert Dzielak, The History and Influence of the Law Review Institution, 30 Akron L. Rev. 15, 34 (1996); Michael Swygert & Jon Bruce, The Historical Origins, Founding, and Early Development of Student-Edited Law Reviews, 36 Hastings L. J. 739, 764 (1986).
  23. ↑ "Law school leader is Cape Town-bound". The Albany Times Union. 2 July 2015. Archived from the original on 3 July 2015. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
  24. ↑ Gunther, Gerald (1994), Learned Hand: The Man and the Judge 61, New York: Knopf, ISBN   978-0-394-58807-0.
  25. ↑ Barrett, John Q. (2005). "Albany in the Life Trajectory of Robert H. Jackson". Albany Law Review. 68: 529.
  26. ↑ "David J. Brewer, 1890-1910". The Supreme Court Historical Society. Archived from the original on 25 June 2015. Retrieved 9 June 2015.
  27. ↑ Smith, Jr., J. Clay (1999). Emancipation: The Making of the Black Lawyer 1841–1914. p. 421.
  28. ↑ "Fact Sheet - Albany Law School". www.albanylaw.edu. Archived from the original on 9 April 2018. Retrieved 8 April 2018.
  29. ↑ "Albany Law School". U.S. News & World Report. Archived from the original on 24 October 2016. Retrieved 18 May 2018.
  30. ↑ preLaw magazine http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/cypress/prelaw_2016winter/#/28 Archived 2016-01-23 at the Wayback Machine
  31. 1 2 "Employment Outcomes | Albany Law School". www.albanylaw.edu. Archived from the original on 2016-05-03. Retrieved 2017-10-02.
  32. ↑ "Employment Summary for 2016 Graduates" (PDF). Albany Law School. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 April 2015. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
  33. 1 2 Singer, David. "Employment Outcomes". Albany Law School. Archived from the original on 2016-05-03. Retrieved 2017-10-02.
  34. ↑ "Cost of Attendance". Archived from the original on 2014-06-22.
  35. ↑ "Albany Law School Profile". Archived from the original on 2014-07-15. Retrieved 2014-07-09.
  36. ↑ "Class of 2017 Profile". Albany Law School. Archived from the original on 2015-02-11.

42°39′08.51″N73°46′38.40″W / 42.6523639°N 73.7773333°W / 42.6523639; -73.7773333

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.