Belmont University College of Law

Last updated

Belmont University College of Law
Belmont Law Logo.png
Parent school Belmont University
Established2011
School type Private
Dean Alberto Gonzales
Location Nashville, Tennessee, US
Enrollment276
USNWR ranking105th (2024) [1]
Bar pass rate94.29% (who sat for a bar examination within two years of their date of graduation)
Website www.belmont.edu/law
ABA profile Belmont Law

Belmont University College of Law is a private law school in Nashville, Tennessee. Founded in 2011, the College of Law was accredited by the American Bar Association in 2013. [2]

Contents

History

Belmont University announced plans for the College of Law in 2009, with the first class beginning in 2011. [3] Belmont Law was accredited by the American Bar Association in 2013, making it the first new accredited law program in Tennessee in more than 50 years [2] and the first new law school in Middle Tennessee in nearly 100 years. [3] Belmont Law achieved American Bar Association accreditation in the earliest possible time allowed by accreditation guidelines. [2]

Curriculum

The college's curriculum includes the Juris Doctor (J.D.) with specialized certificate programs available in Criminal Law, Health Law, and Entertainment Law. [4] The College of Law curriculum focuses on creating practice-ready attorneys with a practicum requirement in each semester to help students become proficient in the "practice" of law. [5] These practicums give instruction in all aspects of the practice of law, such as legal writing, legal research, client interviewing, document drafting, litigation, negotiation, and more. [5]

In 2017, a dual JD/MBA program was launched, allowing students to take classes for both degrees concurrently and complete requirements for both degrees within three years. [6]

Facilities

Belmont Law Baskin Center Belmont Law Baskin Center.jpg
Belmont Law Baskin Center

The law school is located in the Randall and Sadie Baskin Center building, a 75,000-square-foot LEED Gold building atop a five-level underground garage. [7] The Randall and Sadie Baskin Center houses more than a dozen large classrooms, a trial courtroom, an appellate court room, faculty offices, student commons, and a two-story law library. [8]

Organizations and publications

Students can participate in local and national competitions through the Board of Advocates program, which includes mock-trial, moot-court, and transactional teams. [5] The moot-court team has won numerous competitions, including: National Champions of the 17th Annual Emory Civil Rights and Liberties Moot Court Competition [9] , 2017, 2023 Regional Champions of the American Bar Association’s (ABA) National Appellate Advocacy Competition [10] [11] , National Champions of the 2018 Emory Civil Rights and Liberties Moot Court Competition. [12]

The College of Law publishes two academic journals, the Belmont Law Review [13] and the Belmont Law Journal (Dean Deborah Farringer mereged the Criminal Law Journal, [14] Entertainment Law Journal, and Health Law Journal [15] into a single journal in the Summer of 2023.) [16] [17] [18]

Employment

Statistics for the class of 2018 indicate 96% of students are employed in some capacity, with 95% employed in bar-passage-required or J.D.–advantage positions. [19] Most graduates remain in state, with 89% employed in Tennessee. [20] Of those employed, 63% work at a law firm, 14.5% work in business or industry, 18.5% work in government or judicial clerkships, and 4% work in public interest. [20]

Belmont Law's Law School Transparency under-employment score is 6.4%, which reflects the percentage of the Class of 2018 that is unemployed, pursuing an additional degree, or working in a nonprofessional, short-term, or part-time job nine months after graduation. [21]

Bar passage

On the July 2019 bar exam, 97.18% of Belmont Law's first-time test takers and 94.52% of its total takers passed, [22] the highest of any law school in Tennessee and 23.62% higher than Tennessee's 70.90% pass rate. [23] In 2018, 94.52% of Belmont Law's first-time test takers and 90.79% of its total takers passed the bar exam, [24] ranking 12th in the nation and 2nd in the state of Tennessee for bar passage. [25] Belmont's success has been attributed to the bar preparation course created by Jeff Kinsler, Belmont Law's founding Dean. [26]

In 2023, the bar passage rate for first time test-takers was 93.4%, ranking 1st out of 5 programs in Tennessee. [27]

TN Bar Passage Statistics for Belmont Law
Exam Date1st Time Pass RateTotal Pass Rate
July, 2024 [28] 94.79%92.93%
July, 2023 [29] 93.41%90.43%
July, 2022 [30] 86.60%86.87%
July, 2021 [31] 88.75%85.71%
July (October), 2020 [32] 82.56%81.82%
July, 2019 [33] 94.52%97.18%
Bar Pass Outcomes Within Two Years of Graduation [34] [35]
Graduation YearTotal Pass Rate
202195.65%
202094.95%
2019100.00%
2018100.00%
201794.74%
201694.29%
201596.51%

Costs

Tuition for the 2022-2023 school year is $48,660, [36] with 49% of students receiving scholarships. [37] Belmont Law ranks #104 in terms of highest tuition among full-time law students based on 283 tuition rates from 194 law schools, with in-state tuition counting separately. [38]

Related Research Articles

<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 Massachusetts School of Law</span> Public law school in Massachusetts, US

The University of Massachusetts School of Law is a public law school in Dartmouth, Massachusetts. The only public law school in Massachusetts, it is the successor to Southern New England School of Law, a private law school that donated its campus and its assets to the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. It is accredited by the American Bar Association and part of the University of Massachusetts system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Florida International University College of Law</span>

The Florida International University College of Law is the law school of Florida International University, located in Miami, Florida in the United States. The law school is accredited by the American Bar Association, and is the only public law school in South Florida. FIU College of Law is the third highest ranked law school in the state of Florida and is ranked in the top 60 in the nation. The College of Law had the highest July bar exam passage rate in the state of Florida consecutively for eight years (2015–2023).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whittier Law School</span> Former law school of Whittier College

Whittier Law School was a law school in Costa Mesa, California founded in 1966. The law school was part of Whittier College, a private institution. After several years being ranked among the poorest-performing law schools in the United States based on bar passage rate and job placement, Whittier Law School announced in April 2017 that it would no longer be admitting students and would discontinue its legal program, becoming the first law school with full accreditation by the American Bar Association (ABA) to shut down in at least 30 years. Since the school's closure, transcript requests are now handled by Whittier College.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law</span> American law school in Memphis (1962-)

The University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law is an American Bar Association accredited law school and is the only law school in Memphis, Tennessee. The school has been associated with the University of Memphis since the law school's formation in 1962. The school was named in honor of former University president Cecil C. Humphreys. It is also referred to as U of M Law, Memphis Law, or Memphis Law School.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ohio State University Moritz College of Law</span> Law school of the Ohio State University in Columbus, OH, US

The Michael E. Moritz College of Law is the law school of Ohio State University, a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. Founded in 1891, the school is located in Drinko Hall on the main campus of the Ohio State University in Columbus. The school is accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA) and is a charter member of the Association of American Law Schools.

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

The University of Florida Fredric G. Levin College of Law is the law school of the University of Florida located in Gainesville, Florida. Founded in 1909, it is the oldest operating public law school in Florida and second oldest overall in the state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Florida Coastal School of Law</span> For-profit law school in Jacksonville, Florida

Florida Coastal School of Law was a private for-profit law school in Jacksonville, Florida. It was established in 1996 and was the last operating of three for-profit law schools of the InfiLaw System owned by Sterling Partners. Because of funding and accreditation issues, the school closed its doors in 2021. U.S. News & World Report ranks Coastal Law 147-193, its lowest law school ranking. In July 2022, the school had the lowest Florida bar passage rate of all Florida law schools, at 31%.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Francisco Law School</span> Private law school in San Francisco, California

San Francisco Law School is a private, for-profit law school in San Francisco, California. Founded in 1909, it is the oldest evening law school in the Western United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nashville School of Law</span> American law school

Nashville School of Law, is a private law school founded in 1911. The school's students attend classes at night on a part-time basis.

The University of Idaho College of Law is the law school of the University of Idaho. Its main location is in Moscow, and a second campus is in the state capital of Boise. As of the entering class of 2017–18, students may take all three years of instruction at either location. The UI College of Law was established in 1909, has been a member of the Association of American Law Schools since 1914, and has been accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA) since 1925. In the 2023 rankings, U.S. News & World Report ranked Idaho Law at #142 of ABA-accredited law schools in its annual law school rankings.

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

The Texas Tech University School of Law is an ABA-accredited law school located on the campus of Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas. The school offers three academic centers, ten dual-degree programs, a nationally recognized legal writing program, and a competitive advocacy program that has earned 45 national and international championships. Additionally, third-year law students may participate in one of the school's eight clinical programs, which allow students to gain real-world experience while providing free legal representation to low-income individuals. The school focuses on forming practical lawyers who are ready to practice law upon graduation. The student population is approximately 60.4% male and 39.6% female.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Massachusetts School of Law</span> Law School in Massachusetts, USA

The Massachusetts School of Law (MSLAW) is a private law school in Andover, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1988 and claims that its design and curriculum were influenced by the medical school educational model and legal scholars. Although it is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education, it is not accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas R. Kline School of Law</span> Law school of Drexel University

The Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law is the law school of Drexel University, a private research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Established in 2006, it offers Juris Doctor, LLM and Master of Legal Studies degrees and provides for its students to take part in a cooperative education program.

Purdue Global Law School, is an online law school based in Los Angeles, California. It is one of several schools within Purdue University Global. Established in 1998, Purdue Global Law was the United States' first fully online law school. The school is approved by the State Bar of California, but it is not accredited by the American Bar Association, making graduates ineligible to take the bar exam in most states other than California.

Regent University School of Law is the law school of Regent University, a private Christian university in Virginia Beach, Virginia. It was founded in 1986 and accredited by the American Bar Association in 1996.

Charlotte School of Law was an independent for-profit college in Charlotte, North Carolina, established in 2006. It was provisionally accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA) in 2008, and fully accredited in 2011. However, the ABA placed the school on probation in 2016, resulting in the school's closure the following year. While Charlotte Law served the community through expungement programs and restitution self-help clinics, it was also criticized for alleged mismanagement and compliance issues, which were later found to be true. Charlotte Law was owned by the InfiLaw System.

The University of La Verne College of Law is the law school of the University of La Verne, a private university in Ontario, California. It was founded in 1970 and is approved by the State Bar of California, but is not accredited by the ABA.

The University of North Texas at Dallas College of Law (UNT Dallas College of Law) is a law school institution accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA). It is located at 106 S. Harwood St. in the UNT Dallas Law Center. The parent institution is University of North Texas at Dallas (UNTD) and is the only public law school in Dallas. The first class entered in the fall of 2014. The school was originally housed in the historic Titche-Goettinger Building in downtown Dallas.

The St. Francis School of Law is an online law school based in Newport Beach, California, founded in 2011. Upon completion of the four year part-time program, students earn a Juris Doctor degree (J.D.). The program utilizes live online classes taught by professors with legal practice experience. It is registered as a distance learning law school with the State Bar of California. The school was purchased by Baker College in 2013.

References

  1. ↑ "Belmont University College of Law". usnews.com. Retrieved May 13, 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 "Belmont law program receives accreditation". Nashville Business Journal. Retrieved August 19, 2019.
  3. 1 2 "Belmont University announces College of Law". The National Jurist. October 19, 2009. Archived from the original on December 1, 2020. Retrieved September 7, 2019.
  4. ↑ "School Detail Information". Law School Admission Council. Retrieved May 6, 2019.
  5. 1 2 3 "Legal Insight 2017". Newsweek. 2017. Archived from the original on April 12, 2017. Retrieved September 7, 2019.
  6. ↑ "Belmont launching joint JD/MBA". Nashville Post. April 10, 2017. Archived from the original on June 20, 2017. Retrieved September 7, 2019.
  7. ↑ "Belmont law building earns LEED Gold". Nashville Post. October 31, 2012. Retrieved August 19, 2019.
  8. ↑ "School Detail Information". officialguide.lsac.org. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  9. ↑ "Law Moot Court Wins National Emory Civil Rights and Liberties Competition". www.belmont.edu. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
  10. ↑ "Moot Court Team Advances to National Finals | Belmont University News & Media". February 28, 2017. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
  11. ↑ "Belmont Law Moot Court Teams Place in ABA Appellate Advocacy Competition | Belmont University News & Media". March 23, 2022. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
  12. ↑ "College of Law Moot Court Team Named National Champion at Tournament | Belmont University News & Media". October 22, 2018. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
  13. ↑ "Belmont Law Review". Belmont Law Review. Retrieved September 8, 2019.
  14. ↑ "Belmont Criminal Law Journal". www.belmontcriminallaw.com. Retrieved September 8, 2019.
  15. ↑ "Belmont Health Law Journal". www.belmonthealthlaw.com. Retrieved September 8, 2019.
  16. ↑ "Belmont Criminal Law Journal". www.belmontcriminallaw.com. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
  17. ↑ "Belmont Entertainment Law Journal". www.belmontentertainmentlaw.com. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
  18. ↑ "Belmont Health Law Journal". www.belmonthealthlaw.com. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
  19. ↑ "Of Note: 17 May 2019". Nashville Post. May 17, 2019. Retrieved August 19, 2019.
  20. 1 2 Hefner, April (May 16, 2019). "College of Law Announces Record Employment Rate for Class of 2018". Belmont University News & Media. Retrieved October 17, 2019.
  21. ↑ "Belmont University". Law School Transparency. Retrieved August 19, 2019.
  22. ↑ "July 2019 UBE TN School Statistics" (PDF). Tennessee Board of Law Examiners. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 17, 2019.
  23. ↑ "Belmont tops in bar passage". Nashville Post. Retrieved October 17, 2019.
  24. ↑ "Notes: Vanderbilt, Belmont top bar exam result". Nashville Post. October 8, 2018. Retrieved August 19, 2019.
  25. ↑ Zaretsky, Staci (October 3, 2019). "The Top 50 Law Schools By First-Time Bar Exam Pass Rates (2018)". Above the Law. Retrieved October 17, 2019.
  26. ↑ Kinsler, Jeff (August 24, 2018). "The Secret to 85% First-Time Bar Passage Rates". North Carolina Central Law Review. 40 (1): 92–121. SSRN   3232216 – via SSRN.
  27. ↑ Joslin, Stacey (October 10, 2023). "What schools have the best first-time bar passage rate?". Tennessee Bar Association . Retrieved December 15, 2023.
  28. ↑ Tennessee Board of Law Examiners. "July 2024 School Statistics - Re-Exam" (PDF).
  29. ↑ Tennessee Board of Law Examiners. "JULY 2023 School Statistics - Re-examination" (PDF).
  30. ↑ Tennessee Board of Law Examiners. "All Schools: Re-Exam Statistics July 2022 Exam" (PDF).
  31. ↑ Tennessee Board of Law Examiners. "School Statistics - Re-Exam Statistics* July 2021 Exam" (PDF).
  32. ↑ Tennessee Board of Law Examiners. "School Statistics - Re-Exam July 2020 Applicants OCTOBER ASSESSMENT" (PDF).
  33. ↑ Tennessee Board of Law Examiners. "July 2019 UBE TN School Statistics - Retakes" (PDF).
  34. ↑ American Bar Association. "Bar Passage Data Ultimate (Graduation Year)".
  35. ↑ American Bar Association. "Bar Passage Data Ultimate (Graduation Year)".
  36. ↑ "Law School Overview". U.S. News & World Report.
  37. ↑ "BELMONT UNIVERSITY - 2018 Standard 509 Information Report" (PDF). American Bar Association Standard Disclosures. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 17, 2019.
  38. ↑ "Belmont University". Public Legal. Archived from the original on September 26, 2020. Retrieved September 11, 2019.

36°08′04″N86°47′33″W / 36.13442°N 86.79257°W / 36.13442; -86.79257

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.