Vermont Law School

Last updated
Vermont Law School
VermontLawSchoolSeal.gif
MottoLex pro urbe et orbe ("Law for the Community and the World")
Established1972
School type Private law school
Dean Beth McCormack, Interim President and Dean
Location South Royalton, Vermont, United States
43°49′18″N72°31′16″W / 43.8218°N 72.5210°W / 43.8218; -72.5210 Coordinates: 43°49′18″N72°31′16″W / 43.8218°N 72.5210°W / 43.8218; -72.5210
Enrollment464 (J.D.) [1]
Faculty109
USNWR ranking142nd (2023) [2]
Bar pass rate45.76% (2019) [3]
Website www.vermontlaw.edu/

Vermont Law School (VLS) is a private law school in South Royalton, Vermont. 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 Vermont Law 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. [4]

Contents

History

Debevoise Hall Vermont Law School 03.jpg
Debevoise Hall

Vermont Law School was founded in 1972 by Anthony Doria and held its first classes in the summer of 1973 with 113 students in what was then known as the old South Royalton schoolhouse. In December 1973, VLS was certified by the Vermont State Board of Education as an institution of higher learning. Doria resigned as dean of the school in 1974, after it emerged that he had been convicted of embezzlement by a Pennsylvania court in 1958, though the charges were later vacated. [5] Provisional ABA approval came in February 1975, and a full complement of classes were offered in the fall of 1975. The Law School's charter class graduated in spring 1976. Full approval by the ABA came in 1978, and the Law School was accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) in 1980. VLS became a member of the Association of American Law Schools (AALS) in 1981. [6] In 2019, the Law School controversially stripped tenure from 75% of its faculty, citing financial exigencies. [7]

Solomon Amendment

Vermont Law School was one of two law schools in the U.S. to decline to receive federal funding under the Solomon Amendment. That statute passed by Congress required colleges and universities to allow military recruitment on campus or risk losing federal funding. [8] The school is also part of FAIR Forum for Academic and Institutional Rights, a consortium of 38 law schools and law faculties that challenged the Solomon Amendment in Rumsfeld v. FAIR , and lost. Following the repeal of 'Don't Ask Don't Tell' in 2011, the school has allowed military recruitment on campus.

Academics

As well as the Juris Doctor (JD), the Law School offers several degrees and joint-degrees, as well as degrees with other universities. Degrees include Master of Laws (LLM) in Environmental Law, Master of Laws (LLM) in American Legal Studies, Master of Laws (LLM) in Food and Agriculture Law, and Master of Laws (LLM) in Energy Law; Master of Environmental Law and Policy (MELP), Master of Energy Regulation and Law (MERL), and Master of Food and Agriculture Law and Policy (MFALP). Vermont Law School also offers an Accelerated Juris Doctor program that allows JD students to graduate in just two years (as opposed to the traditional three-year JD program), through the completion of two full-time academic semesters during the summer. [9]

The Law School has partnered with different domestic and international universities to offer dual-degree programs. Domestic schools include: Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies (JD/Master of Environmental Management), Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth (MELP/Master of Business Administration), the University of Vermont Rubenstein School of Natural Resources (MELP/Master of Science in Natural Resources), Thunderbird School of Global Management (JD/Masters of Business Administration), the University of South Carolina (MELP/JD), University of South Dakota (MELP/JD), and Northeastern University School of Law (MELP/JD). International universities include the University of Cambridge (JD/master of philosophy), Cergy-Pontoise University (France), and the University of Seville (Spain).

Julien and Virginia Cornell Library

The Julien and Virginia Cornell Library opened in 1991. [10] The library contains over 250,000 print volumes, including primary and secondary legal materials focusing on state, national, and international law. [11] The library also possesses a collection of microforms including congressional documents, state session laws, and briefs. The library's electronic collection includes access to LexisNexis and Westlaw and other online gateways and databases, as well as a large catalog of full-text electronic journals and books and databases offering primary legal materials.

Vermont Law School maintains "an extensive interdisciplinary environmental collection, including journals, monographs, electronic resources, and other material related to the study of the environment and environmental law and policy." [12]

Campus

Abbott House Vermont Law School 05.jpg
Abbott House
Center for Legal Services and campus bookstore Vermont Law School 08.jpg
Center for Legal Services and campus bookstore

Vermont Law School's 13-acre (5.3 ha) campus is located in South Royalton in central Vermont. The campus is set just above the broad banks of the White River.

The oldest and centermost classroom building on the campus is Debevoise Hall, the town's original schoolhouse, built in 1892. In 2005 the former town schoolhouse (the original Law School building in 1973) was renovated and renamed after one of the first deans of the Law School, Thomas M. Debevoise. Practicing what it preaches, the Law School emphasized environmental concerns in the renovation, as well as historical preservation and design efficiency. Debevoise Hall was the only LEED Silver Certified renovation building project in the state of Vermont. [13] Debevoise Hall continues to serve as classroom space and now also houses administration offices, the Environmental Law Center, and the Yates Common Room. [6]

The James L. and Evelena S. Oakes Hall building was constructed and dedicated in 1998. Oakes Hall incorporates "green building" techniques along with the latest classroom technology. [10]

Jonathon Chase, the late former dean of the Law School, liked to joke that South Royalton was the only town in America "with a law school and no stop light." Vermont Law School holds the distinction of being the law school farthest from a traffic light, at 27 miles (43 km). [14] As of January 2021, South Royalton does not have a stoplight.

In January 2020, VLS opened a new satellite office in Burlington, which hosts the school's immigration law clinic and additional admissions office. [15]

Centers, institutes, clinics, and programs

Law centers and research institutes

Clinics and experiential programs

Employment

According to Vermont Law School's official 2018 ABA-required disclosures, 61.5% of the Class of 2018 obtained full-time, long-term, JD-required employment nine months after graduation. [4] Vermont Law School's Law School Transparency under-employment score is 29%, indicating the percentage of the Class of 2013 unemployed, pursuing an additional degree, or working in a non-professional, short-term, or part-time job nine months after graduation. [26]

Tuition and financial aid

JD tuition for 2018-19 is $48,254. [27] 67.4% percent of students receive some sort of scholarship. [1]

Publications

Vermont Law School students publish two legal journals, the Vermont Law Review and the Vermont Journal of Environmental Law , on a regular basis several times a year in print and online. In addition to regular publication, both journals sponsor annual symposia.

Notable faculty and administrators

Notable alumni

See also

Related Research Articles

Columbia Law School Private law school in New York City

Columbia Law School is the law school of Columbia University, a private Ivy League university in New York City. Columbia Law is widely regarded as one of the most prestigious law schools in the world and has always ranked in the top five law schools in the United States by U.S. News and World Report. Columbia Law is especially well known for its strength in corporate law and its placement power in the nation's elite law firms.

Cornell Law School Law school of Cornell University

Cornell Law School is the law school of Cornell University, a private Ivy League university in Ithaca, New York. One of the five Ivy League law schools, it offers four law degree programs, JD, LLM, MSLS and JSD, along with several dual-degree programs in conjunction with other professional schools at the university. Established in 1887 as Cornell's Department of Law, the school today is one of the smallest top-tier JD-conferring institutions in the country, with around 200 students graduating each year. Cornell Law School has consistently ranked within the top tier of American legal institutions, known as the T14.

Boston University School of Law is the law school of Boston University, a private research university in Boston, Massachusetts. It is consistently ranked among the top law schools in the United States and considered an elite American graduate legal institution.

New York University School of Law Law school of New York University in Manhattan, New York City

New York University School of Law is the law school of New York University, a private research university in New York City. Established in 1835, it is the oldest law school in New York City and the oldest surviving law school in New York State. Located in Greenwich Village in Lower Manhattan, NYU Law offers J.D., LL.M., and J.S.D. degrees in law.

University of Connecticut School of Law Law school of the University of Connecticut

The University of Connecticut School of Law is the law school associated with the University of Connecticut and located in Hartford, Connecticut. It is the only public law school in Connecticut and one of only four in New England. In 2020 it enrolled 488 JD students.

University of New Hampshire School of Law

The University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law is a public law school in Concord, New Hampshire, associated with the University of New Hampshire. It is the only law school in the state and was founded in 1973 by Robert H. Rines as the Franklin Pierce Law Center, named after the 14th President of the United States and New Hampshire native. The school is particularly well known for its Intellectual Property Law program.

University of Maine School of Law

The University of Maine School of Law is public law school in Portland, Maine. It is accredited by the American Bar Association and Maine's only law school. It is also part of the University of Maine System. The school's current dean is Leigh Saufley, who assumed the post in 2020. Since 1972, the School of Law has been located in the University of Maine School of Law Building, which is adjacent to the University of Southern Maine's Portland campus.

Lewis & Clark Law School

The Northwestern School of Law of Lewis and Clark College, is an American Bar Association-approved private law school in Portland, Oregon.

University of Tulsa College of Law

The University of Tulsa College of Law is the law school of the private University of Tulsa in Tulsa, Oklahoma. For 2021, U.S. News & World Report ranked the University of Tulsa College of Law at #111 among all law schools in the United States. It is the only law school in the Tulsa Metropolitan Area and northeastern Oklahoma.

Elon University School of Law is an American law school located in Greensboro, North Carolina, occupying the former downtown public library building. Established in 2006, Elon Law is one of nine graduate programs offered by Elon University. It earned full accreditation from the American Bar Association in 2011.

The DePaul University College of Law is the professional graduate law school of DePaul University in Chicago. The College of Law’s facilities encompass nine floors across two buildings, with features such as the Vincent G. Rinn Law Library and Leonard M. Ring Courtroom. The law school is located within two blocks of state and federal courts, as well as numerous law firms, corporations and government agencies.

Washington University School of Law Law school in Saint Louis

Washington University in St. Louis School of Law (WashULaw) is the law school of Washington University in St. Louis, a private university in St. Louis, Missouri. WashULaw has consistently ranked among the top law schools in the country; it is currently ranked 16th among the 196 American Bar Association-approved law schools by U.S. News & World Report and 9th in the country by AboveTheLaw.com. Prominent alumni include numerous U.S. senators, congressmen, governors, cabinet members, federal and state judges, businessmen, and scholars. Founded in 1867, WashULaw is the oldest continuously operating law school west of the Mississippi River. The law school was originally located in downtown St. Louis but relocated in 1904 to the Danforth Campus of Washington University in St. Louis.

Sterry R. Waterman American judge

Sterry Robinson Waterman was a Vermont lawyer and a United States Circuit Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.

Pepperdine University School of Law Law school in Malibu, California

The Pepperdine University Rick J. Caruso School of Law is the professional law school of Pepperdine University located in Malibu, California.

A Master of Studies in Law (M.S.L.), also Master of Science of Law or Master of Legal Studies (M.L.S.) or Juris Master (J.M.) or Masters of Jurisprudence (M.J.) or Master in Law (M.L.), is a master's degree offered by some law schools to students who wish to study the law but do not want to become attorneys. M.S.L. programs typically last one academic year and put students through a similar regimen as first-year Juris Doctor (J.D.) students but may allow for further specialization. Despite having similar names, an M.S.L. is distinct from a Master of Laws (LL.M.), which is a postgraduate law degree.

University of Windsor Faculty of Law

The Faculty of Law is a faculty of the University of Windsor in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. The first class of students matriculated in 1968, and the current building was opened in 1970. The Faculty has grown immensely over the past 50 years, increasing its national profile through its innovations in research and from thousands of alumni across Canada and the world. The 2017 endowment to the Faculty of Law was $10.2 million. The Faculty is also the current academic host institution of the Canadian Bar Review (CBR), the most frequently cited journal by the Supreme Court of Canada. In 2018, the Faculty of Law was ranked the 5th best law school in Canada by Canadian Universities magazine.

University of Missouri School of Law

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.

Indiana University Maurer School of Law

The Indiana University Maurer School of Law is located on the campus of Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana. The school is named after Michael S. "Mickey" Maurer, an Indianapolis businessman and 1967 alumnus who donated $35 million in 2008. From its founding in 1842 until Maurer's donation, the school was known as the Indiana University School of Law – Bloomington.

Penn State Law Law school in University Park, Pa.

Penn State Law, located in University Park, Pennsylvania, is one of two separately accredited law schools of the Pennsylvania State University. Penn State Law offers J.D., LL.M., and S.J.D. degrees. The school also offers a joint J.D./M.B.A. with the Smeal College of Business, a joint J.D./M.I.A. degree with the School of International Affairs, which is also located in the Lewis Katz Building, as well as joint degrees with other graduate programs at Penn State.

Molly Gray American politician (born 1984)

Molly Rose Gray is an American attorney and politician serving as the 83rd and current lieutenant governor of Vermont. A member of the Democratic Party, she was an assistant attorney general for Vermont from 2018 to 2021.

References

  1. 1 2 "Vermont Law School ABA §509 Disclosures" (PDF). Vermont Law School. Retrieved 28 Feb 2020.
  2. "Vermont Law School". U.S. News & World Report – Best Law Schools. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
  3. "VLS Bar Passage Data" (PDF). Vermont Law School. Retrieved 28 Feb 2020.
  4. 1 2 "Employment Statistics" . Retrieved 2020-01-26.
  5. "Warped Sense of Issues". Rutland Herald . August 4, 1980. Retrieved April 25, 2022.
  6. 1 2 Vermont Law School (2009). "Vermont Law School – History and Mission" . Retrieved 2009-04-27.
  7. "AAUP investigation finds Vermont Law School violated shared governance when it stripped tenure from most faculty". www.insidehighered.com. Retrieved 2019-05-16.
  8. Zezima, Katie (2008-06-29). "Law School Pays the Price in 'Don't Ask' Rule Protest, New York Times". The New York Times. Retrieved 2009-04-28.
  9. "Accelerated Juris Doctor (AJD) | Vermont Law School". www.vermontlaw.edu. Retrieved 2021-01-31.
  10. 1 2 "Id".
  11. School, Vermont. "Vermont Law School". Vermont Law School. Retrieved 2015-06-07.
  12. Library Information (2008). "Information about Julien and Virginia Library: Collections". Archived from the original (webpage) on 2007-12-22. Retrieved 2008-04-04.
  13. "U.S. Green Building Council" . Retrieved 2015-06-07.
  14. Nemethy, Andrew (The New York Times) (1988-05-15). "Off the Beaten Track to Study Law – The New York Times" . Retrieved 2009-04-27.
  15. "Burlington Office | Vermont Law School". www.vermontlaw.edu. Retrieved 2021-01-31.
  16. "Dworkin's Leadership at VLS Wins National Recognition". The Herald of Randolph. 2008-12-04.
  17. The Associated Press (2010-04-05). "Vermont Law School gets $450K for smart grid study". BusinessWeek.
  18. "Environmental Advocacy Clinic | Vermont Law School". www.vermontlaw.edu. Retrieved 2021-01-31.
  19. "Vermont Law School Selected by National Wildlife Federation to Partner on Environmental Advocacy Clinic | Vermont Law School". www.vermontlaw.edu. Retrieved 2021-01-31.
  20. "Environmental Justice Clinic | Vermont Law School". www.vermontlaw.edu. Retrieved 2021-01-31.
  21. "Energy Clinic | Vermont Law School". www.vermontlaw.edu. Retrieved 2021-01-31.
  22. "Food and Agriculture Clinic | Vermont Law School". www.vermontlaw.edu. Retrieved 2021-01-31.
  23. "South Royalton Legal Clinic | Vermont Law School". www.vermontlaw.edu. Retrieved 2021-01-31.
  24. "Legislative Clinic | Vermont Law School". www.vermontlaw.edu. Retrieved 2021-01-31.
  25. "Vermont Law School Announces New Location and Expanded Access to Legal Services in Burlington | Vermont Law School". www.vermontlaw.edu. Retrieved 2021-01-31.
  26. "Unemployment Score".
  27. "VLS Tuition & Financial Aid". Vermont Law School. Retrieved 28 Feb 2020.
  28. "Deborah \Arnie\ Arnesen". Harvard University Institute of Politics. Retrieved February 2, 2013.
  29. "Sarah E. Buxton's BIOGRAPHY". Project Vote Smart. Retrieved June 14, 2013.
  30. "Biography, Honorable Karen R. Carroll". Vermont Court System. Montpelier, VT: Vermont Judiciary. 2017.
  31. Jensen, Lori (October 25, 2019). "Speaker Biography, William D. Cohen". VTACDL Fall Continuing Legal Education. Essex Junction, VT: Vermont Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.
  32. "Shumlin taps Judge Harold Eaton for high court". Washington Times. Retrieved January 12, 2015.
  33. "vincent 'vince' illuzzi's biography". Project Vote Smart. Retrieved February 2, 2013.
  34. Elizabeth MacDonough – Vermont Law School Archived 2009-02-11 at the Wayback Machine . Vermontlaw.edu. Retrieved on 2014-04-12.
  35. Vermont Senate (2019). "Biography, Senator Dick McCormack". legislature.vermont.gov. Montpelier, VT: Vermont General Assembly. Retrieved March 14, 2020.
  36. "charles 'charley' a. murphy's biography". Project Vote Smart. Retrieved February 2, 2013.
  37. The Federal Reporter, Volume 751. Eagan, Minnesota: West Publishing. 1985. p. 104.
  38. "Vermont Law School Begins its 5th Year" . Bennington Banner. September 12, 1977. p. 3. Retrieved April 25, 2015. The president of the board of trustees, Sterry R. Waterman, senior judge for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, was also awarded the juris doctor degree. Although he had studied at three law schools prior to his long legal career and has several honorary degrees, he had not previously received the law degree.
  39. Civil Government, State of Vermont. Montpelier, VT: Vermont Secretary of State. 2005. p. 355 via Google Books.
  40. Mearhoff, Sarah; Keays, Alan J.; Weinstein, Ethan (June 22, 2022). "Phil Scott appoints former Administration Secretary Susanne Young to complete attorney general's term". VT Digger. Montpelier, VT.