School of Law

Santa Clara University, School of Law History

Santa Clara University School of Law was established in 1912 and is a private institution. The 104-acre campus is in a suburban area less than 1 mile west of San Jose and 45 miles south of San Francisco. The primary mission of the law school is wholly consistent with the Jesuit purpose in professional education: to train men and women of competence, conscience, and compassion. Students have access to federal, state, county, city, and local agencies, courts, correctional facilities, law firms, and legal aid organizations in the Santa Clara area. The area is widely known as Silicon Valley. Local law firms have specialties that serve the needs of the high-tech industry and advise the school. Facilities of special interest to law students are Heafey Law Library; Bergin Hall faculty office building; Bannan Hall, which houses classrooms and the law student lounge; Katherine and George Alexander Community Law Center; Loyal Hall, which houses the Law Career Center, Legal Research and Writing Faculty, Law Review, Northern California Innocence Project, Center for Public Interest and Social Justice, Center for Global Law and Policy, and High Tech Law Institute. Housing for students is limited on campus to 20 2- or 3-person apartments and 20 studio apartments; housing of all types is readily available off campus. About 97% of the law school facilities are accessible to the physically disabled.

Santa Clara University, School of Law Academics

In addition to the J.D., the law school offers the LL.M. U.S. law and for foreign lawyers, intellectual property, international and comparative law. Students may take relevant courses in other programs and apply credit toward the J.D.; a maximum of 12 credits may be applied. The following joint degrees may be earned: J.D./M.B.A. (Juris Doctor/Master of Business Administration).

The School of Law offers concentrations in corporate law, criminal law, environmental law, intellectual property law, international law, litigation, tax law, high tech law, and public interest law. In addition, through the on-campus Law Clinic Office, upper-division students practice law under the supervision of faculty. Students participate in all phases of a case, from the initial client interview through trial and may receive 3 to 6 units. The focus of the Criminal Law Clinic is the Northern California Innocence Project. Fifteen to 20 seminars are offered each year in areas such as social justice and public interest law, sports law, drug abuse law, high technology and intellectual property, and international law. Internships are in high-tech, civil practice and the criminal justice system. Judicial externships are offered with the California Supreme Court and other state and federal courts. Faculty members engage students as research assistants for a variety of projects. During the academic year, students have access to the courts and legal community of the San Francisco Bay Area. The voluntary Pro Bono Project matches students and alumni for work on pro bono cases. The school hosts lectures on topics ranging from intellectual property issues to current events in international law. The Institute of International and Comparative Law sponsors Summer Law study-abroad programs in Strasbourg, France; Geneva, Switzerland; Oxford, England; Hong Kong; Singapore; Seoul, Korea; Tokyo, Japan; Munich, Germany; Istanbul, Turkey; Sydney, Australia; The Hague, Netherlands; San Jose, Costa Rica; Vienna, Bratislava, and Budapest. In addition, students have an opportunity to spend a semester abroad at 1 of 14 universities in 5 countries. The Academic Success Program offers personal and tutorial support to students identified through the admission process as needing academic support, and students recommended by their first-year instructors. Tutorial support emphasizes legal analysis and uses the writing of briefs, outlines, and exams to develop this skill. The Assistant Dean for Admissions and Financial Aid acts as a mentor to students of color. The minority alumni network actively supports current students. Students may earn a certificate in public interest law by taking 14 units, plus a unit of Public Interest Seminar, and completing a practicum. Certificates are also offered in international law and high-technology law with varying requirements. The most widely taken electives are Wills and Trusts, Patents, and International Law.

To earn the J.D., candidates must complete 86 total credits, of which 42 are for required courses. They must maintain a minimum GPA of 2.33 in the required courses. The following first-year courses are required of all students: Constitutional Law I, Contracts, Criminal Law, Legal Research and Writing, Pleading and Civil Procedure, Property, and Torts. Required upper-level courses consist of Advocacy, Constitutional Law II, Evidence, and The Legal Profession. The required orientation program for first-year students is a 3-day introduction to the study of law.

In order to graduate, candidates must have a GPA of 2.33, have completed the upper-division writing requirement, and have completed 86 semester units and the required course of study.

Santa Clara University, School of Law Unique Programs

Library

The law library contains 369,154 hard-copy volumes and 1,110,627 microform volume equivalents, and subscribes to 4406 serial publications. Such on-line databases and networks as CALI, CIS Universe, DIALOG, Dow-Jones, Infotrac, Legal-Trac, LEXIS, LOIS, NEXIS, OCLC First Search, RLIN, WESTLAW, Wilsonline Indexes, Link+, Indexmaster, Hein Online, CIAO, CCH Internet Research JSTOR, UN Readex Bureau of National Affairs, BE Press, BNA’s Core Package, Daily Journal Online, ILP, Oxford University Press, Vault, Westpack, and other databases available through the university’s main library are available to law students for research. Special library collections include the proceedings of the House Judiciary Committee on the Watergate Hearings. Recently, the library remodeled reference desk and offices, and upgraded laboratory computers. The ratio of library volumes to faculty is 8203 to 1 and to students is 391 to 1. The ratio of seats in the library to students is 1 to 2.

Special Consideration

The law school recruits minority and disadvantaged students by means of ethnic student organizations that advise the faculty admissions committee and by providing substantial financial assistance. Requirements are not different for out-of-state students. Transfer students must have one year of credit, have attended an ABA-approved law school, and have a letter of good standing from their prior school.

Santa Clara University, School of Law Admissions

In the fall 2007 first-year class, 3717 applied, 1888 were accepted, and 326 enrolled. Twenty-seven transfers enrolled. The median LSAT percentile of the most recent first-year class was 78; the median GPA was 3.36 on a scale of 4.0. The lowest LSAT percentile accepted was 40; the highest was 99.

Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree and take the LSAT. The most important admission factors include LSAT results, undergraduate curriculum, and GPA. No specific undergraduate courses are required. Candidates are not interviewed.

The application deadline for fall entry is February 1. Applicants should submit an application form, LSAT results, transcripts, a nonrefundable application fee of $75, and letters of recommendation are optional. Notification of the admissions decision is January through May. The latest acceptable LSAT test date for fall entry is February. The law school uses the LSDAS.

Santa Clara University, School of Law Financial Aid

About 76% of current law students receive some form of aid. The average annual amount of aid from all sources combined, including scholarships, loans, and work contracts, is $38,474; maximum, $54,828. Awards are based on need and merit. Required financial statement is the FAFSA. The aid application deadline for fall entry is February 1. Special funds for minority or disadvantaged students consist of the Law Faculty Scholarship and Diversity Scholarship. First-year students are notified about their financial aid application at the time of acceptance for scholarships; other aid decisions are made known upon completion of financial aid applications.

Santa Clara University, School of Law Students

About 49% of the student body are women; 42%, minorities; 4%, African American; 27%, Asian American; and 9%, Hispanic. The majority of students come from California (88%). The average age of entering students is 26; age range is 17 to 60. About 12% drop out after the first year for academic or personal reasons; 95% remain to receive a law degree.

Students edit the Santa Clara Law Review, Computer and High Technology Law Journal, and the Santa Clara Journal of International Law. The student newspaper is The Advocate. Moot court competitions include the Jessup International Moot Court, Traynor Moot Court, and the Giles Rich Moot Court. Other competitions include ABA Client Counseling Competition, ABA National Trial Competition, and the Negotiation Competition. Student organizations, local chapters of national associations, and campus organizations include Intellectual Property Association, Public Interest Coalition, International Law Society, Phi Alpha Delta, Phi Delta Phi, Amnesty International, ACLU, Student Bar Association, BALSA, and Women in Law.

The law school operates on a traditional semester basis. Courses for full-time and part-timestudents are offered both day and evening and must be completed within 5 years. New full- and part-time students are admitted in the fall. There is a 7 1/2- 8-week summer session. Transferable summer courses are offered.