School of Law

Saint Louis University-Main Campus, School of Law History

Saint Louis University School of Law was established in 1843 and is a private institution. The 300-acre campus is in an urban area within St. Louis. The primary mission of the law school is to advance the understanding and the development of law, and prepare students to achieve professional success and personal satisfaction through leadership and service to others. The School of Law is guided by the Jesuit tradition of academic excellence, freedom of inquiry, and respect for individual differences. Students have access to federal, state, county, city, and local agencies, courts, correctional facilities, law firms, and legal aid organizations in the St. Louis area. Housing for students consists of off-campus housing, which is readily available and affordable. All law school facilities are accessible to the physically disabled.

Saint Louis University-Main Campus, School of Law Academics

In addition to the J.D., the law school offers the LL.M. and LL.M. in Health Law and the LL.M. for Foreign Lawyers. Students may take relevant courses in other programs and apply credit toward the J.D.; a maximum of 6 credits may be applied. The following joint degrees may be earned: (Others are available through the graduate school.), J.D./ Ph.D (Juris Doctor/ Ph.D. in health core ethics), J.D./M.A. (Juris Doctor/Master of Arts in public administration), J.D./M.A. (Juris Doctor/Master of Arts in urban affairs), J.D./M.B.A. (Juris Doctor/Master of Business Administration), J.D./M.H.A. (Juris Doctor/Master of Health Care Administration), and J.D./M.P.H. (Juris Doctor/Master of Public Health).

The School of Law offers concentrations in corporate law, criminal law, environmental law, international law, labor law, litigation, tax law, and health law. In addition, clinical training includes the Civil Clinic, and Criminal Clinic, and Judicial Process Clinic. An average of 10 seminars are offered each semester. Internships are available through clinical programs. Special lecture series include the Melvin Dubinsky Visiting Lecture, the Richard Childress Memorial Lecture Series, the Terence K. McCormack Memorial Lecture, the Sanford Sarasohn Memorial Lecture, and the James Millstone Lecture. Summer study abroad is available in Brussels, Belgium, in Bochum, Germany, and in Madrid, Spain. All students are offered an academic support adviser, and have access to the Office of Academic Support. The Summer Institute includes students with some educational disadvantage such as students with English as a second language or those with a learning disability. There is also a Minority Clerkship Program. Special interest group programs include the William C. Wefel Center for Employment Law, the Center for Health Law Studies, and the Center for International and Comparative Law. The most widely taken electives are Health Law, Employment Law/Business, and International Law.

To earn the J.D., candidates must complete 91 total credits, of which 37 are for required courses. They must maintain a minimum GPA of 2.0 in the required courses. The following first-year courses are required of all students: Civil Procedure I and II, Constitutional Law I, Contracts I and II, Criminal Law, Legal Research and Writing I and II, Property, and Torts. Required upper-level courses consist of a humanistic requirement, a seminar, and Legal Profession (Professional Ethics). The required orientation program for first-year students is 2 days.

In order to graduate, candidates must have a GPA of 2.0.

Saint Louis University-Main Campus, School of Law Unique Programs

Library

The law library contains 654,307 hard-copy volumes and 262,095 microform volume equivalents, and subscribes to 3637 serial publications. Such on-line databases and networks as CALI, CIS Universe, DIALOG, Infotrac, Legal-Trac, LEXIS, LOIS, NEXIS, OCLC First Search, WESTLAW, and Wilsonline Indexes are available to law students for research. Special library collections include the Leonor K. Sullivan Congressional Papers, the Leo C. Brown Arbitration Papers, the Irish Law Collection, the Jewish Law Collection, the Polish Law Collection, and all areas of health law. Recently, the library installed wireless network and additional group and individual study rooms. The ratio of library volumes to faculty is 15,959 to 1 and to students is 680 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 actively through the Special Admission Summer Institute, scholarships for diversity, active Black Law Students Association and Latin American Society, the Minority Clerkship Program, and by recruiting at colleges and universities throughout the United States. 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 rank in the top third of the law class.

Saint Louis University-Main Campus, School of Law Admissions

In the fall 2007 first-year class, 2149 applied, 1082 were accepted, and 332 enrolled. Five transfers enrolled. The median LSAT percentile of the most recent first-year class was 68; the median GPA was 3.5 on a scale of 4.0. The lowest LSAT percentile accepted was 17; the highest was 99.

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

The application deadline for fall entry is March 1. Applicants should submit an application form, LSAT results, transcripts, TOEFL where applicable, a nonrefundable application fee of $50, and 2 letters of recommendation. Accepted students must pay a $150 deposit to reserve a place and a $300 final deposit to confirm attendance. Notification of the admissions decision is on a rolling basis. The latest acceptable LSAT test date for fall entry is February. The law school uses the LSDAS.

Saint Louis University-Main Campus, School of Law Financial Aid

About 93% of current law students receive some form of aid. The maximum annual amount of aid from all sources combined, including scholarships, loans, and work contracts, is $50,790. Awards are based on need and merit. Required financial statements are the FAFSA and Financial Aid Award Letter. The aid application deadline for fall entry is March 1. Special funds for minority or disadvantaged students include scholarships and grants up to full tuition. First-year students are notified about their financial aid application at time of acceptance.

Saint Louis University-Main Campus, School of Law Students

About 50% of the student body are women; 14%, minorities; 6%, African American; 5%, Asian American; 2%, Hispanic; and 1%, Native American. The majority of students come from the Midwest (69%). The average age of entering students is 25; age range is 20 to 55. About 50% of students enter directly from undergraduate school and 50% have worked full-time prior to entering law school. About 5% drop out after the first year for academic or personal reasons; 87% remain to receive a law degree.

Students edit the Saint Louis University Law Journal, Public Law Review, and Journal of Health Law. Students may participate in the Jessup International Moot Court Program, National Health Law Moot Court Competition, and Intellectual Property Moot Court Competitions. Other competitions include the Client Counseling Competition. Law student organizations, local chapters of national associations, and campus organizations include Public Interest Law Group, Black Law Students Association, Latin American Law Students Association, Phi Alpha Delta, Delta Theta Phi, Phi Delta Phi, and ABA-Student Division.

The law school operates on a traditional semester basis. Courses for full-time students are offered both day and evening and must be completed within 3 years. For part-time students, courses are offered both day and evening and must be completed within 5 years (4-year plan includes summer). New full- and part-time students are admitted in the fall. There is an 8-week summer session. Transferable summer courses are offered.