School of Law

Academics

In addition to the J.D., the law school offers the LL.M. and M.S.J. 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: B.S./J.D. (Bachelor of Science/Juris Doctor), J.D./M.A.D.I.R. (Juris Doctor/Master of Arts in Diplomacy and International Relations), J.D./M.B.A. (Juris Doctor/Master of Business Administration), J.D./M.D. (Juris Doctor/Doctor of Medicine), and M.D./M.S.J. (Doctor of Medicine/Master of Science in Jurisprudence).

Students must take 13 credits in their area of concentration. The School of Law offers concentrations in intellectual property law and health law. In addition, the Center for Social Justice’s for-credit clinical programs and pro bono program allow students to engage in a legal apprenticeship with an average of 15 hours per week performing legal duties, such as interviewing and counseling clients, conferring with adversaries, taking depositions, conducting research, and participating in trials. Students acquire the practical skills, knowledge, and experience that both train them and make them more attractive to prospective employers. Students may apply to the particular clinic they seek to join. The clinical programs include the Civil Litigation Clinic, Family Law Clinic, Immigration and Human Rights Clinic, Impact Litigation Clinic, and the Pro Bono Program. There is a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.6 with certain course prerequisites. Students are encouraged to enroll in at least 1 or 2 seminars or small group courses in subjects that interest them. The Advanced Writing Requirement is a required seminar course to meet graduation standards and is 2 to 3 credits per course. Elective seminars include Drafting, Simulation, and Skills courses, offered for 2 to 4 credits each. Internships include judicial, not-for-profit organizations, and federal and state government. Research program opportunities, offered to second- and third-year students, include independent research, seminars, and the opportunity to serve as a faculty research assistant. The Center for Social Justice sponsors a pro bono program that places students in a variety of legal settings during all 3 years of the law school. The law school sponsors innumerable programs. Recent speakers have included Janet Reno, Scott Turow, Akhil Amar, Cornell West, Arthur Miller, Randy Barnett, Erwin Chemerinsky, and Maya Angelou. There are summer study-abroad programs in Italy, Egypt, and Ireland. Academic support services are available to students in academic difficulty. Minority programs include the Partners in Excellence (PIE) Program, which seeks to attract a diverse pool of highly talented students who will enrich the academic life of the law school, and the Legal Education Opportunities (LEO) Institute, which is intended to provide educationally disadvantaged students the opportunity to demonstrate their ability to succeed in the study of law. The most widely taken electives are Criminal Procedure, Estates and Trusts, and Commercial Law Survey.

To earn the J.D., candidates must complete 85 total credits, of which 44 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, Constitutional Law, Contracts, Criminal Law, Legal Research and Legal Writing, Property, and Torts. Required upper-level courses consist of Appellate Advocacy, Business Associations, Evidence, Federal Income Taxation, Persuasion and Advocacy, and Professional Responsibility. Students may apply to the particular clinic they seek to join. The required orientation program for first-year students is a 2-day program commencing immediately before the start of classes with activities continuing into the first week of classes.

In order to graduate, candidates must have a GPA of 2.0, have completed the upper-division writing requirement, and have completed 85 credits of academic work. Not more than 10 of these credits may be completed with a grade of F, D, or D+. No student may attempt more than 95 credits of academic work.

Admissions

Enrollment figures in the above capsule are approximate. In the fall 2007 first-year class, 3378 applied, 1499 were accepted, and 367 enrolled. Eighteen transfers enrolled. The median LSAT percentile of the most recent first-year class was 78; the median GPA was 3.45 on a scale of 4.0. The lowest LSAT percentile accepted was 44; the highest was 99.

Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree and take the LSAT. The most important admission factors include academic achievement, LSAT results, GPA, graduate education, work experience, and school or community service. No specific undergraduate courses are required. Candidates are not interviewed.

The application deadline for fall entry is April 1. Applicants should submit an application form, LSAT results, transcripts, a personal statement, TOEFL for non-English speaking applicants, a nonrefundable application fee of $65, and 2 letters of recommendation. Notification of the admissions decision is on a rolling basis typically between December and April. The latest acceptable LSAT test date for fall entry is February. The law school uses the LSDAS.

Financial Aid

About 85% 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 $33,500; maximum, $51,180. Awards are based on need and merit. Required financial statement is the FAFSA. The aid application deadline for fall entry is April 1. Special funds for minority or disadvantaged students are need-based from the law school and external sources. First-year students are notified about their financial aid application at time of acceptance.

Students

About 41% of the student body are women; 18%, minorities; 4%, African American; 8%, Asian American; 5%, Hispanic; and 2%, foreign national. The average age of entering students is 25; age range is 21 to 47. About 33% of students enter directly from undergraduate school, 11% have a graduate degree, and 66% have worked full-time prior to entering law school. About 2% drop out after the first year for academic or personal reasons; 97% remain to receive a law degree.

Students edit the Seton Hall Law Review, Journal of Sports and Entertainment Law, Seton Hall Legislative Journal, Seton Hall Circuit Review, and the newspaper Res Ipsa Loquitur. Moot court competitions include National Moot Court Competition, National Appellate Advocacy, and Craven’s Constitutional Law Moot Court Competition. Other competitions include Alternative Dispute Resolution and various writing competitions. Law student organizations, local chapters of national associations, and campus organizations include Jewish Law Society, Public Interest Network, Entertainment and Sports Law Society, St. Thomas More Society, Health Law Forum, Women’s Law Forum, Black Law Students Association, Federalist Society, and American Constitution Society.

The law school operates on a traditional semester basis. Courses for full- and part-time students are offered both day and evening and must be completed within 6 years. New full- and part-time students are admitted in the fall. There is an 8-week summer session. Transferable summer courses are offered.

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