Widener University School of Law

Widener University-Main Campus, Widener University School of Law History

Widener University School of Law was established in 1971 and is a private institution. The 40-acre campus is in a suburban area in Delaware, 3 miles from downtown Wilmington. The primary mission of the law school is to offer students an environment from which to enter the legal profession. The Law School encourages students to be lifelong learners who are actively engaged in the development of the law. The Law School gives students a strong foundation in the fundamental theories and principles of law. Students have access to federal, state, county, city, and local agencies, courts, correctional facilities, law firms, and legal aid organizations in the Wilmington area. In addition, students have access to the numerous resources available at the university’s main campus. Facilities of special interest to law students include extensive clinical and skills programs, moot court rooms, extensive law library, audiovisual centers, computer laboratory, student lounge areas, private study/conference rooms, recreational facilities, and student dining center. Housing for students consists of residence halls and townhouse apartments. Area apartments are widely available. About 90% of the law school facilities are accessible to the physically disabled.

Widener University-Main Campus, Widener University School of Law Academics

In addition to the J.D., the law school offers the LL.M., S.J.D., and M.J. (Master of Jurisprudence), D.L. (Doctor of Laws). Students may take relevant courses in other programs and apply credit toward the J.D.; a maximum of 9 credits may be applied. The following joint degrees may be earned: J.D./M.B.A. (Juris Doctor/Master of Business Administration), J.D./M.M.P. (Juris Doctor/Master of Marine Policy), J.D./M.P.H. (Juris Doctor/Master of Public Health), and J.D./Psy.D. (Juris Doctor/Doctor of Psychology in Law).

Students must take 12 to18 credits in their area of concentration. The Widener University School of Law offers concentrations in corporate law, environmental law, litigation, health law, and technology and law. In addition, clinics for up to 8 credits include Environmental Law, Family Law, Consumer Bankruptcy, Veterans Affairs, and Criminal Defense. Clinical education also includes a comprehensive trial advocacy training program. Seminars are offered in a variety of specialized areas, to all upper-level students. Students may take part in externships with legislative and state agencies, district attorneys, public defenders, legal aid societies, and state and local courts. All students must complete a major research paper or directed research project. The Law School’s law journals, moot court, and trial advocacy programs, and the many institutes and organizations provide additional opportunities for scholarly research. Field work opportunities include the Wolcott Fellowship Program, which places students each academic year as part-time clerks for the Delaware Supreme Court. The Francis G. Pileggi Distinguished Lecture in Law is an annual lecture series featuring practitioners, judges, academicians, and distinguished experts in corporate law, held for the benefit of the Delaware bench and bar and Widener students. Summer-abroad programs are offered at Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia, the University of Nairobi in Kenya, the Graduate Institute in Geneva, Switzerland, and the University of Venice in Italy. The Academic Support Program provides a comprehensive program focusing on basic examination skills, study and outlining skills, and time management. The content of the program varies by academic level. An intensive Legal Analysis course is also offered for some second-year students. Specialized programs for minority students are offered through the Career Development Office, the Black Law Students Association, and the Minority Law Students Association. The Delaware Community Foundation Fellowship provides an opportunity to explore the area of trusts and estates and the Chadwick Constitutional Education Fellowship involves work with high school students in the area of constitutional law. The most widely taken electives are Wills and Trusts, Family Law, and Trial Advocacy.

To earn the J.D., candidates must complete 88 total credits, of which 57 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 I, Contracts, Criminal Law, Legal Methods I/Analysis, Legal Methods II/Advocacy, Property I and II, and Torts. Required upper-level courses consist of Administrative Law, Business Organizations, Constitutional Law II, Criminal Procedure, Evidence, Federal Income Tax, Legal Methods III, Professional Responsibility, and Sales and Leases. The required orientation program for first-year students is 1-week and includes an introduction to law course and informational sessions on information technology, the legal information center, stress management, student organizations, meet the faculty, financial aid, and character and fitness to practice law.

In order to graduate, candidates must have a GPA of 2.0, have completed the upper-division writing requirement, Skills Requirement, Professionalism Day, and Introduction to Law.

Widener University-Main Campus, Widener University School of Law Unique Programs

Library

The law library contains 284,951 hard-copy volumes and 332,719 microform volume equivalents, and subscribes to 6858 serial publications. Such on-line databases and networks as CALI, CIS Universe, Legal-Trac, LEXIS, LOIS, Mathew Bender, NEXIS, OCLC First Search, WESTLAW. On-line, Proquest, UN Treaty Collection, HeinOnline, CCH Research Network, RIA Checkpoint, BNA All, Constitutions of the Countries of the World, JSTOR, Mergent Online, WorldCat, EBSO, and LLMC Digital are available to law students for research. Special library collections include state and federal depository materials, U.S. Supreme Court records and briefs, CIS congressional library, corporate law, law and government, and health law collections. Recently, the Wilmington campus relocated the Law School’s computer laboratory into the library. Also, a new conference/classroom and lounge area was created on the top floor of the library. Wireless connections are available throughout the library. The ratio of library volumes to faculty is 4596 to 1 and to students is 297 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 at programs sponsored by colleges and universities across the country. Additionally, the application encourages applicants to submit a personal statement. Applicants are instructed that the admissions committee may consider relevant such factors as a history of economic or educational disadvantage, cultural or language differences, disability, and whether they believe their admission would help to correct under representation of a particular minority or disadvantaged group in the legal profession. 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 certified transcript and letter of good standing must be submitted. A maximum of 35 qualified credits will be accepted in transfer. Transfer candidates must be in the top-third of their law school class.

Widener University-Main Campus, Widener University School of Law Admissions

In the fall 2007 first-year class, 2376 applied, 932 were accepted, and 351 enrolled. Four transfers enrolled. The median LSAT percentile of the most recent first-year class was 53; the median GPA was 3.13 on a scale of 4.0. The lowest LSAT percentile accepted was 20; the highest was 90.

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

The application deadline for fall entry is May 15. Applicants should submit an application form, LSAT results, transcripts, a nonrefundable application fee of $60. Letters of recommendation, are strongly suggested but not required and a personal statement is highly recommended. 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.

Widener University-Main Campus, Widener University School of Law 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 $29,326; maximum, $46,729. A number of substantial scholarships are awarded to outstanding applicants and continuing students. Required financial statement is the FAFSA. The aid application deadline for fall entry is open. Special funds for minority or disadvantaged students include merit scholarships available to majority, minority, and disadvantaged students. Deferred tuition loans are offered to students maintaining a satisfactory GPA. First-year students are notified about their financial aid application at time of acceptance.

Widener University-Main Campus, Widener University School of Law Students

About 43% of the student body are women; 15%, minorities; 6%, African American; 7%, Asian American; and 2%, Hispanic. The majority of students come from the Northeast (99%). The average age of entering students is 25; age range is 21 to 70. About 65% of students enter directly from undergraduate school, 12% have a graduate degree, and 35% have worked full-time prior to entering law school. About 24% drop out after the first year for academic or personal reasons; 76% remain to receive a law degree.

The primary law reviews are Delaware Journal of Corporate Law and The Widener Law Review. Other law reviews include the Widener Journal of Law, Economics and Race . The student newspaper is The Law Forum. The Health Institute publishes the Newsletter of the Society of Health Care Attorneys. The Moot Court Honor Society sponsors the G. Fred DiBona Competition and the Delaware-Harrisburg Moot Court Competition, and hosts the Ruby R. Vale Interschool Corporate Moot Court Competition. The Moe Levine Trial Advocacy Honor Society sponsors the Hugh B. Pearce Trial Competition. Law student organizations, local chapters of national associations, and campus organizations include the Student Bar Association, ADR Society, Black Law Students Association, ACLU, ATLA, Phi Delta Phi, Rugby Club, Women’s Law Caucus, and Health Law Society.

The law school operates on a traditional semester basis. Courses for full-time students are offered days only and must be completed with 5 years. Evening classes are offered on a space-available basis. For part-time students, courses are offered both day and evening and some elective courses are offered on Saturdays and must be completed within 6 years. New full- and part-time students are admitted in the fall. There is a 7-week summer session. Transferable summer courses are offered.