Atlanta's John Marshall Law School (AJMLS) is a
private
Private or privates may refer to:
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* " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation''
* Private (band), a Denmark-based band
* "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...
for-profit law school in
Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
,
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
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* Related to the ...
. It was founded in 1933 and named for
John Marshall, the fourth
chief justice of the
Supreme Court of the United States. AJMLS is accredited by the
American Bar Association
The American Bar Association (ABA) is a voluntary bar association of lawyers and law students, which is not specific to any jurisdiction in the United States. Founded in 1878, the ABA's most important stated activities are the setting of aca ...
.
History
AJMLS was founded in 1933 in
Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
and was among the first
southern law schools to
integrate. It did not receive
American Bar Association
The American Bar Association (ABA) is a voluntary bar association of lawyers and law students, which is not specific to any jurisdiction in the United States. Founded in 1878, the ABA's most important stated activities are the setting of aca ...
(ABA) approval until 2005. In October 2017, the ABA concluded that the Law School is not in compliance with ABA Standards 301(a), 309(b), and 501(a)/501(b), and in December 2018, the ABA placed the school on probation for "substantial" and "persistent" non-compliance with those standards. At its November 2019 meeting, the Council removed the Law School from probation and Atlanta's John Marshall Law School remains an approved law school. On May 15, 2020, the council of the
American Bar Association's Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar met remotely and determined this school and nine others had significant noncompliance with Standard 316.
This Standard was revised in 2019 to provide that at least 75% of an accredited law school's graduates who took a bar exam must pass one within two years of graduation.
The school was asked to submit a report by Feb. 1, 2021; and, if the council did not find the report demonstrated compliance, the school would be asked to appear before the council at its May, 2021 meeting.
On February 26, 2021, the ABA's council posted that the school was now in compliance with the standard.
In late 2011, AJMLS opened a branch campus in
Savannah, Georgia
Savannah ( ) is the oldest city in the U.S. state of Georgia and is the county seat of Chatham County. Established in 1733 on the Savannah River, the city of Savannah became the British colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later t ...
, named
Savannah Law School
Savannah Law School was a private, for-profit law school in Savannah, Georgia. It was associated with Atlanta's John Marshall Law School. The school ceased all operations by 2021 and is no longer accepting applications.
Campus
Savannah Law S ...
. In March 2018, the Law School announced its branch campus in Savannah was no longer accepting applications for 2018 and offered its current students options to continue their legal education in Savannah, initiate an intra-campus transfer to the main campus in Atlanta, or seek to transfer or visit at a different institution. A class action suit on behalf of
Savannah Law School
Savannah Law School was a private, for-profit law school in Savannah, Georgia. It was associated with Atlanta's John Marshall Law School. The school ceased all operations by 2021 and is no longer accepting applications.
Campus
Savannah Law S ...
students claims that the Savannah school is being closed to benefit the parent school in Atlanta.
In 2017, AJMLS received attention when an alleged student was said to be a
white nationalist
White nationalism is a type of racial nationalism or pan-nationalism which espouses the belief that white people are a raceHeidi Beirich and Kevin Hicks. "Chapter 7: White nationalism in America". In Perry, Barbara. ''Hate Crimes''. Greenwoo ...
organizer who sent a lynching threat to a Black activist in Atlanta.
Campus
After selling its Midtown Atlanta building in 2020, the Law School relocated to
Peachtree Center
Peachtree Center is a district located in Downtown Atlanta, Georgia. Most of the structures that make up the district were designed by Atlanta architect John C. Portman, Jr. A defining feature of the Peachtree Center is a network of enclosed ped ...
in
Downtown Atlanta
Downtown Atlanta is the central business district of Atlanta, Georgia, United States. The larger of the city's two other commercial districts ( Midtown and Buckhead), it is the location of many corporate and regional headquarters; city, county ...
. After a multi-floor construction project, the Law School took possession of its new campus on August 6, 2021. It is now housed in One Marquis Tower and comprises almost 60,000 square feet of classroom and office space, including a law library and courtroom. The construction project was completed in less than 24 weeks.
Academics
AJMLS is accredited by the
American Bar Association
The American Bar Association (ABA) is a voluntary bar association of lawyers and law students, which is not specific to any jurisdiction in the United States. Founded in 1878, the ABA's most important stated activities are the setting of aca ...
. AJMLS offers five
J.D. programs: full-time day, part-time day, part-time evening, accelerated/spring start, and a Criminal Justice Certificate Program (led by
MacArthur Genius Fellow,
Jonathan Rapping). The Certificate Program had previously been offered as the Criminal Justice Honors Program from 2011 to 2018. AJMLS students may apply to co-enroll in the Certificate Program after successful completion of their first year curriculum.
Experiential learning
The experiential learning program at AJMLS combines classroom theory with direct experience by offering students firsthand exposure to the practice of law. The for-credit program consists of legal clinics, intensive externships, and other approved field placements.
Some placements involve criminal prosecution litigation and eligible students may apply for a Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council Third Year Practice Certificate under Georgia's Third-Year Practice Act.
Student organizations
Students attending AJMLS may take part in many independent student organizations. These groups cover such interests as cultural diversity, academics, recreation, and professional and networking opportunities.
Student Organizations for the 2018-2019 Academic Year:
Black Law Students Association
The National Black Law Students Association (NBLSA), founded in 1968, is a nationwide organization formed to articulate and promote the needs and goals of black law students and effectuates change in the legal community. As the largest law stude ...
(BLSA),
Christian Legal Society, Corporate and Business Law Society, Criminal Law Society, Family Law Society, OUTLaws And Allies, Georgia Association of Women Lawyers (GAWL), Health Law Society, Law Journal, National Lawyers Guild,
Phi Alpha Delta
Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity, International ( or P.A.D.) is the largest professional law fraternity in the United States. Founded in 1902, P.A.D. has since grown to 717 established pre-law, law, and alumni chapters and over 330,000 initiated m ...
, Sports and Entertainment Law Society, SOLO Practitioners' Law Society, Student Bar Association.
Notable alumni
*
Neal Boortz
Neal A Boortz Jr. (born April 6, 1945) is an American author, former attorney, and former conservative radio host. His nationally syndicated talk show, ''The Neal Boortz Show'', which ended in 2013, was carried throughout the United States. The ...
*
Jon G. Burns
*
Doug Collins
*
Femi Gbajabiamila
Olufemi Hakeem Gbajabiamila (born 25 June 1962), is a Nigerian lawyer and politician. A member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Gbajabiamila has served as Speaker of the House of Representatives since 2019.
Early life and education
Ol ...
*
Ronald Ramsey, Sr.
Notable faculty
*
Jonathan Rapping
Employment
As of April 11, 2018, the ABA Employment Statistics total employment rate for 2017 graduates is 71.11% with 43.7% obtaining employment where bar passage is required. According to the report, 15 graduates are listed as employment status unknown, 96 are known to be employed in some capacity (combined attorney and non-attorney employment, with 54 employed full-time where bar passage is required), two are pursuing a graduate degree full-time, one is listed as unemployed with their start date deferred, 20 are unemployed and seeking employment, and one who is unemployed and not seeking employment.
Costs
The total cost of attendance (indicating the cost of tuition, fees, and living expenses) at John Marshall for the 2017–2018 academic year is $70,304. The Law School Transparency estimated debt-financed cost of attendance for three years is $256,530.
See also
*
List of colleges and universities in metropolitan Atlanta
Atlanta, Georgia is home to the largest concentration of colleges and universities in the Southern United States. This is a list of colleges and universities in the city of Atlanta and Metro Atlanta.
City of Atlanta Universities and graduate i ...
References
External links
Official website
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Law schools in Georgia (U.S. state)
Midtown Atlanta
Universities and colleges in Atlanta
Independent law schools in the United States
Educational institutions established in 1933
1933 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state)
Private universities and colleges in Georgia (U.S. state)