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Penn State Law, located in University Park,
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
, is one of two separately accredited law schools of the
Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with campuses and facilities throughout Pennsylvan ...
. Penn State Law offers J.D., LL.M., and S.J.D. degrees. The school also offers a joint J.D./M.B.A. with the
Smeal College of Business The Smeal College of Business at the Pennsylvania State University offers undergraduate, graduate, and executive education programs to more than 6,000 students.Accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), S ...
, a joint J.D./M.I.A. degree with the School of International Affairs, which is also located in the Lewis Katz Building, as well as joint degrees with other graduate programs at Penn State. Penn State Law traces its roots to the founding of The Dickinson School of Law in
Carlisle, Pennsylvania Carlisle is a Borough (Pennsylvania), borough in and the county seat of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, United States. Carlisle is located within the Cumberland Valley, a highly productive agricultural region. As of the 2020 United States census, ...
. Penn State and The Dickinson School of Law merged in 2000, and, until fall 2014, Penn State's Dickinson School of Law operated as a single law school with two campuses—one in Carlisle and one on Penn State's University Park campus in State College, Pennsylvania. The first class to attend the University Park campus was during the 2006-2007 academic year. In the summer of 2014, Penn State received approval from 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 acad ...
to operate the two campuses as two separate and distinct law schools, both of which share the history of The Dickinson School of Law: Dickinson Law, in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, and Penn State Law, in University Park, Pennsylvania. In November 2022, Penn State President
Neeli Bendapudi Neeli Bendapudi is an American academic administrator who is the 19th president of the Pennsylvania State University. From 2018 until 2021, she served as the 18th president of the University of Louisville. In December 2021, the Pennsylvania Sta ...
announced a task force to implement the recommendation that the two schools be merged into a single entity, with the preferred location to be at the Dickinson campus. U.S. News & World Report, in its 2021 rankings of Best Graduate Schools, ranked Penn State Law 60th among 194 law schools fully accredited by the American Bar Association.


Lewis Katz Building

Penn State Law is housed in the Lewis Katz Building on Penn State's University Park campus. The building opened for classes on January 9, 2009. The $60 million, 114,000-square foot building is the first academic facility to be built on the west side of Park Avenue on the University Park campus. The building is adjacent to the Penn State Arboretum. The Lewis Katz Building is LEED certified and equipped with advanced high-definition digital audiovisual telecommunications capacity that enables real-time collaborative projects and programs with schools and institutions worldwide. The second floor includes the glass-enclosed library, with a two-story information commons, four group study rooms, and 11 offices. Library spaces comprise about 50 percent of the building. In 2009, Judge
D. Brooks Smith David Brookman Smith (born December 4, 1951), known professionally as D. Brooks Smith, is a Senior United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. He was previously Chief Judge of both the United States C ...
used the Lewis Katz Building's courtroom to hear an oral argument to the
Third Circuit Court of Appeals The United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit (in case citations, 3d Cir.) is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts for the following districts: * District of Delaware * District of New Jersey * East ...
. In addition to the courtroom, the Katz Building includes a 250-seat auditorium, four 75-person classrooms, several seminar rooms, and a "boardroom" facilitating electronic "face-to-face" contact with meeting participants worldwide. The Lewis Katz Building is a shared academic space that is used by both the law school and the Graduate School of International Affairs. As such, many professors teach in both capacities.


Curriculum

The J.D. program at Penn State Law is a three-year, six-semester course of study. In the first year, required courses include
Civil Procedure Civil procedure is the body of law that sets out the rules and standards that courts follow when adjudicating civil lawsuits (as opposed to procedures in criminal law matters). These rules govern how a lawsuit or case may be commenced; what ki ...
,
Constitutional Law Constitutional law is a body of law which defines the role, powers, and structure of different entities within a State (polity), state, namely, the executive (government), executive, the parliament or legislature, and the judiciary; as well as th ...
,
Contracts A contract is a legally enforceable agreement between two or more parties that creates, defines, and governs mutual rights and obligations between them. A contract typically involves the transfer of goods, services, money, or a promise to tran ...
,
Criminal Law Criminal law is the body of law that relates to crime. It prescribes conduct perceived as threatening, harmful, or otherwise endangering to the property, health, safety, and moral welfare of people inclusive of one's self. Most criminal law i ...
,
Criminal Procedure Criminal procedure is the adjudication process of the criminal law. While criminal procedure differs dramatically by jurisdiction, the process generally begins with a formal criminal charge with the person on trial either being free on bail or ...
,
Property Property is a system of rights that gives people legal control of valuable things, and also refers to the valuable things themselves. Depending on the nature of the property, an owner of property may have the right to consume, alter, share, r ...
, and
Torts A tort is a civil wrong that causes a claimant to suffer loss or harm, resulting in legal liability for the person who commits the tortious act. Tort law can be contrasted with criminal law, which deals with criminal wrongs that are punishable ...
. In the second or third year, two courses are required: Professional Responsibility and a seminar. Students must also complete required experiential learning credits.


Institutes, Centers and Programs


Center for Agricultural and Shale Law

Under the direction of Associate Dean Ross Pifer, the Center for Agricultural and Shale Law provides agricultural and shale law research and information with a specific focus on those issues of importance in Pennsylvania. Through its programs, the Center serves a wide variety of stakeholders including agricultural producers, landowners and royalty owners, business professionals, judges, attorneys, legislators, government officials, community groups, and the general public.


Center for the Study of Mergers & Acquisitions

Headed by Professor Samuel C. Thompson, Jr., former director of the
UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California St ...
Center for the Study of Mergers and Acquisitions, the center examines corporate,
securities A security is a tradable financial asset. The term commonly refers to any form of financial instrument, but its legal definition varies by jurisdiction. In some countries and languages people commonly use the term "security" to refer to any for ...
,
tax A tax is a compulsory financial charge or some other type of levy imposed on a taxpayer (an individual or legal entity) by a governmental organization in order to fund government spending and various public expenditures (regional, local, or n ...
,
antitrust Competition law is the field of law that promotes or seeks to maintain market competition by regulating anti-competitive conduct by companies. Competition law is implemented through public and private enforcement. It is also known as antitrust l ...
, and other legal and economic issues that arise in
mergers and acquisitions Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) are business transactions in which the ownership of companies, other business organizations, or their operating units are transferred to or consolidated with another company or business organization. As an aspect ...
. An important part of the center's mission is to sponsor continuing legal education programs addressing these issues. Penn State Law and the
New York City Bar The New York City Bar Association (City Bar), founded in 1870, is a voluntary association of lawyers and law students. Since 1896, the organization, formally known as the Association of the Bar of the City of New York, has been headquartered in a ...
co-sponsor the Institute on Corporate, Securities, and Related Aspects of Mergers and Acquisitions. The institute, which has been co-chaired by Professor Thompson and H. Rodgin Cohen of
Sullivan & Cromwell Sullivan & Cromwell LLP is an American multinational law firm headquartered in New York City. Known as a white-shoe firm, Sullivan & Cromwell is recognized as a leader in business law, and is known for its impact on international affairs, such a ...
LLP for a number of years, is held at the Bar's facility in
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
. Sessions provide analyses of recent developments in this area.


Institute for Arbitration Law and Practice

Directed by Professor Thomas E. Carbonneau, The Penn State Institute of Arbitration Law and Practice promotes and encourages the development of arbitration law and practice.


Institute for Sports Law, Policy & Research

Directed by Professor Stephen Ross, the Penn State Institute for Sports Law Policy & Research is designed to: * promote dialogue between students of sport and major industry participants * aid scholars in policy-oriented research * facilitate the dissemination of this research to policymakers and industry participants, and * serve as a resource for journalists, lawyers, and others about sports and public policy The institute is aided by an advisory board of industry leaders, sports scholars, and Penn State faculty and alumni, all dedicated to advancing the study of sports. The institute works closely with the John Curley Center for Sports and Journalism, the Center for Sports Business & Research in the
Smeal College of Business The Smeal College of Business at the Pennsylvania State University offers undergraduate, graduate, and executive education programs to more than 6,000 students.Accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), S ...
, and the Departments of Kinesiology and Statistics.


Policy Innovation Lab of Tomorrow (PILOT lab)

Founded and directed by Professor
Andrea M. Matwyshyn Andrea M. Matwyshyn is a United States law professor and engineering professor at The Pennsylvania State University. She is known as a scholar of technology policy, particularly as an expert at the intersection of law and computer security and fo ...
, PILOT lab is a research initiative that is part of the Penn State Law, Policy, & Engineering program – an interdisciplinary venture across Penn Law,
Penn State College of Engineering The Penn State College of Engineering is the engineering school of the Pennsylvania State University, headquartered at the University Park campus in University Park, Pennsylvania. It was established in 1896, under the leadership of George W. ...
, and
Penn State School of International Affairs The School of International Affairs of Pennsylvania State University was officially launched on July 1, 2007, having been approved by Pennsylvania State University's (Penn State) Board of Trustees in January 2007. The school is administratively par ...
.


Other Penn State Law programs

* Arts, Sports, and Entertainment Law Clinic * Center for Immigrants' Rights Clinic * Civil Rights Appellate Clinic * Entrepreneur Assistance Clinic * Family Law Clinic * Indigent Criminal Justice Practicum * International Sustainable Development Projects Clinic * Rural Economic Development Clinic * Veteran and Servicemembers Legal Clinic * International Justice Externship at the Hague, Netherlands *
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Semester Program * Explore Law Program (for undergraduate students) * Study Abroad


Law journals

Penn State law also features three scholarly journals, including the
Penn State Law Review The Penn State Law Review is a law review and the flagship legal publication of Penn State Law. Its origins trace back to 1897 as ''The Forum'', later renamed the ''Dickinson Law Review'' while affiliated with the Dickinson Law School, making it ...
. In addition, the school also publishes:
Penn State Journal of Law and International Affairs

Arbitration Law Review
(formerly The Yearbook on Arbitration and Mediation)


Student organizations

Penn State Law has the following student organizations: *ABA/Law Student Division—PBA/Young Lawyers Division *Advocacy and Litigation Society *Agricultural Law Society *Alternative Dispute Resolution Society *Alternative Spring Break Initiative *Alumni Relations Committee *American Association for Justice *American Constitution Society for Law and Policy (ACS) *Arts & Culture Legal Society *Asian Pacific American Law Students Association (APALSA) *Black Law Students Association *Corpus Juris Society *Criminal Law Society *Environmental Law Society *Family Law Society *Fashion and Business Law Society *
Federalist Society The Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies (abbreviated as FedSoc) is an American conservative and libertarian legal organization that advocates for a textualist and originalist interpretation of the U.S. Constitution. Headquartered ...
*International Law Society *J. Reuben Clark Law Society *Jewish Legal Society *John Reed Inn of
Phi Delta Phi Phi Delta Phi () is an international legal honor society and the oldest legal organization in continuous existence in the United States. Phi Delta Phi was originally a professional fraternity but became an honor society in 2012. The fraternity ...
*Latinx Law Students Association *Law and Education Alliance at Penn State *Military Law Caucus *Minority Law Students Association *Muslim Legal Society *National Lawyers Guild *OutLaw-LGTB Legal Organization *Attending Law School (PALS) *The Penn State Law Blue and White Society *Penn State International Arbitration Group (PSIAG) *Penn State Law Benefiting THON *
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 ...
*Project S.T.A.F.F. *Public Interest Law Fund *Res Ipsa Loquitur *Speakers Trust Fund *Sports and Entertainment Law Society *Student Animal Legal Defense Fund *Student Bar Association *Student Health Law Association *Trial Advocacy Board *Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program *Women's Law Caucus *WorkLaw Society The school also participates in a number of moot court competitions including the
Willem C. Vis Moot The Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot or Vis Moot is an international moot competition. Since 1994, it has been held annually in Vienna, Austria, attracting more than 300 law schools from all around the world and spurring the ...
Commercial Arbitration Moot Court, held each year in
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and the National Environmental Law Moot Court held at
Pace University Pace University is a private university with its main campus in New York City and secondary campuses in Westchester County, New York. It was established in 1906 by the brothers Homer St. Clair Pace and Charles A. Pace as a business school. Pac ...
in
White Plains, New York (Always Faithful) , image_seal = WhitePlainsSeal.png , seal_link = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Country , subdivision_name = , subdivision_type1 = U.S. state, State , su ...
. Students at Penn State Law also participate in intramural sports programs. Current intramural sports teams include basketball, bowling, flag football, floor hockey, indoor soccer, and volleyball. Several students are also members of rugby and softball teams. Each spring, the school sends a softball team to participate in the
University of Virginia Law School The University of Virginia School of Law (Virginia Law or UVA Law) is the law school of the University of Virginia, a public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. It was founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson as part of his "academical v ...
softball tournament.


Student Awards

The Woolsack Honor Society was founded in 1920 for the purpose of recognizing academic excellence. It was reestablished in 1981. Membership in the Society is extended to: 1) Students who rank in the top fifteen percent of the graduating class after 5 semesters; and 2) Students who do not qualify for membership after 5 semesters but who rank in the top 15 percent of the graduating class after six semesters. Academic Honors are awarded as follows: cum laude to graduates who rank in the top 30 percent of the graduating class, magna cum laude to those who rank in the top 15 percent, and summa cum laude to those who rank in the top 5 percent of their class.


Employment

According to Penn State's official 2019 ABA-required disclosures, 80.4% of the class of 2019 from Penn State Law obtained full-time, long-term, J.D. required or J.D.-Advantage employment 10 months after graduation.


Costs

The total cost of attendance (including tuition and related expenses) at Penn State Law for the 2018-2019 academic year is $73,964.


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Penn State Law
Penn State Law Penn State Law, located in University Park, Pennsylvania, is one of two separately accredited law schools of the Pennsylvania State University. Penn State Law offers J.D., LL.M., and S.J.D. degrees. The school also offers a joint J.D./M.B. ...
Law schools in Pennsylvania Universities and colleges in Centre County, Pennsylvania State College, Pennsylvania 1834 establishments in Pennsylvania