The Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law (ASU Law) is the

law school A law school (also known as a law centre/center, college of law, or faculty of law) is an institution, professional school, or department of a college or university specializing in legal education, usually involved as part of a process for b ...

Arizona State University Arizona State University (Arizona State or ASU) is a public university, public research university in Tempe, Arizona, United States. Founded in 1885 as Territorial Normal School by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, the university is o ...

Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Arizona#List of cities and towns, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona. With over 1.6 million residents at the 2020 census, it is the ...

. The school is in the Beus Center for Law and Society on ASU's downtown Phoenix campus. Created in 1965 as the Arizona State University College of Law upon recommendation of the

Arizona Board of Regents The Arizona Board of Regents (ABOR) is the governing body of Arizona's public university system. It provides policy guidance to Arizona State University, Northern Arizona University, and the University of Arizona. History In 1885, the territori ...

, with the first classes held in the fall of 1967. The school has held

American Bar Association The American Bar Association (ABA) is a voluntary association, voluntary bar association of lawyers and law students in the United States; national in scope, it is not specific to any single jurisdiction. Founded in 1878, the ABA's stated acti ...

accreditation since 1969 and is a member of the Order of the Coif. The school is also a member of the Association of American Law Schools. In 2006, the law school was renamed in honor of Phoenix resident,

Stanford Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University, is a private research university in Stanford, California, United States. It was founded in 1885 by railroad magnate Leland Stanford (the eighth governor of and th ...

graduate, and retired Supreme Court Justice

Sandra Day O'Connor Sandra Day O'Connor (March 26, 1930 – December 1, 2023) was an American attorney, politician, and jurist who served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1981 to 2006. Nominated by President Ronald Reagan, O' ...

History

The school was previously located in Armstrong Hall, adjacent to the Ross-Blakley Law Library on ASU's Tempe campus. In 2012, the school announced plans to relocate to the Arizona State University Downtown Phoenix campus. The first classes held in the new building, the Beus Center for Law and Society, were in the fall semester of 2016. The new law building cost $129 million, which was paid for with construction bonds and private donations. The city of Phoenix provided land and $12 million. The building is named for Phoenix attorney Leo Beus, who donated $10 million to the law school in 2014. Apart from the law school, the Beus Center also houses the Lincoln Center for Applied Ethics, The McCain Institute for International Leadership, the Sandra Day O'Connor Institute, Arizona Voice for Crime Victims, the Arizona Justice Project, and the ASU Alumni Law Group. Best Choice Schools ranked the Beus Center the world's 6th most impressive law school building.

Employment

According to ASU's official 2013 ABA-required disclosures, nine months after graduation, 68.6% of the Class of 2013 obtained full-time, long-term, JD-required employment (i.e. as attorneys), and 26% obtained JD-advantage employment. As a regional school, most ASU graduates find jobs in Arizona after graduation. Of the 204 graduates in 2013, 172 were employed in Arizona, with five in California and four in Texas. Additionally, ASU has an underemployment score of 12.7% as calculated by

Law School Transparency Law School Transparency (LST) is a nonprofit consumer advocacy and education organization concerning the legal profession in the United States. LST was founded by Vanderbilt Law School graduates Kyle McEntee and Patrick Lynch. LST describes its ...

and 8.8% of graduates are employed in school-funded positions. According to ASU's official 2017 ABA-required disclosures, nine months after graduation, 74.24% of the Class of 2017 obtained full-time, long-term, JD-required employment (i.e. as attorneys), and 14.65% obtained JD-advantage employment. According to ASU's official 2020 ABA-required disclosures, nine months after graduation, 76.77% of the Class of 2020 obtained full-time, long-term, JD-required employment (i.e. as attorneys), and 10.63% obtained JD-advantage employment. The class of 2020 had 175 students obtain jobs in Arizona within nine months of graduation. The remaining 22% of the class who obtained jobs within nine months of graduation did so outside of Arizona, including 16 jobs in California, 6 in Washington, D.C., and 5 in foreign countries.

Costs

For the 2020–21 academic year, the yearly tuition for residents is $28,058, and the tuition for non-residents is $47,302.

Clinical programs

The Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law has 13 clinics, which offer students opportunities to practice law in various settings with people who have real legal problems. Under the supervision of faculty members who are experts in their subject matter, students manage real cases and represent clients in hearings and trials before courts and administrative agencies. They also assist in the commercialization and monetization of new technologies, and mediate cases pending in the judicial system. * Civil Justice Clinic * First Amendment Clinic * Immigration Law & Policy Clinic * Indian Legal Clinic * Lodestar Mediation Clinic * Lisa Foundation Patent Law Clinic * Post Conviction Clinic * Prosecution Clinic * Public Defender Clinic * Technology Ventures Services Group

Centers and other academic programs

* The Center for Law, Science & Innovation is focused on the intersection of law with science and technology. Its 26 faculty fellows, and numerous associated faculty, students, and research fellows explore law and policy in a world of rapidly changing technologies, through scholarship, education, and policy dialogue. * The Center for Law & Global Affairs supports and inspires research, education and practice regarding emerging forms of transnational governance that extend beyond the traditional paradigms of international law. The center supports research and scholarship, develops courses and experiential learning programs, designs and manages international projects and engages in outreach with academic, policy and community partners. * The Indian Legal Program was established in 1988 to provide legal education, and generate scholarship in the area of Indian law, and undertake public service to tribal governments. The program was founded by professor William Canby, Jr., who served as director until his appointment to the

United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (in case citations, 9th Cir.) is the U.S. federal court of appeals that has appellate jurisdiction over the U.S. district courts for the following federal judicial districts: * Distric ...

. * The Barrett and O'Connor Center opened in 2018 to solidify the university's contacts with the capital city. The center houses ASU's Washington, D.C.–based academic programs, including the Washington Bureau of the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law Rule of Law and Governance program, the Capital Scholars program, and the McCain Institute's Next Generation Leaders program, among many others. In addition to hosting classes and internships on-site, special lectures and seminars taught from the Barrett & O'Connor Washington Center are connected to classrooms in Arizona through video-conferencing technology. The Barrett and O'Connor center is located at 1800 I St NW, Washington, DC 20006, close to the

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest (Washington, D.C.), NW in Washington, D.C., it has served as the residence of every U.S. president ...

. * The ASU California Center is located in

Santa Monica, California Santa Monica (; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Santa Mónica'') is a city in Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast (California), South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 United Sta ...

, and serves as a gateway to the

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

market for ASU graduate students. The center offers classes for the College of Law, among other graduate programs at ASU.

Notable lecturers and professors

* Angela M. Banks, specializes in immigration and citizenship * Sarah Buel, anti-domestic violence activist * Ehsan Zaffar, civil rights advocate * Andrew Hurwitz, senior status judge,

, adjunct and visiting professor * Michael J. Saks, fourth most cited scholar in the field of Law and Social Science. * Rebecca Tsosie, Indian law scholar, Regents Professor and Morris K. Udall Professor of Law, associate justice on the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation Supreme Court (2008–present), judge on the San Carlos Apache Court of Appeals (2007–2024)

Law journals

* '' Arizona State Law Journal'' * '' Jurimetrics: The Journal of Law, Science, and Technology'' * ''Law Journal for Social Justice'' * ''Arizona State Sports and Entertainment Law Journal'' * ''Corporate and Business Law Journal''

Notable alumni

* Michael Daly Hawkins ('70) – Senior Judge,

* Roslyn O. Silver ('71) – Chief Judge, United States District Court for the District of Arizona * Harriet C. Babbitt ('72) – former U.S. Ambassador to the Organization of American States and Deputy Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development * H. Bartow Farr, III ('73) - former law clerk to Justice

William Rehnquist William Hubbs Rehnquist (October 1, 1924 – September 3, 2005) was an American attorney who served as the 16th chief justice of the United States from 1986 until his death in 2005, having previously been an associate justice from 1972 to 1986. ...

* Ruth McGregor ('74) – former Chief Justice,

Arizona Supreme Court The Arizona Supreme Court is the state supreme court of the U.S. state of Arizona. Sitting in the Supreme Court building in downtown Phoenix, the court consists of a chief justice, a vice chief justice, and five associate justices. Each justi ...

* Ed Pastor ('74) – U.S. Congressman, Arizona's 4th congressional district * Charles G. Case II ('75) – former Judge, United States Bankruptcy Court, District of Arizona * Barry G. Silverman ('76) – Judge,

* Terry Goddard ('76) – former

Arizona Attorney General The Arizona attorney general is the chief legal officer of the State of Arizona, in the United States. This state officer is the head of the Arizona Department of Law, more commonly known as the Arizona Attorney General's Office. The state attorn ...

* Michael D. Ryan ('77) – former Justice,

* Tena Campbell ('77) – Senior Judge, United States District Court for the District of Utah * Phil Gordon ('78) – former Mayor of Phoenix, Arizona * Douglas L. Rayes ('78) – Judge, United States District Court for the District of Arizona * Grant Woods ('79) – former

* Rebecca White Berch ('79) – Chief Justice,

* Richard D. Mahoney ('79) – former

Arizona Secretary of State The secretary of state of Arizona is an elected position in the U.S. state of Arizona. Since Arizona does not have a Lieutenant governor (United States), lieutenant governor, the secretary stands first in the Gubernatorial lines of succession in ...

* Fred DuVal ('80) – chairman,

* Rick Romley ('81) – former

County Attorney In the United States, a district attorney (DA), county attorney, county prosecutor, state attorney, state's attorney, prosecuting attorney, commonwealth's attorney, or solicitor is the chief prosecutor or chief law enforcement officer represen ...

for

Maricopa County, Arizona Maricopa County () is a County (United States), county in the south-central part of the U.S. state of Arizona. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census the population was 4,420,568, or about 62% of the state's total, making it the List ...

* George McCaskey ('81) – chairman,

Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They are one of two remaining ...

* Michael J. Ahearn ('82) – chairman and former CEO,

First Solar First Solar, Inc. is a publicly traded American manufacturer of solar panels, and provider of utility-scale PV power plants, supporting services that include finance, construction, maintenance and end-of-life panel recycling. First Solar uses ...

* Steven E. Carr ('84) – First and only American ever elected to the highest governing body of the

International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement The organized International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a Humanitarianism, humanitarian movement with approximately 16million volunteering, volunteers, members, and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ...

* David Yerushalmi ('84) – Co-founder and Senior Counsel of the American Freedom Law Center * Ann Scott Timmer ('85) – Justice,

* John Lopez IV ('89) – Justice,

* Joe Rogers ('89) – former Lieutenant Governor of Colorado * Bridget S. Bade ('90) – Judge, 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, former

United States magistrate judge In United States federal courts, magistrate judges are judges appointed to assist U.S. district court judges in the performance of their duties. Magistrate judges generally oversee first appearances of criminal defendants, set bail, and conduct ...

for the District of Arizona. * Gloria Navarro ('92) – Judge,

United States District Court for the District of Nevada The United States District Court for the District of Nevada (in case citations, D. Nev.) is the federal district court whose jurisdiction is the state of Nevada. The court has locations in Las Vegas and Reno. Cases from the District of Nevada ...

* Rachel Mitchell ('92) – Prosecutor who questioned Dr. Christine Blasey Ford during

Brett Kavanaugh Brett Michael Kavanaugh (; born February 12, 1965) is an American lawyer and jurist serving as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. He was nominated by President Donald Trump on July 9, 2018, and has served since Oct ...

's hearing for confirmation to the

United States Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that turn on question ...

. * Diane Humetewa ('93) – Judge, United States District Court for the District of Arizona * James Hamm ('97) – private criminal justice consultant, qualified in courts as an expert on prison policy and procedure, time computations * Jerod E. Tufte ('02) – Justice, North Dakota Supreme Court * Michael T. Liburdi ('02) – Judge, United States District Court for the District of Arizona *

Kyrsten Sinema Kyrsten Lea Sinema ( ; born July 12, 1976) is an American politician, lawyer, and former social worker who served from 2019 to 2025 as a United States senator from Arizona. A former member of the Democratic Party, Sinema became an independent ...

('04) – U.S. Senator from

Arizona Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...

, former U.S. Representative from Arizona's 9th congressional district * Courtney Ekmark ('20) – played basketball on two NCAA championship teams before transferring to ASU in 2016; enrolled in O'Connor in 2017 and played for the Sun Devils

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Sandra Day O'connor College Of Law Arizona State University Law schools in Arizona Educational institutions established in 1965 1965 establishments in Arizona Education in Tempe, Arizona Buildings and structures in Tempe, Arizona Universities and colleges in Maricopa County, Arizona