Marquette University Law School
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Marquette University Law School |
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| Established: | 1908 |
| Type: | Private Catholic, Jesuit |
| Dean: | Joseph D. Kearney |
| Location: | Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA |
| Campus: | Urban |
| Website: | http://law.marquette.edu/ |
Marquette University Law School is the professional school for the study of law at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. With 45 full-time professors and approximately 750 J.D. students, the law school is ranked 87th of American Law Schools by U.S. News and World Report.[1]
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[edit] Overview
There are approximately 750 students enrolled in the J.D. program, with an average age of 25 in the entering class of 2008. Over half had taken off one to four years between their undergraduate degrees and law school. They had a median LSAT score of 157 and a median undergraduate GPA of 3.4.[2]
As part of a Jesuit university, the law school is committed to the Jesuit principle of cura personalis, or "care of the entire person." Consequently, the law school believes it has a duty to promote diversity and to encourage its "students to become agents for positive change in society."[3]
As one of only two law schools in the state, Marquette serves as a nexus of academic analysis of Wisconsin law and politics. Professors Dan Blinka and Tom Hammer co-author a digest of the decisions from the Wisconsin Supreme Court and the Wisconsin Court of Appeals for Wisconsin Lawyer, the magazine of the state bar association.[4] Mike Gousha, Distinguished Fellow in Law and Public Policy, hosts "On the Issues with Mike Gousha," a regular program at the law school where he interviews national and local public figures before an audience of faculty and students.[5] Recent guests have included Governor Jim Doyle, the mayor of Milwaukee, the Milwaukee County Executive, and the Archbishop of Milwaukee, as well as local business leaders and judges.[6]
[edit] History
Marquette University Law School was born out of Marquette University's 1908 acquisition of the Milwaukee Law School and the Milwaukee University Law School. First known as the Marquette University College of Law, the school added a day division to the two predecessors' evening programs. The first dean was James G. Jenkins, a retired judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. In 1916, the first edition of the Marquette Law Review was published, and in 1923, the college's name was changed to Marquette University Law School. A year later, the school moved into Sensenbrenner Hall. A law review article at the time described the building's interior: "four large lecture rooms and a large Moot Court room" and a "third floor [to] be occupied entirely by the library capable of holding 50,000 volumes." [7] The law school became a member of the Association of American Law Schools in 1912 and received American Bar Association approval in 1925. The evening program was suspended in 1924 as part of the accreditation process, and was not restored for decades.
It was under Dean Robert Boden that the modern law school emerged. He took over as acting dean in June 1965, and served as dean until his death in 1984. During those nearly 20 years, the size of the full-time faculty tripled, the student body nearly doubled, and the law library doubled the size of its collection.[8]
Dean Boden also oversaw a significant increase in the physical plant of the law school, making two major additions to Sensenbrenner Hall.[8] Moreover, in January 1968, the law library moved into the newly constructed Legal Research Center, appended to the west side of Sensenbrenner Hall. The move was managed by Professor Mary Alice Hohmann, the first woman to teach a law course at MULS.[9]
In the 25 years since Boden died, the law school's full-time faculty and student body have continued to grow. Construction continues on the future Eckstein Hall.[10] Under the leadership of Dean Joseph D. Kearney, the school's reputation continues to improve in the Wisconsin legal community and in the US News rankings.[11] Under Kearney, the school has also secured the two largest gifts in its history: $51 million from Ray and Kay Eckstein for Eckstein Hall, and $30 million from real estate developer Joseph Zilber, the bulk of which will endow scholarships.[12]
[edit] Campus
Since 1924 the law school has been housed in Sensenbrenner Hall on the eastern end of the Marquette campus, two blocks from the Milwaukee County Courthouse. Attached to Sensenbrenner Hall is the Marquette Law Library, a legal research center used by students, faculty, local attorneys, and local citizens.
The law school is expected to move into the new Eckstein Hall upon its completion in the Fall of 2010. The new building will be named for alumni Raymond and Kathryn Eckstein, who donated $51 million toward the project. Alumnus Joseph Zilber also donated $30 million. Floor plans call for a four-story "library without borders," two mock court rooms, a cafeteria, a workout facility, and a conference center, in addition to classrooms and faculty offices.[13] The project broke ground on May 22, 2008.[14]
[edit] Degrees and curriculum
Marquette University Law School confers two degrees, the Juris Doctor and the Master of Laws in sports law for foreign-trained attorneys. The school's National Sports Law Institute offers sports law courses and internships with local sports organizations. The clinical experiences offered by the Restorative Justice Initiative and the classroom education in alternative dispute resolution courses complement one another to create the #6 alternative dispute resolution program in the nation, according to U.S. News and World Report.[15] The school also has programs in health care law and intellectual property law. It also partners with other colleges of Marquette University to offer joint degree programs for an M.B.A., an M.B.A. in Sports Business, or an M.A. in political science, international affairs, or the history of philosophy. Through an agreement with the Medical College of Wisconsin, the school offers a joint degree program for an M.A. in bioethics.
Throughout its courses and clinics, Marquette University Law School aims to provide its students with an education that is "practical" and "professional," equipping them for "the daily practice of law."[16]
Graduates of the Marquette University Law School, along with graduates of the University of Wisconsin Law School, are eligible for the diploma privilege as a method of admission to the bar. Unlike all other jurisdictions in the United States, Wisconsin's state bar allows graduates of accredited law schools within the state to join the bar without taking the state's bar examination if they complete certain requirements in their law school courses and achieve a certain level of performance in those courses. Graduates are also required to pass a character and fitness review by the Board of Bar Examiners.
Students are encouraged while in law school to participate in one of many pro bono opportunities. Students may complete for-credit internships with the AIDS Resource Center, Catholic Charities Immigration Assistance Project, Legal Action of Wisconsin, or Legal Aid Society of Milwaukee.[17] Marquette also operates a Spanish-language volunteer legal clinic at the House of Peace Community Center and Spanish Center.[18] Community residents seeking help come to the Law School on select Saturdays for the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program.[19] A new program, the Milwaukee Legal Initiative for Non-profit Corporations (M-LINC), connects Marquette alumni and students to Milwaukee's non-profit community.[20] Finally, the Public Interest Law Society sponsors pro bono activities for students, including the PILS Fellowships that provide a stipend for students to work at public interest organizations during summer break.[21]
[edit] Student life
Students may participate in numerous campus clubs and activities, such as the Student Bar Association, the Federalist Society, or the Black Law Students Association.[22] The Moot Court Board sponsors the annual intramural Jenkins Moot Court Competition and teams for a variety of external competitions.[23] Some students also serve the community through the Pro Bono Society and other volunteer opportunities.[24]
Tuition for the law school is $32,410, and approximately 30% of students receive merit-based scholarships.[25]
Approximately 96% of graduated students are employed within nine months of commencement. Members of the Class of 2007 had an average starting salary of $73,630. Approximately 80% of students enter private or corporate practice at the end of law school.[26] Recent graduates have clerked for judges of the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Fifth and Seventh Circuits, federal district courts, and various state appellate courts.[27]
[edit] Journals and publications
Marquette University Law School publishes four law journals: the flagship Marquette Law Review, the Marquette Sports Law Review, the Marquette Intellectual Property Law Review and the Marquette Elder's Advisor.
The Marquette Law Review is ranked 62nd among general U.S. student-edited journals for citations by courts.[28] Founded in 1916, the journal is published quarterly. The U.S. Supreme Court has cited articles carried in its pages nine times, and other courts have also employed the legal scholarship and commentary it has published.
The Marquette Sports Law Review was the first semi-annual scholarly journal devoted entirely to issues in sports law.[29] It is ranked 69th among student-edited U.S. specialty journals for citations by courts,[28] and has been mentioned by the New York Times.[30] The journal covers legal issues affecting amateur, collegiate, Olympic, and professional sports, from athlete contracts to drug tests to stadium construction.
The Marquette Intellectual Property Law Review is ranked 134th among student-edited U.S. specialty journals for citations by courts.[28] First published in 1997, the journal is ranked number eight for impact among the 52 U.S. intellectual property law reviews.[28]
The Marquette Elder's Advisor is a semi-annual review devoted to law and policy issues of later life, retirement, disability and financial planning.
By arrangement with the Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel, MULS faculty and students collaborate to edit the FDCC Quarterly, a practitioners' journal for attorneys who defend clients in cases involving torts, products liability, environmental law, and other civil claims.
[edit] Deans
- Joseph D. Kearney, 2003-present
- Howard B. Eisenberg, 1995-2002
- Frank DeGuire, 1984-1994
- Robert F. Boden, 1965-1984
- Reynolds C. Seitz
- Francis X. Swietlik
- Clifton Williams
- Max Schoetz, 1916-1927
- James G. Jenkins, 1908-1915
[edit] Notable faculty
- Daniel D. Blinka, teaches criminal law, voted Best Law Professor in Wisconsin[31]
- Janine P. Geske, former Wisconsin Supreme Court justice and practitioner and scholar of restorative justice
- Jay Grenig, author of 100 books for students, scholars, and practitioners
- Matthew Mitten, sports law expert[citation needed] and member of the Court of Arbitration for Sport
- Michael O'Hear, a national expert on the Federal Sentencing Guidelines
- David Ray Papke, scholar of law and popular culture
- Andrea Schneider, an expert in alternative dispute resolution
[edit] Notable alumni
Government and Politics
- John B. Bennett, Member of Congress (MI)
- Gerald J. Boileau, Member of Congress (WI)
- Raymond Cannon, Member of Congress (WI)
- Laverne Dilweg, Member of Congress (WI)
- Gerald T. Flynn, Member of Congress (WI)
- Stewart G. Honeck, Attorney General of Wisconsin
- Charles Kersten, Member of Congress (WI)
- Donald A. Manzullo, Member of Congress (IL)
- Joseph McCarthy, United States Senator (WI)
- Lawrence H. Smith, Member of Congress (WI)
- Thaddeus Wasielewski, Member of Congress (WI)
Judiciary
- James Waldo Ackerman, judge of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois
- Thomas Curran, judge of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin
- Louis J. Ceci, justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court
- John L. Coffey, judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
- William H. Dietrich, justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court
- James Durfee, judge of the U.S. Court of Claims
- Terence T. Evans, judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
- Noel Peter Fox, judge of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan
- Janine Geske, justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court
- William C. Griesbach, judge of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin
- Leo B. Hanley, justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court
- Robert W. Hansen, justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court
- J.P. Stadtmueller, judge of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin
- Roland J. Steinle, justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court
- Diane S. Sykes, judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
- Robert Tehan, judge of the U.S District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin
- Annette Ziegler, justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court
Academia
- Susan Martyn, professor of law and values at Touro College Fuchsberg Law Center
- Thomas Place, professor of law at Penn State-Dickinson School of Law
- Michael Straubel, professor of law at Valparaiso University School of Law
- Aaron Twerski, rabbi and former dean of the Hofstra University School of Law
- Michael J. Zimmer, professor of law at Loyola University Chicago School of Law
[edit] References
- ^ [1] U.S. News and World Report
- ^ Fall 2008 Entering J.D. Class Marquette University Law School.
- ^ Message from the Dean Marquette University Law School.
- ^ Wisconsin Lawyer
- ^ "Milwaukee Police Chief Flynn goes "On the Issues" at Marquette Law School" Media Newswire.
- ^ Marquette Law School: On the Issues Marquette University Law School.
- ^ "Law School History" Marquette University Law School.
- ^ a b John J. Kircher, Dean Robert F. Boden: A Retrospective, 67 Marquette Law Review, pp. xi, xiii (1983).
- ^ Robert F. Boden, In Memorial: Mary Alice Hohmann, 65 Marquette Law Review, p. 501 (1982)
- ^ "Eckstein Hall Rising" Michael McChrystal, Marquette Law School Faculty Blog, April 14, 2009.
- ^ "2009 Top Law Schools" 2009 Top-Law-Schools.com.
- ^ "Zilber Makes $30M Gift to Marquette Law School", Milwaukee Business Journal, Aug. 20, 2007.
- ^ "Marquette setting foundation for legal scholarship," The Business Journal.
- ^ "Marquette to break ground on new Law School Building May 22" Marquette University News Center.
- ^ " Law Specialty Rankings: Dispute Resolution," U.S. News and World Report.
- ^ John J. Kircher, Dean Robert F. Boden: A Retrospective, 67 Marq. L. Rev. xi, xiv (1983)
- ^ "Spring 2008 Clinics, Marquette University Law School.
- ^ "Marquette Law School, Quarles & Brady open south-side legal clinic" Marquette University News Center.
- ^ "Volunteer Income Tax Assistance", Marquette University Law School.
- ^ Milwaukee Legal Initiative for Nonprofit Corporations (M-LINC)
- ^ "PILS Fellowship Experiences", Marquette University Law School.
- ^ Student Organizations Marquette University Law School.
- ^ Moot Court Offerings at Marquette University Law School Marquette University Law School.
- ^ Volunteer Legal Clinic Marquette University Law School.
- ^ Tuition, Financial Aid, and Scholarships Marquette University Law School.
- ^ Employment Statistics: Class of 2007 (as of March 2008) Marquette University Law School.
- ^ "Judicial Clerkships" Marquette Lawyer.
- ^ a b c d Law Journals: Submissions and Ranking Washington and Lee University School of Law.
- ^ Arts, Entertainment, and Sports Washington & Lee Law Library. See Fay Vincent, Preface, 1 Marq. Sports L. J. ix (1990).
- ^ Liptak, Adam. "When Rendering Decisions, Judges Are Finding Law Reviews Irrelevant," New York Times, March 19, 2007.
- ^ "Best Law Professor 2009" Wisconsin Law Journal.
[edit] External links
