Belmont University College of Law

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Belmont University College of Law
Belmont Law Logo.png
Parent schoolBelmont University
Established2011
School typePrivate
DeanAlberto Gonzales
LocationNashville, Tennessee, US
Enrollment276
USNWR ranking129 of 204 schools [1]
Bar pass rate94.29% (who sat for a bar examination within two years of their date of graduation)
Websitewww.belmont.edu/law
ABA profileBelmont Law

Belmont University College of Law is a private law school in Nashville, Tennessee. Founded in 2011, the College of Law was accredited by the American Bar Association in 2013, the earliest possible time allowed by accreditation guidelines.[2] Although relatively young, Belmont Law has established a strong reputation in Tennessee for its high bar passage and employment statistics.

History[]

Belmont University announced plans for the College of Law in 2009, with the first class beginning in 2011.[3] Belmont Law was accredited by the American Bar Association in 2013, making it the first new accredited law program in Tennessee in over 50 years [2] and the first new law school in Middle Tennessee in nearly 100 years.[3] Belmont Law achieved American Bar Association accreditation in the earliest possible time allowed by accreditation guidelines.[2]

Curriculum[]

The college's curriculum includes the Juris Doctor (J.D.) with specialized certificate programs available in Criminal Law, Health Law, and Entertainment Law.[4] The College of Law curriculum focuses on creating practice-ready attorneys with a practicum requirement in each semester to help students become proficient in the “practice” of law.[5] These practicums give instruction in all aspects of the practice of law, such as legal writing, legal research, client interviewing, document drafting, litigation, negotiation, and more.[5]

In 2017, a dual JD/MBA program was launched, allowing students to take classes for both degrees concurrently and complete requirements for both degrees within three years.[6]

Facilities[]

Belmont Law Baskin Center
Belmont Law Baskin Center

The law school is housed in the Randall and Sadie Baskin Center, a 75,000-square-foot LEED Gold building atop a five-level underground garage.[7] The Baskin Center houses more than a dozen large classrooms, a trial courtroom, an appellate court room, faculty offices, student commons, and a two-story law library.[8]

Organizations and Publications[]

Students can hone their oral and written advocacy skills through local and national competition through the Board of Advocates program, which includes mock trial, moot court, and transactional teams.[5]

The College of Law publishes four academic journals, the Belmont Law Review,[9] Criminal Law Journal,[10] Entertainment Law Journal, and Health Law Journal.[11]

Employment[]

Statistics for the class of 2018 indicate 96% of students are employed in some capacity, with 95% employed in bar passage required or J.D. advantage positions.[12] Most graduates remain in state, with 89% employed in Tennessee.[13] Of those employed, 63% work at a law firm, 14.5% work in business or industry, 18.5% work in government or judicial clerkships, and 4% work in public interest.[13]

Belmont Law's Law School Transparency under-employment score is 6.4%, indicating the percentage of the Class of 2018 unemployed, pursuing an additional degree, or working in a non-professional, short-term, or part-time job nine months after graduation.[14]

Bar Passage[]

On the July 2019 bar exam, 97.18% of Belmont Law's first-time test takers and 94.52% of its total takers passed,[15] the highest of any law school in Tennessee and +23.62% above the state's overall 70.90% pass rate.[16] In 2018, 94.52% of Belmont Law's first-time test takers and 90.79% of its total takers passed the bar exam,[17] ranking 12th in the nation for bar passage.[18]

Costs[]

Tuition costs for the year 2019 are $44,470,[19] with 49% of students receiving scholarships.[20] Belmont Law ranks #104 in terms of highest tuition among full-time law students based on 283 tuition rates from 194 law schools, with in-state tuition counting separately.[21]

Board of Advocacy Achievements[]

National Champion Year
L. Edward Bryant, Jr. National Health Law Transactional Moot Court 2019
Emory Civil Rights and Liberties Moot Court Competition 2019
National Health Law Moot Court Competition, Southern Illinois University 2015
National Finalist Year
American Association for Justice Mock Trial Competition 2017
Regional Champion Year
American Bar Association National Appellate Advocacy Competition 2019
American Association of Justice Student Trial Advocacy Competition 2019
American Bar Association's National Appellate Advocacy Competition (NAAC) 2018
American Bar Association's National Appellate Advocacy Competition (NAAC) 2017
American Association for Justice Mock Trial Competition 2017
American Association for Justice Mock Trial Competition 2015
Regional Finalist Year
American Bar Association National Appellate Advocacy Competition 2019
National Moot Court Competition, New York City Bar Association 2016
Best Brief/Memo Year
Emory Civil Rights and Liberties Moot Court Competition 2018
L. Edward Bryant, Jr. National Health Law Transactional Moot Court Competition 2017
Best Oral Advocate Year
Emory Civil Rights and Liberties Moot Court Competition 2019
National Moot Court Competition, New York City Bar Association (Regional) 2014

[22]

References[]

  1. ^ "Belmont University College of Law". usnews.com. Retrieved 2020-10-23.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b c "Belmont law program receives accreditation". Nashville Business Journal. Retrieved 2019-08-19.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b "Belmont University announces College of Law". The National Jurist. 2009-10-19. Retrieved 2019-09-07.
  4. ^ "School Detail Information". Law School Admission Council. Retrieved 2019-05-06.
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b c "Legal Insight 2017". Newsweek. 2017. Retrieved 2019-09-07.
  6. ^ "Belmont launching joint JD/MBA". Nashville Post. 2017-04-10. Retrieved 2019-09-07.
  7. ^ "Belmont law building earns LEED Gold". Nashville Post. 2012-10-31. Retrieved 2019-08-19.
  8. ^ "School Detail Information". officialguide.lsac.org. Retrieved 2019-09-19.
  9. ^ "Belmont Law Review". Belmont Law Review. Retrieved 2019-09-08.
  10. ^ "Belmont Criminal Law Journal". www.belmontcriminallaw.com. Retrieved 2019-09-08.
  11. ^ "Belmont Health Law Journal". www.belmonthealthlaw.com. Retrieved 2019-09-08.
  12. ^ "Of Note: 17 May 2019". Nashville Post. 2019-05-17. Retrieved 2019-08-19.
  13. ^ Jump up to: a b Hefner, April (2019-05-16). "College of Law Announces Record Employment Rate for Class of 2018". Belmont University News & Media. Retrieved 2019-10-17.
  14. ^ "Belmont University". Law School Transparency. Retrieved 2019-08-19.
  15. ^ "July 2019 UBE TN School Statistics" (PDF). Tennessee Board of Law Examiners.
  16. ^ "Belmont tops in bar passage". Nashville Post. Retrieved 2019-10-17.
  17. ^ "Notes: Vanderbilt, Belmont top bar exam result". Nashville Post. 2018-10-08. Retrieved 2019-08-19.
  18. ^ Zaretsky, Staci. "The Top 50 Law Schools By First-Time Bar Exam Pass Rates (2018)". Above the Law. Retrieved 2019-10-17.
  19. ^ "Law School Overview". U.S. News and World Report.
  20. ^ "BELMONT UNIVERSITY - 2018 Standard 509 Information Report" (PDF). American Bar Association Standard Disclosures.
  21. ^ "Belmont University". Public Legal. Retrieved 2019-09-11.
  22. ^ "Board of Advocates". Belmont University. Retrieved 2019-09-08.

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