Mercer University School of Law

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Mercer University School of Law
Established1873
School typePrivate[1]
DeanCathy Cox[2]
LocationMacon, Georgia, U.S.
USNWR ranking128th[3]
Bar pass rate81.3%[4]
Mercer University School of Law, on Coleman Hill overlooking downtown Macon

Mercer University School of Law (previously Walter F. George School of Law or Mercer Law School) is the professional law school of Mercer University. Founded in 1873, it is one of the oldest law schools in the United States and is the second oldest of Mercer's 12 colleges and schools. The School of Law has approximately 440 students and is located in Macon, Georgia on its own campus one mile (1.6 km) from Mercer's main campus. The law school building, one of Macon's most recognizable sites, is a three-story partial replica of Independence Hall in Philadelphia and is located on Coleman Hill overlooking downtown Macon. According to Mercer's official 2013 ABA-required disclosures, 65% of the Class of 2013 obtained full-time, long-term, JD-required employment nine months after graduation.[5]

Dean of the School[]

Daisy Hurst Floyd was reappointed as dean in 2014.[6] She assumed responsibility from Gary J. Simson, dean from 2010–14, who was elevated by Mercer to a university-wide position as senior vice provost for scholarship.[7][8] Floyd previously served as dean from 2004–10 and is a senior member of the law school faculty. It was announced on March 16, 2017 that Cathy Cox, current president of Young Harris College, will take over as dean in July, 2017. She is an alumnus of Walter F. George School of Law, a former member of the Georgia House of Representatives and served two terms as Georgia's secretary of state, first in 1998 and again in 2002.[9]

Walter F. George[]

Walter F. George, class of 1901, namesake of Mercer Law School.

The School of Law is named for Walter F. George, Mercer Law class of 1901, who served as United States Senator from Georgia from 1922–57 and as President pro tempore from 1955-57. Before election to the Senate, he served as a Judge of the Georgia Court of Appeals in 1917 and as a Justice of the Georgia Supreme Court from 1917-22. Mercer named its law school the Walter F. George School of Law of Mercer University in 1947. Fred M. Vinson, Chief Justice of the United States, participated in the naming ceremony.

The Walter F. George Foundation, created when the school was named, continues to fund scholarships for Mercer law students who have a demonstrated interest in pursuing a career in public service. Walter F. George Foundation Public Service Scholarships cover full tuition for three years of law school along with community service grants for first-year and second-year summer public service internships.

Centennial[]

President Richard Nixon, Navy Secretary John Warner and Defense Secretary Melvin Laird present Congressman Carl Vinson, class of 1902, (third from left) with a model of the USS Carl Vinson, the aircraft carrier that bears his name, November 18, 1973.

The School of Law celebrated its centennial in 1973. The principal event occurred on November 18, 1973; participants included Richard Nixon, President of the United States and Jimmy Carter, Governor of Georgia and future President of the United States.[10] In his speech, President Nixon announced the nation's third Nimitz-class nuclear aircraft carrier would be named in honor of Carl Vinson, Mercer Law class of 1902. Vinson, who was present at the event, was the first member of the United States House of Representatives to serve for more than 50 years (he served 1914-65), and was the long-time chairman of the House Armed Services Committee. Also present were Secretary of Defense Melvin Laird and Secretary of the Navy John Warner.

Accreditation and rankings[]

The School of Law has been a member of the Association of American Law Schools since 1923 and has been fully accredited by the American Bar Association since 1925.[11]

In the 2013 edition of its law school rankings, U.S. News & World Report ranks Mercer 105th among the nation's top 145 law schools.[12] The same edition ranks Mercer's legal writing program third in the nation.[13] The legal writing program has been ranked in the top three since US News & World Report began the speciality ranking in 2006.[14][15]

The Princeton Review includes Mercer in the 2013 edition of its "Best 168 Law Schools"; [16]

Statistics[]

George W. Woodruff, namesake of Mercer's Woodruff Curriculum. The curriculum is viewed as a model for other law schools and has been honored with the prestigious Gambrell Professionalism Award from the American Bar Association.

The School of Law enrolls approximately 440 students and has a faculty of approximately 30 full-time professors and 30 adjunct professors. The following degrees are offered: Juris Doctor (JD), a joint Juris Doctor/Master of Business Administration (JD/MBA) in conjunction with Mercer's Eugene W. Stetson School of Business and Economics, and a Master of Laws (LLM) in Federal Criminal Practice and Procedure, which is the nation's only LLM program with this subject matter focus.[17][18] The school publishes the Mercer Law Review, the oldest law review in Georgia (founded in 1949), and the Journal of Southern Legal History.

The School of Law's model curriculum, the Woodruff Curriculum, named for philanthropist George W. Woodruff, is viewed as a model for law schools across the United States. The curriculum, based on small classes and a practice oriented approach, focuses on legal ethics, professional responsibility, and legal writing and has been honored with the prestigious Gambrell Professionalism Award from the American Bar Association.[11][19]

The School of Law houses the Mercer Center for Legal Ethics and Professionalism, established in 2000 and dedicated to fostering and teaching ethics and professionalism in the practice of law, and the National Criminal Defense College, a not-for-profit organization established in 1985 and devoted to improved trial advocacy and trial practice.

The School of Law also houses the Legal Writing Institute, the world's largest organization devoted to improved legal writing.[20] The Institute's 1,800 members represent attorneys, judges, and legal writing professors in the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand.

Law Library[]

The Furman Smith Law Library, named for Furman Smith, Mercer Law class of 1932, is the school's center of legal research. A premier facility, the library is used by lawyers and judges from across the state and recognized for its superior resources and service. The library occupies over 30,000 square feet (3,000 m2) in a central location on the second and third floors of the law school building. Large windows in the library provide students with views of historic Macon from the law building's location on Coleman Hill.

Employment[]

According to Mercer's official 2013 ABA-required disclosures, 65% of the Class of 2013 obtained full-time, long-term, JD-required employment nine months after graduation.[5] Mercer's Law School Transparency under-employment score is 22.3%, indicating the percentage of the Class of 2013 unemployed, pursuing an additional degree, or working in a non-professional, short-term, or part-time job nine months after graduation.[21]

Costs[]

The total cost of attendance (indicating the cost of tuition, fees, and living expenses) at Mercer for the 2013-2014 academic year is $57,800.[22] The Law School Transparency estimated debt-financed cost of attendance for three years is $214,493.[23]

Notable alumni[]

  • Nathan Deal '66, elected in 2010, was the Governor of Georgia. 2011-19

  • Doug Barnard, Jr. '48, United States Representative, 1977-93.

  • Griffin Bell '48, Attorney General of the United States, 1977-79.

  • G. Harrold Carswell '48, Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and unsuccessful nominee to the United States Supreme Court, 1970.

  • Edward E. Cox '02, United States Representative, 1925-52.

  • Erick Erickson '00, political commentator for CNN and RedState.com.

  • Nancy Grace '84, political commentator and the host of her own show on Headline News.

  • John Oxendine '87, Georgia Insurance Commissioner, 1995-11.

  • Carl Vinson '02, United States Representative, 1914–65; the first person to serve more than 50 years in the House of Representatives and namesake of the USS Carl Vinson, a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier.

  • William S. West 1876, United States Senator for the year 1914 (appointed for one year to fill an unexpired term); instrumental in the founding of Valdosta State University.

  • J. Mark Wilcox '10, United States Representative, 1933–39; namesake of Miami International Airport Wilcox Field.

  • L. Lin Wood '77, high-profile attorney who has represented Richard Jewell, the parents of JonBenét Ramsey, Gary Condit, Kobe Bryant, and Herman Cain.

Mercer alumni recently headed two of Georgia's three branches of government: Nathan Deal '66, was the Governor of Georgia, 2011–2019; Hugh P. Thompson '69, was the Chief Justice of the Georgia Supreme Court, 2013–16.[24] In the Georgia General Assembly, Judson H. Hill, Sr. '86, served until 2017 as Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee; William T. Ligon, Jr. '86, served as Chairman of the Senate State and Local Governmental Operations Committee.[25][26] M. Yvette Miller '80, Sara L. Doyle '94, and Michael P. Boggs '90 are judges of the Georgia Court of Appeals.

Judiciary[]

  • Griffin Bell - Federal Appeals Court Judge, 1962–76; 72nd Attorney General of the United States, 1977-79
  • Michael P. Boggs - Judge, Georgia Court of Appeals, 2012–17; Associate Justice, Georgia Supreme Court, 2017–present
  • William Augustus Bootle - Judge, Federal District Court for the Middle District of Georgia, 1954–81; ordered admission of the first African-American to the University of Georgia, 1961; namesake of the William Augustus Bootle Federal Building and United States Courthouse in Macon
  • G. Harrold Carswell - Judge, Federal District Court for the Northern District of Florida, 1958–69; Judge, United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, 1969–70; unsuccessful nominee to the United States Supreme Court, 1970
  • Abraham Benjamin Conger - Judge, Federal District Court for the Middle District of Georgia, 1949–53
  • Bascom Sine Deaver - Judge, Federal District Court for the Middle District of Georgia, 1928–44
  • Albert John Henderson - Federal Appeals Court Judge, 1979–99; Judge, Federal District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, 1968–79
  • Richard Henry Mills - Judge, Federal District Court for the Central District of Illinois, 1985–present
  • Carlton Mobley - Chief Justice, Georgia Supreme Court, 1972–74; Associate Justice, 1954-72; United States Representative, Georgia's 6th Congressional District, 1932–33
  • Willie Louis Sands - Judge, Federal District Court for the Middle District of Georgia, 1994–present; the first African-American to serve on the court
  • Marc Treadwell - Judge, Federal District Court for the Middle District of Georgia, 2010–present
  • Julian Webb - Judge, Georgia Court of Appeals, 1974-1979, and member of the Georgia State Senate, 1963-1974
  • Charles W. Worrill - Justice, Georgia Supreme Court, 1953–1954[27]

Politics[]

  • Doug Barnard - United States Representative, Georgia's 10th Congressional district, 1977–93
  • William Bradley Bryant - Georgia Superintendent of Schools, 2010–11
  • Cathy Cox - Georgia Secretary of State, 1999-07, the first woman elected to this position; President, Young Harris College, 2007–present
  • Edward E. Cox - United States Representative, Georgia's 2nd Congressional district, 1925–52
  • Nathan Deal - United States Representative, Georgia's 9th Congressional district, 1993-10; Governor of Georgia, 2011-19
  • Peter Zack Geer - Georgia Lieutenant Governor, 1963–67
  • Walter F. George - United States Senator from Georgia, 1922–57, served as President pro tempore, 1955–57; namesake of Mercer's Law School
  • Buck Melton - Mayor of Macon, Georgia, 1975-79[28]
  • Michael Meyer von Bremen - Georgia State Senator, 1999-09; served as the Democratic Party Senate Minority Leader, 2002–09
  • John Oxendine - Georgia Insurance Commissioner, 1995-11
  • Robert Reichert - Mayor of Macon and former member of the Georgia House of Representatives, 2007–present
  • Dwight L. Rogers - United States Representative, Florida's 6th Congressional district, 1945–54
  • Christopher N. Smith - Honorary Consul of the Kingdom of Denmark
  • Malcolm C. Tarver - United States Representative, Georgia's 7th Congressional district, 1927–47
  • Carl Vinson - United States Representative for over 50 years, 1914–65; long-time Chairman, House Armed Services Committee; has been called the "patriarch of the armed services" and the "father of the two-ocean navy"; namesake of the USS Carl Vinson
  • William S. West - United States Senator from Georgia for the year 1914 (appointment to fill unexpired term); instrumental in the founding of Valdosta State University
  • J. Mark Wilcox - United States Representative, Florida's 4th Congressional district, 1933–39
  • John S. Wood - United States Representative, Georgia's 9th Congressional district, 1931–35 and 1945–53; Chairman, House Un-American Activities Committee, 1949–53

Arts, media, and non-government public service[]

  • Glen Ashman - author of the Georgia Municipal Court Judges Benchbook
  • Steve Berry - author of six novels including several New York Times bestsellers
  • Brainerd Currie - law professor; noted conflict of laws scholar who developed the characterisation concept of governmental interest analysis
  • Nancy Grace - anchor for Court TV, legal commentator, and host of Nancy Grace on the Headline News television network
  • Jay Sekulow - Chief Counsel, American Center for Law and Justice
  • L. Lin Wood - high profile trial attorney; has represented Richard Jewell, the parents of JonBenét Ramsey, Gary Condit, Kobe Bryant, and Herman Cain

  • William Augustus Bootle Federal Building and United States Courthouse in Macon. Judge "Gus" Bootle '25, served as Judge of the Federal District Court for the Middle District of Georgia from 1954–81 and ordered desegregation of the University of Georgia in 1961. The building was named in his honor in 1998.

  • J. Taylor Phillips Bibb County Courthouse in Macon. Judge Phillips '55, served as State Court judge from 1964-12 and earlier served in the Georgia House of Representatives (1959–62) and Georgia State Senate (1963-64). The building was named in his honor in 2012.

  • Homer and Ruth Drake Field House at Mercer University Stadium. Judge Drake '56, is a Senior Bankruptcy Judge, United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, 1979–present. He was chairman of the Mercer University Board of Trustees, 2008-10. The building was named in honor of Judge Drake and his spouse in 2012.

  • USS Carl Vinson, a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. Congressman Carl Vinson '02, was the first person to serve more than 50 years in the United States House of Representatives, 1914-65. The ship was named in his honor in 1973.

  • Miami International Airport Wilcox Field. Congressman J. Mark Wilcox '10, served in the United States House of Representatives, 1933–39 and later served as Attorney General of the Dade County Port Authority/Greater Miami Traffic Association (1945–56). The airport was named in his honor in 1959.

  • Walter F. George Lake located on the border between Georgia and Alabama. Senator Walter F. George '01, served in the United States Senate, 1922–57 and is the namesake of Mercer Law School. The lake was named in his honor in 1958.

References[]

  1. ^ "College Navigator". U.S. Department of Education. Retrieved 2018-11-08.
  2. ^ https://law.mercer.edu/faculty/administration/cox.cfm
  3. ^ "Mercer University (George)". U.S. News & World Report – Best Law Schools. Retrieved 15 January 2019.
  4. ^ https://law.mercer.edu/admissions/
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b "Employment Statistics".
  6. ^ http://law.mercer.edu/facultystaff/bios/daisy-hurst-floyd
  7. ^ "The den - A student-centered online resource center from Mercer University".
  8. ^ "Gary Simson Appointed Senior Vice Provost for Scholarship; Former Dean Daisy Hurst Floyd Returns as Dean of Mercer Law". Mercer News. February 28, 2014.
  9. ^ "Cathy Cox Appointed Dean of Mercer Law School". Daily Report. Retrieved 2017-03-16.
  10. ^ http://www.law.mercer.edu/alumni/mercerlawyer/spring12
  11. ^ Jump up to: a b "Search Martindale Alumni Directories".
  12. ^ http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-law-schools/walter-f-george-school-of-law-03041
  13. ^ http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-law-schools/legal-writing-rankings
  14. ^ "The den - A student-centered online resource center from Mercer University".
  15. ^ http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-law-schools/legal-writing
  16. ^ "Law School Admissions |Law School Search | The Princeton Review". www.princetonreview.com.
  17. ^ "Mercer University | Walter F. George School of Law". www2.law.mercer.edu.
  18. ^ http://www2.mercer.edu/News/Articles/2012/120827_Mercer+Law+School+Welcomes+Inaugural+LLM+Class.htm
  19. ^ http://www.abanet.org/cpr/awards/prevwinners.html
  20. ^ "The den - A student-centered online resource center from Mercer University".
  21. ^ "Mercer University Report, Overview | LST Reports". LST Reports by Law School Transparency.
  22. ^ "Tuition and Expenses".
  23. ^ "Mercer University Profile".
  24. ^ http://www.gasupreme.us/biographies/thompson.php
  25. ^ "Member". www.senate.ga.gov.
  26. ^ "Member". www.senate.ga.gov.
  27. ^ "Worrill Gets Post in Top State Court", The Atlanta Constitution (October 5, 1953), p. 1.
  28. ^ Fabian, Liz (2014-03-06). "Melton lauded for helping shape 'the modern era in Macon'". The Telegraph (Macon). Retrieved 2014-03-30.

External links[]

Coordinates: 32°50′30.27″N 83°38′06.26″W / 32.8417417°N 83.6350722°W / 32.8417417; -83.6350722

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