Earle Mack School of Law

Earle Mack School of Law
Motto	Scientia, Ars, Officium Knowledge, Skill, Duty
Established	2006
Dean	Roger J. Dennis
Location	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Campus	Drexel University Main Campus
Affiliations	Drexel University
Website	www.drexel.edu/law

The Earle Mack School of Law is the law school of Drexel University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. The school opened in the fall of 2006 and was the first new law school in Philadelphia in over a thirty year time period,^[1] and is the newest school within Drexel University. The law school offers Juris Doctor degrees and provides the opportunity for all students to take part in a cooperative education program.^[2]

History

In 2005, Drexel University announced its plans to create a new law school adjacent to the Drexel University Main Campus W. W. Hagerty library in West Philadelphia. That same year Drexel received approval from the Pennsylvania Department of Education to start the school.^[1] The decision to launch a law school with cooperative education in a city with five other law schools was based on a demand for graduates with immediate experience, with the president of Drexel University, Constantine Papadakis, saying that employers "like to hire a graduate and have them immediately be useful."^[3] The Earle Mack School of Law joins Temple University, University of Pennsylvania, Villanova University, Rutgers University, and Widener University to become the sixth law school in the Delaware Valley. The School of Law is the first new law school to be opened by a doctoral university in a twenty-five year period nationwide.^[4]

The School of Law building during construction in 2006

The inaugural class of the Earle Mack School of Law began classes on August 16, 2006. Due to a shortage of construction materials in 2006, caused in part by the need in the gulf coast due to Hurricane Katrina, construction on the law school building was delayed, resulting in classes being held on Drexel University's Main Campus and within the Jenkins Law Library and the auditorium of the National Constitution Center.^[5] The first class was expected to be composed of 120 students; ultimately, the inaugural class consisted of 183 students with an incoming median GPA of 3.4 and a median LSAT score of 156.^[6][7] The newest admitted class, the class of 2014, consists of 147 students with an incoming GPA of 3.38 and a median LSAT score of 159.^[8] On May 1, 2008 the Drexel University College of Law was renamed the Earle Mack School of Law in honor of Earle I. Mack, a Drexel University alumnus, after a donation of $15 million dollars.^[9]

Academics

The Law School offers Juris Doctor degrees and joint-degree programs for those pursuing a degree through Drexel University. The Law School received provisional accreditation from the American Bar Association in February 2008 enabling the first graduating class, 2009, to take the bar exam upon graduation.^[10] The school concentrates on entrepreneurial business, health law, and intellectual property law and as of 2009^[update] has 49 full and part-time faculty members.^[4][11] The Law School is the first to have enrolled all of its students in the Philadelphia Bar Association's Young Lawyers Section.^[12][13] The students also have automatic membership to the Jenkins Law Library.^[14] In addition to admittance to the Law Library students also publish a Law Review, Drexel Law Review, which is published semiannually.^[15] In August 2011, after three years of being provisionally accredited, the American Bar Association granted the Law School full accreditation.^[16]

Cooperative education

The front glass panels of the School of Law building

Like Drexel University's cooperative education program, the Law School offers cooperative education for its students. The Law School is the second law school in the country to have a co-op program for law students, the first being Northeastern University.^[3] The first co-op cycle for the law school started in September 2007 and over ninety area corporations, law offices, judiciary positions, non-profit organizations, and government offices offered internship positions.^[17][18][19]

During their first year at law school students concentrate on basics such as legal writing and contracts before starting their first six month co-op cycle.^[20] In order to be eligible to participate in the program students must complete their first year with a minimum GPA and satisfy any job orientation that is required. While on co-op students are required to work at least 20 hours a week at their position and take an additional 3 credit hours in either a class or an approved academic program.^[21]

Rankings

Provisionally accredited law schools cannot be ranked and as such the Law School was "unranked" on the 2011 list of "Best Law Schools" by U.S. News & World Report.^[22][23] In February 2011, the School of Law has the second-highest Pennsylvania Bar Examination passage rate of any Pennsylvania law school at 77.78%.^[24] In July 2011, Drexel had the fourth-highest Pennsylvania Bar Examination passage rate of Pennsylvania law schools at 84.47%, behind Penn, Temple, and Villanova.^[25]

Facilities

In 2005, the Philadelphia Planning Commission approved Drexel's then estimated $13 million temporary law school.^[26] Construction on the temporary law school building began in the fall of 2006 and was completed during the winter term. The $14 million building opened for classes on January 8, 2007.^[5]

The 65,000-square-foot (6,000 m²) complex features a moot courtroom, a two-floor library, a two-story atrium for meetings and casual conversation, faculty/staff offices, and several rooms available for students to meet and work. The building also shares Drexel's campus-wide wireless Internet access.^[27]

Post-graduation

The 2009 class graduated under 160 students, below the initial 180 students.^[28] Of that class about half had full-time employment at the time of graduation.^[28] Employment statistics reported by the Law School said that nine months after graduation 12.5% were unemployed.^[29]

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "Drexel University Board of Trustees Authorizes University to Open College of Law". BusinessWire. 2005-09-28. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_2005_Sept_28/ai_n15636669. Retrieved 2010-06-13. 
2. ^ Key, Peter (2005-04-21). "Drexel outlines law school plan". Philadelphia Business Journal. http://www.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/stories/2005/04/18/daily35.html. Retrieved 2010-06-13. 
3. ^ ^{a b} Pfeiffer, Sacha (2005-10-20). "New co-op law school will compete with Northeastern". The Boston Globe. http://www.boston.com/news/education/higher/articles/2005/10/20/new_co_op_law_school_will_compete_with_northeastern/. Retrieved 2010-06-13. 
4. ^ ^{a b} Monaghan, Suzanne (2006). "Drexel U. Marks Opening of Its Brand-New Law School". kyw1060.com. Archived from the original on September 28, 2007. http://web.archive.org/web/20070928081112/http://www.kyw1060.com/pages/70937.php?contentType=4&contentId=190691. Retrieved 2010-06-13. 
5. ^ ^{a b} Blumenthal, Jeff (2006-09-15). "First response to Drexel law school exceeds expectations". Philadelphia Business Journal. http://philadelphia.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/stories/2006/09/18/story10.html. Retrieved 2010-06-13. 
6. ^ Blumenthal, Jeff (2007-11-02). "Drexel's law school hopes to be accredited by summer". Philadelphia Business Journal. http://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/othercities/philadelphia/stories/2007/11/05/story10.html?b=1194238800%5E1544181. Retrieved 2010-06-13. ^{[dead link]}
7. ^ Dubey, Aditi (2006-08-11). "College of Law to open next week". The Triangle. http://www.thetriangle.org/home/index.cfm?event=displayArticle&ustory_id=b4e9f3d2-80c1-4ae1-88cd-1faab95c5222. Retrieved 2010-06-13. 
8. ^ "Drexel Law Fast Facts". Earle Mack School of Law. 2011. http://www.earlemacklaw.drexel.edu/about/facts/. Retrieved 2011-09-21. 
9. ^ "Drexel U. names law school". Philadelphia Business Journal. 2008-04-30. http://www.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/stories/2008/04/28/daily26.html. Retrieved 2010-06-13. 
10. ^ Neil, Martha (2008-05-07). "Drexel Gets Higher Profile Due to ABA Provisional Accreditation". ABA Journal. http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/drexel_gets_higher_profile_due_to_aba_provisional_accreditation/. Retrieved 2010-06-13. 
11. ^ "Drexel University Earle Mack School of Law". U.S. News & World Report. 2009. http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-law-schools/items/03199. Retrieved 2010-08-18. 
12. ^ Dubey, Aditi (2007-03-09). "Philadelphia Bar Association recognizes Drexel CoL". The Triangle. http://media.www.thetriangle.org/media/storage/paper689/news/2007/03/09/News/Philadelphia.Bar.Association.Recognizes.Drexel.Col-2770856.shtml. Retrieved 2010-06-13. 
13. ^ "Philadelphia Bar Association Recognizes College of Law". Drexel Daily Digest. 2007-03-08. http://www.drexel.edu/univrel/digest/archive/030807/index.html#08. Retrieved 2010-06-13. 
14. ^ "The Earle Mack School of Law at Drexel University: Jenkins Law Library". Earle Mack School of Law. http://www.drexel.edu/law/library/jenkins.htm. Retrieved 2010-06-13. 
15. ^ "Drexel Law Review". Earle Mack School of Law. http://www.earlemacklaw.drexel.edu/lawreview/. Retrieved 2011-09-21. 
16. ^ Blumenthal, Jeff (2011-08-05). "Drexel’s law school gets full ABA accreditation". http://www.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/news/2011/08/05/drexels-law-school-gets-full-aba.html. Retrieved 2011-08-05. 
17. ^ "Law Co-op Education: Overview". Earle Mack School of Law. 2007-04-11. Archived from the original on 2007-04-03. http://web.archive.org/web/20070403152153/http://www.drexel.edu/law/coop-overview.asp. Retrieved 2007-04-27. 
18. ^ Baxter, Brian (December 15, 2006). "Founding Father: Carl Oxholm III, GC of Drexel University". Law.com. http://www.law.com/jsp/ihc/PubArticleIHC.jsp?id=1166004328273. Retrieved 2008-06-10. 
19. ^ "The Earle Mack School of Law Co-op Program: Co-op Partners". Earle Mack School of Law. 2010-03-16. http://www.earlemacklaw.drexel.edu/co-op/coop-partners.asp. Retrieved 2010-06-13. ^{[dead link]}
20. ^ Blumenthal, Jeff (2006-04-28). "Drexel law school surpasses goal for 1st class admissions". Philadelphia Business Journal. http://philadelphia.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/stories/2006/05/01/story7.html. Retrieved 2010-06-13. 
21. ^ "Law School: Co-op Highlights". Earle Mack School of Law. Archived from the original on 2008-05-03. http://web.archive.org/web/20080503002407/http://www.drexel.edu/law/coop-highlights.asp. Retrieved 2008-02-15. 
22. ^ "Best Law Schools". U.S. News & World Report. 2011. http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-law-schools/law-rankings/page+8. Retrieved 2011-08-05. 
23. ^ Blumenthal, Jeff (2011-03-24). "After scandal, Villanova Law falls in U.S. News rankings". Philadelphia Business Journal. http://www.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/blog/jeff-blumenthal/2011/03/after-scandal-villanova-law-falls-in.html. Retrieved 2011-08-05. 
24. ^ "Pennsylvania Board of Law Examiners Press Release" (PDF). Pennsylvania Board of Law Examiners. February 2011. http://www.pabarexam.org/pdf/statistics/february/f2011.pdf. Retrieved 2011-08-05. 
25. ^ "Pennsylvania Bar Examination Examination Statistics" (PDF). Pennsylvania Board of Law Examiners. July 2011. http://www.pabarexam.org/pdf/statistics/july/j2011.pdf. Retrieved 2011-11-09. 
26. ^ Blumenthal, Jeff (September 29, 2005). "Drexel Trustees Approve New Law School". Philadelphia Business Journal. http://www.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/stories/2005/09/26/daily19.html. Retrieved 2010-06-13. 
27. ^ "The Earle Mack School of Law at Drexel University: Law Building". Earle Mack School of Law. 2010-03-11. Archived from the original on May 3, 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20080503095414/http://www.drexel.edu/law/law-building.asp. Retrieved 2008-06-17. 
28. ^ ^{a b} Blumenthal, Jeff (2009-05-18). "Drexel debuts its first law school grads". Philadelphia Business Journal. http://www.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/stories/2009/05/18/focus3.html. Retrieved 2011-08-05. 
29. ^ "Drexel University". Law School Transparency. http://www.lawschooltransparency.com/clearinghouse/?school=drexel&show=charts&class=2009. Retrieved 2011-08-05. 

External links

• Drexel University Official website
• Earle Mack School of Law Official website

Coordinates: 39°57′20″N 75°11′25″W / 39.95543°N 75.190411°W / 39.95543; -75.190411