University of San Diego School of Law
Encyclopedia
The University of San Diego School of Law, commonly referred to as USD Law, is a law school
located on the 182 acre (0.73652852 km²) campus of the University of San Diego
in San Diego, California
in the community of Linda Vista
. Founded in 1954, the law school has held ABA approval since 1961. It joined the Association of American Law Schools
(AALS) in 1966.
(J.D.) degrees in either a three-year full-time or a four-year part-time program. Advanced law degree programs offered include Master of Laws
((LL.M.) degrees in taxation law, international law
, criminal law
, health law
, intellectual property law, business and corporate law
, and in Comparative Law
for graduates of international law schools. Concurrent degree programs are offered to achieve a J.D. degree with either a Masters in Business Administration, International Master of Business Administration, or Master of Arts
in International Relations
.
and first in the Western United States among law schools with graduate tax programs. In January 2011, USD Law was given a "B+" in the "Best Public Interest Law Schools" listing by The National Jurist: The Magazine for Law Students.
The school is a member of the Order of the Coif
, a national law school honorary society founded for the purposes of encouraging legal scholarship and advancing the ethical standards of the legal profession.
, where his practice focused on business law. Prior to beginning his legal career, Ferruolo was a history
professor at Stanford University
.
of the University of Chicago Law School
ranked USD Law 22nd in the nation for faculty scholarly reputation. Leiter rated USD Law as "Also Strong" in Criminal Law & Procedure, Jurisprudence/Legal Philosophy, Law & Religion, and Legal Ethics.
Eleven faculty members are members of the American Law Institute
, a legal research organization.
Justice Antonin Scalia
has judged the final round of intramural moot court
competitions on campus. Along with this, he has been a guest lecturer of Constitutional Law
classes as well as classes on Oral Advocacy.
appeared on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire and faculty member Frank Partnoy
appeared on an episode of The Daily Show
discussing his book The Match King: Ivar Kreuger, The Financial Genius Behind a Century of Wall Street Scandals.
(LSAT) scores was 164 and the 25th percentile of LSAT scores was 161 for admitted full-time students.
32°46′19.92"N 117°11′16.62"W
Law school in the United States
In the United States, a law school is an institution where students obtain a professional education in law after first obtaining an undergraduate degree.Law schools in the U.S...
located on the 182 acre (0.73652852 km²) campus of the University of San Diego
University of San Diego
The University of San Diego is a Roman Catholic university in San Diego, California. USD offers more than sixty bachelor's, master’s, and doctoral programs...
in San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
in the community of Linda Vista
Linda Vista, San Diego, California
Linda Vista is a community in San Diego, California, United States. It is east of Mission Bay, north of Mission Valley, and south-east of Tecolote Canyon. It lies on a mesa overlooking Mission Valley...
. Founded in 1954, the law school has held ABA approval since 1961. It joined the Association of American Law Schools
Association of American Law Schools
The Association of American Law Schools is a non-profit organization of 170 law schools in the United States. Another 25 schools are "non-member fee paid" schools, which are not members but choose to pay AALS dues. Its purpose is to improve the legal profession through the improvement of legal...
(AALS) in 1966.
Academics
USD Law offers Juris DoctorJuris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
(J.D.) degrees in either a three-year full-time or a four-year part-time program. Advanced law degree programs offered include Master of Laws
Master of Laws
The Master of Laws is an advanced academic degree, pursued by those holding a professional law degree, and is commonly abbreviated LL.M. from its Latin name, Legum Magister. The University of Oxford names its taught masters of laws B.C.L...
((LL.M.) degrees in taxation law, international law
International law
Public international law concerns the structure and conduct of sovereign states; analogous entities, such as the Holy See; and intergovernmental organizations. To a lesser degree, international law also may affect multinational corporations and individuals, an impact increasingly evolving beyond...
, criminal law
Criminal law
Criminal law, is the body of law that relates to crime. It might be defined as the body of rules that defines conduct that is not allowed because it is held to threaten, harm or endanger the safety and welfare of people, and that sets out the punishment to be imposed on people who do not obey...
, health law
Health law
Health Law is the federal, state, and local law, rules, regulations and other jurisprudence affecting the health care industry and their application to health care patients, providers and payors, and vendors to the health care industry, including without limitation the relationships among...
, intellectual property law, business and corporate law
Corporate law
Corporate law is the study of how shareholders, directors, employees, creditors, and other stakeholders such as consumers, the community and the environment interact with one another. Corporate law is a part of a broader companies law...
, and in Comparative Law
Comparative law
Comparative law is the study of differences and similarities between the law of different countries. More specifically, it involves study of the different legal systems in existence in the world, including the common law, the civil law, socialist law, Islamic law, Hindu law, and Chinese law...
for graduates of international law schools. Concurrent degree programs are offered to achieve a J.D. degree with either a Masters in Business Administration, International Master of Business Administration, or Master of Arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
in International Relations
International relations
International relations is the study of relationships between countries, including the roles of states, inter-governmental organizations , international nongovernmental organizations , non-governmental organizations and multinational corporations...
.
Academic quality
USD Law placed 67th among the nation's "Top 100" law schools by the 2011 U.S. News and World Report rankings. In April 2010, USD was ranked 6th in the nation in tax lawTax law
Tax law is the codified system of laws that describes government levies on economic transactions, commonly called taxes.-Major issues:Primary taxation issues facing the governments world over include;* taxes on income and wealth...
and first in the Western United States among law schools with graduate tax programs. In January 2011, USD Law was given a "B+" in the "Best Public Interest Law Schools" listing by The National Jurist: The Magazine for Law Students.
The school is a member of the Order of the Coif
Order of the Coif
The Order of the Coif is an honor society for United States law school graduates. A student at an American law school who earns a Juris Doctor degree and graduates in the top 10 percent of his or her class is eligible for membership if the student's law school has a chapter of the...
, a national law school honorary society founded for the purposes of encouraging legal scholarship and advancing the ethical standards of the legal profession.
Dean
The dean of the law school is Stephen Ferruolo. Prior to his tenure as dean, Ferruolo was a partner at the San Diego branch of Goodwin ProcterGoodwin Procter
Goodwin Procter LLP is a prominent law firm based in the United States, consisting of 850 attorneys serving clients in Boston, Hong Kong, London, Los Angeles, New York City, Silicon Valley, San Diego, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C....
, where his practice focused on business law. Prior to beginning his legal career, Ferruolo was a history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
professor at Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
.
Faculty
In a 2003-2004 survey based exclusively on academic criteria, Brian LeiterBrian Leiter
Brian Leiter is an American philosopher and legal scholar who is currently John Wilson Professor of Law at the University of Chicago Law School, and founder and Director of Chicago's new Center for Law, Philosophy, and Human Values and the editor of the Philosophical Gourmet Report. He taught from...
of the University of Chicago Law School
University of Chicago Law School
The University of Chicago Law School was founded in 1902 as the graduate school of law at the University of Chicago and is among the most prestigious and selective law schools in the world. The U.S. News & World Report currently ranks it fifth among U.S...
ranked USD Law 22nd in the nation for faculty scholarly reputation. Leiter rated USD Law as "Also Strong" in Criminal Law & Procedure, Jurisprudence/Legal Philosophy, Law & Religion, and Legal Ethics.
Eleven faculty members are members of the American Law Institute
American Law Institute
The American Law Institute was established in 1923 to promote the clarification and simplification of American common law and its adaptation to changing social needs. The ALI drafts, approves, and publishes Restatements of the Law, Principles of the Law, model codes, and other proposals for law...
, a legal research organization.
Notable guest professors
For several years, Supreme CourtSupreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
Justice Antonin Scalia
Antonin Scalia
Antonin Gregory Scalia is an American jurist who serves as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. As the longest-serving justice on the Court, Scalia is the Senior Associate Justice...
has judged the final round of intramural moot court
Moot court
A moot court is an extracurricular activity at many law schools in which participants take part in simulated court proceedings, usually to include drafting briefs and participating in oral argument. The term derives from Anglo Saxon times, when a moot was a gathering of prominent men in a...
competitions on campus. Along with this, he has been a guest lecturer of Constitutional Law
Constitutional law
Constitutional law is the body of law which defines the relationship of different entities within a state, namely, the executive, the legislature and the judiciary....
classes as well as classes on Oral Advocacy.
Media appearances
Faculty member Junichi P. SemitsuJunichi P. Semitsu
Junichi P. Semitsu is a professor of law at the University of San Diego and the exclusive blogger for the Dixie Chicks. He co-created the pop culture and politics blog, Poplicks.com , with Oliver Wang. He also previously served as the Director of June Jordan's Poetry for the People at U.C. Berkeley...
appeared on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire and faculty member Frank Partnoy
Frank Partnoy
Frank Partnoy is the George E. Barrett Professor of Law and Finance at the University of San Diego School of Law.-Bibliography:* F.I.A.S.C.O.: Blood in the Water on Wall Street* Infectious Greed: How Deceit and Risk Corrupted the Financial Markets...
appeared on an episode of The Daily Show
The Daily Show
The Daily Show , is an American late night satirical television program airing each Monday through Thursday on Comedy Central. The half-hour long show premiered on July 21, 1996, and was hosted by Craig Kilborn until December 1998...
discussing his book The Match King: Ivar Kreuger, The Financial Genius Behind a Century of Wall Street Scandals.
Students
In 2007, the 75th percentile of Law School Admission TestLaw School Admission Test
The Law School Admission Test is a half-day standardized test administered four times each year at designated testing centers throughout the world. Administered by the Law School Admission Council for prospective law school candidates, the LSAT is designed to assess Reading Comprehension,...
(LSAT) scores was 164 and the 25th percentile of LSAT scores was 161 for admitted full-time students.
Bar passage rates
Based on a 2001-2007 6 year average, 76.3% of USD Law graduates passed the California State Bar.Post-graduation employment
Based on a 2001-2007 6 year average, 90.6% of USD Law graduates were employed 9 months after graduation.Notable alumni
- Steven R. Altman '86 (J.D.), President QualcommQualcommQualcomm is an American global telecommunication corporation that designs, manufactures and markets digital wireless telecommunications products and services based on its code division multiple access technology and other technologies. Headquartered in San Diego, CA, USA...
- Leonard Armato '78 (J.D.), Founder and former CEO and Commissioner for the Association of Volleyball ProfessionalsAssociation of Volleyball ProfessionalsThe Association of Volleyball Professionals, or AVP, is a beach volleyball tour which takes place throughout the United States. The summer tour starts in April and continues almost every weekend until the end of October....
- Thomas J. Barrack, Jr. ’71 (J.D.), CEO Colony Capital; called "the best real estate investor on the planet today" by Fortune magazine
- Shelley BerkleyShelley BerkleyRochelle "Shelley" Berkley is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1999, and a candidate for U.S. Senate. She is a member of the Democratic Party.-Early life, education, and legal career:...
'76 (J.D.), Member U.S. House of Representatives - Dave CampDavid Lee CampDavid Lee "Dave" Camp is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1991. He is a member of the Republican Party and the current Chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means.-Early life, education and career:...
'78 (J.D.), Member U.S. House of Representatives, Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee - Theo EpsteinTheo EpsteinTheo Nathan Epstein is the President of Baseball Operations for the Chicago Cubs.On November 25, 2002, he became the youngest GM in the history of Major League Baseball when the Boston Red Sox hired him at the age of 28...
'00 (J.D.), President of Baseball Operations for the Chicago CubsChicago CubsThe Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National... - Jan GoldsmithJan GoldsmithJan Goldsmith is a Republican politician from San Diego, CA who currently serves as the San Diego City Attorney.-Education:He received his undergraduate degree from American University in Washington, DC and his law degree from the University of San Diego School of Law.-Political career:Formerly the...
'76 (J.D.), City Attorney of San Diego and former California State Assemblyman and judge - Joseph Ghougassian ’80 (J.D.), Chairman, Persian Gulf Consultants, former Deputy Senior Advisor for the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq, former US Ambassador to Qatar
- Robert KardashianRobert KardashianRobert George Kardashian was an American attorney and businessman. He gained national recognition as O. J. Simpson's friend and defense attorney during the latter's 1995 murder trial...
'67 (J.D.), lawyer for OJ Simpson and father of reality show personalities Kourtney KardashianKourtney KardashianKourtney Mary Kardashian is an American businesswoman, socialite, model, actress and reality television personality who gained fame as a cast member of Keeping Up with the Kardashians, Kourtney and Kim Take New York, and Kourtney and Khloé Take Miami.She is the oldest child of Kris Jenner and...
, Kimberly "Kim" Kardashian HumphriesKim KardashianKimberly Noel "Kim" Kardashian is an American socialite, television personality, model, actress and businesswoman. She is known for the E! reality series that she shares with her family—Keeping Up with the Kardashians, and its spin-offs including Kourtney and Kim Take New York...
, Khloé Kardashian OdomKhloe KardashianKhloé Kardashian Odom is an American businesswoman, television personality, radio host, socialite, and model...
, and Robert Kardashian Jr.Rob KardashianRobert Arthur "Rob" Kardashian is an American television personality. He is best known for appearing on his family's reality television shows, such as Keeping Up with the Kardashians and Khloé & Lamar. Kardashian competed and placed second on the thirteenth season of Dancing with the Stars...
, with his former wife Kris JennerKris JennerKristen Mary "Kris" Jenner is an American television personality, socialite and businesswoman. She also is the manager for all of her family members, including Kim Kardashian, Kourtney Kardashian and Khloé Kardashian...
. - Judith N. KeepJudith KeepJudith Nelsen Keep was a judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of California.-Early life and education:...
'70 (J.D.), Chief District Judge of the Southern District from 1991 to 1998 - James E. McElroy '77 (J.D.), civil rights attorney and board chairman of the Southern Poverty Law CenterSouthern Poverty Law CenterThe Southern Poverty Law Center is an American nonprofit civil rights organization noted for its legal victories against white supremacist groups; legal representation for victims of hate groups; monitoring of alleged hate groups, militias and extremist organizations; and educational programs that...
- Thomas P. O’BrienThomas P. O’BrienThomas Peter O'Brien is a white collar criminal defense attorney at the Los Angeles law office of Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker. He was the United States Attorney for the Central District of California from October 2007 to September 2009....
'93 (J.D.), United States Attorney for the Central District of California - Rod PachecoRod PachecoRodric Anthony Pacheco , usually known as Rod Pacheco, is an American politician. He served in the Riverside County District Attorney's Office as a Deputy District Attorney, Chief Deputy District Attorney, Assistant District Attorney and then as District Attorney from 2007-2010 in Riverside County,...
'83 (J.D.), former California Assembly Member and District Attorney of Riverside County - Ron D. Parraguirre '85 (J.D.), Chief Justice for the Supreme Court of NevadaSupreme Court of NevadaThe Supreme Court of Nevada is the state supreme court of Nevada. It is the highest judicial body of the Nevada state government.There are seven Justices of the court, who are elected to six-year terms in officially nonpartisan elections. The Governor appoints Justices in the case of a vacancy...
- Lynn SchenkLynn SchenkLynn Schenk is a former American Democratic politician from the state of California. She served one term in the United States House of Representatives, from 1993 to 1995....
'70 (J.D.), former Member U.S. House of Representatives - Michael J. StreitMichael J. StreitMichael J. Streit is an attorney and judge from Johnston, Iowa. Born in Sheldon, Iowa, he received his bachelor's degree from the University of Iowa in 1972. In 1975, he graduated from the University of San Diego School of Law. He then practiced law in Chariton until 1983...
'75 (J.D.), Associate Justice of the Iowa Supreme Court - Frances TownsendFrances TownsendFrances M. Fragos Townsend is the former Homeland Security Advisor to United States President George W. Bush and TV personality. Townsend was appointed to this position by President Bush on May 28, 2004. Her resignation was announced November 19, 2007...
'84 (J.D.), former Homeland SecurityHomeland securityHomeland security is an umbrella term for security efforts to protect states against terrorist activity. Specifically, is a concerted national effort to prevent terrorist attacks within the U.S., reduce America’s vulnerability to terrorism, and minimize the damage and recover from attacks that do...
Advisor
External links
- Motions — USD Law Student Newspaper (formerly known as The Woolsack)
32°46′19.92"N 117°11′16.62"W