College of Law

Georgia State University, College of Law History

Georgia State University College of Law was established in 1982 and is a public institution. The 25-acre campus is in an urban area in the city of Atlanta. The primary mission of the law school is to provide both part- and full-time programs that are designed for students wishing to gain a knowledge of the law, of legal institutions, and of legal processes. The college is equally committed to part- and full-time legal studies. Students have access to federal, state, county, city, and local agencies, courts, correctional facilities, law firms, and legal aid organizations in the Atlanta area. A variety of institutions and law-related agencies are located in the metropolitan Atlanta area. Facilities of special interest to law students include the Richard B. Russell Federal Building; Federal Reserve Bank; state capitol building; state legislature; federal, state and local court systems; and offices of the U.S. Attorney; state Attorney General, and county and city District Attorneys. Housing for students is on a first-come, first-served basis in the University Lofts, which accommodates 2000 students in modern apartments. All law school facilities are accessible to the physically disabled.

Georgia State University, College of Law Academics

Students may take relevant courses in other programs and apply credit toward the J.D.; a maximum of 14 semester hours credits may be applied. The following joint degrees may be earned: J.D./M.A. (Juris Doctor/Master of Arts in philosophy), J.D./M.B.A. (Juris Doctor/Master of Business Administration), J.D./M.C.R.P. (Juris Doctor/Master of City and Regional Planning), J.D./M.P.A. (Juris Doctor/Master of Public Administration), and J.D./M.S.H.A. (Juris Doctor/Master of Health Administration).

Students must take 47 hours in their area of concentration. The College of Law offers concentrations in corporate law, criminal law, environmental law, family law, international law, labor law, litigation, sports law, tax law, and torts and insurance. In addition, second- and third-year students may earn 3 to 6 semester hours by enrolling in the Tax Clinic and the Center for Law, Health and Society’s Health Law Partnership (HeLP) Clinic. Students in the Tax Clinic assist individual clients in preparing their cases for presentation before the Small Claims Division of the U.S. Tax Court and the Administrative Appeals Office of the Internal Revenue Service. Students in the HeLP Clinic have opportunities to work on cases related to children’s health and welfare. Seminars are offered to students who have completed the prerequisites and are normally worth 2 semester hours. Internships include working for local district attorneys, solicitors, and defenders; clerking for county, state, and federal judges; and placement in a variety of other governmental or pubic interest organizations. Independent research for 1 to 2 semester hours credit may be selected by third-year students upon approval by a faculty adviser and the administration. Field work includes pro bono work. Special lecture series include the Henry J. Miller Distinguished Lecture Series. The College of Law offers 2 study abroad programs. Law students can participate in the Summer Academy for International Commercial Arbitration conducted in Europe, which includes visits to arbitral institutions in Vienna, Budapest, Prague, and Venice. Law and graduate students may also participate in “The Urban Environment: Law, Policy and Culture—The Rio Experience.” The administration offers an academic enrichment program for students who need or desire additional help in required courses. Minority and special interest programs are usually sponsored by student organizations and/or faculty members. The most widely taken electives are Basic Tax; Wills, Trusts, and Estates; and Criminal Procedure.

To earn the J.D., candidates must complete 90 total credits, of which 43 are for required courses. They must maintain a minimum GPA of 73 (on a scale of 100) in the required courses. The following first-year courses are required of all students: Civil Procedure I and II, Contracts I and II, Criminal Law, Legal Bibliography, Legal Method, Property I and II, Research Writing and Advocacy I and II, and Torts I and II. Required upper-level courses consist of Constitutional Law, Evidence, Litigation, and Professional Responsibility. The required orientation program for first-year students occurs in the first week of the fall semester and is designed to introduce some of the first-year required courses, college personnel, and facilities, and to familiarize students with procedures.

In order to graduate, candidates must have a GPA of 73.0 and have completed the upper-division writing requirement.

Georgia State University, College of Law Unique Programs

Library

The law library contains 160,054 hard-copy volumes and 803,005 microform volume equivalents, and subscribes to 2161 serial publications. Such on-line databases and networks as CALI, CIS Universe, Legal-Trac, LEXIS, LOIS, NEXIS, OCLC First Search, WESTLAW, Wilsonline Indexes, SMART CLIP, HEIN, CCH Research Net., Galileo, BNA, and Making of Modern Law are available to law students for research. Special library collections include a U.S. depository and collections in health law and environmental law. Recently, the library installed wireless and wired connections and upgraded the carpet. The ratio of library volumes to faculty is 3557 to 1 and to students is 241 to 1. The ratio of seats in the library to students is 1 to 2.

Special Consideration

The law school recruits minority and disadvantaged students by means of visiting other colleges and universities during graduate and professional program days, speaking to prelaw clubs and classes, and recruiting at schools with large minority student populations. The law school also conducts high school visits. Requirements are not different for out-of-state students. Transfer students must have one year of credit, have attended an ABA-approved law school, and a letter from the dean of the student’s previous law school stating that the student is in good standing and is eligible to return to the school, and stating the student’s class ranking.

Georgia State University, College of Law Admissions

In the fall 2007 first-year class, 2603 applied, 552 were accepted, and 220 enrolled. Thirteen transfers enrolled. The median LSAT percentile of the most recent first-year class was 80; the median GPA was 3.3 on a scale of 4.0. The lowest LSAT percentile accepted was 43; the highest was 97.

Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree and take the LSAT. The most important admission factors include academic achievement, LSAT results, and GPA. No specific undergraduate courses are required. Candidates are not interviewed.

The application deadline for fall entry is March 15. Applicants should submit an application form, LSAT results, transcripts, a personal statement, LSDAS report, TOEFL for applicants whose native language is noT English, a nonrefundable application fee of $50, and 2 letters of recommendation. Notification of the admissions decision begins in January. The latest acceptable LSAT test date for fall entry is February. The law school uses the LSDAS.

Georgia State University, College of Law Financial Aid

About 67% of current law students receive some form of aid. The average annual amount of aid from all sources combined, including scholarships, loans, and work contracts, is $17,415; maximum, $30,000. Awards are based on need and merit. There are also loans that are need- and non-need-based. Required financial statement is the FAFSA. The aid application deadline for fall entry is April 1. Special funds for minority or disadvantaged students include scholarships. First-year students are notified about their financial aid application at time of acceptance.

Georgia State University, College of Law Students

About 48% of the student body are women; 19%, minorities; 7%, African American; 3%, Asian American; 1%, Hispanic; and 14%, Students may select multiracial as an ethnic classification. The majority of students come from Georgia (87%). The average age of entering students is 28; age range is 21 to 55. About 22% of students enter directly from undergraduate school. About 11% drop out after the first year for academic or personal reasons; 89% remain to receive a law degree.

The primary law review is the Georgia State University Law Review. Students edit The Docket, The Black Letter Law and The Federalist. The Moot Court Society competes 7 or 8 times a year. Other competitions include the National Moot Court Competition, sponsored by the Association of the Bar of New York City; National Appellate Advocacy Competition, sponsored by the ABA; William W. Daniel Mock Trial Invitational; and Lone Star Classic Mock Trial Competition. Student organizations include the Christian Legal Society, Intellectual Property Law Society, and Hispanic Students Bar Association. Local chapters of national associations include the Association of Women Law Students, Black Law Students Association, Environmental Law Society, and Student Health Lawyers Association. Other groups include Delta Theta Phi, Phi Alpha Delta, and Phi Delta Phi law fraternities.

The law school operates on a traditional semester basis. Courses for full-time students are offered both day and evening and must be completed within 6 years. For part-time students, courses are offered both day and evening and must be completed within 6 years. New full- and part-time students are admitted in the fall. There is a 7-week summer session. Transferable summer courses are offered.