STANFORD LAW SCHOOL

Overview ⁵

At home on the campus of one of the world’s leading research universities, Stanford Law offers unmatched opportunities. Our approach to education is distinctly student-centric, defined by the needs and ambitions of future graduates and customizable to each individual student. Create your own joint degree, invent a new course, explore law’s intersection with the most dynamic disciplines of the day — the possibilities are virtually limitless. And the advantages extend beyond law school, resulting in the practice-ready skills employers demand, better chances at prestigious clerkships, a high bar passage rate and support when you’re ready to launch a career.

We are known for our collegial culture, intimate and egalitarian. In this close-knit community, collaboration and the open exchange of ideas are essential to life and learning. Students, faculty, staff, alumni — all support and inspire each other to explore, excel and contribute to the world through law.

Classes are small. Seminars in faculty homes, reading groups and team-driven clinics make for an experience that is intense, supportive and challenging.

Student-Faculty Ratio ⁶

7.3:1

Admission Criteria ⁷

	LSAT	GPA
25th-75th Percentile	168-173	3.75-3.95
Median	171	3.87

Director of admissions	Faye Deal
Application deadline	February 1

Law School Admissions details based on 2016 data.

Admission Statistics ⁸

Approximate number of applications	3821
Number accepted	409
Percentage accepted	10.7%

The above admission details are based on 2016 data.

Law School Cost ⁹

Tuition and fees Full-time:	$58,236 per year
Room and board	$23,205
Books	$1,530
Miscellaneous expenses	$6,198

Class Ranking and Grades ¹⁰

Effective Autumn Quarter 2009-10, units earned in School of Law are quarter units. Units earned in School of Law prior to 2009-10 are semester units. The following grading system became effective in Autumn Semester 2008-09.

The New Grading System:

H	Honors	Exceptional work, significantly superior to the average performance at the school
P	Pass	Successful mastery of the course material
R	Restricted Credit	Work that is unsatisfactory
F	Fail	Work that does not show minimally adequate mastery of the material

In other classes, primarily the so-called “skills” courses, the following grading scale is in effect:

MP	Mandatory Pass	Representing P or better work
N	Continuing Course
*	No Grade Reported
L	Pass, letter grade to be reported
GNR	Grade Not Reported	Effective Autumn Quarter 2009-10

Honors ¹¹

The Bright Award was created by a gift from Raymond E. Bright, Jr., JD ’59 in 2007 on behalf of his late wife, Marcelle, and himself. Mr. Bright died in 2011. Under the terms of his gift, the Bright Award is given annually to an “individual who has made significant contributions in the environmental preservation and sustainability area” and is awarded to an individual from one of ten rotating regions. The list of regions from which winners will be chosen over the next five years is shown below.

Awards ¹²

Name of Award	Awarded for/to
Frank Belcher Evidence Award	Best academic work in Evidence
Steven M. Block Civil Liberties Award	Best written work on personal freedom issues
Carl Mason Franklin Prize/Int'l Law	Outstanding paper in International Law
Olaus & Adolph Murie Award	Best written work in Environmental Law
Hilmer Oehlmann Jr. Prize	First year Federal Litigation Award
Marion Rice Kirkwood Moot Court	Best oral advocate, brief, team, runner-up team
Stanford Law Review Prize	Best editorial contribution to SLR
Gerald Gunther Prize	Excellence in exam class
John Hart Ely Prize	Excellence in paper class
Judge Thelton E. Henderson Prize	Excellence in clinical course
Kirkland & Ellis Scholars	Scholastic achievement in the first year

Journals ^13-24

The Stanford Environmental Law Journal (ELJ) was founded in 1978. It is run by students who are eager to explore environmental issues, improve their writing skills, and be actively involved in academic discourse. ELJ publishes articles on a variety of issues in natural resources law, environmental policy, law and economics, international environmental law, and other topics relating to law and the environment. ELJ accepts submissions from academics, practitioners, or other writers, as well as students, throughout the year.ng>The Boston College Law Review

The Stanford Journal of Criminal Law & Policy is soliciting papers and student notes to be published in our Fall 2016 issue. This issue's central theme will be veterans justice, and will feature scholarship in connection with the Veterans Treatment Courts Conference scheduled for May 6-7, 2016. More details about this conference, which is co-sponsored by the Stanford Law School Law and Policy Lab, Stanford Public Interest Law Foundation, Stanford University Graduate Student Council, Stanford Law Veterans Organization (SLVO), and Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP, are available here.

The Stanford Law & Policy Review (SLPR) is one of the most prominent policy journals in the nation and informs public discourse by publishing articles that analyze the intersection of our legal system with local, state, and federal policy. SLPR is ideologically neutral and solicits articles from authors who represent a diversity of political viewpoints.

The Journal of Animal Law & Policy was founded in August 2007 to provide a high-quality, widely accessible forum for the publication and discussion of animal law scholarship. Although contributors to the journal may express strong opinions about the legal and policy frameworks governing the status and treatment of nonhuman animals, the journal itself welcomes a diversity of views and neither espouses nor endorses any particular approach to or theory of animal rights and/or welfare.

The Stanford Journal of International Law is one of the oldest and most reputable international law journals in the United States, publishing two regular issues each year. The journal seeks to promote scholarship of the highest quality through timely, innovative, and important pieces on international and comparative legal topics. The journal invites contributions from professors, practitioners, legislators, judges and Stanford Law School students.

The Stanford Law and Visual Media Project (LVMP) encourages the integration of visual media with the study and practice of law, public policy and advocacy. The project first focused on the production of documentary video as a way to explore and understand the human impact of law. LVMP continues to support student video projects and has expanded its efforts to support the use other media, such as photography and visual information design, to improve advocacy and increase access to justice.

The Stanford Journal of Civil Rights & Civil Liberties (CRCL) is an interdisciplinary journal dedicated to civil rights and liberties issues--both domestic and international. Stanford Law School students founded CRCL in 2004 to explore the changing landscape of the civil rights and civil liberties dialogue, the real world implications of these changes on society, and the larger structural and systematic implications of these issues. CRCL publishes two issues per year, featuring articles, essays, reviews, and commentary from prominent and emerging scholars, practitioners, and students. In addition to organizing annual symposia on civil rights and civil liberties, CRCL invites speakers and panelists to engage with the Stanford community on topics of interest and importance. CRCL membership is open to all Stanford Law School students. Executive Board members are elected in the spring quarter of each year.

The Stanford Journal of Law, Business & Finance (SJLBF) is a semiannual publication dedicated to exploring legal issues in the fields of business and finance. Edited and operated by students in all three classes of the Law School, SJLBF brings a practical focus to the world of legal scholarship.

The Stanford Law Review dedicates this issue to one of the most distinguished graduates of Stanford Law School, Shirley Mount Hufstedler: U.S. Secretary of Education, federal judge, attorney, and advocate. Her pioneering life shines as an inspiring example of the power of persistence, brilliance, and adventurousness. Secretary Hufstedler passed away on March 30, 2016.

The Stanford Journal of Complex Litigation (SJCL) was founded in 2012 and is one of only a few law journals in the country focusing exclusively on complex litigation. The student-run, peer-reviewed journal prints articles by professors, practitioners, and students on a range of legal topics relating to complex litigation, including civil procedure, aggregate litigation, and mass torts.

The Stanford Journal of Law, Science, and Policy is a peer reviewed journal for innovative interdisciplinary scholarship that bridges the divide between legal and scientific scholarship. The journal provides a unique opportunity for scientists and legal scholars to write together and is freely available online to ensure a broad readership.

The Stanford Technology Law Review (STLR) strives to present well-rounded analyses of the legal, business, and policy issues that arise at the intersection of intellectual property law, science and technology, and industry. STLR publishes exclusively online, providing timely coverage of emerging issues to its readership base of legal academics and practitioners. As of the Spring of 2015, all articles published by STLR are peer-reviewed prior to acceptance.

Moot Court ²⁵

(Formerly Law 402) The major moot court activity at Stanford Law School is the Marion Rice Kirkwood Memorial Competition, which takes place each year during Autumn and Winter terms. Autumn term will be dedicated to brief writing and completion of the written portion of the Competition; the oral argument portion of the Competition will be conducted during the first four weeks (approx.) of Winter term. Students on externship and in clinics may enroll if permitted by their respective programs. In Autumn term there are only a few class meetings, which can be recorded, as well as conferences and practice arguments, which are scheduled individually. In Winter term, students must participate in scheduled oral arguments. The preliminary rounds are in the evening; the semifinal and final rounds are in the late afternoon. Prior to the Competition itself, materials and lectures are provided on research, brief writing, and oral advocacy techniques. Registration for the Kirkwood Competition is by team. Each team is required to submit an appellate brief of substantial length and quality and to complete at least two oral arguments, one on each side of an actual case. The first draft of the brief is reviewed and critiqued by the course instructors. The final draft of the brief is scored by the course instructors and members of the Moot Court Board. The course also offers digital recording and critiques of practice oral arguments. Panels of judges and local attorneys serve as judges who score the oral argument portion of the Competition. Teams are selected for the quarterfinal, semifinal, and final round of the Competition based on their brief and oral advocacy scores. The final round of the Competition is held before a panel of distinguished judges and the entire Law School community is invited to attend. Special Instructions: In order to maintain academic standards, enrollment in the Kirkwood Competition is limited to 20 two-person teams. This limit will be strictly enforced. Registration forms will be distributed Spring term. If the program is oversubscribed, a lottery will be held to determine participating teams and to establish a waiting list. The final drop deadline for the course will be the Friday of the first week of classes. Enrollment in both Autumn (2 units) and Winter (1 unit) terms is required. The final grade for both Autumn and Winter terms and the Professional Skills credit will be awarded upon the completion of the course requirements. Registration and Consent Instructions: Instructions on how to register for the Moot Court competition are sent out to students each year in Spring term for the coming academic year. The registration process is separate from the regular class registration process. Elements used in grading: Satisfactory completion of appellate brief and oral arguments. Early application and drop deadlines.

Clinical Programs ^16-36

Community Law Clinic

Based in East Palo Alto–a low-income, majority-minority city four miles from the law school–the Community Law Clinic (CLC) is the closest thing to a traditional legal services office among Stanford’s clinical offerings. Practicing in four distinct, but intertwined subject areas, CLC is fundamentally a trial practice clinic. Students represent clients in wage and hour, housing, social security, and criminal record expungement matters. The signature feature of the CLC is its off-campus location, which gives students the unique opportunity to work in a community-based, storefront, legal aid office. This site affords CLC students extensive client contact, as well as a feel for daily life in East Palo Alto.

Criminal Defense Clinic

Students in the Criminal Defense Clinic represent indigent persons accused of crimes in the courts of Santa Clara and San Mateo County. The cases encompass a wide range of misdemeanor offenses, such as drug use and possession, assault, and theft.

Criminal Prosecution Clinic

Through Stanford’s Criminal Prosecution Clinic, students shape the outcome of felony prosecutions in a Superior Court and learn to wield the power of the state ethically and deliberatively.

Environmental Law Clinic

The Environmental Law Clinic provides an opportunity each quarter for students to represent national, regional, and grassroots non-profit organizations on a variety of environmental issues. The clinic’s primary goal is to help students develop essential lawyering skills through hands-on experience in real cases.

Immigrants’ Rights Clinic

Students in the Immigrants’ Rights Clinic have full responsibility for defending clients against deportation in San Francisco Immigration Court, the Board of Immigration Appeals, and the federal courts of appeals. As part of that work, students write complex legal briefs, argue cases, conduct fact investigation, interview witnesses and clients, and represent clients in mini-trials. Students also engage in cutting-edge litigation and advocacy in partnership with local and national immigrants’ rights organizations.

International Human Rights and Conflict Resolution Clinic

The Clinic’s supervisors, Professor James (Jim) Cavallaro and Clinical Lecturer Diala Shamas have worked on torture, summary executions, indigenous rights, civil conflict, surveillance, civil liberties and transitional justice in more than twenty countries in North and South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, including Argentina, Brazil, Burundi, Panama, the United States, France, Russia, Nigeria, South Africa, China and Bangladesh. Students in the Clinic work on projects in a similar, though more limited range of countries.

Juelsgaard Intellectual Property and Innovation Clinic

In the Juelsgaard Intellectual Property and Innovation Clinic, students advocate on behalf of innovators, entrepreneurs, technology users and consumers; groups of technologists or legal academics; national and regional non-profit organizations; and occasionally individual inventors, start-ups, journalists, or researchers. Our students seek to shape intellectual property law and regulatory policies to best serve their underlying goals of promoting innovation, creativity and generativity.

Organizations and Transactions Clinic

Organizations and Transactions Clinic students Courtney Sladic (JD ’17) and Frank Pensabene (JD ’18) represented Children’s Cancer Association in the Autumn 2017 quarter. Under the supervision of clinic director Jay Mitchell, Courtney and Frank worked with board members and the CEO and COO on CCA’s corporate governance arrangements.

Religious Liberty Clinic

The Religious Liberty Clinic is the only clinic of its kind in the country. The landmark program offers participating students a full-time, first-chair experience representing a diverse group of clients in legal disputes arising from a wide range of beliefs, practices, and circumstances. Students learn in class and engage through reflective and supervised practice the laws, norms, and limits affecting the exercise of religious freedom in a pluralistic society. Students are expected to counsel individual or institutional clients and litigate on their behalf with excellence, professionalism, and maturity. Although religious liberty disputes cut across economic lines, the clinic strives to serve those in need.

Supreme Court Litigation Clinic

Stanford’s Supreme Court Litigation Clinic—the first of its kind at any law school—gives students intensive exposure to a realm few lawyers experience in their careers: the Supreme Court of the United States. Under the direction of three faculty members, who collectively have argued dozens of Supreme Court cases and have worked on hundreds more in various capacities, clinic members work on real Supreme Court cases, representing parties and amici.

Youth and Education Law Project

From class-action litigation aimed at reforming a school district’s special education service-delivery system to providing research and consulting assistance to a charter school agency to representing a teen with severe emotional disabilities who is seeking an appropriate and stable educational environment, Stanford law students have worked on the cutting edge of educational rights. Today, all students at Stanford Law School have the opportunity to take part in a dynamic blend of education law work – such as school reform litigation, policy advocacy, strategic policy research and consulting, and direct client services – through the Youth and Education Law Project of the Mills Legal Clinic.

Placement Facts ³⁷

(2015 Graduates Employed Full-Time)

Private sector (25th-75th percentile)	$160,000
Private sector - Median	$160,000
Public service – Median	$63,691

Employment Details

Graduates known to be employed at graduation	88.2%
Graduates known to be employed ten months after graduation	89.2%

Areas of Legal Practice

Graduates Employed In	Percentage
Law Firms	55.3%
Business and Industry	6.8%
Government	2.6%
Judicial Clerkships	6.8%
Public Interest Organizations	27.4%
Academia	1.1%
Unknown	0%

Externships/Internships

Externships³⁸

In any given quarter, it would not be uncommon for one SLS student to be externing with the City of Palo Alto, another to be at the White House Counsel’s office in Washington, D.C. and still another to be working at the International Criminal Court in the Hague. Every quarter, students head off campus to work for academic credit in non-profit agencies, government offices and public policy organizations. In these public interest placements, they may do legal research and writing; they may do client interviews; they may make court appearances under the supervision of an agency attorney. And in conjunction with this uncompensated work, they take either an Externship Companion course or engage in a supervised tutorial which allows them to reflect and learn from their experience in a guided pedagogical setting.

After spending a quarter as an extern with the Legal Adviser and Director, Office of Legal Affairs of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Tripp Zanetis, JD ’17 shared, “My externship allowed me to go from reading about international law in a casebook to applying international law to real-world problems on a daily basis. It also provided me with exposure to high-level legal practitioners from diverse backgrounds, legal systems, educations, and cultures. It was absolutely an integral part of my legal education.”

Internships³⁹

Stanford Law School and the San Francisco Bay Area Chapter of the Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC) are partnering together to offer a resume collection service as an efficient and easy way for SFBA ACC members to post legal internships and receive resumes from interested law students and recent graduates. The goal of this program is to provide a centralized place where law students can look for internships with SFBA ACC member companies in the Bay Area and where SFBA ACC attorneys can receive online applications for internship positions. Internships with in-house legal departments are a great way for students to get practical legal experience and work on interesting legal issues and are also a great way for in-house legal departments to recruit. We appreciate your interest in hiring law students and recent graduates for short term opportunities.

Student Organizations ⁴⁰

• Advanced Degree Students’ Association
• American Constitution Society (ACS)
• Asian and Pacific Islander Law Students Association
• BioLaw and Health Policy Society
• Black Law Students Association
• China Law and Policy Association (CLPA)
• Corporate Law Association
• Criminal Law Society (CLS)
• Drama Society
• Environmental Law Society (ELS)
• Fashion, Art and Design Society (FADs)
• Federalist Society
• Feminist Students of Stanford Law
• First Person
• International Law Society (ILS)
• Iraqi Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP)
• J. Reuben Clark Law Society
• JD/MBA Club
• Jewish Law Students Association (JLSA)
• Law Association for Stanford Students from the Indi
• Law Students for Reproductive Justice (LSRJ)
• Marion Rice Kirkwood Moot Court Board
• Midwestern Law Students Association
• National Lawyers Guild (NLG)
• Native American Law Students Association (NALSA)
• Older Wiser Law Students (OWLS)
• OutLaw
• Project ReMADE
• Shaking the Foundations
• SLS Christian Fellowship
• SLS Entrepreneurship Club
• SLS Republicans
• Stanford Advocates for Immigrants' Rights (SAIR)
• Stanford Association of Law Students for Disability
• Stanford Critical Law Society (SCritLS)
• Stanford Entertainment and Sports Law Association (
• Stanford Intellectual Property Association (SIPA)
• Stanford International Human Rights Law Association
• Stanford Latino Law Students Association (SLLSA)
• Stanford Law and Business Association (SLBA)
• Stanford Law and Technology Association (SLATA)
• Stanford Law and Wine Society (SLAWS)
• Stanford Law Association (SLA)
• Stanford Law Democrats
• Stanford Law School Energy Club
• Stanford Law School Mock Trial Program
• Stanford Law School Plaintiffs’ Lawyers Association
• Stanford Law Students Against Gendered Violence (SL
• Stanford Law Veterans Organization (SLVO)
• Stanford National Security & the Law Society (SNSLS
• Stanford Prisoner Advocacy and Resources Coalition
• Stanford Program in Law and Society (SPLS)
• Stanford Public Interest Law Foundation (SPILF)
• Stanford Robotics Law Association
• Stanford Tax Club
• Street Law
• Student Animal Legal Defense Fund (SALDF)
• Women in Politics
• Women of Color Collective of Stanford Law
• Women of Stanford Law (WSL)
• Youth and Education Advocates at Stanford (YEAS)

References

1. https://law.stanford.edu/
2. https://law.stanford.edu/office-of-the-registrar/
3. https://law.stanford.edu/office-of-admissions/
4. https://law.stanford.edu/office-of-career-services/
5. https://law.stanford.edu/about/
6. http://premium.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-law-schools/stanford-university-03014
7. http://premium.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-law-schools/stanford-university-03014/admissions
8. http://premium.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-law-schools/stanford-university-03014/admissions
9. http://premium.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-law-schools/stanford-university-03014/cost
10. https://registrar.stanford.edu/students/definition-grades/school-law-grading-system
11. https://law.stanford.edu/environmental-and-natural-resources-law-policy-program-enrlp/the-bright-award/
12. http://www.nalplawschoolsonline.org/employer_profile?FormID=300&QuestionTabID=38&SearchCondJSON=%7B%22StudentsEnrolled%5Fmax%22%3A%220%22%2C%22OCIDates%22%3A%22August%22%2C%22SearchOrgTypeID%22%3A%223%22%2C%22SearchEmployerName%22%3A%22stanford%22%2C%22StudentsEnrolled%5Fmin%22%3A%220%22%7D
13. https://journals.law.stanford.edu/stanford-environmental-law-journal-elj
14. https://journals.law.stanford.edu/stanford-journal-criminal-law-and-policy-sjclp
15. https://journals.law.stanford.edu/stanford-law-policy-review
16. https://journals.law.stanford.edu/stanford-journal-animal-law-policy
17. https://journals.law.stanford.edu/sjil
18. https://journals.law.stanford.edu/stanford-law-and-visual-media-project
19. https://journals.law.stanford.edu/stanford-journal-civil-rights-and-civil-liberties-sjcrcl
20. https://journals.law.stanford.edu/stanford-journal-law-business-finance-sjlbf
21. http://www.stanfordlawreview.org/
22. https://journals.law.stanford.edu/stanford-journal-complex-litigation-sjcl
23. https://journals.law.stanford.edu/stanford-journal-law-science-policy
24. https://journals.law.stanford.edu/stanford-technology-law-review
25. https://law.stanford.edu/courses/moot-court/
26. https://law.stanford.edu/community-law-clinic/
27. https://law.stanford.edu/criminal-defense-clinic/
28. https://law.stanford.edu/criminal-prosecution-clinic/
29. https://law.stanford.edu/environmental-law-clinic/
30. https://law.stanford.edu/immigrants-rights-clinic/
31. https://law.stanford.edu/international-human-rights-and-conflict-resolution-clinic/
32. https://law.stanford.edu/juelsgaard-intellectual-property-and-innovation-clinic/
33. https://law.stanford.edu/organizations-and-transactions-clinic/
34. https://law.stanford.edu/religious-liberty-clinic/
35. https://law.stanford.edu/supreme-court-litigation-clinic/overview/
36. https://law.stanford.edu/youth-and-education-law-project/
37. http://premium.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-law-schools/stanford-university-03014/career-prospects
38. https://law.stanford.edu/levin-center/externship-program-2/
39. https://law.stanford.edu/acc-internship-program
40. https://law.stanford.edu/organizations/?page=1&tax_and_terms=308