University of Georgia School of Law

Overview ^2-3

Georgia Law is the oldest law school in the State of Georgia. Joseph Henry Lumpkin founded the University of Georgia School of Law in 1859, in collaboration with his son-in-law, Thomas R.R. Cobb, and colleague William Hope Hull. Classes were first taught in Lumpkin’s law office at the corner of Prince Avenue and Pulaski Street in downtown Athens at what was then the Lumpkin law school. The strong heritage of the school provides students, staff, and alumni with a rich network that extends beyond the borders of the State.

The University of Georgia School of Law is regarded as one of the nation's top law schools. Our school offers the Juris Doctor degree (J.D.) , the Master of Laws degree (LL.M.), and the Master in the Study of Law degree (M.S.L.) and features a welcoming community in a charming locale. The challenging curriculum and experienced professors dedicated to teaching the theoretical foundations of law and providing hands-on experience make Georgia Law an excellent place for your legal studies.

Student-Faculty Ratio ⁴

12.1:1

Admission Criteria ⁵

	LSAT	GPA
25th-75th Percentile	N/A	N/A
Median*	162	3.73

The above LSAT and GPA data pertain to the fall 2016 entering class.

Director of admissions	Ramsey Bridges
Application deadline	June 1

Law School Admissions details based on 2016 data.

*Medians have been calculated by averaging the 25th- and 75th-percentile values released by the law schools and have been rounded up to the nearest whole number for LSAT scores and to the nearest one-hundredth for GPAs.

Admission Statistics ⁶

Approximate number of applications	2225
Number accepted	657
Percentage accepted	29.5%

The above admission details are based on 2016 data.

Law School Cost ⁷

Tuition and fees Full-time:	$17,430 Georgia Resident Tuition $35,868 Non-Resident* Tuition $2,266 Georgia Resident & Non-Resident Fees
Room and board	$10,060 on-campus $11,956 off-campus
Books	$1,600
Personal Misc. Expense	$ 2,370 on-campus $2,910 off-campus

Class Ranking and Grades ^8-9

Class Rank

Individual class ranks are calculated for those in the top 25% of the class only. Ranking letters are emailed to each student in the top 25%. Grading distributions are posted online for students with the GPA distribution for the top 10%, 25%, 33%, 50% or 75% of each class.

Anonymous Grading Numbers

All J.D. exams, whether take-home or timed in a classroom, will be graded anonymously. Students may access their “Blind Grading ID” number either online through Athena at http://athena.uga.edu or in their MyGALaw student portal. Students are assigned a new anonymous exam number at the beginning of each semester and that Grading ID should be used for every course during that term to identify the student. Blind Grading ID’s will be different for each student and will be confidential. No professor will have any knowledge of a particular student’s Grading ID number.

The majority of University of Georgia School of Law students are not ranked in individual order. Only those members of a class whose cumulative grade point averages are in the top twenty-five percent are ranked in individual order.

The following information is provided to assist students and prospective employers in determining the general range of a particular student's grade point average. The charts below represent the final grade distribution of cumulative grade point averages of the listed academic year's graduated classes.

The UGA School of Law utilizes the following grading system:

A+	4.3
A	4.0
A-	3.7
B+	3.3
B	3.0
B-	2.7
C+	2.3
C	2.0
C-	1.7
D+	1.3
D	1.0
F	0.0

I= Incomplete, U = Unsatisfactory, W = Withdraw

WP = Withdraw Passing, WF = Withdraw Failing

NR = Not Reported, IP = In Progress

YL = Year-long Course (reported at end of academic year)

Grade of Incomplete

Students are expected to complete all coursework in the semester in which they are enrolled in the course. In exceptional circumstances a student may receive authorization not to complete work in a course within the regular semester. In such cases, the student will be given a grade of “I” (Incomplete) instead of an “F.” A student can remove the “I” from the student’s record by completing the required work within the time period specified by the instructor, which time period will not extend beyond the last day of the next regular semester. If a student fails to remove an “I” within the prescribed time, the “I” automatically will be changed to an “F.” A student may not withdraw from a course in which the student has received a grade of “I.”

Grade Changes and Appeals

A grade change (other than a change from an Incomplete) will be approved by the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs only in situations where the instructor has discovered a ministerial error such as mistaken computation or transcription. A re-reading of a single paper or small subset of papers by the instructor will not justify a grade change. After discussing the grade with the instructor, a student dissatisfied with a course grade may file an appeal in writing with the Dean of the Law School within 30 days of entry of the grade. The assignment of grades for a course is within the broad discretion of the instructor. Accordingly, for an appeal to be successful the student must demonstrate that the grade was produced by: 1) a ministerial error by the instructor; or 2) improper or unprofessional bias of the instructor against the particular student.

Grade Normalization (Curve)¹⁰

To ensure a measure of uniformity in grading policies, the faculty has instituted the following regulations:

Except as set forth below, the average grade in all courses must fall within the range of 2.90-3.20. The grades of non-J.D. students will be disregarded for purposes of this policy. Variations are permissible in upper-level courses, but not 1L courses, only in extraordinary circumstances, which must be outlined in a letter from the instructor to the Dean. All courses and seminars with 20 or fewer students are not subject to this policy.

Suggested guidelines, which are not mandatory, are:

• Maximum 33% "A" grades (including A+ and A-)
• Maximum 33% grades of C+ or lower
• Maximum of two A+ grades

Faculty Policy stipulates that grading must be completed and course grades submitted to the Law School Registrar within 25 days after the date of the last scheduled exam. If the 25th day falls on a Saturday, Sunday or holiday, faculty must submit grades on the next business day after the 25th day. This policy applies to fall, spring, and summer terms.

Honors ^11-12

Honor	Percentage of Class Receiving
Order of the Coif	Students who excel in the School of Law's curriculum and graduate in the top 10 percent of their class are eligible for induction into the Order of the Coif, legal education's equivalent of Phi Beta Kappa. Coif membership signifies the highest academic achievement in the study of law. The University of Georgia was granted institutional membership in 1977, after meeting stringent qualification criteria. Approximately 80 American law schools have a chapter at their institution.
summa cum laude	Top 2% of each graduating class will be awarded the J.D. degree
magna cum laude	The next 8.5% of the class will be awarded the degree
cum laude	The next 37.5% of the class will be awarded the degree

The Law School recognizes scholastic attainment of genuine distinction by awarding the degree of Juris Doctor summa cum laude, magna cum laude, or cum laude based on cumulative grade-point average.

Awards ¹³

Name of Award	Awarded for/to
MacDougald Award	First Honor Graduate
Meinhard Award	Graduate with highest cumulative GPA
Class of 1993 Torts Award	Students with highest grade in IL Torts Class
Chaffin Award	Excellence in study of Trusts & Estates
Georgia Municipal Assoc. Award	Excellence in study of Municipal Corp.
Donald P. Gilmore Jr. Labor Law	Excellence in study of Labor Law
William King Meadow Award	All-around excellence
Ellen Jordan Environmental Award	Outstanding perf. in environmental courses
American Bankruptcy Institute Metal	Excellence in study of Bankruptcy
Richardson Award	Excellence in study of Trial Advocacy
O'Byrne Award	Excellence in study of Taxation
Environmental Law Association Award	Environmental Advocacy
Environmental Law Association Award	Outstanding Service
State Bar of Georgia Tax	Excellence in study of Tax
State Bar of GA Real Property Award	Excellence in study of Real Property
ABA-BNA Labor	Excellence in study of Labor Law
ABA-BNA Intellectual Property	Excellence in study of Intellectual Prop
ABA-BNA Health Law	Excellence in study of Health Law
Carlson Evidence Award	Excellence in study of Evid & Advocacy
ASLME Award	Excellence in study of Law/Medicine
Georgia Association of Women Lawyers	Selected by WLSA
National Association of Women Lawyers	Selected by WLSA
Outstanding Pros Student	Selected by Professor
Outstanding Legal Defense Clinic Student	Selected by Professor
Shelley Knox Public Interest Student	Selected by PILC
Weinberg Wheeler Mook Trial	Selected by Professor
Weinberg Wheeler Moot Court	Selected by Professor
Kerry Harike Joedecke Outstanding Moot Court Student	Selected by Professor
Julian McDonnell Award for Excellence in Commercial Law	Selected by Professor
Barristers	Selected by Professor
ABA Dispute Resolution	Selected by Professor
GA Chapter of American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers	Selected by Professor
State Bar of Georgia Health Law Section Scholarship	Names given to State Bar and then State Bar picks
Attorneys' Title Guaranty Fund Award for Excellence	Selected by Professor

Journals ^14-17

Georgia Law students publish 3 highly regarded legal journals---the Georgia Law Review, the Georgia Journal of International & Comparative Law and the Journal of Intellectual Property Law. These journals, which are frequently cited by federal and state courts, textbooks, treatises and other law reviews, follow the customary format with articles from leading scholars and practitioners comprising the bulk of the content and another section consisting of student notes.

Georgia Law Review

The Georgia Law Review is pleased to announce the launch of its Online Companion, the Georgia Law Review Online, as well as our organization’s new website, www.georgialawreview.org.

The Georgia Law Review Online will feature short, op-ed length essays by professors, practitioners, and judges focused primarily on timely legal issues in the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. Given the proud tradition of both the University of Georgia School of Law and the Georgia Law Review as preeminent legal institutions in the region, we are confident that the Georgia Law Review Online is well-positioned to deliver leading, quality commentary on developments in the Eleventh Circuit. To accompany these focused essays, our new website will feature a student-driven blog that summarizes relevant cases published by the Eleventh Circuit. The Georgia Law Review Online will also feature responses to articles published in the Georgia Law Review, providing a platform for scholarly discussion about the topics raised in our print publications.

The Georgia Law Review will publish essays in the Georgia Law Review Online on a rolling basis and will begin accepting submissions immediately. Submissions should be no more than 3,000 words and lightly footnoted. Essays chosen for publication will be edited by Georgia Law Review staff members and will be searchable on the WestLaw and LexisNexis research databases.

Georgia Journal of International & Comparative Law

The Georgia Journal of International and Comparative Law is a preeminent forum for academic discussion on current international subjects. From its inception in 1971 as a student initiative supported by former U.S. Secretary of State and UGA Law Professor Dean Rusk, the International Journal features work by legal scholars and practitioners as well as student notes written by International Journal members.

With a staff composed entirely of second- and third- year law students, the International Journal publishes three times each year. The International Journal serves as a valuable research tool for practicing lawyers and students of the law. It also provides opportunities for International Journal members to develop their own editing and writing skills.

Journal of Intellectual Property Law

Established in 1993, The Journal of Intellectual Property Law (JIPL) is published twice a year by students of the University of Georgia School of Law. JIPL is one of the oldest official student-edited law journals devoted entirely to the field of intellectual property law. Currently one of America’s top twenty-five intellectual property law periodicals, JIPL publishes annual print volumes of two issues and online essays on areas of trade secrets, patents, trademarks, copyrights, internet law, and sports and entertainment law. JIPL accepts and encourages submissions from scholars, judges, practitioners, and students.

Moot Court ¹⁸

Sharpen your legal skills in simulated appellate court proceedings as part of Georgia Law's Moot Court teams.

Participating on a Moot Court team gives you the opportunity to draft briefs and present oral arguments, appear before federal and state justices and judges and travel to local, regional and national competitions.

Georgia Law's Moot Court program is supported by committed faculty members and Moot Court alumni who volunteer to judge practice rounds of oral arguments.

Students participate in the following moot court competitions:

• National Moot Court Tournament
• Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition
• Georgia Intrastate Moot Court Competition
• National First Amendment Moot Court Competition
• Dean Jerome Prince Memorial Evidence Moot Court Competition
• American Bar Associational Regional Competition
• Emory National Civil Rights and Liberties Moot Court Competition
• Mercer University National Legal Ethics and Professionalism Moot Court Competition
• Evan A. Evans National Constitutional Law Moot Court Competition
• Hulsey/Gambrell Moot Court Competition
• Andrews Kurth Moot Court National Championship
• Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot

Membership on the Moot Court teams is reserved for 2nd and 3rd year law students.

1st year students have the opportunity to present an appellate argument during the spring semester of their legal research and writing class. After presenting this argument, students may elect to participate in the Richard B. Russell Moot Court Competition and try out for the first 8 spots on the Georgia Law Moot Court team.

Clinical Programs ^19-26

The University of Georgia School of Law's 15 different clinical, externship and experiential learning offerings teach students about the law and being a lawyer through work on real problems in the real world. Students work alongside experienced attorneys, take seminars that develop their lawyering abilities and knowledge of the law, and encounter the ethical and practical realities of service to clients and to the public. Our clinical and externship courses hone students’ abilities as advocates, planners, drafters and neutrals.

The wide range of practice opportunities encourages more informed and confident choices about careers after graduation. Students encounter the value of public service and deepen their commitment to clients and to justice. These courses create invaluable networking and career development opportunities. Finally, through careful clinical supervision, students develop practice habits that foster good judgment and careful practice as lawyers.

Our clinics also provide an invaluable service to the community. Working together, Georgia Law's faculty and students provide legal services for the poor, for victims of violence, for criminal defendants and the prosecution, and for local, state and federal agencies. They provide important help to judges in state and federal trial and appellate courts. Additionally, they help to resolve disputes as mediators, to create new businesses for entrepreneurs and to plan for the use of water in key Georgia watersheds.

Georgia Law’s clinics embody the law school’s commitment to producing the next generation of leaders in Georgia and the nation. Furthermore, the diversity of clinical courses offers current students a broad array of choices.

Appellate Litigation Clinic

This clinic essentially runs as a small law office that is appointed to represent indigent parties with appeals before the United States Courts of Appeals and before federal administrative agencies such as the Board of Immigration Appeals. Once the clinic is appointed to represent the client, students draft briefs, argue the case, maintain client contact, and do anything else necessary (including, sometimes, mediating the case).

Business Law Clinic

The Business Law Clinic is a live-client, in-house transactional clinic. Supervised students represent small businesses, start-ups and entrepreneurs. Services provided vary, but all students in the Business Law Clinic will work on a minimum of 4 matters, and will all have the opportunity to form at least one business entity, to draft and review contracts, to work on an intellectual property matter, and to work with a technology start-up company. Students also frequently work on matters related to corporate governance and navigating regulations.

Community Health Law Partnership Clinic (HeLP)

An innovative approach to addressing the social determinants of health for indigent individuals. Law students in the Community Health Law Partnership Clinic will partner with health care professionals to tackle a variety of legal needs that impact patients, including immigration,and benefits. Working under the supervision of Professor Jason Cade, students will have direct responsibility for all aspects of client representation in cases undertaken by the clinic, including the opportunity to interview and advise potential clients, to conduct research and draft legal documents, to advocate in court proceedings and administrative hearings, and to foster inter-professional approaches to holistic problem solving. Students also have the opportunity to develop training materials and engage in related policy work.

Criminal Defense Practicum

The Criminal Defense Clinics place law students inside the Public Defender Office for the Western Judicial Circuit. During summer semester students may extern at certain other PD offices, including offices in Atlanta, Gainesville, and others in relatively close proximity to Athens. The Western Judicial Circuit Public Defender Office is located at 160 E. Washington Street in downtown Athens, a five minute walk from the Law School. The full-time staff of the office includes 15 attorneys, four investigators, and five other support staff. The Western Judicial Circuit includes Athens-Clarke and Oconee Counties and the Western Circuit Public Defender Office handles all manner of criminal cases in juvenile, municipal, state and superior courts, plus appeals.

Environmental Practicum

In the fall, the environmental practicum is limited to law students. In the spring, the practicum is a multi-disciplinary clinic that matches graduate students from a variety of disciplines with community stakeholders facing specific environmental challenges. Both semesters, the practicum is a service learning course that provides a structured and supportive format for students to apply policy, design and ecological principles learned in the classroom to the real world of people and policy.

Family Violence Clinic

The Family Violence Clinic (FVC) provides survivors of domestic violence with direct representation as well as legal and extra-legal support. The FVC works cooperatively with courts, the prosecution and criminal defense bars, social service agencies, private attorneys and others to provide survivors with holistic solutions to domestic violence-related issues. The FVC maintains an off-campus office and operates year-round as a fully-functioning community service provider.

Mediation Clinic

The mediation clinic consists of two courses, Mediation I and Mediation II. Mediation I is a general civil mediation training that is approved by the Georgia Office of Dispute Resolution. Students who complete all of the requirements are eligible to register with the Georgia Office of Dispute Resolution and, once registered, mediate court-referred cases in Georgia. Successful completion of Mediation I (or prior registration and the permission of the instructor) is required for students desiring to take Mediation II. Mediation II is a clinical experience where students mediate on-site for the Athens Clarke-County Magistrate Court.

Public Interest Practicum

The Public Interest Practicum (PIP) is a three-credit seminar on public interest law and policy that also provides students with the opportunity to provide legal advice to poor clients in Athens. Students work on a variety of service projects, and visit with clients at diverse locations, including soup kitchens, shelters, jails, schools, senior centers and the like. As law practice experience, PIP offers experience in interviewing clients, investigating their situations, performing pragmatic legal researching, assessing solutions to hard problems related to the lack of money, and delivering solid, useful advice. Students do this in the context of a seminar that explore major issues of public interest law and lawyering, providing a rich combination of practical, theoretical and cross-disciplinary perspectives on the public dimensions of the lawyer’s role.

The Wilbanks Child Endangerment and Sexual Exploitation (CEASE) Clinic

The Wilbanks Child Endangerment and Sexual Exploitation (CEASE) Clinic is the first of its kind in the nation, representing survivors of child sexual abuse in juvenile court dependency matters and civil litigation. The clinic not only provides direct representation to survivors, but also serves as a teaching center as part of the University of Georgia School of Law.

Placement Facts ²⁷

Starting Salaries (2015 Graduates Employed Full-Time)

Private sector (25th-75th percentile)	$72,500 - $135,000
Median in the private sector	$120,000
Median in public service	$52,000

Employment Details

Graduates known to be employed at graduation	53.9%
Graduates known to be employed ten months after graduation	83.2%

Areas of Legal Practice

Graduates Employed In	Percentage
Law Firms	54.8%
Business and Industry	9%
Government	10.2%
Public Interest Organizations	8.4%
Judicial Clerkships	14.5%
Academia	1.8%
Unknown	1.2%

Externships/Internships

Externships^28-34

The University of Georgia School of Law's 15 different clinical, externship and experiential learning offerings teach students about the law and being a lawyer through work on real problems in the real world. Students work alongside experienced attorneys, take seminars that develop their lawyering abilities and knowledge of the law, and encounter the ethical and practical realities of service to clients and to the public. Our clinical and externship courses hone students’ abilities as advocates, planners, drafters and neutrals.

Atlanta Semester in Practice & Civil Externship

Georgia Law’s two civil externship courses offer credit for work in selected governmental, judicial, or private nonprofit law offices in Athens and in Atlanta. You work in an outside law practice, while taking a clinic seminar once a week. In the Atlanta Semester in Practice course, you work 33 hours per week and typically take other classes in Atlanta. In the Civil Externship course, you work between 10-20 hours per week in Athens or Atlanta, and typically take classes in Athens. Students in either course can take classes in either Atlanta or Athens.

Corporate Counsel Externship

The Corporate Counsel Externship gives students a chance to explore the practice of law from the perspective of an in-house counsel. It benefits not only students interested in an in-house career but also those who will work in law firms and deal with in-house counsel as their primary client contact. Students will be placed in an in-house legal department and will work under the guidance of a supervising attorney. During the fall and spring semesters, students will attend a weekly seminar, which supplements the work experience with readings, discussion, and practical skill assignments. The externship runs slightly differently in the summer because summer placements may be out of state. The corporate counsel externship program offers a list of placements, but students may also initiate their own placements, with approval and input from the coordinator of the corporate counsel externship program, Carol Morgan. Organizations participating in the externship include publicly-traded companies, private companies, governmental entities, and non-profit organizations.

Washington, D.C. Semester in Practice

Students earn 13 credits while in residence in Washington, D.C. Students extern 448 hours over the semester and attend class twice a week. Placements include a wide range of offerings, including federal, state and local government agencies, private non-profits and judicial chambers. Placements provide an opportunity for substantive legal work under a lawyer’s supervision with regular feedback and mentorship.

Prosecutorial Justice Program

The Prosecutorial Justice Program integrates classroom instruction with an externship in a real prosecutor office located somewhere in Northeast Georgia. Students receive three consecutive semesters of classroom instruction from an experienced former state prosecutor beginning in the spring semester of their second year. During their third year, students work in their assigned externship office from between 9 to 18 hours per week (earning between 3 to 6 credit hours). During this externship, students have the opportunity to observe all phases of a criminal prosecution. They research various questions of law and draft legal memoranda and charging documents. And, under Georgia's Third Year Practice Act, students are authorized to directly participate in conducting preliminary hearings, motion hearings, arraignments, juvenile adjudications, probation revocations, grand jury proceedings and even jury trials.

Summer Externships

The Summer Externship offers students the chance to receive credit for externships during the summer semester. The course allows between 2-4 credits, depending on the number of hours worked during the summer. You can apply for credit for work that you have arranged, as a “student-arranged” placement. You can also apply for credit for one of handful of “school-arranged” placements. You can download the application form from the “How to Apply” page.

Global Externships

Georgia Law students enjoy practical global practice experience year-round, through the Global Externship At-Home, or GEA, and the Global Externship Overseas, or GEO.

Student Organizations ³⁵

• American Constitution Society
• Asian Law Students Association
• Business Law Society
• Christian Legal Society
• Davenport-Benham Black Law Student Association
• Dean's Ambassadors
• Education Law Student Association
• Environmental Law Association
• Equal Justice Foundation Board
• Family Law Society
• Federalist Society
• Georgia Association of Law and Politics
• Georgia Law Mental Health Alliance
• Georgia Trial Lawyers Association Student Chapter
• Health Law Society
• Hispanic Law Students Association
• Intellectual Property Law Society
• International Law Society
• J. Reuben Clark Law Society
• Jewish Law Student Association
• Labor & Employment Law Association
• Land Use & Planning Organization
• Law Democrats
• Law Republicans
• Law Students for Reproductive Justice
• Older WIser Law Students
• OUTLaws
• Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity
• Public Interest Law Council
• Sports & Entertainment Law Society
• Street Law
• Student Animal Legal Defense Fund
• Student Bar Association
• Tax Law Society
• Women Law Students Association
• Working in the Public Interest

References

1. http://www.law.uga.edu/faculty-staff-directory
2. http://georgialaw.university-tour.com/player.php?id=1&video=1
3. http://www.law.uga.edu/admissions
4. https://premium.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-law-schools/university-of-georgia-03042
5. https://premium.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-law-schools/university-of-georgia-03042/admissions
6. https://premium.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-law-schools/university-of-georgia-03042/admissions
7. http://www.law.uga.edu/tuition-expenses
8. http://www.law.uga.edu/final-grade-distribution-graduated-classes
9. http://www.law.uga.edu/student-handbook-contents#part6
10. http://www.law.uga.edu/student-handbook-contents#part6
11. http://www.law.uga.edu/curriculum
12. http://www.law.uga.edu/student-handbook-contents#part1
13. http://www.nalplawschoolsonline.org/employer_profile?FormID=363&QuestionTabID=38&SearchCondJSON=
14. http://www.law.uga.edu/journals
15. http://georgialawreview.org/about-us/
16. http://digitalcommons.law.uga.edu/gjicl/
17. https://jintelproplaw.org/about/
18. http://www.law.uga.edu/moot-court
19. http://www.law.uga.edu/clinics-externships-and-experiential-learning-programs
20. http://www.law.uga.edu/appellate-litigation-clinic
21. http://www.law.uga.edu/business-law-clinic
22. http://www.law.uga.edu/community-health-law-partnership-clinic-help
23. http://www.law.uga.edu/criminal-defense-practicum
24. http://www.law.uga.edu/environmental-practicum
25. http://www.law.uga.edu/family-violence-clinic
26. http://cease.law.uga.edu/
27. https://premium.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-law-schools/university-of-georgia-03042/career-prospects
28. http://www.law.uga.edu/clinics-externships-and-experiential-learning-programs
29. http://www.law.uga.edu/atlanta-semester-practice
30. http://www.law.uga.edu/corporate-counsel-externship
31. http://www.law.uga.edu/dc-semester-practice-program
32. http://www.law.uga.edu/prosecutorial-clinic
33. http://www.law.uga.edu/summer-externships
34. http://www.law.uga.edu/global-internship-program-2
35. http://www.law.uga.edu/georgia-law-student-organizations