Seattle University School of Law (formerly University of Puget Sound School of Law) is the law school affiliated with Seattle University, located in Seattle, Washington, United States.
According to Seattle University School of Law's 2020 ABA-required disclosures, 86% of the class of 2020 obtained bar passage-required or JD-advantage employment nine months after graduation.[6]
History
The law school was founded as the University of Puget Sound Law School in Tacoma, in 1972.[7] The law school had a favorable admissions policy, and focused on large enrollments, despite the ensuing high attrition (failure) rate.[7] In the mid-1970s, when faced with declining admissions due to demographic changes, the law school responded by increasing enrollment.[7] Despite this, the ABA provided full accreditation to the law school in 1975.[7] In the 1974–75 academic year, the student bar association was established, the first edition of the law review was published, and the first law clinic was started.
In September 1980 the Norton Clapp Law Center was dedicated. This new law center helped to draw a class of 466 students—130 more than anticipated—into the entering class of 1980.
Move to Seattle
Dean Bond resigned to return to teaching in July 1993 and was succeeded by Professor Donald M. Carmichael, a faculty member at the law school since 1978, who had also served as the school's associate dean for academic affairs from 1987 to 1993.
Seattle University purchased the University of Puget Sound Law School in November 1993. The law school officially became part of Seattle University in August 1994.[8]
Kellye Testy was appointed dean on February 15, 2005. During her tenure at the law school she co-founded the Law School's Access to Justice Institute, the Seattle Journal for Social Justice, and the Center on Corporations, Law & Society.[9][10] In 2009, Testy left Seattle University to be the new dean at the University of Washington School of Law. Mark Niles, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at the American University Washington College of Law in Washington, D.C., served as dean of the School of Law from 2010 to 2013 before returning to American University.
In 2013, the School of Law welcomed Annette Clark to serve as permanent dean. After completing her MD at the University of Washington in 1985, she earned her J.D. at Seattle University in 1989 and served as a member of the SU Law faculty for many years. Dean Clark was the first alumna of the law school to serve as its dean. Her areas of expertise include civil procedure, medical liability, bioethics, and legal education.[11]
In August 2021, Dean Clark announced her intention to retire. Former Miami Law Dean, Tony Varona was selected to succeed Dean Clark. Prior to serving as Miami Law Dean, Mr. Varona served as Vice Dean, Associate Dean for Faculty and Academic Affairs, and Professor of Law at American University Washington College of Law (AUWCL). Before his 14 years at AUWCL, Dean Varona was an associate professor at Pace University School of Law in New York and adjunct professor at Georgetown University Law Center. He has taught courses in Contracts, Administrative and Public Law, Media Law, Sexuality and Gender Law, Intellectual Property, and Criminal Law.
Location, Institutes, and Centers
Seattle University's 42-acre (17 ha) campus is located in the First Hill area of Seattle.
Sullivan Hall
The building's exterior
Sullivan Hall, home to the School of Law, is a five-story building housing the law school and law library on the eastern boundary of Seattle University campus. It features a street-front law clinic, media-equipped classrooms, law library, full courtroom, and activity areas. The court room is used for class, mock trials and actual court proceedings administrated by local judges.
Designed by Olson/Sundberg, the 135,000 square foot building was completed in August 1999 and cost approximately $21 million.[12]
Exterior
Interior
Interior
Interior
Law Library
The Seattle University School of Law Library was founded in 1972 . Located in Sullivan Hall, the library occupies four floors with ample spaces for either individual or group study. The law library provides information resources and services to support the instructional, research and scholarship endeavors of the Law School.[13]
Access to Justice Institute
The Access to Justice Institute (ATJI) is home to the law school's pro bono, public interest, and social justice activities.[14] The ATJI is also home to the Incubator Program, which trains and provides resources to lawyers that want to start their own law firms that serve moderate-income clients.[15]
The Adolf A. Berle Jr. Center on Corporations, Law and Society
The Center promotes and hosts legal research, education, and events on the role of the rule of law to govern and mediate the relationship between governments, corporations, individuals, and society.[16]
Fred T. Korematsu Center for Law and Equality
The center is the civil rights arm of the law school and it aims to advance justice and equality through research, advocacy, and education. According to their website, the Center seeks to combat discrimination, train the next generation of social justice advocates, and helps underrepresented communities learn to advocate for themselves. The center is named after dissident Fred T. Korematsu, who was incarcerated by the U.S. government during the Japanese internment camps of World War II.[17]
U.S. News & World Report 2023 – #116th overall among law schools in the United States; #7 among legal writing programs; #26 overall among part-time law school programs; #15 among clinical law programs.[18]
preLaw – "The best schools for doing good" (Fall 2018) – A+ among law schools for public interest law.[19]
The National Jurist – A for "business, corporate, and banking."[20]
Juris Doctor program
Admissions
Admission to the law school is competitive with an acceptance rate of 59%. In admission decisions, the law school places equal emphasis on three factors: (1) LSAT performance; (2) the undergraduate academic record; and (3) personal achievements. Admission is made to either the full-timeday or part-timeevening program. The mean LSAT score for admitted students is 154, and the median undergraduate GPA is 3.24.
Students admitted to the full-time program can choose to begin classes in June to reduce their first semester course-load in August. All part-time students begin in June.
2018 matriculating students were 63% women, 4% veterans, 32% students of color, 19% identify as LGBTQ, and average age of 27.[21]
Focus areas
Seattle University School of Law offers "pathways" as one way for students to decide which courses to take, though choosing a pathway is not required. These pathways demonstrate sequences within and connections across the curriculum. Current pathways include:[22]
According to the school's official 2017 ABA-required disclosures, 76.5% of the class of 2017 obtained bar passage-required employment nine months after graduation.[23] Seattle University School of Law's Law School Transparency under-employment score is 22.8%, indicating the percentage of the class of 2017 unemployed, pursuing an additional degree, or working in a non-professional, short-term, or part-time job nine months after graduation.[24]
Costs and financial aid
The total cost of attendance (indicating the cost of full-time tuition, fees, and living expenses) at Seattle University School of Law for the academic year is $70,564.[25]
The Law School Transparency estimated debt-financed cost of attendance for three years is $235,798.[26]
