Belmont University College of Law
Belmont University College of Law is a private law school in Nashville, Tennessee. Founded in 2011, the College of Law was accredited by the American Bar Association in 2013.[2]
Belmont University College of Law | |
---|---|
Parent school | Belmont University |
Established | 2011 |
School type | Private |
Dean | Alberto Gonzales |
Location | Nashville, Tennessee, US |
Enrollment | 276 |
USNWR ranking | 105th (2024) [1] |
Bar pass rate | 94.29% (who sat for a bar examination within two years of their date of graduation) |
Website | www |
ABA profile | Belmont Law |
History
editBelmont University announced plans for the College of Law in 2009, with the first class beginning in 2011.[3] Belmont Law was accredited by the American Bar Association in 2013, making it the first new accredited law program in Tennessee in more than 50 years [2] and the first new law school in Middle Tennessee in nearly 100 years.[3] Belmont Law achieved American Bar Association accreditation in the earliest possible time allowed by accreditation guidelines.[2]
Curriculum
editThe college's curriculum includes the Juris Doctor (J.D.) with specialized certificate programs available in Criminal Law, Health Law, and Entertainment Law.[4] The College of Law curriculum focuses on creating practice-ready attorneys with a practicum requirement in each semester to help students become proficient in the "practice" of law.[5] These practicums give instruction in all aspects of the practice of law, such as legal writing, legal research, client interviewing, document drafting, litigation, negotiation, and more.[5]
In 2017, a dual JD/MBA program was launched, allowing students to take classes for both degrees concurrently and complete requirements for both degrees within three years.[6]
Facilities
editThe law school is located in the Randall and Sadie Baskin Center building, a 75,000-square-foot LEED Gold building atop a five-level underground garage.[7] The Randall and Sadie Baskin Center houses more than a dozen large classrooms, a trial courtroom, an appellate court room, faculty offices, student commons, and a two-story law library.[8]
Organizations and publications
editStudents can participate in local and national competitions through the Board of Advocates program, which includes mock-trial, moot-court, and transactional teams.[5] The moot-court team has won numerous competitions, including: National Champions of the 17th Annual Emory Civil Rights and Liberties Moot Court Competition[9], 2017, 2023 Regional Champions of the American Bar Association’s (ABA) National Appellate Advocacy Competition[10][11], National Champions of the 2018 Emory Civil Rights and Liberties Moot Court Competition.[12]
The College of Law publishes two academic journals, the Belmont Law Review[13] and the Belmont Law Journal (Dean Deborah Farringer mereged the Criminal Law Journal,[14] Entertainment Law Journal, and Health Law Journal[15] into a single journal in the Summer of 2023.)[16][17][18]
Employment
editStatistics for the class of 2018 indicate 96% of students are employed in some capacity, with 95% employed in bar-passage-required or J.D.–advantage positions.[19] Most graduates remain in state, with 89% employed in Tennessee.[20] Of those employed, 63% work at a law firm, 14.5% work in business or industry, 18.5% work in government or judicial clerkships, and 4% work in public interest.[20]
Belmont Law's Law School Transparency under-employment score is 6.4%, which reflects the percentage of the Class of 2018 that is unemployed, pursuing an additional degree, or working in a nonprofessional, short-term, or part-time job nine months after graduation.[21]
Bar passage
editOn the July 2019 bar exam, 97.18% of Belmont Law's first-time test takers and 94.52% of its total takers passed,[22] the highest of any law school in Tennessee and 23.62% higher than Tennessee's 70.90% pass rate.[23] In 2018, 94.52% of Belmont Law's first-time test takers and 90.79% of its total takers passed the bar exam,[24] ranking 12th in the nation and 2nd in the state of Tennessee for bar passage.[25] Belmont's success has been attributed to the bar preparation course created by Jeff Kinsler, Belmont Law's founding Dean.[26]
In 2023, the bar passage rate for first time test-takers was 93.4%, ranking 1st out of 5 programs in Tennessee.[27]
Exam Date | 1st Time Pass Rate | Total Pass Rate |
---|---|---|
July, 2024[28] | 94.79% | 92.93% |
July, 2023[29] | 93.41% | 90.43% |
July, 2022[30] | 86.60% | 86.87% |
July, 2021[31] | 88.75% | 85.71% |
July (October), 2020[32] | 82.56% | 81.82% |
July, 2019[33] | 94.52% | 97.18% |
Graduation Year | Total Pass Rate |
---|---|
2021 | 95.65% |
2020 | 94.95% |
2019 | 100.00% |
2018 | 100.00% |
2017 | 94.74% |
2016 | 94.29% |
2015 | 96.51% |
Costs
editTuition for the 2022-2023 school year is $48,660,[36] with 49% of students receiving scholarships.[37] Belmont Law ranks #104 in terms of highest tuition among full-time law students based on 283 tuition rates from 194 law schools, with in-state tuition counting separately.[38]
References
edit- ^ "Belmont University College of Law". usnews.com. Retrieved May 13, 2023.
- ^ a b c "Belmont law program receives accreditation". Nashville Business Journal. Retrieved August 19, 2019.
- ^ a b "Belmont University announces College of Law". The National Jurist. October 19, 2009. Archived from the original on December 1, 2020. Retrieved September 7, 2019.
- ^ "School Detail Information". Law School Admission Council. Retrieved May 6, 2019.
- ^ a b c "Legal Insight 2017". Newsweek. 2017. Archived from the original on April 12, 2017. Retrieved September 7, 2019.
- ^ "Belmont launching joint JD/MBA". Nashville Post. April 10, 2017. Archived from the original on June 20, 2017. Retrieved September 7, 2019.
- ^ "Belmont law building earns LEED Gold". Nashville Post. October 31, 2012. Retrieved August 19, 2019.
- ^ "School Detail Information". officialguide.lsac.org. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
- ^ "Law Moot Court Wins National Emory Civil Rights and Liberties Competition". www.belmont.edu. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
- ^ "Moot Court Team Advances to National Finals | Belmont University News & Media". February 28, 2017. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
- ^ "Belmont Law Moot Court Teams Place in ABA Appellate Advocacy Competition | Belmont University News & Media". March 23, 2022. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
- ^ "College of Law Moot Court Team Named National Champion at Tournament | Belmont University News & Media". October 22, 2018. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
- ^ "Belmont Law Review". Belmont Law Review. Retrieved September 8, 2019.
- ^ "Belmont Criminal Law Journal". www.belmontcriminallaw.com. Retrieved September 8, 2019.
- ^ "Belmont Health Law Journal". www.belmonthealthlaw.com. Retrieved September 8, 2019.
- ^ "Belmont Criminal Law Journal". www.belmontcriminallaw.com. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
- ^ "Belmont Entertainment Law Journal". www.belmontentertainmentlaw.com. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
- ^ "Belmont Health Law Journal". www.belmonthealthlaw.com. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
- ^ "Of Note: 17 May 2019". Nashville Post. May 17, 2019. Retrieved August 19, 2019.
- ^ a b Hefner, April (May 16, 2019). "College of Law Announces Record Employment Rate for Class of 2018". Belmont University News & Media. Retrieved October 17, 2019.
- ^ "Belmont University". Law School Transparency. Retrieved August 19, 2019.
- ^ "July 2019 UBE TN School Statistics" (PDF). Tennessee Board of Law Examiners. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 17, 2019.
- ^ "Belmont tops in bar passage". Nashville Post. Retrieved October 17, 2019.
- ^ "Notes: Vanderbilt, Belmont top bar exam result". Nashville Post. October 8, 2018. Retrieved August 19, 2019.
- ^ Zaretsky, Staci (October 3, 2019). "The Top 50 Law Schools By First-Time Bar Exam Pass Rates (2018)". Above the Law. Retrieved October 17, 2019.
- ^ Kinsler, Jeff (August 24, 2018). "The Secret to 85% First-Time Bar Passage Rates". North Carolina Central Law Review. 40 (1): 92–121. SSRN 3232216 – via SSRN.
- ^ Joslin, Stacey (October 10, 2023). "What schools have the best first-time bar passage rate?". Tennessee Bar Association. Retrieved December 15, 2023.
- ^ Tennessee Board of Law Examiners. "July 2024 School Statistics - Re-Exam" (PDF).
- ^ Tennessee Board of Law Examiners. "JULY 2023 School Statistics - Re-examination" (PDF).
- ^ Tennessee Board of Law Examiners. "All Schools: Re-Exam Statistics July 2022 Exam" (PDF).
- ^ Tennessee Board of Law Examiners. "School Statistics - Re-Exam Statistics* July 2021 Exam" (PDF).
- ^ Tennessee Board of Law Examiners. "School Statistics - Re-Exam July 2020 Applicants OCTOBER ASSESSMENT" (PDF).
- ^ Tennessee Board of Law Examiners. "July 2019 UBE TN School Statistics - Retakes" (PDF).
- ^ American Bar Association. "Bar Passage Data Ultimate (Graduation Year)".
- ^ American Bar Association. "Bar Passage Data Ultimate (Graduation Year)".
- ^ "Law School Overview". U.S. News & World Report.
- ^ "BELMONT UNIVERSITY - 2018 Standard 509 Information Report" (PDF). American Bar Association Standard Disclosures. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 17, 2019.
- ^ "Belmont University". Public Legal. Archived from the original on September 26, 2020. Retrieved September 11, 2019.