McGeorge School of Law

McGeorge School of Law
Name	McGeorge School of Law
Established	1924
Type	Private law school
Parent	University of the Pacific
City	Sacramento
State	California
Country	United States

McGeorge School of Law is a private law school located in Sacramento, California, affiliated with the University of the Pacific. Founded in 1924, the school offers Juris Doctor and graduate law degrees and emphasizes public service, regulatory practice, and transnational law. The institution engages with state and federal legal institutions and provides clinical training connected to local courts, administrative agencies, and international legal organizations.

History

The school emerged during the interwar period alongside institutions such as University of California, Berkeley, Stanford University, Columbia Law School, Harvard Law School, and Yale Law School in a wave of professionalization similar to reforms advocated by figures in the American Bar Association and followers of the Case Method. Early leadership engaged with local institutions including the California Supreme Court and the State Bar of California, while faculty connections extended to national actors like the United States Department of Justice, the Federal Communications Commission, and the Securities and Exchange Commission. Throughout the mid-20th century, McGeorge affiliated with organizations such as the American Association of Law Schools and developed relationships with regional bodies including the Sacramento County Superior Court and the California Legislature. Later expansions paralleled trends seen at Georgetown University Law Center, New York University School of Law, and University of California, Los Angeles School of Law as the school enhanced offerings in international law, administrative law, and intellectual property, collaborating with entities like the United Nations and the World Bank.

Campus and Facilities

The campus in Sacramento, California situates the law school near the California State Capitol and federal courthouses such as the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California and the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Facilities include moot courtrooms modeled after spaces at Supreme Court of the United States arguments and advocacy centers similar to those at Georgetown University Law Center, with libraries that interface with collections like the Library of Congress and the Bancroft Library. Clinical and research spaces accommodate collaborations with organizations such as the California Public Defender's Office, the Federal Public Defender, the Sierra Club, and the California Department of Justice, and host visiting scholars from institutions like the University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, Peking University, and The Hague Academy of International Law.

Academics and Programs

Academic programs include a three-year Juris Doctor, an LL.M. in Transnational Law, and joint degrees similar to offerings at Columbia University, University of Chicago, and New York University. Course emphases cover subjects linked to courts and agencies such as United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, California Court of Appeal, Federal Trade Commission, Securities and Exchange Commission, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Specialized curricula mirror concentrations at schools like Georgetown University Law Center and Harvard Law School in areas including constitutional law related to the United States Constitution, administrative law connected to the Administrative Procedure Act, environmental law involving the Environmental Protection Agency, and intellectual property law interacting with the United States Patent and Trademark Office and cases from the Supreme Court of the United States. Comparative and transnational programs engage with legal systems like those of China, Japan, European Union, and institutions such as the International Criminal Court and the World Trade Organization.

Admissions and Student Body

Admissions practices align with standards used across American law schools accredited by the American Bar Association, with applicants submitting credentials shaped by precedent from institutions like LSAC processes that also serve Harvard Law School, Yale Law School, and Stanford Law School. The student body draws from California locales including San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, Sacramento County, and other states and countries such as Texas, New York, China, India, and Philippines. Student organizations mirror national counterparts such as the American Constitution Society, the Federalist Society, the American Bar Association Law Student Division, and international groups that network with bodies like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.

Clinical Programs and Centers

Clinical offerings connect students with live-client representation through clinics and centers akin to those at University of California, Irvine School of Law and University of California, Berkeley School of Law, partnering with the Legal Services Corporation, the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia, and local agencies including the California Innocence Project and the Sacramento County Public Defender. Centers focus on areas such as international trade and policy interacting with the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, environmental policy engaging the Environmental Protection Agency and the California Air Resources Board, and health law intersecting with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the California Department of Public Health. Advocacy programs prepare students for competitions like the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition, the National Moot Court Competition, and the ABA Client Counseling Competition.

Bar Passage and Employment Outcomes

Bar performance and employment metrics are assessed against benchmarks used by the State Bar of California and comparable institutions such as Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, University of San Francisco School of Law, and Pepperdine University School of Law. Graduates pursue clerkships with judges of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California, positions in offices such as the California Attorney General and the United States Attorney's Office, roles at international organizations like the United Nations Development Programme, and private practice at firms including national players similar to Latham & Watkins, Gibson Dunn, and regional firms practicing before the California Supreme Court.

Notable Alumni and Faculty

Alumni have served in roles across government and the judiciary, including seats on the California Supreme Court, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, and legislative bodies such as the California State Legislature and the United States Congress. Other graduates and faculty include counsel and policy advisors who have worked for the United States Department of State, the Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Communications Commission, and nonprofit organizations such as the ACLU and the Nature Conservancy. Visiting professors and lecturers have included scholars affiliated with Harvard Law School, Columbia Law School, Yale Law School, Oxford University, and practitioners from firms like Sidley Austin and Covington & Burling.

Category:Law schools in California