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| Ohio Northern University Pettit College of Law | |
|---|---|
| Name | Pettit College of Law |
| Parent | Ohio Northern University |
| Established | 1885 |
| Type | Private |
| Dean | Daniel S. Tellis (Interim) |
| City | Ada |
| State | Ohio |
| Country | United States |
| Students | ~300 |
| Bar pass rate | 82% (varies) |
| Homepage | Ohio Northern University Pettit College of Law |
Ohio Northern University Pettit College of Law is the law school of Ohio Northern University located in Ada, Ohio, offering Juris Doctor and advanced law degrees with programs emphasizing practical skills, professional responsibility, and bar preparation. The college combines small-class instruction, clinical training, and externships to serve students preparing for careers in litigation, transactional law, public service, and business. Pettit College of Law has a regional reputation within Ohio and across the Midwest for experiential learning, alumni placement, and bar success.
Pettit College of Law traces its roots to 1885 and has evolved through connections with institutions and figures such as Rutherford B. Hayes, William McKinley, Salmon P. Chase, John Sherman, and regional legal developments like the Ohio Constitution of 1851 and the Ohio Supreme Court. Early curricular influences included precedents from Harvard Law School, Yale Law School, and the American Bar Association standards that shaped accreditation. The college’s historical timeline intersects with events including the Great Depression, World War II, the Civil Rights Movement, and federal legislation such as the G.I. Bill and the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which affected enrollment and curricular reforms. Alumni and faculty have participated in proceedings before the United States Supreme Court, served in the United States Congress, held judicial office in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, and worked with agencies like the Federal Trade Commission and the Securities and Exchange Commission.
The Pettit College of Law campus occupies facilities adjacent to Ohio Northern University landmarks including the Alden Library, McIntosh Center, and the Fisher Auditorium. Key spaces include the Moot Courtroom named for donors associated with firms such as Jones Day, BakerHostetler, and Squire Patton Boggs, a law library with collections aligned with the Library of Congress classification used by institutions like Columbia Law School and Stanford Law School, and technology-equipped classrooms modeled after courtrooms in the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. The building houses centers for externships linking students to offices such as the Ohio Attorney General and county courthouses like the Allen County Courthouse and the Franklin County Courthouse. Campus safety and student services coordinate with local entities including the Ada Police Department, Auglaize County, and regional transportation networks connecting to cities like Columbus, Ohio, Cleveland, and Toledo.
Pettit College of Law offers the Juris Doctor (J.D.), advanced LL.M. options, and joint-degree arrangements similar to partnerships at institutions like Case Western Reserve University and The Ohio State University. The curriculum covers courses referencing doctrines and cases from the United States Constitution, statutes like the Internal Revenue Code, and bodies such as the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and the Uniform Commercial Code. Specialized programs include focus areas analogous to practice concentrations at Georgetown University Law Center and University of Michigan Law School—for example, trial advocacy, corporate law, tax law, and intellectual property drawing upon frameworks from the Patent Act and the Lanham Act. Academic supports include bar preparation modeled after resources used by graduates of University of Cincinnati College of Law and skills labs inspired by clinics at Harvard Law School and New York University School of Law.
Admission standards reflect criteria comparable to regional law schools including median LSAT considerations, undergraduate GPA, and statements of purpose akin to applications at University of Akron School of Law and Capital University Law School. The admissions process evaluates applicants’ records relative to accreditation benchmarks set by the American Bar Association and follows policies similar to those at the Association of American Law Schools. Financial aid options include scholarships, grants, and loans administered with guidance from agencies like the Department of Education and loan servicers used across campuses, as well as employer-sponsored tuition programs comparable to initiatives by firms such as Ulmer & Berne and McDonald Hopkins.
Clinical offerings at Pettit include a legal clinic providing services in areas like family law, criminal defense, and small-business counseling, linking students to externship placements at institutions such as the Judicial Conference of the United States, the Cuyahoga County Public Defender, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio. Advocacy training involves moot court competitions patterned after events like the National Moot Court Competition and partnerships with organizations such as the American Inns of Court and the National Association of Law Placement. Practical learning also occurs through simulation courses using standards from the ABA Clinical Legal Education Exchange and pro bono collaborations with nonprofits like the Legal Aid Society.
Student life features student organizations similar to chapters at other law schools, including the Student Bar Association, trial teams, and specialty groups partnering with national bodies such as the Federal Bar Association, American Bar Association Section of Legal Education, Phi Alpha Delta, and Phi Delta Phi. Cultural, political, and service organizations host events with speakers drawn from entities like the Ohio Statehouse, private firms including Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease, and federal officials from agencies such as the Department of Justice. Networking and career activities coordinate with alumni chapters across regions including Cincinnati, Dayton, Akron, and Columbus.
Alumni and faculty have held positions across courts, government, and private practice with affiliations to the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, the Ohio Supreme Court, the United States Congress, and executive offices like the Office of the Ohio Attorney General. Graduates include judges, legislators, and attorneys who joined firms comparable to Taft Stettinius & Hollister and served in roles within institutions such as the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation, and the Ohio Chamber of Commerce. Faculty scholarship has appeared in reviews alongside contributors from Yale Law Journal, Harvard Law Review, and Columbia Law Review; visiting professors have included scholars with past appointments at Georgetown University Law Center and Emory University School of Law.