Saint Louis University School of Law
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| Saint Louis University School of Law | |
|---|---|
| Name | Saint Louis University School of Law |
| Established | 1843 |
| Type | Private |
| Parent | Saint Louis University |
| City | St. Louis |
| State | Missouri |
| Country | United States |
| Campus | Urban |
| Website | Official website |
Saint Louis University School of Law is the law school of Saint Louis University, located in St. Louis, Missouri. The school traces its origins to mid-19th century Catholic legal education traditions associated with the Society of Jesus and has developed programs linking civil, canon, and international legal traditions. It emphasizes public service, trial advocacy, and interdisciplinary engagement with regional courts, federal agencies, and global institutions.
History
Saint Louis University School of Law was founded during the era of Pope Gregory XVI, contemporaneous with institutions like Georgetown University, Columbia University, Harvard University, Yale University, and University of Virginia developing professional programs. Early faculty and alumni engaged with regional entities such as the Missouri Supreme Court, United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, St. Louis Circuit Court, Board of Regents (Missouri), and municipal offices in City of St. Louis. The school expanded through the 20th century amid national developments involving New Deal, Civil Rights Movement, Brown v. Board of Education, and federal litigation before the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. Notable historical interactions include service in World War I, World War II, postwar cases tied to Nuremberg Trials influences on international criminal law, and participation in legal debates during the administrations of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, President Harry S. Truman, and President Dwight D. Eisenhower. During the late 20th and early 21st centuries faculty contributed to scholarship alongside peers at Georgetown Law, Columbia Law School, NYU School of Law, University of Chicago Law School, and Stanford Law School.
Campus and Facilities
The law school is sited on the university's Midtown St. Louis campus proximate to landmarks such as Forest Park, Gateway Arch, Busch Stadium, and the Missouri Botanical Garden. Facilities include moot courtrooms modeled after chambers in the Supreme Court of the United States, clinical suites adjacent to the United States Courthouse (St. Louis), and libraries with collections drawing on resources like Library of Congress, American Bar Association archives, and holdings comparable to Harvard Law School Library. Research centers host seminars on topics tied to United Nations, European Court of Human Rights, International Criminal Court, and regional policy groups including Missouri Bar Association, American Civil Liberties Union, and Association of American Law Schools. Student spaces connect to campus units such as Saint Louis University Medical Center, Saint Louis University School of Business, and cultural partners like Saint Louis Art Museum.
Academics and Programs
The curriculum offers Juris Doctor, LL.M., and joint degrees with schools like Saint Louis University School of Medicine, Saint Louis University Chaifetz School of Business, and departments that align with centers focused on Constitutional Law, International Human Rights, and Environmental Law. Courses cover litigation training paralleling programs at National Institute for Trial Advocacy, comparative law surveys referencing Napoleonic Code, and transactional clinics interacting with agencies such as the Internal Revenue Service, Environmental Protection Agency, and Social Security Administration. Specialized certificates reflect engagement with tribunals including the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, scholarly networks linked to American Society of International Law, and moot court competitions associated with Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition and ABA National Appellate Advocacy Competition.
Admissions and Rankings
Applicants are evaluated using criteria similar to those used by Law School Admission Council, considering LSAT scores and credentials compared across cohorts at Yale Law School, Harvard Law School, Stanford Law School, University of Chicago Law School, and regional institutions like Washington University School of Law. Admission practices reference accreditation standards of the American Bar Association and bar passage trends before the Missouri Bar. Rankings by outlets that compare law schools, including national magazines and educational assessments that also rank Princeton University, University of Michigan Law School, and Duke University School of Law, influence perceptions while the school emphasizes placement in judicial clerkships with judges from the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, federal magistrates, and state appellate benches.
Student Life and Organizations
Student organizations mirror national groups such as American Bar Association Section of Legal Education, Federalist Society, American Civil Liberties Union, National Lawyers Guild, and discipline-specific chapters like Environmental Law Institute affiliates. Interest groups include international law societies engaging with International Criminal Court topics, transactional law associations liaising with firms like Lathrop Gage and Baker McKenzie, and trial advocacy teams competing against squads from Marquette University Law School, University of Iowa College of Law, and Washington University in St. Louis School of Law. Co-curricular activities connect students to civic partners such as City of St. Louis Board of Aldermen, regional nonprofits, and faith-based organizations linked to Society of Jesus ministries.
Notable Alumni and Faculty
Alumni and faculty have served in roles across the judiciary, government, and private practice, including appointments to the Missouri Supreme Court, the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, the United States House of Representatives, the United States Senate, and positions within Department of Justice and Department of State. Former faculty have testified before panels convened by United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary, contributed scholarship cited by the Supreme Court of the United States, and collaborated with legal scholars from Oxford University, Cambridge University, University of Notre Dame, and University of California, Berkeley. Graduates have litigated landmark matters alongside counsel from firms involved in cases like Roe v. Wade and Brown v. Board of Education era litigation, and have pursued careers at organizations such as American Enterprise Institute, Brennan Center for Justice, and Human Rights Watch.
Clinical Programs and Legal Services
Clinical offerings place students in direct representation and policy work with courts and agencies including the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, Missouri Department of Social Services, and local public defender offices. Clinics focus on civil rights matters overlapping with cases heard by the Eighth Circuit, immigration cases referencing jurisprudence from the Board of Immigration Appeals, transactional clinics partnering with regional economic development authorities, and appellate advocacy preparing briefs for submission to the Missouri Court of Appeals. Pro bono collaborations include partnerships with Legal Services Corporation, Missouri Legal Services, and advocacy groups such as ACLU of Missouri.