Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law

Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law
Name	Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law
Established	1965
Type	Public
Parent	Arizona State University
City	Tempe
State	Arizona
Country	United States
Dean	Douglas Sylvester

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Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law is the law school of Arizona State University located in Tempe, Arizona. It is named for Sandra Day O'Connor, the first woman appointed to the Supreme Court of the United States, and is part of the public research mission of Arizona State University system. The college offers professional degrees including the Juris Doctor, graduate legal studies, and specialized certificates while engaging with state and federal institutions such as the Arizona Supreme Court, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, and regional legal organizations.

History

The college was founded in 1965 during the governorship of Samuel Pearson Goddard Jr. and opened amid higher education expansion led by figures like Gordon S. Hearing and administrators from Arizona State College at Tempe; it later gained prominence during the tenure of deans influenced by legal scholars comparable to Roscoe Pound and Alexander Bickel. In 2006 the college was renamed to honor Sandra Day O'Connor following advocacy by state leaders including Janet Napolitano and supporters connected to the Arizona Board of Regents. Its development intersected with landmark legal developments such as decisions from the United States Supreme Court and administrative reforms shaped by leaders in institutions like the American Bar Association and the Association of American Law Schools.

The curriculum emphasizes traditional courses in constitutional law, while offering specialized tracks in areas associated with institutions like the Federal Communications Commission, the United States Environmental Protection Agency, and the Internal Revenue Service. Degree options include the professional Juris Doctor and graduate degrees comparable to programs at Harvard Law School, Yale Law School, and Columbia Law School in structure, alongside dual-degree collaborations with schools such as ASU W. P. Carey School of Business and the School of Engineering at Arizona State University. Faculty research spans constitutional questions debated in cases like Brown v. Board of Education and statutory interpretation influenced by scholarship from figures like Antonin Scalia and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and the college maintains partnerships with entities such as the Federal Trade Commission and the United States Department of Justice for externships.

Admissions follow criteria used by peer institutions including Stanford Law School, University of California, Berkeley School of Law, and University of Michigan Law School, evaluating applicants by LSAT or GRE scores and undergraduate records from universities such as University of Arizona and University of California, Los Angeles. Rankings by outlets similar to those compiled by organizations like U.S. News & World Report and assessments from the Princeton Review have placed the college relative to schools like George Washington University Law School and University of Minnesota Law School. The student body reflects diversity initiatives akin to programs at Georgetown University Law Center and receives funding support through scholarships tied to foundations such as the Ford Foundation and agencies like the National Science Foundation when students pursue interdisciplinary legal research.

The college operates clinical programs and centers modeled after clinics at University of Pennsylvania Law School and Northwestern Pritzker School of Law, connecting students with courts like the Maricopa County Superior Court and agencies such as the Social Security Administration. Signature centers address issues paralleling work at Center for Constitutional Rights and collaborate with organizations like Southern Poverty Law Center and Human Rights Watch on strategic litigation and policy advocacy. Externship placements include offices of the United States Attorney for the District of Arizona, the Arizona Attorney General, and nonprofit partners similar to Legal Aid Society, enabling experiential learning in transactional law, public interest litigation, and administrative practice.

The college's facilities on the Tempe campus of Arizona State University include moot courtrooms and classrooms equipped to host competitions like the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition and conferences drawing participants from institutions such as Oxford University and Cambridge University. The building complex adjoins research centers and libraries collaborating with collections comparable to those at the Library of Congress and supports technology initiatives related to collaborations with companies like Google and Microsoft. Campus life interfaces with university entities like the ASU Law Student Bar Association and nearby municipal resources in Maricopa County, facilitating engagement with legislative actors in the Arizona State Legislature.

Among faculty and visitors have been scholars and jurists in the orbit of figures like Sandra Day O'Connor, William Rehnquist, John Paul Stevens, and academicians comparable to Cass Sunstein and Lawrence Lessig; adjuncts and lecturers have included practitioners from Latham & Watkins, Morrison & Foerster, and former officials from the United States Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Speakers and honorary affiliates have included leaders such as Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Neil Gorsuch, Elena Kagan, and civil rights advocates akin to Thurgood Marshall and Bryan Stevenson.

Alumni serve on state and federal benches including the Arizona Court of Appeals and the United States District Court for the District of Arizona, hold positions in firms like Snell & Wilmer and Fennemore Craig, and occupy roles in public offices such as the Arizona Attorney General and the United States Congress. Employment statistics track placement in judicial clerkships for courts like the Ninth Circuit and legal roles at institutions such as the American Civil Liberties Union and corporate legal departments at companies comparable to Intel and Walmart. Graduates have pursued careers leading to appointments and recognition similar to awards from the American Bar Association and election to legislative bodies including the Arizona State Senate.