Stanford Law School

Stanford Law School
source
Name	Stanford Law School
Established	1893
Type	Private professional school
Parent	Stanford University
Location	Stanford, California
Dean	Robert Weisberg
Students	~570 (J.D.)
Faculty	~100
Colors	Cardinal
Website	law.stanford.edu

Stanford Law School is a professional graduate school within Stanford University located in Stanford, California. It is one of the leading institutions for legal education in the United States, noted for producing alumni who serve on the Supreme Court of the United States, in the United States Congress, and in executive roles at organizations such as Google, Facebook, Apple Inc., and Goldman Sachs. The school emphasizes interdisciplinary study with strong ties to Stanford Graduate School of Business, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford Humanities Center, and research initiatives linked to Silicon Valley.

History

Founded in 1893 during the presidency of David Starr Jordan at Stanford University, the school expanded significantly in the 20th century under deans and faculty who engaged with issues ranging from antitrust to civil rights. Alumni and faculty have participated in landmark events and institutions including appointments to the Supreme Court of the United States, service in the United States Department of Justice, roles in the Nuremberg Trials-era legal community, and contributions to the drafting of legislation such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964. During the late 20th and early 21st centuries, the law school strengthened programs connected to technological innovation and intellectual property law amid the rise of companies like Hewlett-Packard, Cisco Systems, and Intel. The school’s history also intersects with legal scholarship traditions established by figures associated with the American Law Institute and journals that have influenced decisions in cases heard by the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

Academics and Programs

The school offers the Juris Doctor (J.D.), Master of Laws (LL.M.), and Doctor of the Science of Law (J.S.D.) degrees, with curricula that enable cross-registration with programs at Stanford Graduate School of Business, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford School of Engineering, and centers like the Stanford Center for Biomedical Ethics. Courses cover subjects such as constitutional law studied alongside cases from the United States Supreme Court, intellectual property linked to litigation in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, international law interfacing with institutions like the International Criminal Court, and environmental law touching on matters litigated before the California Supreme Court. Clinical programs place students in externships with entities like the Federal Public Defender, ACLU, Human Rights Watch, and tech-policy units at companies including Google and Twitter.

Admissions and Rankings

Admissions are highly selective, drawing applicants who hold degrees from institutions such as Harvard University, Yale University, Princeton University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and University of California, Berkeley. Standardized admissions metrics are competitive against peers like Harvard Law School, Yale Law School, and Columbia Law School. Rankings by outlets that evaluate legal programs often place the school among the top U.S. law schools, alongside institutions with strong placement records into clerkships for judges of the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and the United States Supreme Court. Financial aid and scholarship programs mirror practices at peer schools including New York University School of Law and University of Chicago Law School.

Campus and Facilities

The law school campus sits near landmarks such as the Cantor Arts Center and the Hoover Tower on the larger Stanford University campus. Key facilities include a law library housing collections used in litigation before the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, moot courtrooms modeled on spaces used by the Supreme Court of the United States, and research commons that collaborate with centers linked to Silicon Valley firms such as Oracle Corporation and Adobe Inc.. Residential and student life buildings connect to athletic and cultural venues including the Stanford Stadium complex and venues used by the Stanford Cardinal athletic programs.

Faculty and Research Centers

Faculty have included scholars active in debates around administrative law, civil procedure, and transactional law, with visiting professors and fellows drawn from institutions such as Harvard Law School, Yale Law School, University of Chicago Law School, and the University of California, Berkeley School of Law. The school hosts research centers and initiatives affiliated with entities like the Stanford Center for Legal Informatics, the Stanford Program in Law, Science & Technology, and the Stanford Center for Internet and Society, which collaborate with organizations including Microsoft Research, IBM, Electronic Frontier Foundation, and the World Bank. Faculty scholarship has influenced rulings by bodies such as the United States Supreme Court and advisory reports for agencies like the Federal Communications Commission.

Student Life and Organizations

Student organizations encompass law journals, advocacy groups, and specialty societies that place students with externships at institutions such as the Federal Trade Commission, Securities and Exchange Commission, and international postings with the United Nations and International Court of Justice. Journals at the school compete for articles that cite cases from the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and policy debates involving corporations like Facebook and Amazon (company). Competitive moot court teams have argued hypothetical disputes in settings resembling hearings at the Supreme Court of the United States, and student-run pro bono projects coordinate with nonprofits such as Legal Aid Society and Public Counsel.

Category:Stanford University Category:Law schools in California