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University of Alabama School of Law
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The University of Alabama School of Law,[4] (formerly known as the Hugh F. Culverhouse Jr. School of Law at The University of Alabama)[5][6] located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama is the only public law school in the state. It is one of five law schools in the state, and one of three that are ABA accredited. According to Alabama's official 2023 ABA-required disclosures, 89.4% of the Class of 2023 obtained full-time, long-term, JD-required employment nine months after graduation. An additional 4.8% of the Class of 2023 obtained JD-advantage employment.[7]
Key Information
Approximately 428 JD students attended Alabama Law during school year 2022–2023. 51 undergraduate institutions, 23 states, and 3 countries are represented among the class of 2026, and the student-faculty ratio is 6.7 to 1.[8]
Academics
[edit]Alabama Law offers the Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree, as well as an International LL.M., an LL.M. in Taxation, and an LL.M. in Business Transactions. In conjunction with the Manderson Graduate School of Business, the law school also offers a four-year joint J.D./M.B.A. program. Students may also pursue a number of graduate degrees through established dual enrollment programs for M.A. or Ph.D. in Political Science, M.P.A., Ph.D. in Economics, or LL.M. in Taxation. Certificates in Public Interest Law, Governmental Affairs, and International and Comparative Law are also available.
Admissions have been increasingly selective. The class of 2026 has a median LSAT score of 167 and median undergraduate GPA of 3.95. The 75th and 25th percentile for these metrics are 168 and 4.00, and 159 and 3.63, respectively.[8]
Law clinics
[edit]Alabama Law guarantees that every interested student has the opportunity to participate in at least one law clinic before graduating. It is one of the few law schools in the country to make this guarantee.[9]
- The Children's Rights Clinic works with the Alabama Disabilities Advocacy Program to assist youth with disabilities in the juvenile justice system.[10]
- The Civil Law Clinic is Alabama's oldest clinic and provides free legal advice and representation to University of Alabama students and community members in civil matters. Civil clinic students handle over 200 cases annually.[11]
- The Criminal Defense Clinic represents indigent defendants in misdemeanor and felony criminal matters for both bench and jury trials.[12]
- The Domestic Violence Clinic takes a holistic approach to assisting survivors of domestic abuse in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama. In addition to providing comprehensive legal services, clinic students also perform outreach and education.[13]
- The Entrepreneur & Nonprofit Clinic provides free transactional legal services to small businesses, start-ups, and nonprofit organizations. The suite of services include preparation of formation documents, agreement negotiation and drafting, and regulatory compliance.[14]
- The Mediation Law Clinic provides an alternative to the adversarial litigation process for families to settle disputes more promptly and with a reduction in emotional trauma.[15]
Publications
[edit]In 2007 Jarvis & Coleman ranked the Alabama Law Review (ALR) 36th "on the basis of the prominence of their lead article authors."[16] This represents an incredible 63 position improvement from the rankings of ten years prior. For 2015–2016, ExpressO, UC Berkeley's manuscript submission service, ranked the ALR at 10th in terms of "number of manuscripts received."[17] In 2015 Washington and Lee's methods rank ALR at 46th in both the number of citations from other journals and the combined score.[18] These show an improvement of 10 and 26 positions, respectively, over the preceding 5 years.
- Alabama Civil Rights & Civil Liberties Law Review[19]
- Alabama Law Review[20]
- Journal of the Legal Profession[21]
- Law & Psychology Review[22]
Approximately 40% of students graduate with journal experience. This is a slightly lower percentage than many of Alabama's peer schools, but nonetheless above the national average.
Employment
[edit]According to Alabama's official 2023 ABA-required disclosures, 89.4% of the Class of 2023 obtained full-time, long-term, bar passage required employment within nine months after graduation.[7] 26% of 2023 graduates were employed by a national law firm and 11.4% found judicial clerkships.[23] Alabama's Law School Transparency under-employment score for 2023 is 4.9%, indicating the percentage of the Class of 2023 who were unemployed, pursuing an additional degree, or working in a non-professional, short-term, or part-time job nine months after graduation.[24]
Costs
[edit]Tuition and fees at the University of Alabama School of Law for the 2018–2019 academic year total $23,920 for residents and $42,180 for nonresidents.[26] 69.2% of students received discounts during the 2017–2018 school year; the remaining 30.8% paid full price. Law School Transparency estimated debt-financed cost of attendance for three years at full price to be $157,785 for residents and $231,042 for nonresidents.[26]
Notable alumni
[edit]This section is missing information about the kind of degree and date granted usually supplied for alumni . (October 2024) |
- Edward B. Almon, United States Representative from Alabama (1915–1933)[27]
- James B. Allen, United States Senator from Alabama (1969–1978)[28]
- Mel Allen, sportscaster best known as the "Voice of the New York Yankees" and first host of This Week in Baseball[29]
- John W. Abercrombie, United States Congressman from Alabama (1913–1917) and President of the University of Alabama (1902–1911)[30]
- Spencer Bachus, United States Congressman from Alabama's 6th Congressional District (1993–2015)[31]
- Samuel A. Beatty, Associate Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court (1976–1989)
- Robert H. Bennett, member of the Alabama House of Representatives (1942–1946)[32]
- Hugo Black, U.S. Senator, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, (1937–1971)[33]
- Katie Britt, United States Senator from Alabama (2023–present)[34][35]
- Charles J. Cooper (Class of 1978), clerk to Chief Justice William Rehnquist, U.S. Supreme Court, founder of law firm, Cooper & Kirk, in Washington, D.C.
- Emmett Ripley Cox, United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit,[36]
- Catherine Crosby, Miss Alabama 2003
- Morris Dees, Southern Poverty Law Center founder[37]
- Paul DeMarco, Alabama Representative[citation needed]
- Michael Figures (Class of 1972), one of the first three Black graduates of the law school, later served as president pro tempore of the Alabama Senate
- Mark Everett Fuller (J.D., in 1985), former United States district judge for the United States District Court for the Middle District of Alabama (forced resignation 2015)[38]
- Millard Fuller, founder of Habitat for Humanity[citation needed]
- Victor Gold, journalist, political consultant, and author[39]
- Junius Foy Guin, Jr. (1947), former United States district judge for the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama[40]
- Perry O. Hooper, Sr., 27th chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court[41]
- Frank Minis Johnson, United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit[42]
- Maud McLure Kelly, first woman to practice law in Alabama[43]
- Roy Moore former Chief Justice, Supreme Court of Alabama; Republican nominee, U.S. Senate Alabama Special Election December 12, 2017
- Claude R. Kirk, Jr., (Class of 1949) former governor of Florida[citation needed]
- Bert Nettles (Class of 1960), Republican member of the Alabama House of Representatives from 1969 to 1974 from Mobile; lawyer in Birmingham[44]
- Harper Lee, writer, attended the school for several years, but did not complete a degree (1930–2016)[45]
- Shorty Price, perennial candidate for Governor of Alabama
- Bill Baxley, former Attorney General and Lieutenant Governor of Alabama, and Civil Rights lawyer[46]
- Jeff Sessions, 84th United States Attorney General and former U.S. Senator from Alabama (1997–2017) [47]
- Steadman S. Shealy, starting quarterback on Alabama's 1978 and 1979 national championship teams[48]
- Henry B. Steagall II, justice of the Supreme Court of Alabama[49]
- Robert Smith Vance, United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit[50]
- David Vann (class of 1951), law clerk to Justice Hugo Black, U.S. Supreme Court, and mayor of Birmingham, Alabama
- George Wallace, former governor of Alabama[51]
- Nick Wilson, public defender and reality show contestant[52]
References
[edit]- ^ Law, University of Alabama School of (3 May 2023). "William S. Brewbaker III Named Dean of The University of Alabama School of Law – The University of Alabama – School of Law". law.ua.edu.
- ^ "University of Alabama". Retrieved April 11, 2025.
- ^ "University of Alabama School of Law - 2023 Bar Passage". abarequireddisclosures.org. ABA. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
- ^ "UA trustees vote to return Culverhouse Jr. donation, remove name from law school". WTVY. June 7, 2019. Retrieved June 7, 2019.
- ^ "UA Law School Named for Hugh F. Culverhouse Jr. in Recognition of $26.5 Million Donation". law.ua.edu. UA Law School. September 20, 2018. Retrieved 2018-09-20.
- ^ Data Report, Staff (September 20, 2018). "Sarasota developer Hugh Culverhouse Jr. donates millions to University of Alabama law school". heraldtribune.com. Sarasota Herald Tribune. Retrieved 2018-09-20.
- ^ a b "Employment Summary for 2023 Graduates" (PDF).
- ^ a b "Quick Facts". UA School of Law. Retrieved 2019-01-11.
- ^ "Academics; Law Clinics". The University of Alabama School of Law. Retrieved 2010-08-28.
- ^ "Children's Rights Clinic | The University of Alabama School of Law". www.law.ua.edu. Retrieved 2019-03-14.
- ^ "Civil Law Clinic | The University of Alabama School of Law". www.law.ua.edu. Retrieved 2019-03-14.
- ^ "Criminal Defense Clinic | The University of Alabama School of Law". www.law.ua.edu. Retrieved 2019-03-14.
- ^ "Domestic Violence Law Clinic | The University of Alabama School of Law". www.law.ua.edu. Retrieved 2019-03-14.
- ^ "Entrepreneurship & Nonprofit Clinic | The University of Alabama School of Law". www.law.ua.edu. Retrieved 2019-03-14.
- ^ "Mediation Law Clinic | The University of Alabama School of Law". www.law.ua.edu. Retrieved 2019-03-14.
- ^ "Ranking Law Reviews by Author Prominence -- Ten Years Later" (PDF). Law Library Journal. p. 577. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-11-19. Retrieved 2010-08-28.
- ^ "2015-16 Top 100 Law Reviews" (PDF). Bepress.
- ^ "Law Journals: Submissions and Ranking". Washington and Lee University School of Law. Archived from the original on 2006-03-07. Retrieved 2016-06-07.
- ^ "Alabama Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Law Review". University of Alabama School of Law. Retrieved 13 October 2015.
- ^ "Alabama Law Review". University of Alabama School of Law. Retrieved 13 October 2015.
- ^ "Journal of the Legal Profession". University of Alabama School of Law. Retrieved 13 October 2015.
- ^ "Law & Psychology Review". University of Alabama School of Law. Retrieved 13 October 2015.
- ^ "University of Alabama Jobs".
- ^ "University of Alabama Profile".
- ^ "ABA School Employment Summary Reports".
- ^ a b "Finances".
- ^ "Edward B. Almon". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved 15 December 2012.
- ^ "James Allen". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved 15 December 2012.
- ^ "Mel Allen". NNDB Soylent Communications. Retrieved 15 December 2012.
- ^ "John W. Abercrombie". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved 15 December 2012.
- ^ "Spencer Bachus". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved 15 December 2012.
- ^ "Robert H. Bennett Enters Race For Representative". The Clayton Record. Clayton, Alabama. January 23, 1942. p. 1. Retrieved July 4, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Hugo Black". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved 15 December 2012.
- ^ Oganovich, Nancy (July 21, 2021). "Former Alabama Senate Staffer Gives Mo Brooks Run for His Money". Bloomberg Government. Archived from the original on August 13, 2024. Retrieved June 11, 2022.
- ^ Cason, Mike (2022-11-09). "Katie Britt wins: Makes history, becomes Alabama's 1st woman elected to U.S. Senate". al. Retrieved 2022-12-07.
- ^ "Emmett Ripley Cox". Biographical Directory of Federal Judges. Retrieved 15 December 2012.
- ^ Monroe, Carla R. "Morris Dees | biography – American civil rights lawyer". Britannica.com. Retrieved 2017-04-24.
- ^ "Fuller, Mark E." United States Federal Courts. 2008. Retrieved 2008-05-17.
- ^ Victor Gold profile, June 29, 2007, Bill Moyers Journal website.
- ^ "Foy Guin - Ballotpedia". Retrieved 2016-07-11.
- ^ "[Perry O. Hooper, Sr". Alabama Department of Archives and History. Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 15 December 2012.
- ^ "Frank Minis Johnson". Alabama Department of Archives and History. Archived from the original on 7 September 2005. Retrieved 15 December 2012.
- ^ Pruitt, Paul McWhorter Jr. (March 13, 2007). "Maud McLure Kelly". Encyclopedia of Alabama. Retrieved February 29, 2016.
- ^ "Oral History Interview with Bert Nettles, July 13, 1974". docsouth.unc.edu. Retrieved May 27, 2014.
- ^ "Harper Lee". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved 15 December 2012.
- ^ "Bill Baxley". NNDB Soylent Communications. Retrieved 15 December 2012.
- ^ "Jeff Sessions". USA Today. Retrieved 8 Feb 2017.
- ^ "Steadman S. Shealy". Shealy, Crum & Pike, P.C. Retrieved 15 December 2012.
- ^ "Henry Bascom Steagall II" (PDF). Judiciary of Alabama. Retrieved June 20, 2023.
- ^ "Robert Smith Vance". Biographical Directory of Federal Judges. Retrieved 15 December 2012.
- ^ "George Wallace". National Governors Association. Retrieved 15 December 2012.
- ^ Cox, Erin. "SOLE SURVIVOR: Williamsburg's Nick Wilson wins 37th season of 'Survivor'". Richmond Register. Archived from the original on 21 December 2018. Retrieved 21 December 2018.
External links
[edit]University of Alabama School of Law
View on GrokipediaHistory
Founding and Early Development (1872–1900)
The University of Alabama School of Law was established in February 1872 as the state's first formal law school, opening with four students enrolled and Henderson M. Somerville serving as its inaugural professor.[10][9] Two additional students joined by October, amid the broader reopening of the University of Alabama following its reconstruction after the Civil War.[10] Instruction began in Woods Hall, reflecting the institution's modest origins with limited resources and faculty, primarily Somerville handling core subjects in common law, statutes, and equity.[9] Early development emphasized practical legal training, with the first graduating class of nine students receiving degrees in 1874.[10] In 1875, John Mason Martin was appointed professor of equity jurisprudence, expanding the faculty beyond Somerville's solo efforts.[10] By 1876, the Alabama Supreme Court recognized the school's rigor by granting graduates automatic admission to the state bar without examination, a privilege that bolstered its reputation among aspiring lawyers in the post-Reconstruction South.[10] Enrollment remained small, averaging over 15 students annually through 1897, constrained by the university's recovering infrastructure and regional economic conditions.[10] The school relocated to the newly completed Manly Hall in 1886, providing dedicated space and coinciding with the establishment of a separate law library stocked with state-provided codes, acts, and reports.[10][9] In 1887, the Board of Trustees allocated $500 for additional books, supplemented by donations from figures such as Joel White and George W. Stone, enhancing resources for constitutional, international, and statute law studies often taught by university presidents from 1880 to 1897, including Richard C. Jones, who also led the Alabama Bar Association in 1896.[9] By 1897, amid growing demand, the curriculum shifted to a structured two-year program, and William S. Thorington was named the first formal dean, marking a transition toward institutional maturation as enrollment surpassed 50 students shortly thereafter.[10]Expansion and Challenges in the 20th Century
Under Dean Albert J. Farrah (1913–1944), the School of Law experienced significant expansion, with enrollment rising from 139 students in 1913 to 277 by 1934–1935, despite the economic constraints of the Great Depression.[11][12] The faculty grew from one full-time professor to five by the mid-1920s, supporting a shift to a three-year curriculum in 1920–1921, the adoption of the case-study method, and the launch of the Alabama Law Journal in 1925.[11][9] Farrah Hall, the school's first dedicated building, was constructed and dedicated on October 29, 1927, at a cost of $105,000 from university funds supplemented by $35,000 in private fundraising; it accommodated approximately 200 students and housed a library with 8,500 volumes.[11][9] Accreditation milestones included American Bar Association approval in 1926 and full membership in the Association of American Law Schools following a probationary period ending in 1928.[11] World War I posed initial challenges through faculty shortages, while the Great Depression strained budgets but paradoxically boosted enrollment as economic hardship drew more students to professional training.[11][12] World War II severely disrupted operations, with enrollment plummeting to 18 students in 1943–1944 amid military drafts and the partial requisitioning of Farrah Hall by the U.S. Army, leading to library deterioration and reliance on ad hoc classes in professors' offices.[11][9] Female enrollment remained minimal due to prevailing social norms, though isolated admissions occurred, such as Camille Wright Cook entering during the war with only 12 other students.[12] Postwar recovery under Dean William M. Hepburn (1944–1950) capitalized on the G.I. Bill, driving enrollment to a peak of 578 in 1947 and expanding the faculty to 13 full-time and seven part-time members by 1950.[9][12] Under Dean Martin Leigh Harrison (1950–1966), enrollment doubled from 182 in 1962 to 408 in 1966, accompanied by library expansions adding thousands of volumes annually.[9][12] The school maintained racial segregation, excluding Black students until federal pressures intensified; the first African American enrollees arrived in 1969 under Dean Daniel J. Meador (1966–1971), with Michael Anthony Figures, Booker Forte Jr., and Ronald E. Jackson graduating in 1972 as the inaugural Black alumni.[12][13] Later expansions included groundbreaking for the new Law Center in 1975 and its dedication in 1978 under Dean Thomas W. Christopher (1970–1981), providing 198,000 square feet, space for 400,000 library volumes, and accommodations for 48 faculty members.[9][12] Enrollment continued growing, with entering classes reaching 167 by 1990, while new programs emerged, such as clinical legal education and the Journal of the Legal Profession in 1973–1976.[12] Challenges persisted in diversity, with women comprising just 15% of the 1977 class, and integration efforts facing institutional inertia rooted in Alabama's historical resistance to desegregation, as evidenced by the broader university's "Stand in the Schoolhouse Door" confrontation in 1963.[12][14]Post-Integration and Modern Growth (1960s–Present)
The University of Alabama School of Law admitted its first African American students in the 1969–1970 academic year, with eight enrolled and three—Michael Anthony Figures, Booker Forte, Jr., and Ronald E. Jackson—graduating in 1972 as the inaugural Black alumni.[15] This milestone followed the broader university desegregation in 1963 and reflected gradual integration efforts amid prior resistance, including the failed admission attempts by Autherine Lucy in the 1950s for graduate studies.[16] Under Dean Daniel J. Meador (1966–1970), the school implemented reforms to elevate academic standards, including stricter admissions criteria and faculty expansion, which laid groundwork for subsequent growth despite initial enrollment stabilization around 92 students by 1967.[17] Enrollment expanded significantly in the ensuing decades, rising from approximately 90 students per class in the mid-1980s to 167 by 1990, and reaching about 428 JD students by the 2022–2023 academic year, with over 50% women and 21% racial/ethnic minorities in recent entering classes.[12] Facilities upgrades supported this growth, culminating in the 1975 groundbreaking and 1978 dedication of the new $9 million Law Center, which accommodated 400,000 volumes and 500 study seats, alleviating strains on the older Farrah Hall.[12] The establishment of the Black American Law Students’ Association in 1978–1979 further fostered minority student engagement.[12] In terms of national standing, the school ascended from an unranked or lower-tier position in the 1990s to 25th overall in the 2022 U.S. News & World Report rankings (ninth among public institutions), maintaining a tie for 31st in 2025 while ranking 12th among public law schools.[5] [6] Recent initiatives include the 2025 announcement of the $1.5 million Path Makers Legacy Plaza to honor Black alumni and provide outdoor event space, underscoring ongoing commitments to diversity and infrastructure.[18] Deans such as Thomas W. Christopher (1971–1981) and later leaders like Kenneth C. Randall (1993–2013) oversaw these advancements, transitioning the institution from regional focus to broader prominence.[12]Campus and Facilities
Physical Infrastructure and Recent Developments
The University of Alabama School of Law is housed in the Law Center, a facility designed by architect Edward Durell Stone and completed in 1978, replacing the previous location in Farrah Hall.[2][19] The building occupies a 23-acre site at the southeast edge of the university campus in Tuscaloosa, providing dedicated space for legal education and operations.[20] In 2006, the Law Center underwent a significant expansion and renovation project costing $15 million, which added approximately 44,000 square feet of new space.[21] Groundbreaking occurred on March 18, 2005, with the addition featuring new classrooms, clinical law offices, a cafeteria, career services suite, meeting rooms, and a 24-hour computer lab to enhance student facilities and support experiential learning programs.[22] This project, involving 46,000 square feet of addition and 44,000 square feet of renovation, addressed evolving needs for gathering areas, dining, and clinical operations.[23] Recent developments include the planning and fundraising for the Path Makers Legacy Plaza, a $1.5 million outdoor space on the law school's north lawn announced in 2023.[24] Intended to honor the school's first Black graduates and enhance areas for study and teaching, the plaza is positioned outside the Bounds Law Library, with construction pending full funding as of August 2025; notable pledges include $150,000 from the law firm Burr & Forman in June 2025.[18][25]Libraries and Research Resources
The Bounds Law Library functions as the principal research hub for the University of Alabama School of Law, supporting faculty, students, and the broader legal community through extensive print and digital holdings.[26] It maintains a physical collection exceeding 550,000 volumes, encompassing treatises, statutes, case reporters, and periodicals essential for legal scholarship and practice.[26] Complementing these are specialized archives in the John C. Payne Special Collections, which include over 12,000 rare printed volumes, more than 1,300 cubic feet of manuscripts, and thousands of photographs, with notable holdings such as the Hugo L. Black Collection of materials related to the former U.S. Supreme Court Justice.[27] Digital resources form a core component of the library's offerings, accessible via an A-Z database guide that provides entry to platforms like HeinOnline for full-text legal periodicals and U.S. Supreme Court opinions, LexisNexis for comprehensive case law and statutory research, Fastcase for cloud-based document retrieval, and Nexis Uni for integrated news, legal, and business intelligence including decisions from 1790 onward.[28] Additional tools support experiential learning, such as Aspen Learning Library for searchable study aids with multimedia elements and CALI Lessons offering over 1,000 interactive tutorials on doctrinal topics.[28] These resources extend to the public and alumni, though some require institutional authentication via Alabama Law credentials.[29] Reference services are staffed by professional librarians who offer individualized assistance for complex research queries, collection navigation, and instructional sessions on emerging tools like free or low-cost alternatives for dockets and briefs.[26] The library's Alabama Law Scholarly Commons serves as an open-access digital repository, preserving and disseminating faculty articles, working papers, and institutional scholarship to facilitate citation tracking and interdisciplinary discovery.[30] This integrated ecosystem emphasizes self-directed inquiry while mitigating reliance on potentially biased secondary interpretations through primary source primacy.[26]Academics
Degree Programs and Curriculum
The University of Alabama School of Law offers the Juris Doctor (J.D.) as its primary professional degree, a three-year program requiring 90 credit hours.[31] The first-year curriculum consists of required foundational courses totaling approximately 31 hours, focusing on core legal subjects such as contracts, torts, civil procedure, criminal law, property, constitutional law, and legal research and writing to build analytical skills and substantive knowledge essential for legal practice.[31] Upper-level years emphasize flexibility, with students selecting from over 100 elective courses across diverse areas including business law, environmental law, intellectual property, and public interest law, alongside mandatory requirements of the Legal Profession course, one seminar, and six credits of experiential learning such as clinics or externships.[31] The J.D. curriculum supports specialization through certificate programs in fields like public interest law and governmental affairs, allowing students to tailor their studies while meeting bar preparation needs.[32] Joint and dual degree options integrate the J.D. with graduate programs from other University of Alabama departments, reducing total credit hours through shared coursework; examples include the four-year J.D./M.B.A. with the Manderson Graduate School of Business (114 hours total), the J.D./M.S.C.E. in civil engineering (96 hours), J.D./M.A. or Ph.D. in political science or economics, and J.D./M.S.W. in social work.[33] For advanced study, the school provides Master of Laws (LL.M.) programs, including a one-year residential international LL.M. for foreign-trained lawyers featuring a customizable curriculum of seminars and research under faculty mentorship, aimed at enhancing legal scholarship without a fixed GPA requirement for non-native English speakers.[34] Additionally, part-time LL.M. concentrations in taxation and business transactions are available online for U.S. J.D. holders, spanning 24 months to develop expertise in those areas.[35]Clinical Education and Experiential Learning
The University of Alabama School of Law maintains seven in-house clinics that enable students to represent actual clients under faculty supervision, fostering practical skills in areas such as client interviewing, counseling, case investigation, negotiation, and litigation.[36] These programs collectively deliver approximately 15,000 hours of pro bono legal services annually to underserved populations in Alabama and beyond.[36] Directed by Associate Dean for Experiential Learning and Clinical Professor Jeffrey R. Baker, the clinics emphasize hands-on application of legal theory while adhering to ethical and professional standards.[37] Key clinics include the Appellate Advocacy Clinic, led by Professor Travis Ramey, which provides free representation in state and federal appellate courts, handling cases involving constitutional issues, criminal appeals, and civil disputes.[38] The Civil Law Clinic assists community members with matters like landlord-tenant conflicts, employment disputes, consumer protection, and public benefits, prioritizing access to justice for low-income clients.[39] The Entrepreneurship & Nonprofit Clinic offers transactional legal support to startups, small businesses, and nonprofits in the Tuscaloosa region, including entity formation, contract drafting, and compliance advice.[40] Additional offerings encompass the Domestic Violence Law Clinic, focusing on protective orders and family law remedies for victims; the Mediation Law Clinic, training students in alternative dispute resolution techniques; the Children's Rights Clinic, addressing juvenile justice and child welfare cases; and the Criminal Defense Clinic, representing indigent defendants in trial and pretrial proceedings.[36] Participation typically requires second- or third-year standing, with courses awarding 4–6 credits and limited enrollment to ensure intensive supervision.[41] Beyond in-house clinics, experiential learning extends to externships, which place students in external professional settings to apply doctrinal knowledge in real-world contexts, such as judicial chambers, government agencies, or nonprofit organizations.[42] Academic-year externships, for instance, involve full-time immersion in federal executive branch offices or congressional staff roles, emphasizing skills like policy analysis, legislative drafting, and administrative advocacy.[43] These opportunities, often unpaid and seminar-accompanied, count toward experiential credit requirements and complement clinical work by broadening exposure to non-litigation practice areas.[44] The curriculum integrates these elements to meet American Bar Association standards for practical training, with students required to reflect on experiences through journaling and faculty feedback.[45]Scholarly Publications and Journals
The University of Alabama School of Law maintains four student-edited scholarly journals that contribute to legal scholarship, focusing on diverse areas such as general legal analysis, professional ethics, interdisciplinary studies, and civil liberties.[46] These journals are managed by law students selected through a competitive process involving grades and writing competitions, with faculty oversight to ensure academic rigor.[46] In addition to these, the school supports faculty and student publications through the Alabama Law Scholarly Commons, a digital repository hosting theses, articles, and working papers since its establishment.[30] The Alabama Law Review, founded in 1948, serves as the school's flagship publication and Alabama's primary legal journal, emphasizing peer-reviewed articles, student notes, and comments on national and state-specific legal topics.[47] It operates as a light-edit journal, prioritizing authorial voice while verifying citations, and has published over 75 volumes, attracting submissions from prominent scholars.[47] The Journal of the Legal Profession, established in 1966, pioneered focus on legal ethics and practical challenges facing attorneys, making it the nation's first periodical dedicated to these issues.[48] It features empirical studies, practitioner insights, and analyses of professional responsibility, with a circulation that includes bar associations and law firms.[48] The Law & Psychology Review examines the intersection of legal doctrine and psychological principles, publishing articles on topics like forensic psychology, mental health law, and behavioral evidence in courts.[49] Launched in the 1970s in collaboration with the American Psychology-Law Society, it remains one of few journals bridging these fields.[49] The Alabama Civil Rights & Civil Liberties Law Review addresses contemporary issues in constitutional rights, discrimination, and government accountability, often highlighting Southern legal perspectives.[50] Student editors produce symposia and notes alongside external contributions, fostering discourse on civil liberties in the post-civil rights era.[50] Faculty scholarship is disseminated via the University of Alabama School of Law Legal Studies Research Paper Series on SSRN, which as of 2023 includes over 500 papers covering antitrust, contracts, and public law, enabling pre-publication access and citation tracking.[51] These outlets collectively enhance the school's research output, with journals indexed in databases like HeinOnline for broader academic reach.[52]Admissions and Enrollment
Application Process and Statistics
Applications to the University of Alabama School of Law's Juris Doctor (JD) program are submitted online through the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) and processed on a rolling basis, with materials typically available in early fall each year.[53] The admissions committee evaluates candidates holistically, placing significant weight on LSAT or GRE scores and undergraduate GPA, alongside a personal statement, resume, and letters of recommendation.[54] Transcripts are processed via LSAC's Credential Assembly Service (CAS), which calculates the cumulative GPA.[53] An application fee applies but is waived for veterans, active military, AmeriCorps or Teach For America participants, Peace Corps volunteers, and LSAC fee waiver recipients upon verification.[53] While no strict deadline exists, applications remain open until August 1, though seats fill progressively as offers are extended starting in late fall.[54] Specialized pathways include the invitation-only streamlined admissions process for strong academic matches, which omits the personal statement and letters of recommendation in favor of a resume and waiver statement, yielding decisions within 10 business days and eligibility for full scholarships.[55] The Alabama Scholars program targets eligible University of Alabama undergraduates with a minimum GPA of 3.97 and a competitive LSAT score, requiring only a CAS report and streamlined submission starting September 1.[53] Additionally, the 503(c)(3) program admits up to 14 University of Alabama Tuscaloosa seniors with a GPA of at least 3.95 and ACT/SAT scores in the 85th percentile or higher, waiving LSAT or GRE requirements, with initial decisions by mid-September.[53] For the entering Class of 2028, the school received 1,748 applications and enrolled 140 students from 49 undergraduate institutions across 21 states and 25 countries.[56] According to the ABA Standard 509 Report for the prior cycle (applications from October 2023 to October 2024), 1,422 completed applications yielded 378 offers, for an acceptance rate of approximately 26.6%, with 116 enrollees.[57]| Metric | 25th Percentile | Median (50th) | 75th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| LSAT Score (Class of 2028) | 161 | 167 | 168 |
| Undergraduate GPA (Class of 2028) | 3.76 | 3.97 | 4.04 |
Student Demographics and Diversity Trends
As of October 2024, the University of Alabama School of Law enrolls 395 J.D. students.[58] Gender distribution is nearly even, with 197 men (49.9%), 191 women (48.4%), 3 students identifying with another gender (0.8%), and 4 preferring not to report (1.0%).[58] Racial and ethnic composition reflects a predominantly White student body, consistent with the school's applicant pool and regional demographics. The breakdown is as follows:| Category | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White | 301 | 76.2% |
| Black or African American | 37 | 9.4% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 23 | 5.8% |
| Two or More Races | 11 | 2.8% |
| Asian | 10 | 2.5% |
| Race/Ethnicity Unknown | 13 | 3.3% |
| American Indian/Alaska Native | 0 | 0% |
| Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander | 0 | 0% |
Rankings and Reputation
National and Specialized Rankings
In the 2025 U.S. News & World Report Best Law Schools rankings, the University of Alabama School of Law placed tied for 31st out of 195 ABA-accredited programs, reflecting a two-position improvement from the prior year based on metrics including peer assessment, employment outcomes, and bar passage rates.[5] Among public law schools, it ranked 12th overall in the same assessment.[6] The Above the Law 2025 Top 50 Law School Rankings positioned it at 25th nationally and 8th among public institutions, emphasizing employability data from ABA disclosures such as full-time, long-term job placement rates exceeding 90% for the class of 2023.[7]| Organization | Overall Rank | Public Rank | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. News & World Report | 31 (tie) | 12 | 2025 |
| Above the Law | 25 | 8 | 2025 |
Areas of Strength and Criticisms
The University of Alabama School of Law excels in trial advocacy, with a comprehensive program featuring skills-based coursework in civil and criminal contexts, alongside competitive teams that prepare students for national competitions.[66] U.S. News & World Report peer assessments consistently rank it among the top programs nationally for trial advocacy training.[67] This emphasis on experiential learning extends to robust clinical offerings, including civil law, criminal defense, and domestic violence clinics, enabling students to handle real cases under supervision.[3] Federal clerkship placements represent another core strength, with the school ranking #8 nationally in 2025 per The Princeton Review and maintaining top-10 status for over a decade, reflecting strong faculty networks and student preparation in appellate and constitutional law.[65][68] Employment outcomes are bolstered by low graduate debt—among the nation's lowest—and a #1 ranking among public law schools for salary-to-debt ratio in 2025 U.S. News assessments, driven by in-state tuition advantages and regional demand.[63] The school also secured #3 overall for best value in 2023 National Jurist rankings, attributing this to high bar passage (91.3% first-time in recent data) and 92.2% JD-required employment within 10 months.[69][70] Criticisms center on its regional orientation, which yields strong Alabama-centric placements (e.g., 57% in private practice per Princeton Review data) but limits access to BigLaw firms outside the Southeast, as median salaries trail elite national peers and portability is constrained by lower prestige.[71][72] Like most U.S. law schools, faculty ideological composition skews heavily liberal—mirroring national trends where 82% of professors identify as Democrats versus 11% Republicans per 2013 data—potentially fostering uniformity in viewpoints on issues like constitutional interpretation or regulatory policy, though Alabama's student body leans more conservative than at coastal institutions.[73] Faculty opposition to state anti-critical race theory laws in 2021 has raised concerns among critics about resistance to reforms curbing ideological conformity. The school's #31 overall U.S. News ranking reflects these limitations in research output and national draw, despite practical strengths.[5]Employment Outcomes
Post-Graduation Placement Data
For the Class of 2024, 94.1% of graduates were employed or pursuing advanced degrees ten months after graduation.[56] Of 154 total graduates, 142 were employed as of March 2025, with 135 in full-time, long-term positions requiring bar passage or anticipating it.[74] Six were in J.D. advantage roles, four were enrolled in graduate studies, and six were seeking employment.[74] Employment sectors for the Class of 2024 emphasized private practice and judicial clerkships:| Sector | Number of Graduates |
|---|---|
| Law Firms | 90 |
| Judicial Clerkships | 22 (17 federal) |
| Public Interest | 12 |
| Government | 10 |
| Business & Industry | 7 |
| Education | 1 |
Bar Passage Rates and Long-Term Career Metrics
The University of Alabama School of Law reports first-time bar passage rates consistently above both state and national ABA-weighted averages. For the class of 2024, 91.39% of first-time takers passed, surpassing the ABA weighted average of 80.44%; this follows rates of 91.30% in 2023 (versus 78.23% ABA average) and 91.27% in 2022 (versus 80.36% ABA average).[76] In Alabama specifically, the 2024 first-time passage rate reached 95.31% among 64 takers, exceeding the jurisdiction's ABA average of 80.18%.[76] Ultimate bar passage rates, accounting for retakes within two years of graduation, demonstrate strong long-term success, with 95.42% for the class of 2022 (131 takers), 94.50% for 2021 (109 takers), and 99.21% for 2020 (126 takers).[76] These figures reflect the school's preparation for repeated exam attempts, yielding an average ultimate rate exceeding 96% across recent classes.[76] [56]| Year | First-Time Takers | First-Time Pass Rate | ABA Weighted Average | Ultimate Pass Rate (2 Years) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 151 | 91.39% | 80.44% | N/A |
| 2023 | 115 | 91.30% | 78.23% | N/A |
| 2022 | 126 | 91.27% | 80.36% | 95.42% |
| 2021 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 94.50% |
| 2020 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 99.21% |
Costs and Financial Aid
Tuition, Fees, and Living Expenses
For the 2025-2026 academic year, the University of Alabama School of Law sets tuition at $24,980 for Alabama residents and $48,100 for non-residents, applicable to full-time JD students across all three years.[78] [56] These rates reflect per-semester full-time enrollment, with overload charges of $690 per credit hour for residents and $1,950 for non-residents beyond standard loads.[79] Mandatory fees remain low, primarily consisting of an estimated loan origination fee of $190 annually, though other incidental fees such as technology or activity charges may apply based on enrollment specifics.[78] The school's official cost of attendance (COA) incorporates tuition, fees, and estimated living expenses to provide a comprehensive budget for federal aid eligibility and planning.[78] Living expenses are derived from average costs in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, where most students reside off-campus due to limited on-campus housing options for law students; monthly housing rentals typically range from $600 to $1,200 for a single occupant.[20] The COA estimates do not include health insurance, which students must secure separately unless waived via comparable coverage.[78]| Category | Resident (1st/2nd Year) | Non-Resident (1st/2nd Year) | Resident (3rd Year) | Non-Resident (3rd Year) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition | $24,980 | $48,100 | $24,980 | $48,100 |
| Housing | $10,640 | $10,640 | $10,640 | $10,640 |
| Food | $4,616 | $4,616 | $4,616 | $4,616 |
| Books & Supplies | $900 | $900 | $900 | $900 |
| Transportation | $3,050 | $4,114 | $3,050 | $4,114 |
| Miscellaneous/Personal | $3,962 | $3,962 | $3,962 | $3,962 |
| Professional Credential | $0 | $0 | $1,100 | $1,100 |
| Loan Fees (Estimate) | $190 | $190 | $190 | $190 |
| Total COA | $48,338 | $72,522 | $49,438 | $73,622 |
