| University of San Francisco School of Law | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Motto | Change the World From Here |
| Parent school | University of San Francisco |
| Religious affiliation | Catholic Church (Jesuit) |
| Established | 1912[1] |
| School type | Privatelaw school |
| Dean | Johanna Kalb |
| Location | San Francisco,California, U.S. 37°46′29″N122°27′9″W / 37.77472°N 122.45250°W /37.77472; -122.45250 |
| Enrollment | 367[2] |
| Faculty | 76 (37 full-time)[2] |
| USNWR ranking | 165 (tie)[1] |
| Bar pass rate | 67.37% (2023 first-time takers)[3] |
| Website | www |
| ABA profile | [1] |
TheUniversity of San Francisco School of Law (USF Law) is thelaw school of theprivateUniversity of San Francisco. It was established in 1912, receivedAmerican Bar Association accreditation in 1935, and joined theAssociation of American Law Schools (AALS) in 1937.[4][5]
The institution that eventually became the University of San Francisco School of Law was formally established in 1912 as the St. Ignatius College of Law; it was then part of the institution of the same name that would eventually be reorganized as the University of San Francisco in 1930. The school was first located on the fifth floor of the Grant Building located on the corner of 7th andMarket Street. Although not formally established as an autonomous department until over three decades later, St. Ignatius began to offer law courses to students in 1880 under the direction ofAloysius Brunengo[6] However, by the beginning of the 20th century, as the city began to rapidly expand, and to particularly meet the growing desires of youngIrish andItalian Americans interested in practicing law, it was determined that a more formal institution be inaugurated.
The St. Ignatius College of Law was thus founded in September 18, 1912 as an evening program with 29 students.[7] Among the students of this founding class was twenty-two year oldChan Chung Wing, who would become a prominent civil rights and immigration lawyer as well as the firstChinese American to practice law in California. Another student of this original class was twenty-two year oldVincent Hallinan, who would become a noted labor lawyer and be theProgressive Party candidate in1952 Presidential Election, garnering the third highest number of votes. The law school's first dean wasMatthew I. Sullivan, who would serve as Chief Justice of theSupreme Court of California from 1914 to 1915. Among the school's original faculty were: John J. Ford; George A. Connelly; Joseph Farry; Joseph W. Beretta; John O'Gara; and John J. O'Toole- who would eventually go on to serve as theCity Attorney of San Francisco (1926-1949).[8] Professor Farry would go on to teach at the law school for nearly half a century, retiring in 1957.[9] Dean Sullivan's brother,Jeremiah F. Sullivan, who would later serve as a Justice of theSupreme Court of California (1926-1927), was also a professor at the law school during its earliest years.[10]
Five years after its founding, in 1917 the school moved to the corner of Hays and Shrader Streets, into a building popularly referred to as the “Shirt Factory.” This was also the location of the rest of St. Ignatius after its original campus was destroyed during the1906 San Francisco earthquake and subsequent fire.[11] By the same year the student population would reach 149, although enrollment would quickly drop in half with America's entry intoWorld War I.[12] Throughout the 1920s, the school saw considerable success and growth. By 1920 the school was home to 109 students, and would further expand to 266 by the end of the decade in 1929.[13] Many of the graduates of this era would go onto practice law in San Francisco and throughout the Bay Area, including fifteen judges.[14] In 1927 the law school relocated once again, however, out of the downtown core and to the upper floor of Campion Hall (now Kalmanovitz Hall) onLone Mountain, where the university resides today. That same year the law school accepted its first three female students, beginning what would become a long tradition of promoting women in the legal field.[15] Several notable figures graduated from the law school during the 1920s, including futureChief Clerk of the California State AssemblyArthur Ohnimus (1921),Attorney General of CaliforniaThomas C. Lynch (1929), and federal judgesWilliam Thomas Sweigert (1923) andGeorge Bernard Harris (1926).
Despite the onset of theGreat Depression in 1929, the law school and college began to hit their stride. In 1930 St. Ignatius College was reorganized as theUniversity of San Francisco, and the law school opened a day-time program the following year. In 1935 the law school was accredited by theAmerican Bar Association, and joined theAssociation of American Law Schools in 1937.[16] Lewis Cassidy would succeed Matthew Sullivan as the law school's second dean in 1934, and would himself be succeeded by Charles H. Kinnane in 1936. In 1939 Edward A. Hogan would be installed as the fourth dean, and would serve until 1951. The era saw numerous graduates make considerable contributions to the rapidly growing city and state, includingCalifornia Supreme Court JusticeRaymond L. Sullivan (1930) andCongressman andMayor of San FranciscoJohn F. Shelley (1932).
The 1940s and 1950s saw continual growth for the law school. As was the case decades before, the student population dropped with America's entry intoWorld War II in 1941, however, swelled once again in the second half of the decade, particularly with the help of theG.I. Bill and economic boom of the post-war era.[17] Vernon X. Miller was named dean in 1951, and would be followed by Francis R. Walsh in 1957. Notable graduates of the mid-century include the first Chief Justice of theAlaska Supreme CourtBuell A. Nesbett (1940), long-serving federal judge andNevada Attorney GeneralRoger D. Foley (1946), noted judge andSan Francisco SupervisorDorothy von Beroldingen (1954), and futureCalifornia Lieutenant GovernorLeo T. McCarthy (1958). Between 1953 and 1958, the law school had one of the highest bar passage rates in the state.[18]
The 1960s saw the law school to begin to settle into its contemporary state. Dean Walsh ambitiously sought to expand the institution and in 1960 secured a $1,000,000 donation from the wealthy San Francisco industrialist and philanthropist Charles Kendrick to construct a new, permanent home for the law school.[19] Kendrick Hall, located at 2199 Fulton Street and directly across from the collegiate parish ofSt. Ignatius, was completed in 1962 and was dedicated by ArchbishopJoseph Thomas McGucken andUnited States Attorney GeneralRobert F. Kennedy.[9] There were around 325 students for much of the 1960s, and doubling to over 750 during the 1970s.[20] Notable graduates of this era include long-time California legislator andCongressmanJohn Burton (1960),California Supreme Court JusticeMing Chin (1967),Illinois Supreme Court JusticeMary Jane Theis (1974), andMichigan Attorney GeneralBill Schuette (1979).
In 1989, for the first time women made of 51% of the total law student population.[21] In 1999, alumnus Arthur Zief (1947) donated $3,200,000 for the construction of the Dorraine Zief Law Library, located next to Kendrick Hall. The law school celebrated its centennial anniversary in 2012.
Today the University of San Francisco Law School is home to over 360 students of many backgrounds and origins and is the alma mater of thousands of graduates who can be found throughout theBay Area,California, and the world.[22] To date, alumni include over 330 judges serving on federal, state, and local courts across the state and country.[23] In keeping with itsCatholic andJesuit roots andtraditions, the law school has long claimed to focus on social, economic, andenvironmental justice.[24] Susan Freiwald, the law school's first female dean, was installed in 2018.
The University of San Francisco School of Law's Koret Law Center occupies two buildings on the 55-acre (220,000 m2) hilltop USF campus overlookingGolden Gate Park, the Pacific Ocean and downtown San Francisco.
USF offers full- and part-time programs leading to the J.D. degree. Students can also enroll in the J.D./M.B.A. program which takes four years of study. USF also offers a J.D./Master of Urban and Public Affairs dual degree program. J.D. students can also receive certificates at graduation in Public Interest Law, Intellectual Property, Employment Law, International Law, and other areas. USF also offers aMaster of Laws (LL.M.) degree program in Comparative Law and International Transactions for foreign lawyers who have first degrees in law from a non-American university as well as an LL.M. in Intellectual Property and Technology law for foreign and American lawyers. USF also offers an LL.M. in Taxation for foreign and domestic students with law degrees, as well as a Master of Legal Studies in Taxation (M.L.S.T.) for students with a bachelor's degree.
For fall 2023 admitted students, the medianLSAT score was 153 and the median undergraduateGPA was 3.46. The school accepted 55.23% of applicants, and 15.27% of those accepted enrolled. Following the 2022-2023 academic year, 16% of first year students left USF Law for academic (11.0%) or non-academic (5.0%) reasons.[25]
U.S. News & World Report ranks USF Law tied for No.165 out of 196 schools.[1]
In 2021, Princeton Review placed USF Law fourth in the country for Greatest Resources for Minority Students.[26]
The overall 2023 bar passage rate for USF graduates taking the examination for the first time was 67.37%, compared to 72.43% for all ABA-accredited law schools. The first time passage rate for USF graduates taking the California bar was 67.78% compared to 72.33% for other ABA schools. The Ultimate Bar Pass Rate, which the ABA defines as the passage rate for graduates who sat for bar examinations within two years of graduating, was 83.33% for the class of 2021.[3]
| Employment Status | Percentage | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Employed - Bar Passage Required | 58.0% | |||
| Employed - J.D. Advantage | 10.0% | |||
| Employed - Professional Position | 4.0% | |||
| Employed - Non-Professional Position | 2.0% | |||
| Employed - Start Date Deferred | 0.0% | |||
| Unemployed - Not Seeking | 0.1% | |||
| Unemployed - Seeking | 14.0% | |||
| Employment Status Unknown | 0.2% | |||
| Total of 90 Graduates | ||||
According to the University of San Francisco School of Law's official 2023 ABA-required disclosures, 58% of the Class of 2023 obtained full-time, long-term, JD-required employment (i.e. as attorneys) nine months after graduation, excluding solo-practitioners.[28] The University of San Francisco School of Law'sLaw School Transparency under-employment score is 16.1%, indicating the percentage of the Class of 2023 unemployed, pursuing an additional degree, or working in a non-professional, short-term, or part-time job nine months after graduation.[29]
The total cost of attendance (indicating the cost of tuition, fees, and living expenses) at the University of San Francisco School of Law for the 2019-2020 academic year is $80,307.[30] The Law School Transparency estimated debt-financed cost of attendance for three years is $286,033.[31]
The Law School has several school-sponsored publications in which students can participate.
The USF student body is among the most ethnically diverse in the country,[32] and ranked fourth for greatest resources for minority students.[26] USF sponsors dozens of student groups encompassing a wide range of demographic and practice area interests. In addition, the Public Interest Law Foundation holds an annual auction, drawing lawyers, judges and other community members in support of the school's commitment to public service. In 2017, USF opened a new residence hall for priority use by law students.[33]
USF sponsors a range of institutes, centers and special projects. In addition, USF sponsors summer programs for its students in Prague, Dublin, and Budapest.[34] The exchange programs include instruction at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland, and Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic. Relevant international coursework includes the study of European Community Law, International Business Transactions, and European Constitutionalism.
Students get hands-on training in IP and technology law through the Internet and Intellectual Property Justice Project and the Entrepreneurial Ventures Legal Services Project.[35]
In addition, USF hosts programs designed specifically for students such as the Keta Taylor Colby Death Penalty Project, which places students in the South working on death penalty appeals. Students can also participate in the Intensive Advocacy Project, which brings students from a variety of law schools and places them in an intensive trial advocacy class featuring local practitioners as teachers.
The school also provides ongoing mentoring through its chapter of theAmerican Inns of Court.
The Dorraine Zief Law Library opened in 2000. Three years later, the law school's main classroom and administration building, Kendrick Hall, reopened after an extensive renovation.[36]
Judge Jeremiah F. Sullivan, special lecturer on law
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