| Mercer University School of Law | |
|---|---|
| Established | 1873; 153 years ago (1873) |
| School type | Private |
| Dean | Karen Sneddon |
| Location | Macon,Georgia, U.S. |
| Enrollment | 423 (2024) |
| Faculty | 69 (2024, 25 full-time, 44 adjunct) |
| USNWR ranking | 107th (tie) (2025) |
| Bar pass rate | 84.00% (2024 first-time takers all jurisdictions) |
| Website | law |
Mercer University School of Law (historicallyWalter F. George School of Law) is thelaw school ofMercer University.[1] Founded in 1873, it is one of the oldest law schools in theUnited States; the first law school accredited by the bar in Georgia, and the second oldest of Mercer's 12 colleges and schools. The School of Law has approximately 420 students and is located inMacon, Georgia on its own campus one mile (1.6 km) from Mercer's main campus.
The law school building, one of Macon's most recognizable sites, is a three-story partial replica ofIndependence Hall inPhiladelphia, and is located on Coleman Hill overlooking downtown Macon. According to Mercer's official 2025 ABA-required disclosures, 88.46% of the Class of 2024 obtained full-time, long-term, JD-required employment (i.e. as attorneys) nine months after graduation, and 4.81% obtained employment where a JD was an advantage.[2]
Karen Sneddon began as Interim Dean on October 1, 2021 and was officially appointed to the position in May, 2023.[3][4] She was preceded byCathy Cox.
Cathy Cox became dean in 2017. She was previously president ofYoung Harris College. Cox is an alumnus of Mercer University School of Law, a former member of the Georgia House of Representatives, served two terms as Georgia's secretary of state, 1999-2007, and is currently president ofGeorgia College & State University.[5]
Her predecessor wasDaisy Hurst Floyd who had been reappointed as dean in 2014.[6] She assumed responsibility from Gary J. Simson, dean from 2010–14, who was elevated by Mercer to a university-wide position as senior vice provost for scholarship.[7][8] Floyd previously served as dean from 2004–10 and is a senior member of the law school faculty.
The School of Law is named forWalter F. George, Mercer Law class of 1901, who served asUnited States Senator fromGeorgia from 1922–57 and asPresidentpro tempore from 1955-57. Before election to the Senate, he served as a Judge of theGeorgia Court of Appeals in 1917 and as a Justice of theGeorgia Supreme Court from 1917-22. Mercer named its law school the Walter F. George School of Law of Mercer University in 1947.Fred M. Vinson,Chief Justice of the United States, participated in the naming ceremony.
The Walter F. George Foundation, created when the school was named, continues to fund scholarships for Mercer law students who have a demonstrated interest in pursuing a career in public service. Walter F. George Foundation Public Service Scholarships cover full tuition for three years of law school along with community service grants for first-year and second-year summer public service internships.
The School of Law celebrated itscentennial in 1973 and 90th birthday ofCarl Vinson. The principal event occurred on November 18, 1973; participants includedRichard Nixon,President of the United States andJimmy Carter,Governor of Georgia and future President of the United States.[9] In his speech, President Nixon announced the nation's thirdNimitz-class nuclear aircraft carrier would be named in honor ofCarl Vinson, Mercer Law class of 1902. Vinson, who was present at the event, was the first member of theUnited States House of Representatives to serve for more than 50 years (he served 1914-65), and was the long-time chairman of the House Armed Services Committee. Also present wereSecretary of DefenseMelvin Laird andSecretary of the NavyJohn Warner.
The School of Law has been a member of theAssociation of American Law Schools since 1923 and has been fully accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA) since 1925.[10] It is the first law school to be ABA accredited in the state of Georgia.
In the 2025 edition of its law school rankings,U.S. News & World Report ranked Mercer tied for 107th out of the 197ABA accredited law schools.[11] The 2025 edition also ranked Mercer'slegal writing program tied at No.15, and itsTrial Advocacy program tied at No.12, out of 197 ABA accredited law schools.[11]
ThePrinceton Review includes Mercer in the 2025 edition of its "Best Law Schools".[12]
As of 2024, the School of Law enrolled 423 students and had a faculty of 25 full-time professors and 44 adjunct professors.[13] The following degrees are offered:Juris Doctor (JD), a jointJuris Doctor/Master of Business Administration (JD/MBA) in conjunction with Mercer's Eugene W. Stetson School of Business and Economics, and aMaster of Laws (LLM) in Federal Criminal Practice and Procedure, which is the nation's only LLM program with this subject matter focus.[14][15]The school publishes theMercer Law Review, the oldest law review in Georgia (founded in 1949), and theJournal of Southern Legal History.
The School of Law's model curriculum, the Woodruff Curriculum, named for philanthropistGeorge W. Woodruff, is viewed as a model for law schools across the United States. The curriculum, based on small classes and a practice oriented approach, focuses onlegal ethics,professional responsibility, andlegal writing and has been honored with the prestigious Gambrell Professionalism Award from theAmerican Bar Association.[10][16]
The School of Law houses the Mercer Center for Legal Ethics and Professionalism, established in 2000 and dedicated to fostering and teaching ethics and professionalism in the practice of law, and the National Criminal Defense College, a not-for-profit organization established in 1985 and devoted to improved trial advocacy and trial practice.
For the class entering in 2024, the School of Law accepted 43.27% of applicants, with 29.16% of those accepted enrolling. The average enrollee had a 155LSAT score and 3.63 undergraduateGPA.[13]
The Furman Smith Law Library, named for Furman Smith, Mercer Law class of 1932,[17] is the school's center of legal research. The library is used by state lawyers and judges. The library occupies over 30,000 square feet (3,000 m2) in a central location on the second floor of the law school building. Large windows in the library provide students with views of historic Macon from the law building's location on Coleman Hill.
In 2024, the overall bar examination passage rate for the Law School’s first-time examination takers was 84.00% (including 87.36% for Georgia), which was above the ABA first time average pass rate of 79.31%. 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 93.91% for the class of 2022.[18]
According to Mercer's official 2025 ABA-required disclosures, 88.46% of the Class of 2024 obtained full-time, long-term, JD-required employment (i.e. as attorneys) within nine months after graduation, while 4.81% obtained employment where a JD was an advantage. Most JD-required employment graduates were employed by firms of 1–25 attorneys, though ten were employed by firms of 101–501+ attorneys, and four obtained federal court clerkships.[2] Four graduates were seeking employment, one was not seeking, and the status of one graduate was unknown.[2] For the Class of 2023, Mercer'sLaw School Transparency / LawHub under-employment score was 9%, indicating the percentage of the class unemployed, pursuing an additional degree, or working in a non-professional, short-term, or part-time job nine months after graduation.[19]
The total cost of tuition and fees at Mercer for the 2025–26 academic year is $45,082. The anticipated total cost of living is $23,289, bringing the anticipated total yearly cost of attendance to $68,371. If there are no increases, the anticipated cost of attendance through graduation is $205,113.[20] For 2023,Law School Transparency estimated the debt-financed cost of attendance for three years was $235,004 while 46.6% of students received some form of a discount.[21]
Not long ago Mercer alumni have headed two ofGeorgia's three branches of government:Nathan Deal, JD 1966, was theGovernor of Georgia, 2011–2019, andHugh P. Thompson, JD 1969, was theChief Justice of the Georgia Supreme Court, 2013–2016.[22] In theGeorgia General Assembly,Judson H. Hill, Sr., JD 1986, served until 2017 as Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee;[23] William T. Ligon, Jr., JD 1986, served as Chairman of the Senate State and Local Governmental Operations Committee.[24] Sara L. Doyle, JD 1994, is a judge of theGeorgia Court of Appeals.
 | This sectionis missing information about the kind of degree and date granted usually supplied for alumni . Please expand the section to include this information. Further details may exist on thetalk page.(May 2025) |
| This sectionis missing information about the kind of degree and date granted usually supplied for alumni . Please expand the section to include this information. Further details may exist on thetalk page.(May 2025) |
| This sectionis missing information about the kind of degree and date granted usually supplied for alumni . Please expand the section to include this information. Further details may exist on thetalk page.(May 2025) |
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32°50′30.27″N83°38′06.26″W / 32.8417417°N 83.6350722°W /32.8417417; -83.6350722
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