Seattle University School of Law

Dean Bond resigned to return to teaching in July 1993 and was succeeded by Professor Donald M. Carmichael, a faculty member at the law school since 1978, who had also served as the school's associate dean for academic affairs from 1987 to 1993.

Kellye Testy was appointed dean on February 15, 2005. During her tenure at the law school she co-founded the Law School's Access to Justice Institute, the Seattle Journal for Social Justice, and the Center on Corporations, Law & Society.[8][9] In 2009, Testy left Seattle University to be the new dean at University of Washington School of Law. Mark Niles, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at American University School of Law in Washington, D.C., served as dean of the School of Law from 2010 to 2013 before returning to American University.

In 2013, the School of Law welcomed its current dean, Annette Clark. Dean Clark is the first alumna of the law school to serve as its dean. She earned her J.D. in 1989 and served as a member of the faculty for many years. Her areas of expertise include civil procedure, medical liability, bioethics, and legal education.[10]

Sullivan Hall, home to the School of Law, is a five-story building housing the law school and law library on the eastern boundary of Seattle University campus. It features a street-front law clinic, media-equipped classrooms, law library, full courtroom, and activity areas. The court room is used for class, mock trials and actual court proceedings administrated by local judges.

The Seattle University School of Law Library was founded in 1972 . Located in Sullivan Hall, the library occupies four floors with ample spaces for either individual or group study. The law library provides information resources and services to support the instructional, research and scholarship endeavors of the Law School.[11]

The Access to Justice Institute (ATJI) is home to the law school's pro bono, public interest, and social justice activities.[12] The ATJI is also home to the Incubator Program, which trains and provides resources to lawyers that want to start their own law firms that serve moderate-income clients.[13]

The Center promotes and hosts legal research, education, and events on the role of the rule of law to govern and mediate the relationship between governments, corporations, individuals, and society.[14]

The center is the civil rights arm of the law school and it aims to advance justice and equality through research, advocacy, and education. According to their website, the Center seeks to combat discrimination, train the next generation of social justice advocates, and helps underrepresented communities learn to advocate for themselves. The center is named after dissident Fred T. Korematsu, who was incarcerated by the U.S. government during the Japanese internment camps of World War II.[15]

Admission to the law school is competitive with an acceptance rate of 59%. In admission decisions, the law school places equal emphasis on three factors: (1) LSAT performance; (2) the undergraduate academic record; and (3) personal achievements. Admission is made to either the full-time day or part-time evening program. The mean LSAT score for admitted students is 154, and the median undergraduate GPA is 3.24.

Students admitted to the full-time program can choose to begin classes in June to reduce their first semester course-load in August. All part-time students begin in June.

2018 matriculating students were 63% women, 4% veterans, 32% students of color, 19% identify as LGBTQ, and average age of 27.[19]

The School of Law admits a limited group of applicants annually through its Access Admission Program. This addresses cases where traditional admission criteria are inadequate predictors of success in law school and in the practice of law. This program is limited to 10% of each entering class and recognizes students from historically disadvantaged and under-represented communities. Access Admission students have demonstrated grit, intellectual curiosity, and the ability to overcome substantial obstacles.[20]

Seattle University School of Law offers "pathways" as one way for students to decide which courses to take, though choosing a pathway is not required. These pathways demonstrate sequences within and connections across the curriculum. Current pathways include:[21]

• Business law
• Constitutional law
• Commercial law
• Criminal law
• Environmental law, natural resource, and land use
• Family law
• Health law
• Law and social inequality
• Intellectual property, innovation and technology
• Litigation
• Labor and employment law
• Real estate law
• Taxation law

One to two students in each entering class are chosen on the basis of a separate application as Scholars for Justice. These students are given a full-tuition scholarship based on a commitment to public interest law, prior history of public service or social justice work, and academic achievement.[25]

Alaska Scholarships are awarded to Alaskan resident law students who demonstrate exceptional aptitude for the study of law, coupled with a strong history of service and/or commitment to issues relevant to the Alaskan community. The scholarship is renewable, with conditions, for three years of legal study. The annual award amount is $6,000. The Alaska scholarships were created by George and Mary Sundborg, parents of Stephen V. Sundborg, S.J., president of Seattle University.[26]

Consistent with the school's mission of preparing students who are committed to contributing to the common good by shaping an equitable legal system, Seattle University School of Law established a Loan Repayment Assistance Program. The program assists graduates who choose full-time public interest legal careers and are licensed attorneys. Employment be (a) law related and (b) public interest in spirit and content.[27]