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Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington Campus Profile
Widener University School of Law is the ABA accredited law school of Widener University. The school, founded in 1971 as The Delaware Law School, operates on two of Widener's campuses, one in Wilmington, Delaware, and the other in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. According to Widener's official 2013 ABA-required disclosures, 48% of the Class of 2013 obtained full-time, long-term, JD-required employment nine months after graduation.[5]
Originally founded in 1971 as The Delaware Law School, the institution became affiliated with then Widener College, later Widener University in 1975 and graduated its first class of 267 in August of that year. The school's name was officially changed to Widener University School of Law in 1989 when the Harrisburg campus was added. With a current enrollment of more than 1,100 students, Widener Law has grown to become one of the largest Pennsylvania-area law schools.
Strategically located in Wilmington, the corporate capital of the world,[6] Widener's 40 acre campus is home to 817 students.[7] The campus offers numerous degrees, many with an emphasis on corporate law.
The Harrisburg campus is located minutes from the state capitol building and downtown Harrisburg. The 22 acre campus is home to the Widener Law & Government Institute, which specializes in the study and improvement of government law. The Harrisburg campus boasts a total enrollment of approximately 364 full-time and part-time students.[8]
Widener provides a comprehensive legal education program including offering its students the opportunity to work on court cases through legal clinics. The clinics specialize in environmental law, criminal defense, and civil law; which includes family law, and legal assistance on veteran benefits cases. Another opportunity provided to its students is the Taishoff Advocacy, Technology and Public Service Institute which offers an eight-day training program that teaches students how to conduct themselves properly in a courtroom trial.
In addition to legal clinics and the Taishoff Advocacy, Technology and Public Service Institute, Widener offers certification in specialized fields of study. At the Delaware campus it offers special certification from the Health Law Institute, the Institute of Delaware Corporate and Business Law, and the Taishoff Advocacy, Technology and Public Service Institute. At the Harrisburg campus special certification is available through the Law and Government Institute.[9]
Both campuses offer a variety of pro-bono work or community outreach opportunities through the Public Interest Initiative on the Harrisburg campus or the Public Interest Resource Center on the Delaware campus.[10] Students also have the opportunity to participate in extra and co-curricular activities such as Moot court, Moe Levine Trial Advocacy Honor Society, and four law reviews; The Delaware Journal of Corporate Law, The Widener Law Journal, and The Widener Law Review and the Widener Journal of Law, Economics, and Race.
Widener's grading policy is self-described as rigorous.[15]
The curve is known as a Grade Normalization Policy. The Harrisburg campus updated its policy in 2009 and the Delaware campus updated it in 2011. The policies are included in the online student handbooks for each campus. They state:
Harrisburg Grade Normalization Policy: Section 101
Delaware Grade Normalization Policy: Section 101.
In the 2013 edition of U.S. News & World Report's Best Law School Rankings, Widener is classified as a "Second Tier" law school and the full-time JD program is not given a numerical value, as U.S. News only ranks the Top 145, with the rest being placed in the "Second Tier" [16] [17] However, the part-time JD program is ranked 36th in the nation.[18] In 2010, Widener University School of Law was named to a national list of “Top Green Schools” based on the strength of Widener’s environmental law curriculum and the school’s earth-friendly practices.[19] The median LSAT score and the median GPA for the Delaware-campus class entering in 2012 were 150 and 3.09 respectively.[20] The median LSAT score and the median GPA for the Harrisburg-campus class entering in 2012 were 149 and 3.17 respectively.
Study abroad is offered through the Summer International Law Institute. There are 3 institutes available to students: Kenya, Switzerland and Italy. While abroad, students sometimes have the ability to intern with international organizations.
Since 1998, over 3,600 Widener Law graduates have been admitted to the Pennsylvania Bar – more than any other Pennsylvania area law school.[21] The bar exam pass rate for first-time takers of the July 2012 Pennsylvania exam was 80 percent for both Widener Law campuses. The bar exam pass rate for Widener University School of Law Delaware Campus students taking the February 2013 Pennsylvania exam was third highest of all 10 Pennsylvania are law schools.[22] The July 2013 Pennsylvania bar exam pass rate for Widener University School of Law Delaware Campus and Harrisburg Campus were the lowest (71%) and second lowest (75%) respectively of the 10 Pennsylvania area law schools. [23]
The total cost of attendance (indicating the cost of tuition, fees, and living expenses) at Widener for the 2013-2014 academic year is $59,933.[24] The Law School Transparency estimated debt-financed cost of attendance for three years is $230,150.[25]
According the law professor blog, The Faculty Lounge, based on 2012 ABA data, 38.7% of graduates obtained full-time long term positions requiring bar admission (i.e., jobs as lawyers), 9 months after graduation, ranking 177th out of 197 law schools.[26]
According to Widener's official 2013 ABA-required disclosures, 48% of the Class of 2013 obtained full-time, long-term, JD-required employment nine months after graduation.[27] Widener's Law School Transparency under-employment score is 20.3%, indicating the percentage of the Class of 2013 unemployed, pursuing an additional degree, or working in a non-professional, short-term, or part-time job nine months after graduation.[28]
Class of 2012 [29]
Class of 2011
Class of 2010
Class of 2009
According to U.S. News & World Report, the average indebtedness of 2013 graduates who incurred law school debt was $130,180 (not including undergraduate debt), and 91% of 2013 graduates took on debt.[35]
Qualified undergraduate students at Widener University are eligible to apply to the law school under three special admissions programs.[36]
Since 1998, Widener Law's Harrisburg Campus has partnered with the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education to offer streamlined admissions and scholarship opportunities to highly qualified students and alumni from the 14 state universities.[40]
Beginning in 2009, Widener Law has offered an express admissions option to qualified students and alumni from The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey.[44]
As of 2010, the School of Law has more than 13,000 alumni practicing around the world.[47]
Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh, Susquehanna River, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Delaware, New Castle County, Delaware, DuPont, New Castle, Delaware, Newark, Delaware
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