299 North Spring Mill Road
Villanova, PA 19085
Phone: 610.519.7010; Fax: 610.519.6291
E-mail: admissions@law.villanova.edu; Website: www.law.villanova.edu
Today, as never before, there is a need for law schools to teach far more than the letter of the law. They must give future lawyers a sense of the importance of their role in the larger society, and they must prepare lawyers to work in an environment of burgeoning technology with issues of global importance.
With its Catholic roots, Villanova offers a legal education designed to teach the rules of law and their application; to demonstrate how lawyers analyze legal issues and express arguments and conclusions; to inculcate the skills of the counselor, advocate, and decision maker; and to explore the ethical and moral dimensions of law practice and professional conduct. The school is also providing leadership in information technology, public interest, taxation, and international law, among other fields.
Few law schools are located in a more beautiful and tranquil environment. Adjacent to the university campus is Philadelphia's Main Line. The school is at the approximate midpoint of East Coast legal centers in New York and Washington, DC, and only 20 minutes by commuter rail from the center of Philadelphia.
Opened in 1953, the school is approved by the American Bar Association and is a member of the Association of American Law Schools. Students are graduates of well over 100 colleges and universities; many have significant work experience outside of the law. The atmosphere of the school is noted for its collegiality.
While Villanova faculty members are recognized nationally and internationally for their legal scholarship and for their contributions to the study and practice of law, they are also deeply committed to teaching. The student-to-faculty ratio is 17 to 1.
The spectacular new building opened its doors in July 2009, providing almost twice as much usable space as the law school's former home.
A soaring commons anchors the main floor and provides a breathtaking public space and comfortable, casual seating for students, faculty, and staff. Bright, spacious classrooms are tailored to the size and nature of the classes being taught and are equipped with state-of-the-art technology. The stunning Ceremonial Courtroom provides an inspiring venue for trial and advocacy events. Faculty offices are located adjacent to the classrooms to ensure that the give and take of the classroom continues after class.
The building's hallmark is its student-centeredness. The most beautiful, comfortable, and spacious places are the student areas. For example, the library reading rooms are elegantly appointed and bathed in natural light by their three floor-to-ceiling window walls. The student lounge overlooks the quad on the first floor, again boasting floor-to-ceiling windows. The dining room and the coffee bar emphasize our commitment to the importance of quality of life for students who are working long hours.
The library in the new building occupies almost an entire wing and anchors one of the main entrances. Highly functional, beautifully appointed, and equipped with the latest technology, the library's open spaces, glass walls, and high ceilings draw users.
Offered in collaboration with Villanova's top-ranked School of Business, the joint JD/MBA program is designed to provide careful integration of the two disciplines and to allow students to earn both degrees in far less time than it would take to obtain them separately. Students in this program typically begin their MBA studies after the first year of law school and often finish both degrees in three to four years.
Joint programs offered with the University of Edinburgh, Scotland; Leiden University, the Netherlands; the University of London; the University of Singapore; and the City University of Hong Kong allow students to earn both a JD and an international LLM in three years. Students spend the first two years at Villanova, completing their JD courses. They then study abroad during the third year, completing the LLM. Each school accepts credits from the other, allowing students who qualify for this highly selective program to finish both degrees in the time it would normally take to finish the JD.
Students in the JD/LLM in Taxation program earn both the JD and the graduate law degree in taxation in less time and at a reduced cost than earning the degrees separately. Beginning in their second year of law school, JD students enroll in a series of tax courses that, taken together, qualify for both degrees. Following the award of the JD degree, a student can complete the remaining LLM requirements in one additional academic semester.
The interdisciplinary LLM program is conducted under the auspices of the School of Law and the Villanova School of Business. The program enriches the tax curriculum available to JD candidates, who are able to enroll in LLM courses.
The JD/MPA (Master of Public Administration) program is offered in collaboration with Villanova's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and is designed for law students who wish to earn both degrees in far less time than it would take to obtain them separately. Students in this program typically begin their MPA studies after the first year of law school and often finish both degrees in three to four years.
Beyond the skills of written and oral expression developed in the first-year writing program and the required upper-level moot court program, drafting, and seminar courses, Villanova students acquire the fundamental skills of the practicing lawyer—including counseling, negotiation, advocacy, mediation, dispute resolution, conciliation, and mature judgment. Hands-on clinical opportunities allow students to apply classroom experiences to real-world client representation, often while performing public service. Clinical programs include Federal Tax; Civil Justice; Asylum, Refugee, and Emigrant Services; and Farmworkers Legal Aid.
The Villanova Law Review is a scholarly journal prepared and edited by law students. Members are selected on the basis of academic rank or through an open writing competition.
The Villanova Environmental Law Journal publishes both student and outside articles dealing with environmental issues. Students are selected for membership by an open writing competition.
The Villanova Sports and Entertainment Law Journal contains articles prepared by practitioners and professors in sports and entertainment law as well as by students. Membership is earned by selection through an open writing competition.
Each year, second- and third-year students have the opportunity to practice lawyering skills through the Client Interviewing and Counseling Competition, the Reimel Moot Court Competition, and several outside moot court competitions.
Student organizations include the Asian and Pacific American Law Students Association, Black Law Students Association, Corporate Law Society, Criminal Law Society, Environmental and Energy Law Society, Health Law Society, Intellectual Property Society, International Law Society, Jewish Law Students Association, Hispanic American Law Students Association, Justinian Society, OUTLaw, Phi Delta Phi, Pro Bono Society, St. Thomas More Society, Sports and Entertainment Law Society, Student Animal Legal Defense Fund, Tax Law Society, and Women's Law Caucus.
The mission of the Office of Career Strategy and Advancement is to partner with our students to provide career planning, career education, recruitment programs, and individual counseling to assist students in the achievement of their career goals and objectives. Distinctive features and programs include three attorney-advisors, including a public service/pro bono specialist; a career specialist dedicated to working with our alumni; an open-door policy, including open house events and a daily "on call" advisor for walk-ins and "quick questions"; small group workshops; dozens of career workshops and panel programs on topics ranging from interviews, résumés, and networking, to public interest careers, judicial clerkships, and a multitude of practice specialty areas; a mentoring program designed to match students with alumni for "real-world" advice; recruitment programs throughout the year, including an array of employers in private practice (large and small firms), government, nonprofits, the judiciary, and corporations; special recruitment programs designed to enhance diversity in the profession; job fairs targeting unique geographic or practice preferences; and job-search coaching for new graduates on the job market. The office also coordinates pro bono programs, such as "Lawyering Together" and other projects, that provide students with the opportunity to serve the disadvantaged while developing skills and positive relationships with practicing attorneys.
Villanova has chosen not to provide prospective students with an admission profile based on individual undergraduate GPAs and LSAT scores. The Admissions Committee seeks to create a diverse community by adhering to a comprehensive evaluation of a candidate's file that includes academic performance as well as professional promise. Each candidate's background, interests, accomplishments, and goals are considered before a decision is made.