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University at Buffalo Law
School, The State University of New York (SUNY)
309 John Lord O’Brian Hall
Buffalo, NY 14260
Phone: 716.645.2907; Fax:
716.645.6676
E-mail: law-admissions@buffalo.edu;
Website: www.law.buffalo.edu
Introduction
Long recognized
as the leading public law school in the
Northeast, the University at Buffalo Law
School, the only law school in the SUNY
system, continues to provide students with
cutting-edge legal tools to formulate their
legal education. This education allows
students to gain the practical skills
necessary in today’s ever-changing legal
community.
Located in
Amherst, New York—a suburb of Buffalo—the
Law School has a small-school feel with all
the advantages of a large university,
including access to other professional and
graduate departments, Division 1 sports, a
Fine Arts Center, Slee Concert Hall, and
numerous other academic, social, and
cultural opportunities. The city of Buffalo
offers great skiing, great sailing,
major-league sports, a first-rate orchestra,
many professional theaters, a lively club
scene, and access to Canada, all within
minutes of the Law School. You can live
comfortably, not to mention affordably, in
Buffalo, the second largest city in New
York.
Library and Physical
Facilities
The Law School
is housed in John Lord O’Brian Hall, a
seven-story building recently renovated to
include a state-of-the-art courtroom that
provides students with an opportunity to
watch judges and lawyers in action. Other
new facilities include classrooms,
apartments, and an elegant student lounge.
The library is the core of the Law School,
occupying six of the seven floors.
The law library
follows the Law School’s commitment to
providing students with exceptional research
and writing skills by assigning librarians
to each research and writing instructor.
This enables first-year law students to gain
one-on-one instruction in various research
methods.
Curriculum
The Law School
provides a comprehensive curriculum while
affording students a broad range of
curricular options, practical coursework,
and special programs. The Buffalo curriculum
emphasizes the study of law in its social
context, and a large number of
interdisciplinary courses and programs
support this emphasis. A strong clinical
education program is closely tied to the
core curriculum and enhances the optional
concentrations. Current concentration
subjects include Family Law, Finance
Transactions, Affordable Housing and
Community Development Law, Environmental
Law, Civil Litigation, Criminal Law, Health
Law, International Human Rights Law,
Employment and Labor Law, and Technology and
Intellectual Property Law.
Instruction is
offered in two semesters from early
September to May, including a January bridge
term, and a summer session from mid-May to
mid-July. Six full-time semesters or five
full-time semesters plus two summer sessions
are required for graduation.
In addition to
standard first-year subjects, the first year
includes a course in legal profession and
ethics, as well as small practice-oriented
classes in the spring semester. These
courses afford an introduction to the social
and economic context of the legal system and
to legal institutions and processes.
Beyond the
first year, students are required to
complete 60 semester credit hours of work,
including at least one seminar. The
upper-division program is wholly elective.
Second- and third-year students may choose
from a full spectrum of survey and advanced
courses covering the main fields of public
and private law; a very rich selection of
seminars and small group courses in special
or emerging areas of law study and research;
and clinics and simulations devoted to
professional skills training.
The Law School
also offers a LLM degree in Criminal Law and
a General LLM for international and domestic
students. For international students, there
are special courses designed to introduce
them to American law and to prepare them for
the New York State Bar Exam. All students’
benefit from our small group personalized
approach and flexible curriculum that allows
students to design their own concentration.
Special Programs
Clinical
Program—The Law School is committed to
programs that emphasize interdisciplinary
study and applications of law. The clinical
program is distinguished in that the skills
training is coordinated with substantive law
courses to give students theoretical
understanding of practical issues. Students
serve clients and conduct research and
fieldwork in areas such as economic
development, affordable housing, family
violence, criminal law, elder law, and
securities law.
Centers and
Program—The Law School’s Centers and
Program provide multiple perspectives on the
law. The Baldy Center for Law and Social
Policy serves as a focal point for
interdisciplinary research and teaching. The
Buffalo Human Rights Center maintains
cooperative links worldwide with human
rights organizations, think tanks, and
governmental agencies. The Edwin F. Jaekle
Center for State and Local Government
supports a balanced academic program of
theoretical study of democratic processes
and the education of lawyers for public
service. The Center for the Study of
Business Transactions, a joint venture of
the Law School and UB School of Management,
sponsors a variety of courses, research
opportunities, and distinguished speakers.
Because of The Buffalo Criminal Law Center,
UB Law is a national leader in criminal law
scholarship. Finally, the UB Law Program for
Excellence in Family Law integrates
teaching, research, policy, and practice to
provide you with the skills and experience
needed to practice family law.
Dual-degree
Programs—The school also has an
extensive dual-degree program, which permits
students to earn credit toward a master’s or
PhD degree and the JD. In recent years, the
most active dual-degree programs have been
with political science, management,
philosophy, public health, legal information
and management and analysis, social work,
sociology, and economics. Two additional
dual-degree programs were added this fall
allowing students to pursue pharmacy and
urban planning degree programs. Special
programs can also be arranged with other
departments.
Bridge Term—Second-
and third-year students can enroll in up to
three one-credit bridge courses taught by
experienced lawyers and judges, giving
students a window into current issues in
practice.
Admission
The Law School admits
first-year students only in the fall
semester; transfer and visiting students in
both fall and spring. Application deadline:
March 15. LSAT and LSDAS are required.
Because quantitative factors—GPA and
LSAT—may not accurately reflect a student’s
potential for law school success, the
Admissions Committee pays close attention to
the qualitative factors presented in an
application. These factors include, but are
not limited to, academic achievement,
personal statements, character traits,
writing ability, recommendations, and work
experience. If an application reveals that
the applicant has been educationally,
socially, economically, or otherwise
disadvantaged, the Admissions Committee will
review the application for signs of
achievement that should lead to success in
law school.
Student Activities
There are ample
extracurricular activities for students to
get involved in. The Student Bar
Association, an elected representative body,
oversees all law school student
organizations. The Moot Court Board sponsors
mock appellate practice competitions; The
Opinion is the student newspaper; the
Buffalo Law Review is a professional journal
edited by students; and there are specialty
journals in environmental law, affordable
housing and community development law,
intellectual property, criminal law, human
rights law, and social policy concerning
women.
Expenses and Financial
Aid
UB is able to offer a
state-subsidized tuition to New York
residents and a reasonable out-of-state
tuition charge. In-state tuition—$12,170;
out-of-state—$18,270. Estimated additional
expenses—$11,000–$12,000.
This results in overall
educational expenses that are less than half
the cost of many law schools. Dean’s tuition
waivers are available to students
demonstrating high academic achievement, and
state aid is offered on a need basis to
qualified students. Additional
alumni-sponsored scholarships are offered to
second- and third-year students.
Career Services
The Law School’s Career
Services Office (CSO) should become every
law student’s first point of reference as he
or she begins a job search. In addition to
providing job search and résumé
services for third-year and LLM students,
the CSO also aids first- and second-year
students in conducting their summer job
searches.
Over the last several years,
the placement rate of eligible graduates who
have been employed in legal work or enrolled
in an advanced-degree program within nine
months of graduation has been 95 percent.
While Buffalo and New York City continue to
employ the greatest number of our graduates,
several northeastern states,
includingWashington, DC; southern states
(Florida, Georgia, North Carolina); western
states (California, Arizona); and midwestern
states are presenting an increase in
opportunities for our graduates. For more
information about career services, contact
the office: telephone 716.645.2056; fax
716.645.7336; e-mail law.careers@buffalo.edu. |
