Savannah Law School is located in Savannah, Georgia, United States. It takes a collaborative approach to legal education. Housed in the historic Candler building directly across from Forsyth Park, the school offers both full-time and part-time enrollment for the Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree. It is a fully ABA accredited law school.
Campus
Savannah Law School is housed in the historic former Warren A. Candler Hospital building on Forsyth Park in downtown Savannah. Constructed in 1819 among 26 Seaman's hospitals chartered by an Act of Congress in 1791, the building is the oldest hospital in the state of Georgia, and was used as such until 1980. The building served as both a Confederate and Union hospital during the Civil War. Several tenants occupied the building sporadically from 1980 until 2009.
In 2012, the Historic Preservation Board approved Savannah Law School's comprehensive restoration of the 110,000 square foot facility. The renovations met federal historic preservation standards and were completed in 2014. The project represents one of the largest efforts to restore an historic property in the United States. In 2015, The Victorian Society in America and the Savannah Historic Preservation Board honored Savannah Law School with Preservation Awards for the renovation.
The Candler Oak Tree is located on the campus. In 2004, it was placed on the National Register of Historic Trees. At approximately 300 years of age, it is thought to be one of the oldest living landmarks in the region. The Savannah Tree Foundation holds a conservation easement to the tree and helps care for the tree along with the law school. The law school adopted the tree as its logo.
Experiential learning
Savannah Law School combines a practical and disciplined approach toward the study of law with a commitment to providing students with experiential learning opportunities that bridge the gap between law school and legal practice. Every student participates in a wide variety of opportunities to earn academic credit while working in legal offices under the supervision of practicing attorneys or judges.
Statistics
Savannah Law School has an 8-to-1 student-to-faculty ratio. The first-year section sizes are roughly half the size of many law schools, with only 30 to 40 students per section. The median LSAT score of the entire 1L class is 151; however, the median score of the full-time program is 153 and that of the part-time program is 149. 21% of the 2014 entering class are minorities, 17% are military veterans, 71% are women, and 64% are from out-of-state.
Admissions
Admission to the law school is selective and admissions decisions are made by the SLS Admissions Committee. Savannah Law School runs on a rolling admissions basis and applications may be submitted through the Law School Admissions Council.
Savannah Law Review
The Savannah Law Review is an academic law review journal published by the Savannah Law Review student organization at Savannah Law School. It is published twice a year and is a member of the National Conference of Law Reviews.
In September 2014, the Savannah Law Review hosted the (Re)Integrating Spaces colloquium to celebrate the historic renovations at the law school. The colloquium featured national scholars and local practitioners. The colloquium discussed the parallel themes of historic preservation and transformation, as well as a societal sense of place, space, and meaning within the law.
Student organizations
Students attending Savannah Law School may participate in an array of independent student organizations. These groups range in scope and cover such interests as cultural diversity, academic, recreational, professional, and networking opportunities. Student groups include:
- American Association for Justice
- American Constitution Society
- Environmental Law Society
- Federalist Society
- Law Students of the Lowcountry
- Maritime Law Society
- Mock Trial
- Moot Court Honor Board
- National Black Law Students Association
- National Women Law Students' Organization
- OfFitness Intermeddlers
- OUTLaws & Allies
- Phi Alpha Delta - Telfair Chapter
- Savannah Law Review
- Savannah Law Veterans Association
- Student Bar Association
- The Tunnel: Law and Humanities Society
Relationship to AJMLS
The law school was first opened by Atlanta's John Marshall Law School in the 1970s, but the campus was discontinued in the 1980s. The American Bar Association acquiesced to the law school's re-establishment as a branch of AJMLS on December 5, 2011, and the class of 2015 enrolled in August of 2012. The American Bar Association defines a branch as "the creation of a different law school."
References
External links
- Official website
- Request information