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Student-Faculty Relationships
Hey Joe!
Professors here know your name. Every student can tell you a story about sharing lunch with a professor or the rivalry between the faculty’s “Pro Bowlo” bowling team and student teams. Other favorite examples: a pizza and movie night watching a documentary on the juvenile and criminal justice systems while professors talk about their experience representing children involved; touring the Law School with the professor who helped shape its architecture; or sharing a glass of wine at your professor’s house after finals.
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Welcome to Duke Law! We’ve put together a list of just a few reasons we love Duke and Durham — we hope it gives you a taste of what it’s like to live here. For more, visit www.dukelawdenovo.com.
North Carolinians love their unique BBQ. You’ll have a chance to sample this Southern treat within your first days at Duke Law. Local BBQ joints abound, and discovering Durham’s local favorites — Allen & Son, The Pit, and Q Shack, to name a few — is fun. For our vegetarian friends, comparison-shopping for hushpuppies is a popular activity (and we aren’t talking about shoes).
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t Larges
Bowling League in N.C.
Foodiest Small Town (so says Bon Appétit Magazine)
Named the “South’s Tastiest Town” by Southern Living in 2013, Durham offers many culinary delights, thanks to fantastic local farms and abundant awardwinning restaurants. From Sunday brunch at Foster’s Market (opened by Martha Stewart protegé Sara Foster) or Parker & Otis to the Michelin-star-worthy Piedmont Restaurant in downtown Durham to ethnic favorites like the Kenyan restaurant, Palace International, Durham offers great variety. Law students so love this foodie town that some started a Durham-famous blog to review local restaurants — check it out at www.carpedurham.com!
DUKE
BASKETBALL Almost immediately after classes begin each fall, emails circulate with information about perhaps the most popular activity at Duke: Campout for Blue Devils basketball. Camping out for a weekend with hundreds of other graduate students for a chance at tickets to see Duke’s storied men’s basketball team is a rite of passage here. Those lucky enough to obtain tickets get to attend games at Cameron Indoor Stadium, one of the most historic (and beloved) arenas in the country, and stand right next to the action on the floor.
One of the more obscure facts about Duke Law is that we are home to the largest bowling league in North Carolina. Duke’s extracurricular league features dozens of teams of varying skill levels but consistently creative team names, invariably containing some clever, albeit nerdy, reference to the law. With games once a week at a large local bowling alley, teams are comprised of students and faculty alike. Beware Professor Tom Metzloff and his dominant Pro Bowlo team.
Library
Your Duke Law experience will include time spent in a library, and luckily for you, the J. Michael Goodson Law Library is a wonderful place to study. The main floor of the library has floor-to-ceiling windows and lots of natural light, comfy chairs, and many computer carrels. Students can use study rooms and also enjoy free printing privileges. Perhaps our greatest asset is our fantastic staff of research librarians — committed to helping our students in every way.
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Jennifer Maher
Whether they are helping a new student get settled in town, advising on course selection and career planning, or answering questions about the admissions process from a prospective student, Associate Dean Jennifer Maher and the International Studies program staff are committed to the success of their students. The staff has more than 60 years of combined experience with international students and programs, and their knowledge helps to make the transition easy when you are in a new city far from home.
Duke Gardens, Trails, and the Eno (Outdoorsy Stuff) A huge perk of living in North Carolina is the amazing weather — law students participate in year-round outdoor activities. Take a hike on the Washington Duke trail or one of the many trails at the Eno River State Park, where you can cool off by tubing down the river. Or stroll over to Duke Gardens to enjoy water lilies, Asian gardens, and native plants. Want something a little more exotic? Check out the Duke Lemur Center, home to the largest population of lemurs outside of Madagascar.
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Short Drive to the Ocean, Short Drive to the Mountains
North Carolina is a beautiful state with more attractions than you could possibly enjoy in just three years. The stunning North Carolina coast is only a two-hour drive away, and mountain recreation, including skiing and hiking, is also nearby. A favorite weekend trip: Asheville, where you can enjoy the thriving arts community or a tour of America’s largest home, the Biltmore Estate.
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Cost of Living and Quality of Life Home to more than a million people, the “Triangle” (named for the triangle formed by the area’s three cities – Durham, Chapel Hill, and Raleigh) boasts all the amenities of a large city with a much lower cost of living and few traffic hassles. Each city anchoring the Triangle has a distinct feel: Chapel Hill is well known for its college night life, Raleigh for its breweries and young professional crowd, and Durham for its creative local eateries and graduate-student crowd. And nearby Research Triangle Park is a national hotbed of high-tech and entrepreneurial activity.
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music scene
The Triangle is home to a thriving music scene, as well as a number of indie music labels. Several local venues play host to both local bands and national acts. The Durham Performing Arts Center is the place to find major acts, while spots like Beyù Caffè and The Durham hotel offer weekly jam sessions for jazz aficionados and local musicians. On campus, Duke Performances attracts nationally acclaimed folk, jazz, and world music performers each year.
Support for Public Interest “Knowledge in service to society” is a Duke motto that the Law School lives up to. The Office of Public Interest and Pro Bono helps students create volunteer and externship opportunities and pursue fellowships and careers in public interest fields. Our many public interest student groups make service even easier — the Innocence Project provides legal aid to those who may be wrongfully convicted; Street Law works to educate high school students about the law; and the Public Interest Law Foundation raises money for grants for summer public interest positions, just to name a few. And just when winter’s got you down, our annual Southern Justice Spring Break service trip comes along to remind you why you came to law school in the first place.
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Small Class Size With each incoming LLM class at Duke Law being around 95 students, Duke enjoys a tight-knit community of students focused on building relationships rather than competing in classes. Duke is small enough that students know each other well. Duke Law events are well attended because everyone feels invested in their fellow classmates. Few people come to Duke Law School with strong connections to Durham, so fast friendships develop among students.
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Being Part of “Big Duke”
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Being a part of Duke University is one of Duke Law’s greatest assets. Famous speakers like Tim Cook, Melinda Gates, Fareed Zakaria, and Oprah Winfrey have all made rounds at Duke. Duke’s top graduate programs in medicine, business, engineering, public policy, and the environment offer law students the opportunity to pursue dual degrees, something about 15 percent of us do. All students can take classes in other Duke programs. And Duke Chapel is a landmark we all love for its classic Gothic beauty. (It’s also home to regular religious services and an active congregation.)
Writing & Oral Advocacy Students here have tremendous opportunities to develop writing and oral advocacy skills. Duke’s rigorous LLM writing course prepares students to succeed at Duke and communicate clearly with U.S. lawyers in their future careers. The Law School is home to five student-edited journals that welcome LLM students on their editorial staff, as well as moot court teams that represent the Law School in international competitions.
Clinics
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Duke Law’s Clinical Program is a great way to combine academics with practical experience under the guidance of experienced professors. With its own dedicated wing in the building, the program offers students opportunities ranging from advising foreign governments on antipoaching regulations in the Environmental Law Clinic to providing legal advice to entrepreneurs through the Start-Up Ventures Clinic.
Star Commons Star Commons in Duke’s Law School building is a glass-enclosed three-story atrium that provides a beautiful place for students to unwind, grab a bite to eat with a professor, or catch a guest lecture. With cozy couches and the largest projector screen we have ever seen, Star Commons is the place to go for anything from the International Food Fiesta sponsored by the International Studies Program to movies and Election Day watch parties.
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Student Initiatives
The Colemans Husband-and-wife duo Doriane and Jim Coleman are dear to the Law School community. A former international track-and-field athlete and an expert on children and the law, Doriane is known to 1Ls for her tough Socratic method. But she’s also one of the most caring professors and mentors you will meet. Jim Coleman and Theresa Newman ’88 (also beloved) serve as the tireless faculty advisers to the Innocence Project, the school’s largest volunteer organization, and co-directors of the Wrongful Convictions Clinic. Jim (a phenomenal litigator) directs the Center for Criminal Justice and Professional Responsibility.
jim cox
Professor Jim Cox is a legend, pure and simple. You’ll likely hear the praises of Cox’s Business Associations class sung by upper-class students from the moment you arrive at Duke. In addition to also teaching Securities Regulation, Professor Cox is always available for questions about mergers, shareholders’ rights, and life in general. It’s no wonder the dinner he and his wife host at their home is always a top-seller at the Public Interest Law Foundation’s annual auction and gala.
The culture at Duke Law is very student driven, with great support from the administration. The Woman Law Students Association recently hosted a series of conversations on women in the legal profession, focusing on careers in technology, the judiciary, big law, and government, and confronting harassment in the workplace. Professor Nita Farahany, director of Duke Science & Society and the Duke MA in Bioethics & Science Policy, joined in a roundtable conversation about working as a female attorney and legal academic. The panels created a dialogue between students, faculty, and practitioners on ways women can be empowered in the legal field.
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Strong Alumni Network
Duke Law School’s strong alumni network is one of our most valuable assets. Among our notable alumni: Fourth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Allyson Duncan ’75, co-founder of the Natural Resources Defense Council John Adams ‘62, and ESPN basketball analyst Jay Bilas ’92 (above). Alumni form personal connections with students and assist in our job searches. Many regularly return to Durham for events like the ESQ symposium, a yearly conference about life in the law, or for other symposia, such as a discussion about the economic crisis that included grads like Gao Xiqing ’86, former president and chief investment officer of the China Investment Corporation.