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PERSONAL STUDENT FEATURE
The University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law [By Kenneth Davis] The University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law (also known as the University of Memphis School of Law) has been shaping top legal minds for more than 40 years and boasts more than 4,500 graduates since its founding. The law school was formed as a college within Memphis State University in 1962 in response to a widespread interest in developing a full-time legal education program to serve Memphis and the mid-South. The school was created to replace two local private law schools, the University of Memphis Law School and the Southern Law School, which offered parttime education. It is currently the only law school in Memphis and was named in honor of former University’s president Cecil C. Humphreys, a distinguished educator. The law school has approximately 460 students and 23 full-time faculty members. The Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law
opportunity to gain practical experience
Many of the students participate on moot
has been recognized frequently for its
and to specialize in areas of interest. The
court or mock trial teams. The school’s moot
contributions to its community and to legal
required first-year curriculum introduces
court team recently finished second in the
education. Through its legal clinic, the school
students to the building blocks of American
national moot court finals held at the New
provides legal services to juveniles, abused
law: civil procedure, contracts, criminal
York City Bar Association headquarters.
women, the elderly, and others who might
law, property, and torts. The Legal Method
The competition, which was sponsored by
otherwise be unable to afford legal advice or
program teaches the basics of legal analysis,
the American College of Trial Lawyers and
representation.
research, and writing.
the New York City Bar Association, pitted 186 teams from 129 schools divided into
The school’s graduates include federal and
The required second-year courses expose
14 regions. The moot court team consisted
state judges, trial attorneys and corporate
students to other fundamental areas
of law students Todd Richardson, Shannon
lawyers, advocates for the poor, and
of law and to diverse aspects to legal
McKenna, and Mark Thompson. Law
environmental attorneys.
analysis. Second-year students take the
professor and Associate Dean for Academic
following courses: Business Organizations,
Affairs Barbara Kritchevsky coached the
In 1965, the law school was accredited
Constitutional Law, Criminal Procedure,
team.
by the American Bar Association and has
Decedents’ Estates, Evidence, Income
maintained its accreditation. The school
Taxation, and Secured Transactions. These
Also, a number of students are involved with
changed its name to the University of
courses introduce students to many of the
the school’s two law journals, the University
Memphis pursuant to state legislation in
subjects tested on the bar examination
1994.
and ensure that students who choose to
of Memphis Law Review and the Tennessee Journal of Practice and Procedure.
specialize in an area of law are aware of the The law school’s faculty have distinguished
diversity of legal practice. Students must
In addition to the law journals and the moot
themselves by their commitment to teaching,
also complete the course in Professional
court and mock trial teams, the following are
legal research, and scholarship. Thirteen
Responsibility and satisfy the advanced
other organizations in which students can
faculty members have earned graduate law
writing requirement.
participate: Association of Trial Lawyers of
degrees (LL.M.), and five faculty members
America, Association for Women Attorneys,
have served as graduate law clerks for
Beginning in the second year, students
Black Law Students Association, Christian
federal appellate and trial judges. In addition,
can utilize the law school’s wide range of
Legal Society, Environmental Law Council;
several faculty members have been elected
elective offerings. These courses permit
Federalist Society, International Law Society,
to the American Law Institute, and others
specialization in specific areas of law, such
Law and Technology Society, Jewish Law
serve as consultants to judicial commissions
as taxation or labor and employment law, or
Student Association, Memphis Tax Law
and are active participants in state and
enable students to gain exposure to diverse
Council, Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity, The
national bar associations.
aspects of legal practice. Students may also
Sports and Entertainment Law Society, and
take advantage of the law school’s extensive
the Student Bar Association.
The law school offers a rigorous curriculum
Clinical Program and various externship
that provides students with a solid foundation
offerings.
in diverse areas of law and an ample PAGE
The school’s dean, James R. Smoot, earned his law degree from Yale Law School in
continued on back
PERSONAL STUDENT FEATURE
1974. He was Executive Editor of the Yale
Law Journal from 1973 to 1974. Additionally, Smoot served as Deputy General Counsel for the The Readers Digest Association, Inc., in New York from 1980 to 1989. He joined the Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law in 1990 as an Assistant Professor of Law and was named dean last year. Smoot’s teaching interests include Banking Law, Business Organizations, Contracts, Corporate Finance, International Finance, and Securities Regulation.
ON THE NET The University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law www.law.memphis.edu American College of Trial Lawyers www.actl.com American Bar Association www.abanet.org
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