MEMPHIS LAW
UNIVERSITY OF MEMPHIS LAW SCHOOL
Education. Community. Opportunity.
Welcome to the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law Choosing a law school is a big decision. There are a lot of factors to consider, like how to pay for it, the type of experience you are looking for, opportunities for success and the location of the school. Occasionally, it might even feel like information overload – at a time when you’re in need of clarity and guidance. That’s why this viewbook attempts to set out information as clearly as possible – giving you the information you need to know to make the best decision in a straightforward and helpful manner. Of course, this is just a bit of icing on the cake that is Memphis Law. For more in-depth information and guidance, visit memphis.edu/law for additional details about anything you see in these pages.
Ranked as a “BEST VALUE” law school preLaw Magazine
87%
Overall Employment Rate for recent graduates Data from Classes 2016-2018
memphis.edu/law
Employment Honor Roll preLaw Magazine
Dean’s Note I am proud and extremely grateful to be dean of the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law. This is a dynamic law school and city. It’s where I have grown from a junior faculty member to the dean of the law school, developing several initiatives and partnerships that are important not just for our University, but for our community as a whole. This city is where I’ve chosen to raise my family, not only because my career is here, but because Memphis an amazing place full of opportunities and a high quality of life. When deciding which law school to attend, I can think of no better place than Memphis Law. At the University of Memphis, you will benefit from a combination of strong academic challenges, rich cultural experiences, and the development of relevant employable skills and networking relationships. Whether you plan to provide general legal services or develop expertise in a specialized area of the law, our faculty and academic programs will prepare you for where you want to go. Through our strong alumni network and numerous experiential learning opportunities, we’ll also help you get there. Our location in downtown Memphis allows our students to get the best of both worlds. We are located in the heart of the legal and economic community, which allows our students to participate in numerous unique clinics and externships in law offices, business, and courtrooms just steps from our classrooms. You can integrate these real-world, educationally enhancing experiences into your daily class schedule without even moving your car (if you even have to drive and park one at all, since the majority of our students live downtown and can walk/ride/bike)! On top of the benefits to your education and career, living in Memphis means you’ll be able to take advantage of all the benefits of a big city but without the usual hefty price tag. One of the most attractive features of life in Memphis is a remarkably low cost of living. In fact, it’s 15% below the national average. From the price of dinner to the cost to heat and cool your home, the price of daily life in Memphis makes less of a dent in your disposable income than it would in other cities. Those savings mean even more when you consider our perpetual standing as one of the “Best Value” law schools in the nation, meaning you will likely have much less debt upon graduation than you would elsewhere, while living in a city that is more affordable to enjoy your life. Additionally, more of your paycheck from your new job can go to things besides bills, since you’ll have such a high chance of employment soon after graduation, with our most recent employment numbers being at 87% of our graduating class and Memphis Law being recognized by preLaw Magazine as a member of their “Employment Honor Roll.”
CONTENTS
2 TOP OF OUR CLASS 6 EDUCATION
8
9 Value
9
Academic Programs Bar Preparation
11 Faculty
12 Experiential Learning
13 Clinics
14 Externship Program
16 Extended Educational Opportunities
17 Institute for Health Law & Policy
17 iHelp Policy Lab
18 COMMUNITY
20 Memphis
22 Location
24 Alumni Community
25 Alumni Profiles
26 Student Life Community
29 Diversity
30 The Building
32 OPPORTUNITY
34 Careers
35 Scholarships
Great things are happening on the bluffs of the Mississippi River at Memphis Law. We look forward to meeting you here!
36 Partnerships & Programs
Katharine T. Schaffzin Dean & Professor of Law
39 ADMISSIONS PROCESS
Memphis Law | 1
Top of the Class Our accolades and rankings don’t just make us feel proud. They give you an idea of what coming to Memphis Law really encompasses.
2018 Health Law Honor Roll Member (A rating) preLaw Magazine
Top Market for Job Seekers Indeed.com 2018
Top 30
Legal Writing Program U.S. News & World Report
2nd
Most Affordable City in the U.S.
Nationally Ranked Clinical Training Program U.S. News & World Report
2019 Employment Honor Roll Member preLaw Magazine
Forbes Magazine
Top 5
Cities for Millennials (Memphis) TIME Magazine
2 | memphis.edu/law
Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award Winner
BEST Law School Building in the Nation (two-time winner)
INSIGHT Into Diversity Magazine
preLaw Magazine
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MEMPHIS LAW Education. Community. Opportunity.
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The University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law is exceptional in many ways, all of which prepare you for success at every stage of your career. We provide a strong foundation built on EDUCATION, with a strong core curriculum that is set up to help you excel in your future legal career and pass the Bar Exam. Our faculty consists of brilliant, approachable men and women, whose dedication to their students is made clear at every turn. They are adept at not only teaching students the legal skills necessary to succeed after law school, but are also devoted to guiding and supporting our students as they pursue their JD degree. Your education at Memphis Law will inevitably lead you into the greater Memphis COMMUNITY. Our location in downtown Memphis is undeniably beneficial to you as a student. We are not only in the heart of the legal community – walking distance to courts, government offices and law firms – but we are also situated in the middle of the downtown Memphis community, which has become one of the fastest-growing and most desirable downtowns in the country. With an affordable cost of living and a vibrant social and recreational scene, Memphis is a destination for those looking to have fun, experience some authentic culture and grow into their new life. You will also become a part of the larger Memphis Law network with access to our wide-ranging alumni community throughout the city, state and country. Being the only law school in the Mid-South, as well as the only public law school in a large metropolitan city in the area, we have alumni in the majority of major corporations, law firms, business sectors and areas of government – a strong advantage for any young graduate looking for connections. The OPPORTUNITIES you gain through our educational program and community connections allow you to be prepared for real-world success, where your legal skills will be applied directly and in a practical manner. They will help further your education with actual scenarios but also make a direct impact on the Memphis community through our distinctive partnerships and programming. Our Externship Program, Legal Clinic and variety of partnerships throughout Memphis utilize our strong connections in the Mid-South to help our students become practice-ready before leaving law school.
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EDUCATION 6 | memphis.edu/law
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EDUCATION First Year
There are a lot of things you’ll need to consider about law school, but one of the most important parts of your decision will be the quality of education you’ll receive while pursuing your JD degree. The academic program at Memphis Law prepares you to actually practice law, not just to think like an attorney. That’s because our commitment to diversity carries over to our belief that attorneys come in as many forms as there are students in law school, and we are able to provide you with the legal education that fits whatever your future career may be while maximizing your options. Additionally, we have programs and experts in place to make sure you excel at the Bar Exam upon graduation. Tennessee recently adopted the Uniform Bar Examination (UBE), which means that graduates that take the UBE earn a portable score that can be used to apply for admission in other UBE jurisdictions. All of this means that you are prepared to succeed, both in law school and beyond.
Academic Programs
Memphis Law operates on the semester system and requires 90 semester hours for the JD degree. A full-time student is required to enroll in at least 12 hours each semester. Students in the full-time program normally graduate in three years. Summer classes are sometimes available, and students can graduate after five semesters and two summer sessions of fulltime study. First-year students will enroll in a set of required core courses.
Fall Term
Spring Term
Contracts I
Contacts II
Torts I
Torts II
Legal Methods I
Legal Methods II
Civil Procedure I
Civil Procedure II
Property I
Property II Criminal Law
Second Year Constitutional Law Evidence *A student is required to complete Evidence & Constitutional Law by the end of spring of his/her/ their second year. If a student takes either or both courses in the summer term between the first and second year, this requirement will be satisfied.
Second or Third Year A. Professional Responsibility
+
Second- and third-year students may customize their curriculum with a range of recommended and elective courses, seminars and externships.
B. Two Course in both the Statutory Menu and Practice Foundation Menu:
In addition to the required core courses, students must meet additional graduation requirements, including:
Corporate Tax
• Advanced Writing Requirement
• P ro bono requirement • S ix credit hours of experiential learning
We also offer a number of dual- and joint-degree programs, as well as certificate programs, including: • JD/MBA • JD/MA in Political Science • JD/MPH • Fast-Track MPH • Certificate in Advocacy 8 | memphis.edu/law
•C ertificate in Business Law •C ertificate in Health Law •C ertificate in Tax Law • Online Certificate Program in Healthcare Compliance
Statutory Menu Fair Employment Practice Income Taxation Legislation Sales Secured Transactions Labor Law
Practice Foundation Menu Administrative Law Business Organizations Decedents’ Estates Family Law Conflicts of Laws Remedies
C. Criminal Procedure I D. Bar Exam Preparation Course
Value
Memphis Law has been a tremendous value in legal education for years, but with consistent “Best Value” rankings from preLaw Magazine and National Jurist ever since they started compiling the rankings, the secret is getting out. Combine that with the very affordable living in Memphis, with all of the incentives and advantages of living in a big city, and you can see why it quickly becomes the perfect combination of value. From the price of a night out on Beale Street to the low cost of a downtown apartment, daily life in Memphis simply takes a smaller bite out of your wallet.
2019-20 Tuition and Fees Entire Academic Year In-State: $19,218 Out-of-State: $31,976*
Estimated Expenses Room and Board: $10,425 Books/Supplies: $1,969 Transportation: $2,534 Miscellaneous: $3,270
*If you are an out-of-state applicant, make sure to contact our Admissions Office for an Out-of-State Tuition Waiver. All out-of-state students in last year’s 1L class received an out-of-state tuition waiver and paid in-state prices.
Bar Preparation
In addition to what you learn in your law school classes and the commercial bar review courses, the University of Memphis School of Law also offers workshops and programs designed to help you assess and practice the skills necessary for passing the bar. These workshops cover each part of the Bar Exam – the essay, multiple choice and performance test portions. Thus, you have the opportunity to not only learn the appropriate substance, but to also hone the necessary skills related to each portion of the Bar Exam. Our curriculum also includes a required upper-level bar preparation course for graduation. This is a course to help graduating students prepare for the Bar Exam both by reviewing some substantive law and instructing on how to successfully navigate multiple choice, essay and Multistate Performance Test questions. The class reviews substantive criminal law, constitutional law and tort law. Students answer simulated multistate and essay questions and receive regular feedback on their performance. There will be graded mid-term and final examinations and a graded Multistate Performance Test. It’s important to remember that this course is in addition to, not a substitute for, a summer Bar Exam preparation course.
I always wanted to make a positive difference in people’s lives. Law is a poetic dance that requires you to paint some vivid factual pictures to get your point across. Memphis Law helped me learn that. - Brandon Boykin (JD ’16)
Lawyers and clerks alike spend the majority of their time researching and writing, so acquiring a strong foundation during 1L year in learning how to effectively and efficiently research legal issues, as well as conveying that research in the most cogent way, is essential to any successful legal career. -David W. Marshburn (JD ’17)
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EDUCATION A Note from our Director of Bar Preparation, Professor DeShun Harris Change has arrived at Memphis Law, and with that change we hope to see our bar passage rates improve. Using what we know through research and data gathering, we have and will continue to adopt changes for our students’ success. There is a strong correlation between final law school grade point average and bar passage. For many institutions, those students falling in the bottom quartiles will struggle to pass the Bar Exam on the first try. It may be the case that if a student has struggled to learn the law in law school, they will likely struggle to do so on the Bar Exam. To combat this, we started extending students understanding of the Bar Exam and the necessary learning techniques into the firstyear curriculum. Memphis Law began offering all first-year students a course titled “Legal Analysis” in spring 2019 where they learn about each component of the Bar Exam and have an opportunity to see how the subjects they are taking now are tested on the it. The hope is that this early exposure will help students see the need for better study skills and recognize the work they are doing today can benefit them in the future. As an institution, we started investigating how to potentially incorporate a more robust academic support program to assist our first-year students (and maybe even our secondyear students). Our bar efforts also include extending opportunities for third-year law students. We currently offer a spring third-year bar course.
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In this course, students learn the different components of the Bar Exam and develop strategies to prepare for each component. We recently offered a one-credit course that covered all MBE-tested topics across seven days. The course was designed to be an intensive boot camp-like experience to expose students to bar questions and begin their preparation for the subjects. We hope to continue extending our bar-focused efforts by repeating this course, while also evaluating the possibility of a bar course offered in the fall. The idea behind extending bar preparation into the third-year law students’ fall is to give our students more time to learn how to prepare for the Bar Exam, instead of waiting until the spring, which may be too late. Because most graduates prepare for the Bar Exam completely alone and online, we want to increase opportunities for our students to interact with others. Thus, we are enlarging our summer bar preparation efforts for our graduates preparing for the Bar Exam. Each summer, students have the opportunity to attend workshops intended to explore each component of the exam and provide practical advice about preparing for the Bar Exam. We plan to expand these workshops to provide more assessments, feedback and stress management activities. We will also extend the reach of the law school by engaging our alumni in mentoring our bar takers. Bar takers can benefit from the support of alumni as they prepare for the Bar Exam. Change is happening here at Memphis Law and we are raising the bar for our success.
Most Affordable
Law School in Tennessee
2nd
Most Affordable City in America – Memphis Faculty
Memphis Law faculty bring both distinguished scholarship and a depth of experience to their roles as your dedicated educators and legal mentors. Faculty include experts in privacy, gun rights, healthcare, patent law, trademarks and copyrights, corporations, constitutional law and many other areas.
Low Debt
Memphis Law average debt per student is 55th lowest out of 200+ law schools
Experience & Expertise Our professors have extensive real-world expertise that refines their classroom teaching abilities. Memphis Law faculty also includes: former federal law clerks, authors of leading legal scholarship, experienced trial and corporate attorneys, Department of Justice trial attorneys, authors of widely utilized casebooks and law school course materials, and advisors to the U.S. Senate and government committees. Dedication Our professors’ strong background in the law and their real-world experience are the foundation for our faculty’s excellence, but Memphis Law is also full of professors who have a true passion for teaching. Our professors are often found in discussions with students long after class has ended in order to walk through a lesson more clearly. Many of them have open office hours and encourage our students to drop by whenever they feel the need to ask more questions or are looking for guidance in their studies. They are engaged in making not only Memphis Law a better place, but many are in active leadership roles in helping make Memphis an even more remarkable city through their extensive community work with local non-profits, activism and cause-related efforts, and legal public service. Connection These are the types of professors you’ll remember long after you leave law school. Our faculty are the ones invited to former students’ weddings or swearing-in ceremonies. They are the type of mentors that former students call for opinions once they are practicing. You’ll want to drop by to visit them when you’re nearby. This is the sort of relationship our faculty foster among our students, and it’s what puts your EDUCATION over the top.
Forbes
35+
endowed scholarships available for students
Listed as a
BEST VALUE law school
preLaw Magazine
Out-of-state attendance cost is among the
LOWEST
in the nation Memphis Law | 11
EDUCATION Faculty Profile Professor Demetria Frank
Our diversity program is led by Professor Demetria Frank, who looks at diversity as something that helps to contribute to the intellectual discourse and inclusive environment here at Memphis Law. Her inspirational community and teaching efforts help our students achieve the highest academic standards, while helping to make the law school open and inclusive for all of our students. Professor Frank, a member of our law faculty as well as the director of the law school’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion, has worked to address diversity-related issues that are echoed across the spectrum in the City of Memphis. She is the primary individual responsible for ensuring that these important initiatives are addressed and incorporated into the law school’s growth and success. Professor Frank’s highly-regarded expertise on issues involving systemic bias and inequity, community development, federal court litigation practice, and the overgrowth of the detention and prison industries has resulted in a variety of new partnerships and relationships on behalf of the law school. Her work has helped make the Office of Diversity and Inclusion even more impactful in helping both Memphis Law students and the community. By helping to expose our students to the diversity-related issues found throughout the world, she is helping to prepare our students to deal with them immediately.
My externships gave me an opportunity to build a positive relationship and reputation with various members of the legal community. In many regards, the experience, knowledge, skills, reputation and relationships that were fostered through these externships were significant in making me a desirable applicant for my federal judicial clerkship. -Devon Muse, (JD ‘17)
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A native of Houston, Texas, Professor Frank attended the University of Texas School of Law and began her legal career as a toxic tort litigation attorney before moving into the public sector as a community prosecutor in the Dallas City Attorney’s Office. She also served as an associate judge for the City of Dallas before joining the academic realm and ultimately becoming a vital piece of the Memphis Law team in June 2013.
Experiential Learning
Hands-on experience is one of the keys to leaving law school ready to practice. Memphis Law’s Experiential Learning Program, consisting of our legal clinics and externship program, helps our students do more than just learn the law. It provides a curated blend of legal advocacy, hands-on training and intensive learning. From students working with the city to remove blighted properties throughout Memphis, to partnerships that allow children and families to find legal solutions to medical problems, and even a policy lab designed to help students examine and influence the law itself, Memphis Law is invested in broadening our students’ educational experience in innovative new ways. These real-world educational opportunities prepare students for success after law school like nothing else can.
400+ Cases & 50+ New Lawsuits Student attorneys in the Neighborhood Preservation Clinic filed more than 50 lawsuits and represented the City of Memphis in more than 400 cases in Shelby County Environmental Court in 2018-19.
40+ Cases MLP students represented children and families in more than 40 cases last year in a variety of settings, assisting more than 35 clients. Over 150 clients have been helped by the MLP Clinic in the last few years alone.
40+ Appeals Students in the Housing Adjudication Clinic presided over 40 appeals in 2016-17.
67 Senior Citizens & 128 Cases Students in the Elder Law Clinic handled 128 cases for 67 seniors in 2018-19.
Clinics
Neighborhood Preservation Clinic The University of Memphis Neighborhood Preservation Clinic represents the City of Memphis in public nuisance lawsuits seeking recourse against the owners of badly neglected, vacant and abandoned properties. Clinic students investigate property ownership and conditions; communicate with field code enforcement professionals; and research, prepare and file civil cases alleging claims arising under the Tennessee Neighborhood Preservation Act. Mediation Clinic Guided by one of the city’s top Rule 31 Listed Mediators and Tennessee Supreme Court Approved Rule 31 Trainer, students in the Mediation Clinic study mediation from the inside out, analyzing in detail the communicative, strategic and ethical dimensions of specific interventions that mediators make in the context of particular cases. This clinic primarily focuses on the students as mediators, but the students are also asked to consider the issues from other points of view: as the disputant, as an attorney representing a client in mediation, and in the capacity of advising an organizational client about dispute resolution options. Medical-Legal Partnership (MLP) Clinic Through a first-of-its-kind collaboration with Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital and Memphis Area Legal Services, our Medical-Legal Partnership Clinic allows Memphis Law students to represent low-income pediatric patients and their families at Le Bonheur. This gives them the opportunity to address the legal and social issues that impact child and family health through direct legal services, education and systemic advocacy. Housing Adjudication Clinic The University of Memphis Housing Adjudication Clinic presents students with the opportunity to study law and lawyering from the standpoint of the administrative law judge rather than that of a direct client representative. Students are assigned to investigate, research, hear, adjudicate and issue written opinions ruling on administrative appeals involving participants in the Memphis Housing Authority’s Housing Choice Voucher Program while also being exposed to federal fair housing law and procedure. Elder Law Clinic This clinic gives student attorneys the unique opportunity to represent senior citizens across a broad range of areas, including: consumer protection, financial exploitation, conservatorship, real-world property issues, grandparent adoption, health care, Social Security, and wills and advanced directives.
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EDUCATION Externship Program
Stepping outside the traditional classroom, externship students learn by doing and observing, further developing essential research and writing skills, communication abilities and problem-solving techniques under the direction of local judges and attorneys. To maximize this experiential learning opportunity, externship students simultaneously participate in a faculty-led seminar designed to introduce the essential habits of the reflective practitioner and assessment of the skills, relationships, issues and mindsets that prevail in the practice setting. Examples of Externship Placements Judicial Externships: Federal Courts • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit • U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee • U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Tennessee • U.S. Immigration Court Judicial Externships: Tennessee State Courts • Tennessee Supreme Court • Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals • Shelby County Circuit Court Criminal Justice • U.S. Attorney’s Office • Shelby County District Attorney General’s Office • Shelby County Public Defender’s Office • State of Tennessee Office of the Attorney General • University of Memphis Public Safety Institute Government • Memphis City Attorney’s Office • Litigation Unit • Transactional Unit • Shelby County Airport Authority • U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Office of Chief Counsel, Memphis office • Equal Employment Opportunity Commission – Hearings Unit 14 | memphis.edu/law
Health & Medical • St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital • Baptist Memorial Healthcare Corporation • Medtronic Corporation • Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare • Regional One Health • Robert Wood Johnson, Neighborhood Preservation Inc./Urban Law Community Legal Services • Community Legal Center – Immigrant Justice Program • Latino Memphis • Legal Aid of Arkansas • Memphis Area Legal Services • Consumer Unit • Education Law/Partnership for Educational Advocacy and Parity • Family Law Unit • Low Income Taxpayer Unit • Veterans Assistance In-House Externships • Ducks Unlimited • Orion Federal Credit Union • University of Memphis Office of University Counsel • U.S. Army Corps of Engineers • University of Memphis Office of Athletic Compliance
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EDUCATION Extended Educational Opportunities
Alternative Spring Break Alternative Spring Break recently celebrated it’s 10-year anniversary as the first student-led spring break program in the country to recruit from law schools across the country. This week-long program, run by our Public Action Law Society, seeks to help low-income individuals needing legal representation, while also providing law students the opportunity to gain legal experience. Pro Bono Memphis Law is one of a select group of law schools in the country that requires students to engage in pro bono work. Students are required to complete 40 hours of supervised pro bono work in order to graduate, giving them exclusive opportunities throughout Memphis while strengthening their ties to the community. Law Review Our prestigious student-run journal of legal scholarship is published four times a year, with student editors making all editorial decisions along with a faculty advisor and drawing submissions from prominent academics from across the country. Legal Methods Our rigorous, required first-year legal research, writing and analysis course gives students excellent preparation for the increasing complexity of practice in today’s legal environment.
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Mediation Under the guidance of one of the Mid-South’s highly-regarded Rule 31 Listed Mediators, students get real world experience being comediators in General Sessions Court, as well as actual Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 31 Mediator training and ongoing observations of mediations in various courts and administrative proceedings. Mock Trial Memphis Law gives students the opportunity to take their advocacy skills to the next level with both an in-school mock trial competition and a historically successful National Mock Trial Competition travel team. Moot Court Our Moot Court program excels in both appellate and trial advocacy, with many in-school and travel team competitions under its purview. Tax Workshops More than 100 federal tax returns were filed by students in our Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program last year. Street Law Our Street Law program currently serves two local inner-city schools, where student members and professors teach on a weekly or monthly basis. Their role is to engage the students around topics of law, democracy, human rights and local issues, all while bridging the gap between today’s youth and the law, and to inspire students on to professional careers.
Institute for Health Law & Policy (iHeLP)
The Institute for Health Law & Policy is an innovative leader in educating the next generation of health lawyers, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to advance health through law and policy. Led by Professor Amy Campbell, the Institute has a core mission designed to prepare the next generation of lawyers for practice in today’s complex and ever-changing health care environment, and also with the skillset and dexterity to adapt practice to the needs of tomorrow. Our graduates provide informed legal counsel, can break down complex legal issues for diverse, non-law audiences and have the foresight to identify and potentially avert future legal issues. They represent a vision of preventive, relational lawyering attuned to the utmost professionalism and highest ethical standards in dealing with clients, affected parties, organizations and the community. Critically, they also recognize the role of law as a service profession and the need for lawyers who are ready, willing and able to engage in and with the community, beyond their own clients, to advance health through use of law and policy.
iHeLP Policy Lab
To manifest the Institute’s mission and link its service and educational goals with unique possibilities for scholarship, the Institute launched the iHeLP Policy Lab to foster policy-based service work through interdisciplinary, community-focused engagement. Policy Lab Impact Projects • Research memorandum on legislative efforts to incorporate Adverse Childhood Experience (ACEs) into laws/policies at local, state and federal levels. • Strategic plan and policy brief for enhancing child care provider qualifications in Tennessee. • Policy recommendations to decrease energy insecurity of the medically vulnerable in Memphis. • Research memorandum on Medicaid payment for postpartum depression screenings under the child’s Medicaid ID. • Analysis of Tennessee’s annual state budget from the Family Success Framework perspective. • Research memorandum on improving medical practitioner ACEs competency and ideal model of health care delivery for ACEs intervention. • Grant writing assistance for statewide collaborative focused on increasing prenatal-to-age-3 supportive services. • Research on training the judiciary about ACEs and their legal implications. • Development of screening tools, intake forms and Spanish translations for Memphis CHiLD Medical-Legal Partnership Clinic.
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COMMUNITY 18 | memphis.edu/law
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COMMUNITY Whether you’re talking about our many community partnerships that enhance your education, the affordable cost of living in Memphis, the resurgence of downtown, the increasingly visible park and outdoor recreation scene, or our vast alumni network throughout the country, our Memphis Law community is one of our most important assets. You’ll find that it can take you anywhere and that it’s also right where you want to be.
The City
Memphis is authentic. There’s just something about it that draws people in. It’s made up of people who are driven, creative and passionate about the Bluff City. Whether it’s the grit & grind nature of Memphians that our NBA Memphis Grizzlies embody or our thriving historic downtown and resurgent neighborhoods, Memphis is quickly being recognized as the place to be. It’s a place where you can trace the roots of blues, soul and rock ‘n’ roll – and then hear who’s making musical history here today. It’s a city where BBQ is a way of life – and innovative and awardwinning culinary trends are developed daily. Memphis is a place where history was made – and where you can stand in the same spots where musical legends, civil rights leaders and business entrepreneurs made their mark. Memphis is like nowhere else. Memphis is a very special place, with a character and texture that doesn’t exist in the same way in any other city. One of the best things about the city is variety. Whatever your interests or passions, you can find a way to get involved: music, food, arts, sports, outdoors, volunteering and much more. Some ideas to get you started: The Memphis music scene offers everything from outdoor festivals and energetic bar shows to huge arena tours and classical orchestras. You can cheer on your new home team with Memphis Grizzlies NBA basketball, 901 FC Soccer, Redbirds Triple-A baseball, plus your very own University of Memphis Tigers. If you’re more into playing the sports yourself, you’ve got ample opportunities and beautiful spaces for running, biking, kayaking, rock climbing, and plenty of gyms, classes and leagues for adults and kids. As for the food scene, we’ve got you covered. From award-winning fine dining to beloved local hole-in-the-walls, we’ve got cuisines for every palate. Wash it all down with some craft beers from the exploding local beer scene, or a cocktail from some of our creative bartenders across the city, and then pop into one of our local coffee shops for some locally roasted and wide range of coffees. From Downtown to East Memphis, and from Midtown to the suburbs, there’s something for everyone, and the best part is, it’s always close and more affordable than you expect.
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MEMPHIS
AT A GLANCE
5 MILLION
PEOPLE LIVE IN TH E MID- SO U T H
1.3 MILLION
RESIDE IN MEMPHIS
20.8 MIN Average Commute Time
160+ Parks & Green Spaces
DEMOGRAPHICS
1 HR 48 MIN Average Flight Time to Memphis Direct Flights
Memphis’ Cost of Living is
Age
DEMOGRAPHICS Race & Ethnicity
40.1%
African American | 47.4% Caucasian | 42.5% Hispanic/Latino | 5.6% Asian | 2.1% Two or More / Other | 1.8% American Indian | .3%
25-54
21.1%
20.1% 0-14
15% LOWER
13.5%
55-74
15-24
5.2%
than the National Average
75+ 0
15
25
55
75
Median Age: 36.5
80.3 O Summer Average
105.4
Atlanta
101.8
Nashville
50O
60 O
70 O
80 O
99.2
Charlotte Memphis
64.7 O Year-round Average
113.2
Dallas
Indianapolis
CLIMATE 48.5 O Winter Average
COST OF LIVING Denver
40+ Golf Courses
97.0 92.8 80.6
3RD LARGEST MARKET
For Millennial Home Buyers
234 Days Average Sunshine
69% Average Relative Humidity
51.3 in. Annual Average Rainfall
Source: Memphis Chamber- Greater Memphis Relocation Guide
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COMMUNITY Methodist Le Bonheur
1.5 mi
Location
Located in the middle of the Memphis legal community, Memphis Law is within walking distance of state and federal courts and the majority of government offices. In an average year, we also host more than 50 conferences, professional networking receptions and continuing education seminars – not to mention additional legal forums, panels and job fairs with our legal community, all of which are open and free for our students. Let’s not forget the many opportunities to watch real courts in action in our historic courtroom overlooking downtown Memphis. Our students have had the opportunity to attend court proceedings for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, the Tennessee Supreme Court, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee, the Tennessee Court of Appeals (civil and criminal) as well as many local court proceedings and trials.
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
1.0 mi
Additionally, our location in downtown Memphis and our premier facilities have allowed our students to participate in distinctive and informal programs with former U.S. attorneys generals, U.S. Supreme Court justices, Tennessee Supreme Court justices, United Nation ambassadors, civil rights leaders and numerous high-profile attorneys, business professionals, and state and federal politicians. Our location also affords us the distinctive ability to form partnerships that help to expand our disciplines, such as our partnerships with the City of Memphis, Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital, the Memphis Bar Association and many local nonprofits. This location, within the legal community and in our exciting downtown, will impact your education and experience you receive during your time in law school; in turn, that education and experience will help you succeed wherever you go in your career. 22 | memphis.edu/law
Shelby County Health Department 1.5 mi
Juvenile Court 1.0 mi
Memphis City Hall 0.4 mi
U.S. District Court
Environmental Court 0.4 mi
0.6 mi
Shelby County Government Services 0.4 mi
Memphis Bar Association 0.3 mi
Memphis Area Legal Services 100 ft
Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law
Memphis City Court 0.6 mi
Shelby County Courthouse
IRS Offices 0.6 mi
0.4 mi Memphis Housing Authority 1.2 mi
Memphis Law | 23
COMMUNITY Alumni Community
Our alumni network reaches throughout the country, with successful graduates working in an astonishing number of fields, business sectors, concentrations, firms and industries. This network of success is just one of the tools given to Memphis Law students and graduates. We’ve been successfully training new attorneys for more than 50 years, and we’re excited to help you on your road to future legal success with the help of our alumni community along the way.
Rep. Steve Cohen (JD ’73) U.S. Congressman, Tennessee’s 9th Congressional District
The Hon. Bernice Donald (JD ’79) U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
The Hon. Holly M. Kirby (JD ’82) Associate Justice, Tennessee Supreme Court
Caroline Hunter (JD ’00) Vice Chairwoman, Federal Election Commission
Terrence Reed (JD ’00) Managing Director of Employment Litigation at FedEx Corporation
Amber Floyd (JD ’10) Senior Associate, Wyatt, Tarrant & Combs, LLP
The Hon. Kathleen Gomes (JD ’80) Judge, Division 1, Shelby County Probate Court
Lawson Baker (JD ’10) Founder, RelayZero
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Alumni Profiles
Judge Diane Vescovo (JD ’80) Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge for the Western District of Tennessee A person’s relatives may make up their closest family, but for Judge Diane Vescovo, Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge for the Western District of Tennessee, her ties to the University of Memphis School of Law are almost as strong. Her support and dedication to the law school, as well as the greater University of Memphis, has helped the law school evolve into the jewel that it is today. She’s been involved with the Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law Alumni Chapter since 2000 where she’s served as president and in many other important roles, such as a member of the Law School Dean Selection Committee, the ABA Accreditation Committee, the Law School Grand Opening Gala Committee (as co-chair). She’s also served as a member of the University of Memphis Board of Visitors, the Tiger Scholarship Fund Board of Directors and the National Board of Directors for the UofM Alumni Association. “Our law school serves the entire city and as it thrives and does well, so does the city,” says Vescovo. She’s often found herself in a position to help define the future of the University of Memphis School of Law, but Vescovo has also been an integral part in getting the law school to where it is today, literally. Three of her proudest accomplishments have been her role in the law school moving downtown to its new home in the beautifully restored historic building at 1 North Front Street; her part in conceptualizing and implementing what is now the Pillars of Excellence awards dinner; and co-chairing the committee that oversaw the grand opening gala for the building.
William Terrell (JD ’13) Senior Attorney, FedEx Trade Networks Go to law school, see the world! That’s the not the typical sales pitch most people would use to sell someone on becoming an attorney, but it’s something more students interested in Memphis Law should consider. Soon after graduating from Memphis Law, Will was presented with several opportunities to further his legal career on an international level, and his successful legal journey has since taken him across the world and back home. Not too long after wrapping up at Memphis Law, he went to work as an associate attorney at a local firm, but an opportunity to travel to the United Kingdom as a Pegasus Scholar with the American Inns of Court presented itself and across the pond he went for a crash course in the British legal system. After his Pegasus program ended, Will came back to America, but soon found himself with a new job taking him back overseas. Soon after returning from London, he started working for FedEx as an international legal advisor in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, where he was responsible for addressing a variety of legal challenges with the TNT/FedEx integration, as well as supporting internal FedEx Express International departments in the Middle East, Africa and the Indian sub-continent. He is now responsible for overseeing the day-to-day legal and regulatory compliance issues for FedEx Trade Networks Transport & Brokerage and FedEx Cross Border business units, under the FedEx Logistics Inc. umbrella. His advice for the law student looking to work internationally? “Don’t be afraid to take risks. I would start by studying abroad, preferably UK law. Outside of America, most of the world adopted the British legal system. If you have a working knowledge of British law, you increase your chances of working in an international center like Dubai, Hong Kong or Singapore. I encourage all law students to have an open mindset. The experiences I had in Dubai were lifechanging and I will remember them forever.”
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COMMUNITY Shelby Farms Park One of the largest urban parks in the country (left). Beale Street Located in the heart of Downtown Memphis (right).
Student Life & Community
One of the most valuable resources you’ll find at Memphis Law is the people you meet and the community that you build. Our students are at the center of a vibrant school and downtown community, whether it’s attending classes, organizing numerous events, lectures and service projects or volunteering their time with our many student organizations, Memphis Law students bring their idealism and passion into every aspect of their law school lifestyle. Our students bring a wealth of perspectives and backgrounds to the table that make for extremely rich conversations and experiences. The relationships and friendships forged while in law school carry over throughout the rest of students’ personal and professional lives. The value of interacting with your classmates who are in the trenches with you is invaluable. It makes for a collegial atmosphere that is strengthened even further by the efforts of our faculty, staff and student body. Through it all, the law school also provides a range of important services for its students – from academic success programs offered by our Student Affairs Offices to counseling services and mentor programs provided by the greater University and local Bar Association.
Top 15
on list of U.S. Cities with
Emerging Downtowns Forbes
-Terrence Reed (JD ’00) Managing Director of Employment Litigation at FedEx Corporation
Top 4
4th Happiest City for Job Seeking College Grads Forbes
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One of the best decisions I ever made was attending the University of Memphis School of Law. My years at the law school were truly a transformational experience in my life and positively changed the trajectory of my future. The law school prepared me to be a leader in the legal community and compete with colleagues who attended Ivy League law schools and accumulated debt. One of the law school’s top assets is the expertise and accessibility of the professors, who pass along their wisdom to the students, while making the classes interesting and stimulating. I also made lifelong friends at the University of Memphis law school, and I value those relationships to this day. I fervently believe that the University of Memphis law school is one of the most underrated yet premier law schools in the country, and I’m proud to be an alumnus.
Market for Millennials with the right “Live/Work/ Play” environment the Wall Street Journal
Most improved city for cycling Bicycling Magazine
Leading Ladies
The majority of student organizations at Memphis Law were led by women in 2018-19, mirroring a trend we are seeing across the law school, with a majority-female incoming class last year and much of the law school’s leadership now being comprised of women. These strong female students are leading their respective organizations towards future success. Top Row: • L auren Hutton, Student Bar Association, President •H alle Hicks Priester, Honor Council, Chief Justice • Whitney Snow, Volume 49 The University of Memphis Law Review, Managing Editor • Escarlet Escobar, Moot Court Board, Chief Justice •A lexandra T. Chunn, Association for Women Attorneys, President •A mber Campbell, Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity, Inc., Justice • J osselyne Bustillo, Hispanic Law Student Association, President •P age Smith, Student Bar Association, Vice President
Memphis is consistently ranked as one of the most affordable cities the Huffington Post & Kiplinger
Bottom Row, •B rande L. Boyd, Black Law Students Association, President •W hitney Robinson, Volume 49 The University of Memphis Law Review, Editor-in-Chief •A lexandria Christian, Tennessee Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (TACDL), President •A llie Lynn, Street Law, President •A ngela M. Polk, Memphis Law +1, President
1 #1 Most Iconic American Street (Beale Street) USA Today
“Next Hot Southern City” Travel & Leisure Magazine
“The Best Food Town in America.” Alton Brown, The Travel Channel Memphis Law | 27
COMMUNITY Maier Salameh Class of 2020
Maier Salameh is a current 3L student and a recent president of the International Law Society. She grew up in Collierville and went to Rhodes College for her undergraduate degree, but with the majority of her family still residing in Palestine, she has spent much of her life traveling to see them and absorbing the lessons that international travel has to offer. As a Palestinian-American Muslim woman, she has an unparalleled perspective on life in America, as well as what she can contribute to society as a future attorney. She’s passionate about helping other law students gain perspective on the world and what it means to work together across racial, religious and ideological platforms. Her viewpoint has allowed her to excel in law school, and her various internships, both with nonprofit immigration law firms in Seattle and Memphis, respectively, are helping put her on a path to practicing law internationally after graduation. Women at Memphis Law have a larger spotlight than ever before, with recent incoming classes being majority female, all top-level law school leadership being women and many of our student organizations being led by women, Maier is involved in an important part of Memphis Law’s history. “I am very honored just to be included with all the other strong, independent women at Memphis Law. Higher education used to be exclusively for men, so the fact that women are not only attending school here but taking leadership positions, and are the ones shaping the future of Memphis Law is pretty phenomenal. It goes to show that the only restrictions that are put on people who are ‘different’ are restrictions that people in the status quo are pushing. I hope this leads to even more diversity within the school, and this diversity leads to more inclusivity.”
#1
#1
City for Black-Owned Businesses
Metro for Women-Owned Business Growth
Black Tech 2018
American Express Survey 2017
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Top 5
Best Regional Law Schools for Black Students Lawyers of Color Magazine
55%
female faculty members
Top 3 Most Diverse
Best Bargain
Diversity
Memphis Law has been nationally recognized for our diversity efforts, which is appropriate in a diverse city like Memphis. We are also proudly the MOST diverse public law school in Tennessee, as well as one of the Top 3 most diverse public law schools in the five-state Mid-South region. We define diversity broadly to include several aspects of human differences that contribute to the intellectual discourse and inclusive environment at the University of Memphis School of Law. The Office of Diversity and Inclusion collaborates with a variety of law school offices and community groups to ensure a diverse and inclusive law school environment. These collaborations allow us to develop and implement initiatives that increase the access, admission, retention and graduation of diverse students.
Law School for Black Students Lawyers of Color Magazine
“Most Diverse Law School” preLaw Magazine
TIP Program
Notable Alumni
• The Hon. Bernice B. Donald (JD ’79) – U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit • Gregory Duckett (JD ’85) – Senior Vice President and Corporate Counsel, Baptist Memorial Healthcare • Amber Floyd (JD ’10) – Senior Associate, Wyatt, Tarrant & Combs LLP • Terrence Reed (JD ’00) – Managing Director of Employment Litigation at FedEx Corporation
Public Law School in the five-state Mid-South region
a special admission by performance program for TN and border county residents who are from diverse backgrounds and circumstances Memphis Law
Diversity-Related Student Organizations
• Association of Women Attorneys (AWA)
• J ewish Legal Society
• Memphis Law +1 • OutLaw
• Black Law Students Association (BLSA)
•H ispanic Law Student Association (HLSA) • I nternational Law Students Association (ILSA)
• Christian Legal Society
• P ublic Action Law Society (PALS) • Street Law
awarded more JD degrees to AfricanAmerican students last year than any law school in the state
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COMMUNITY 30 | memphis.edu/law
1 #1 Law School Building preLaw Magazine and The National Jurist
A Top-Notch Building
Simply put, Memphis Law has the best law school building and facilities in the country. That’s no empty boast either. In comprehensive rankings from preLaw Magazine and The National Jurist, Memphis Law has been named the best building and law school facility TWICE, making us the only school to repeat the recognition of being No. 1. These accolades come approximately nine years after the law school relocated from the main University of Memphis campus to the historic former U.S. Custom House/Courthouse/ Post Office at 1 North Front Street, which underwent at $42 million renovation and upgrade before the law school moved in in 2010. The historical austerity of the building coupled with modern charms and new technology have proven to a winning combination. As a student here, you’ll be able to take advantage of our technological and facility upgrades and advances in learning environments. This is an inspiring place to go to law school and a place where you’ll feel at home for the next three years.
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OPPORTUNITY 32 | memphis.edu/law
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OPPORTUNITY Real learning. Real success. That’s what Memphis Law offers our students and graduates. Careers
With in-depth assistance from our Career Services Office (CSO), our students find the career that best suits them. The CSO helps students to develop their job search skills and assist with faculty and alumni relationships that can lead to real-world employment. The CSO offers a wide range of career development assistance and opportunities for our students, such as: Individual Counseling Our students can set up one-on-one counseling appointments with our experienced CSO staff to review resumes, cover letters, or to just talk about specific career goals. Our experienced staff of counselors will even review your materials and return them to you, critiqued and with notes, within approximately two days. Mock Interview Training Mock interviews provide our students with the opportunity to practice their interview skills in a realistic setting and to receive feedback to improve performance. The CSO holds mock interviews before on-campus employer interviews at the beginning of each semester. Local attorneys conduct the mock interviews. Interview sessions typically last 30 minutes and include feedback from the participating attorneys at the end of the session. The attorneys who participate in our mock interviews are often the same attorneys who conduct on-campus interviews. Seminars and Events CSO presents many events throughout the year to familiarize our students with basics such as writing resumes, and to expose
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students to a variety of practice areas. Panel discussions, career fairs and other CSO events bring attorneys and students together to explore career possibilities. CSO Resource Center The CSO library contains career books, interview guides, lists of Tennessee law firms broken down by city and other helpful publications. There are also a number of CSO-created templates for resumes, cover letters and more available to our students. The CSO also contains a work area with computers and a laser printer that may be used by students and alumni for the purpose of preparing resumes, cover letters and other correspondence related to their job search. Job Postings Our CSO staff works tirelessly to help our students find open employment positions across the country. These positions are posted in Symplicity and shared between our counselors and students. The relationships created and nurtured by our staff and counselors result in many unique employment opportunities for our students and graduates.
Job Fairs Students at Memphis Law are annually invited, through our Career Services Office, to a number of different job fairs throughout the year. On-Campus Recruiting The CSO coordinates numerous on-campus job interviews in both the fall and spring semesters for our students.
Have a plan. Be flexible. Be willing to adapt and learn. Search out great and interesting opportunities that can help expand your vision and always keep your end goal in mind. -Hugh Cross (JD ’18)
87%
Overall
Employment Rate
Data from Classes 2016-18
Employment
Honor Roll
preLaw Magazine
Class of 2018 Areas of Employment Scholarships
We understand that paying for school is an important factor in your decision-making process. At Memphis Law, we are committed to helping students minimize the costs. Our tuition compares favorably to other public law schools, and our downtown location is within walking distance to most students’ apartments and homes, but inexpensive parking is available if you commute. This makes it possible to keep living expenses reasonable in a city hailed by many national publications as being one of the most affordable in the country. A number of scholarships are available to entering students, including academic merit awards, diversity awards and awards for students with demonstrated financial need. Some scholarship awards are based on the information in the application, while others require additional information. If you are interested in being considered for first-year scholarships, you are encouraged to complete the optional application questions and submit any necessary information. Scholarship award letters are usually sent by April 1. Through state appropriations and the generous donations of law school alumni and friends, more than $600,000 in scholarship assistance has traditionally been awarded in previous academic years. Awards range from $1,000 to full in-state tuition.
59%
law firms
15%
business and industry
10%
judicial clerkship
10%
government
4%
public interest Data for Classes 2016-18
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OPPORTUNITY Partnerships & Programs
Advocacy Program Memphis Law is dedicated to recognizing and fostering excellence in both appellate and trial advocacy. Our strong Moot Court program offers students a way to prepare for the challenges of life in the courtroom and is nationally recognized for outstanding work in oral and written advocacy. Our students progress from fundamental legal doctrine and theory in first-year courses to increasingly more sophisticated and complex substantive and procedural issues in the second. The Advocacy Program and our travel teams place students in the center of the litigation process, as they begin to assimilate the skills and strategies they will need as practicing attorneys. The various Moot Court and Mock Trial competitions that we field teams in give students’ additional opportunities to hone those skills, as they face off against their peers from some of the top law school teams in the country. Our travel teams had a successful 2018-19 competition year: Wagner Moot Court Team – National Runner-Up The Memphis Law Wagner Moot Court Team finished as the national runner-up in the 43rd Annual Robert F. Wagner Labor and Employment Law Moot Court Competition. The competition was hosted by the New York School of Law and featured 40 law schools from around the country. The Memphis team argued in six rounds over the thee-day competition and reached the national championship round. BLSA Mock Trial Team – Fourth Place in Southern Regional Memphis Law’s Black Law Student Association’s Mock Trial Team placed fourth in the Southern Regional BLSA Mock Trial Competition Constance Baker Motley Mock Trial Competition in 2019.
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ABA National Appellate Advocacy Team – Regional Champions; National Sweet 16 The ABA National Appellate Advocacy was named regional champion at the 2019 Philadelphia Regional Competition. The team then competed in the national competition in Chicago, where they advanced to the top 16, out of more than 180 teams from over 110 law schools. Duberstein Bankruptcy Moot Court Team – Shapero Cup Winners One of the University of Memphis Law School Duberstein Bankruptcy teams competed and won the U.S. Sixth Circuit’s inaugural Shapero Cup Regional Duberstein Competition in 2019. Memphis Law fielded two teams in the competition, with one team winning first place and another placing third in the competition. Additionally, the Memphis Law team featured one team member who was named runner-up Best Oral Advocate, and another named second runner-up Best Oral Advocate. Street Law Our Street Law program currently serves two local inner-city schools, where student members and professors teach on a weekly or monthly basis. Their role is to engage the students around topics of law, democracy, human rights and local issues, all while bridging the gap between today’s youth and the law, and to inspire students to pursue professional careers.
Medical-Legal Partnership The University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law, Memphis Area Legal Services (MALS), the University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center, and Le Bonheur form the Memphis CHiLD (Children’s Health Law Directive), the first medical-legal partnership of its kind in the region, encompassing all of Tennessee, Arkansas and Mississippi. In addition to a variety of training programs and educational, bidirectional partnerships, Memphis CHiLD also consists of an on-site legal clinic located at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital, where Memphis law students, working under the supervision of a devoted clinical professor and a MALS staff attorney, have devoted space to work on cases and referrals, meet with patients/clients and conduct training sessions. Medical professionals and Le Bonheur residents have access to the clinic as well, and have direct involvement in the clinic training sessions and learning opportunities available through the program. Healthy Homes Partnership/Green and Healthy Homes Initiative Our Institute for Health Law & Policy works with Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital’s Healthy Homes Partnership to help eliminate environmental and safety hazards in housing; to promote collaboration among housing and legal services agencies and healthcare providers; and to advance best practices and strategies, including policy and regulatory changes to increase the availability of and access to healthy housing for all Memphis-area residents.
The law school and Le Bonheur recognized the need to promote healthy homes and eliminate substandard housing for families. This preventive approach to health should result in future generations of children living in a community that puts their health first, with better living conditions and less strain on the Mid-South’s healthcare system. Memphis/Shelby County is Tennessee’s first Green and Healthy Homes Initiative (GHHI) site. The Site Compact signifies a new interagency collaboration to better coordinate the delivery of government and nonprofit home repair services for Shelby County residents. Advanced Criminal Prosecution Intersession This course is offered for one week a year and is composed of veteran criminal prosecutors from across the state, with highly coveted and limited spots for Memphis Law students. This experiential course gives our students interested in advanced criminal prosecution a rare opportunity to learn in a “master class” setting. Experienced prosecutors from across the State of Tennessee present instruction on all aspects of criminal trial practice, including jury selection, pretrial motions, opening statements, direct and cross examinations, evidentiary objections and closing arguments. Students even receive direct critique from experienced veteran prosecutors, giving them learning opportunities far ahead of normal standards.
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The Admissions Process
☐A pplication (required) Our application may be accessed through LSAC. Be sure to complete all questions accurately. Include your name and LSAC account number on any addenda. The priority deadline is March 15. ☐C redential Assembly Service (CAS) (required) Applicants for the next entering class must have an LSAT score that is current and taken within the last 64 months. LSAC will not release a CAS report until they receive an original transcript from every undergraduate institution you have attended, including summer sessions and study abroad programs. It is the applicant’s responsibility to monitor the status of his/her/their LSAC account. ☐P ersonal Statement (required) Each applicant is required to submit a personal statement. This statement provides the opportunity to describe your background and any unique experiences, characteristics or circumstances you want the admissions committee to consider. You should explain your desire to study law, why you believe you will be a successful law student, and what you plan to do with your law degree. You are encouraged to explain your interest in attending our law school and may discuss any information not otherwise apparent from your application, including family members who are graduates of the University of Memphis School of Law. Limit your personal statement to no more than 1,000 words. ☐A dmonitory Action Explanation (if applicable) ☐ L etters of Recommendation/Evaluations (optional) Applicants are encouraged to submit up to three letters of recommendation addressing their potential for academic success. When possible, letters should come from professors if you are currently in college or have recently graduated. The letters should be sent to LSAC to be included with your CAS report. If a file is complete by March 15, file review will not be delayed if letters have not been received. ☐ T IP Statement (required for all TIP applicants) If eligible, apply for the Tennessee Institute for Pre-Law (TIP), an admission by performance program for Tennessee and border-county residents from diverse backgrounds who are not admitted through the regular admissions process, but who show potential for success in the study of law. To find out more about TIP, visit memphis.edu/law/about/tip.php.
Financial Aid & Scholarship Checklist ☐A pply for an FSA ID at fsaid.ed.gov.
☐C omplete the FAFSA at fafsa.ed.gov, available October 1 for the next academic year.
Decision Timeline (September-April) Our online application is available through LSAC. Applicants to the University of Memphis School of Law will receive an email with a link to our website and a code to establish an account to check the status of their application. Thereafter, applicants can check their application status online. Applicants will also receive an email once the application is complete. Once a decision has been rendered, the status will be available online. Most decisions are made between January and April. After being admitted, a seat deposit of $250 is due by mid-April or two weeks after notice of admission, whichever is the later date.
Contact Information University of Memphis School of Law 1 North Front Street Memphis, TN 38103 901.678.5403 901.678.0741 (fax) lawadmissions@memphis.edu memphis.edu/law Law School Admissions Council (LSAC) 215.968.1001 lsac.org
☐U se prior year’s income tax. For example, the 2019-20 FAFSA will require the 2018 income tax information. ☐ L ist the University of Memphis’ 6-digit federal school code: 003509
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Notes
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