University of Oregon School of Law

University of Oregon School of Law
MottoMens agitat molem (Latin) Minds Move Mountains
Parent schoolUniversity of Oregon
Established1884
School typePublic
Parent endowmentUS $ 822 million
DeanJennifer Reynolds
LocationEugene, Oregon, United States
44°02′35″N 123°04′09″W / 44.04297°N 123.06929°W / 44.04297; -123.06929
EnrollmentJ.D. 412 students; LL.M. 10[1]
Faculty37 full-time[2]
USNWR ranking82nd (2024)[3]
Bar pass rate90%[4]
Websitelaw.uoregon.edu
ABA profileUniversity of Oregon School of Law Profile

The University of Oregon School of Law is a public law school in the U.S. state of Oregon. Housed in the Knight Law Center, it is Oregon's only state funded law school. The school, founded in 1884, is located on the University of Oregon campus in Eugene, on the corner of 15th and Agate streets, overlooking Hayward Field.

History

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Oregon Law was founded in 1884 in Portland, Oregon.[6] Richard R. Thornton organized the department that began as a two-year program with three classes per week.[7] In 1906, the course of study was expanded to three years, and in April 1915, the school's board of regents ordered that the program be moved to Eugene as part of a consolidation program within the university.[7] Though the school moved, some of the faculty remained in Portland and started the Northwest College of Law, now the Lewis & Clark Law School.[7] In 1923, the school was approved by the American Bar Association (ABA), one of the first 39 schools to earn that distinction in the initial year of the ABA approval of law schools.[8]

In 1931, Wayne Morse became dean.[9] Three years later, the law school organized a chapter of the national law school honor society, the Order of the Coif.[9] In 1938, the law school moved to Fenton Hall.[9] In 1939, the law school graduated Minoru Yasui, who later took his challenge to the military curfew on Japanese Americans during World War II all the way to the United States Supreme Court.[9]

In 1941, Orlando John Hollis became acting dean.[9] His appointment became permanent in 1945 when Morse resigned to run for the U.S. Senate.[9] During the war years, many law students were called to service.[9] In 1944, there were no graduating students; in 1945, only one student graduated.[9] After the war's conclusion, the school admitted every returning veteran who sought a legal education: out of 26 students who graduated in 1948, 25 had served in World War II.[9]

The post-war era was marked by the Oregon legislature's adoption of law professor Kenneth O'Connell's Oregon Revised Statutes.[9] Professor O'Connell was appointed to the Oregon Supreme Court in 1958, and later became its chief justice.[9]

During the 1960s, Professor (and later dean) Chapin Clark offered the school's first courses in environmental and natural resources law.[9] Later that decade, Professor Jon Jacobson founded the school's Ocean and Coastal Law Center.[9] In 1968, Eugene Scoles became dean.[9]

In 1970, the law school moved into a new building, the Law Center.[9] In 1974, the Wayne Morse Chair of Law and Politics was established as a "living memorial" to former dean and U.S. senator Wayne Morse.[9]: 19  In 1977, Professor Hans A. Linde was appointed to the Oregon Supreme Court.[9] In 1978, the school established the first-in-the-world Environmental Law Clinic.[9]

During the 1980s, the Environmental Law Clinic doubled in size and was renamed the Pacific Northwest Natural Resources Clinic.[9] In 1981, Professor Dave Frohnmayer became Oregon Attorney General.[9] In 1982, students organized the first Public Interest Environmental Law Conference.[9] In 1986, the Journal of Environmental Law and Litigation began publication.[10]

In the new century, the school opened the Appropriate Dispute Resolution Program.[9] In 2003, the Environmental and Natural Resources Law Program opened a fully staffed office.[9] In 2004, the Center for Law and Entrepreneurship opened a Small Business Clinic to assist small and micro-businesses.[9] The school also has started a program in Portland, which moved into Portland's White Stag Building in 2008.[9] The Portland Program focuses on business law and related externships.[9]

Rankings

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For the 2023-24 academic year, the law school is ranked 82nd in the country by U.S. News & World Report's 2024 edition of "America's Best Graduate Schools."[11]

The University of Oregon is known for possessing the nation's first public law school to establish an environmental law program (ENR).[9] The ENR Program is ranked 10th in the country by U.S. News & World Report for the 2020-21 academic year.[12] The program includes a master's of law degree (LL.M.) option.[13][14]

Programs

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The law school also houses a prominent Appropriate Dispute Resolution Center,[15] which provides courses both to law students and to graduate students interested in Conflict and Dispute Resolution.[16] The ADR program is ranked 7th in the country by U.S. News & World Report for the 2023–24 academic year.[17]

The law school's Legal Research and Writing (LRW) Program[18] also is well regarded. For the 2023–24 academic year, U.S. News & World Report ranked the LRW Program number 1 in the nation.[19]

Law publications

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The School of Law is home to several legal journals.

  • The Journal of Environmental Law and Litigation is a student-run law journal founded in 1986 and dedicated to the examination of environmental and natural resources law.[20]
  • The Oregon Law Review is the flagship law review of the University of Oregon School of Law. It was founded in 1921[21] and originally run by the school faculty. From 1925–1938 the Law Review served as the journal for the Oregon Bar Association.[22] By 1967, the Law Review had been turned over to a student board of editors. Published on a biannual basis, it is the oldest continually published law journal in the Pacific Northwest.[23]
  • The Oregon Review of International Law is a student-run journal founded in 1999 and published continually since.[24] It specializes in topics pertaining to international law and policy.[25]

Employment

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More than 93% of Oregon Law's 2022 class is employed as of 10 months after graduation.[26]

Costs

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The total cost of attendance (indicating the cost of tuition, fees, and living expenses) at Oregon for the 2023–2024 academic year was $81,582 for non-residents and $68,706 for Oregon residents.[27] The Law School Transparency estimated debt-financed cost of attendance for three years is $199,048 for non-residents and $170,167 for Oregon residents.[28]

Public Interest Environmental Law Conference

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The Public Interest Environmental Law Conference (PIELC) is a conference held annually on the first weekend in March at the University of Oregon School of Law in Eugene, Oregon, United States. The conference is a gathering of environmental activists, advocates, and students from across the United States and the world.[29]

PIELC is organized and hosted by the students involved in the environmental law society "Land Air Water" (LAW). Land Air Water is a student group at the University of Oregon School of Law. It is co-sponsored by Friends of Land Air Water, a University of Oregon/Land Air Water alumni group that helps advise the student organizers.

The conference has six to ten internationally recognized keynote addresses and over 120 panels. The conference has been held since 1983 and celebrated its 42nd anniversary in 2024.[30]

The conference is held on the first weekend in March. Early panels start Thursday afternoon, and the official opening is Thursday evening. It closes with a final address Sunday at noon. Typically the conference has around 5,000 attendees.[citation needed]

The content of the conference is aimed at professional environmental activists, such as people that work in non-profit public interest organizations such as the Wilderness Society, the Sierra Club, and the Oregon Natural Desert Association and public interest environmental attorneys like Earthjustice, Natural Resources Defense Council, and private public interest attorneys. CLE credits are available.

The conference is also of interest to students of environmental law and environmental studies, and each year it hosts groups from around a dozen different schools.

The conference is unapologetically pro-public interest, and pro-environment. It does not attempt to persuade the general public that environmental issues matter. It is a forum for the people who are actively enforcing environmental law, and promoting environmental values to talk among themselves, and share experiences, strategies, and news.[citation needed]

Notable alumni

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Main article: List of University of Oregon alumni

References

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  1. ^ "Detailed Enrollment". 29 July 2019. Retrieved January 29, 2020.
  2. ^ "Oregon Law Fact Sheet." University of Oregon School of Law.
  3. ^ "University of Oregon, Best Law Schools". U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved 9 April 2024.
  4. ^ https://law.uoregon.edu/jd/class-profile University of Oregon School of Law.
  5. ^ "Admissions." University of Oregon School of Law.
  6. ^ Corning, Howard M. (1989) Dictionary of Oregon History. Binfords & Mort Publishing. p. 253.
  7. ^ a b c Horner, John B. (1919). Oregon: Her History, Her Great Men, Her Literature. The J.K. Gill Co.: Portland. p. 241.
  8. ^ ABA-Approved Law Schools by Year. American Bar Association. Retrieved on February 28, 2008.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa Sol, Credence, ed. (2008). "Oregon Law at 125" (PDF). 2008 Oregon Lawyer ANNUAL. University of Oregon School of Law. pp. 16–20. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 26, 2011. Retrieved 2014-09-22.
  10. ^ Michael D. Axline, Forward, 1 J. Envtl. L. & Litig. vii (1986)
  11. ^ America's Best Graduate Schools: School of Law: University of Oregon. U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved on January 29, 2020.
  12. ^ America's Best Graduate Schools: Law: Environmental Law. (April 27, 2012). U.S. News & World Report
  13. ^ Environmental and Natural Resources Law. University of Oregon School of Law. Retrieved on February 28, 2012.
  14. ^ LLM Guide: University of Oregon. Pritzwalks. Retrieved on February 28, 2008.
  15. ^ "Appropriate Dispute Resolution Center." University of Oregon School of Law.
  16. ^ "Master's in Conflict in Dispute Resolution." University of Oregon School of Law.
  17. ^ America's Best Graduate Schools: Law: Dispute Resolution. (April 27, 2012). U.S. News & World Report
  18. ^ "Legal Research and Writing. University of Oregon School of Law.
  19. ^ America's Best Graduate Schools: Law: Legal Writing. (April 27, 2012). U.S. News & World Report
  20. ^ "Journal of Environmental Law and Litigation". University of Oregon School of Law. November 13, 2019.
  21. ^ "Oregon Law Review". Hein Online.
  22. ^ University of Oregon; School of Law; Oregon Bar Association; Oregon State Bar (1921). "Oregon law review". Oregon Law Review. ISSN 0196-2043. OCLC 1761423.
  23. ^ "Oregon Law Review". University of Oregon School of Law. November 13, 2019.
  24. ^ "Oregon Review of International Law". Hein Online.
  25. ^ "Oregon Review of International Law". University of Oregon School of Law. November 13, 2019.
  26. ^ "JD Class Profile". School of Law. 2019-07-29. Retrieved 2020-01-30.
  27. ^ "2023–2024 Tuition and Fees".
  28. ^ "Oregon Profile".
  29. ^ "PIELC website".
  30. ^ "42 Years of PIELC". Eugene Weekly. Retrieved 2012-03-03.
  31. ^ "Ann Aiken". law.uoregon.edu. Archived from the original on January 17, 2013. Retrieved March 30, 2018.
  32. ^ "Robert C. Belloni". Federal Judicial Center. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
  33. ^ "Suzanne Bonamici". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
  34. ^ "The Voter's Self Defense System".
  35. ^ "William G. East". Federal Judicial Center. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
  36. ^ "William A. Ekwall". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved 6 March 2013.
  37. ^ "University of Oregon Foundation". University of Oregon. Retrieved 2021-11-27.
  38. ^ "Jack Faust". Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt. Archived from the original on 27 February 2012. Retrieved 6 March 2013.
  39. ^ "John Frohnmayer to discuss ethics and truth in Zoom talk". University of Oregon. 23 April 2020. Retrieved 2021-11-27.
  40. ^ "Helen J. Frye". Federal Judicial Center. Retrieved 7 March 2013.
  41. ^ "Alfred Goodwin". Federal Judicial Center. Retrieved 7 March 2013.
  42. ^ "Bert E. Haney". Federal Judicial Center. Retrieved 7 March 2013.
  43. ^ "Arthur D. Hay". State of Oregon Law Library. Retrieved 7 March 2013.
  44. ^ "Donald Hodel". Notable Names Data Base. Retrieved 7 March 2013.
  45. ^ 1913 Oregana (Yearbook). University of Oregon. 1912. p. 47. Retrieved 2021-11-27.
  46. ^ "Malcolm F. Marsh". Federal Judicial Center. Retrieved 7 March 2013.
  47. ^ "Fourteen New Lawyers: Class of 1900 in University of Oregon Pass Examination". The Sunday Oregonian. 1900-05-27. p. 24. Retrieved 2021-11-27.
  48. ^ "Julius L. Meier". National Governors Association. Retrieved 7 March 2013.
  49. ^ "Hardy Myers". Lewis & Clark College. Archived from the original on October 15, 2008. Retrieved 7 March 2013.
  50. ^ "Edwin J. Peterson". Willamette College of Law. Retrieved 7 March 2013.
  51. ^ Cliff Collins, Profiles in the Law, Oregon State Bar Bulletin, Maj. Gen. Raymond (Fred) Rees: General Practice, December, 2005
  52. ^ Riggs, R. William (2003). "A Proposal for Change" (PDF). Willamette Law Review. 39 (4) (Fall ed.): 1439. Retrieved April 5, 2018.
  53. ^ "David Schuman". Oregon Judicial Department. Retrieved 12 March 2013.
  54. ^ "Frederick Steiwer". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved 12 March 2013.
  55. ^ "Jacob Tanzer". whoislaw. Retrieved 12 March 2013.
  56. ^ 1937 Oregana (Yearbook). University of Oregon. 1937. p. 41. Retrieved 2021-11-27.
  57. ^ "Richard Louis Unis". OregonLive Obituaries. February 18, 2016. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
  58. ^ "Martha Lee Walters". Oregon Judicial Department. Retrieved 12 March 2013.
  59. ^ "Harold Warner". whoislaw. Retrieved 12 March 2013.
  60. ^ "Wendell Wyatt". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved 12 March 2013.
  61. ^ "Ron Wyden". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved 12 March 2013.
  62. ^ "Minoru Yasui". Presented by Oregon Historical Society. Retrieved 12 March 2013.
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