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Ohio State University Moritz College of Law

Coordinates: 39°59′46″N 83°00′29″W / 39.99611°N 83.00806°W / 39.99611; -83.00806
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Ohio State University
Moritz College of Law
Parent schoolOhio State University
Established1891; 133 years ago (1891)
School typePublic law school
Parent endowment$7.4 billion
DeanKent Barnett
LocationColumbus, Ohio, United States
39°59′46″N 83°00′29″W / 39.99611°N 83.00806°W / 39.99611; -83.00806
Enrollment532
Faculty80
USNWR ranking26th (tie) (2024)[1]
Bar pass rate89.89% (2022 first-time takers)[2]
Websitemoritzlaw.osu.edu
ABA profileofficialguide.lsac.org

The Michael E. Moritz College of Law is the law school of Ohio State University, a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. Founded in 1891, the school is located in Drinko Hall on the main campus of the Ohio State University in Columbus. The school is accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA) and is a charter member of the Association of American Law Schools.

According to the college's official 2022 ABA-required disclosures, 83.51% of the Class of 2022 obtained full-time, long-term, and bar passage-required employment nine months after graduation, excluding solo-practitioners. This ranked Moritz first in Ohio for job placement of recent law graduates.[3]

History

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Page Hall

The board of trustees of the Ohio State University officially sanctioned a law school in June 1885 after approving a resolution introduced by trustee Peter H. Clark, an early African-American civil rights activist.[4] However, it was not until October 1891 that the law school was formally opened to 33 students, including 1 woman, in the basement of the second Franklin County Courthouse.[4] Marshall Jay Williams, a Justice of the Ohio Supreme Court served as the first dean of the law school and lectured for two years before resigning in 1893.[4] In 1896, the University elevated the law school to its present-day College of Law status.

In 1903, the College of Law moved to Page Hall, its first permanent building on the main campus of the University (now home to the John Glenn College of Public Affairs), named in honor of Henry F. Page, a prominent Ohio attorney who had left his estate to the University.[4] Over the next four decades, the College of Law experienced rapid growth under the successive leadership of deans William F. Hunter, Joseph H. Outhwaite, John Jay Adams and Herschel W. Arant.[4] The College of Law continued under the successive leadership of deans Gregory H. Williams, Nancy H. Rogers, Alan C. Michaels, and Lincoln L. Davies.

The modern-day building that now houses the Moritz College of Law since 1958, Drinko Hall, is named after attorney and College of Law benefactor John Deaver Drinko, former Managing Partner of BakerHostetler in Cleveland, Ohio. Drinko graduated from the College of Law in 1944 and received a Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1991. In 2001, the College of Law received a $30 million donation from benefactor Michael E. Moritz, former partner of BakerHostetler in Columbus, Ohio. Moritz received his undergraduate degree from the Ohio State University Fisher College of Business in 1941 and law degree from the College of Law in 1944, where he graduated at the top of his class. At the time, it was the largest single gift to the Ohio State University (in 2011, the University received a $100 million gift from Les Wexner). The donation provided full-tuition grants with stipends to 30 law students, 4 endowed faculty chairs, 3 service awards for students, and a fund for use by the dean.[dead link‍][5] The College of Law completed a supplemental campaign to raise an additional $30 million to match Moritz's gift and make further improvements.[dead link‍][6]

Admissions

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For the class entering in 2023, Moritz College of Law accepted 33.08% of applicants, with 26.33% of those accepted enrolling. The average enrollee had a 165 LSAT score and 3.83 undergraduate GPA.[7]

Academic reputation

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Above the Law ranked the Moritz College of Law as the 40th best law school in America in 2023.[8] U.S. News & World Report ranked the Moritz College of Law's full-time Juris Doctor program tied for the 26th best law school in America in 2024 (down from 22nd in 2023).[9]

According to professor Brian Leiter's "Scholarly Impact Score" that is based on about 500 participants and nearly 70,000 votes on paired comparisons, the Moritz College of Law faculty ranked tied for 32nd in scholarly impact in 2022.[10] Specifically, professor and Heck-Faust Memorial Chair in Constitutional Law, Ruth Colker, was 18th of the top 20 most-cited legal scholars between 2016 and 2020 for critical theory in focusing on society and culture to attempt to reveal, critique, and challenge power structures.[11]

Journals

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The Ohio State Moritz College of Law publishes five legal journals:[12]

  • The Ohio State Law Journal was founded in 1935 as the "Law Journal of the Student Bar Association" and was originally a "section" of the Student Bar Association and funded by student contributions. Robert E. Leach '35, former Chief Justice of the Ohio Supreme Court, was the first editor of the Law Journal. Today, the journal is edited by students and publishes six issues each year. In April 2012, OSLJ launched Furthermore, an online supplement to the print version, which in 2019 became Ohio State Law Journal Online. According to Bepress and its ExpressO Top 100 Law Review Rankings, the Ohio State Law Journal is the most popular law review accessed by authors on its online submission delivery service for legal scholars.[13]
  • The Ohio State Technology Law Journal (published semiannually; interdisciplinary journal focused on the intersection of technology and the law; faculty-edited in collaboration with student editors).[14]
  • The Ohio State Journal on Dispute Resolution (sponsored quarterly journal of the American Bar Association focusing on alternative dispute resolution; student-edited; founded in 1985).[15]
  • The Ohio State Journal of Criminal Law (published semiannually; peer-evaluated, faculty-student cooperative venture).[16]
  • The Ohio State Business Law Journal (published semiannually; student run; focuses on legal issues facing entrepreneurs, small business owners, and venture capitalists).[17]

Moot Court & Lawyering Skills Program

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Lou's Cafe at Drinko Hall

The Moot Court & Lawyering Skills Program includes intramural competitions and inter-scholastic teams covering various areas of the law. The Moot Court and Lawyering Skills Governing Board is responsible for organizing and administering four intramural competitions: the Herman Moot Court Competition, Colley Trial Practice Competition, the Representation in Mediation Competition, and the Lawrence Negotiations Competition. The Moot Court Board is a student-run organization that oversees and assists various Moot Court teams that compete nationally against other schools.[18]

Drug Enforcement and Policy Center

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The Drug Enforcement and Policy Center examines the impact of modern drug laws, policies and enforcement on personal freedoms and human well-being, giving sustained attention to analyzing the rapid evolution of marijuana laws and the impacts of reform efforts. The center focuses on promoting and supporting interdisciplinary, evidence-based research, scholarship, education, community outreach and public engagement on the myriad issues and societal impacts surrounding the reform of criminal and civil laws prohibiting or regulating the use and distribution of traditionally illicit drugs.

The center was founded in 2017 following a $4.5 million gift from the Koch Foundation.[19] The center also received a $5 million gift from John Menard Jr.

Bar examination passage

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In 2022, the overall bar examination passage rate for Moritz College of Law first-time examination takers was 89.89%. The Ultimate Bar Pass Rate, which the ABA defines as the passage rate for graduates who sat for bar examinations within two years of graduating, was 97% for the class of 2020.[2]

Post-graduation employment

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According to the College of Law's official 2022 ABA-required disclosures, 83.51% of the Class of 2022 obtained full-time, long-term, bar passage-required employment nine months after graduation, excluding solo-practitioners.[3] Moritz College of Law ranked 24th out of 201 ABA-approved law schools in terms of the percentage of 2016 graduates with non-school-funded, full-time, long-term, bar passage required jobs nine months after graduation.[20]

The College of Law's Law School Transparency under-employment score is 3.4%, indicating the percentage of the Class of 2021 unemployed, pursuing an additional degree, or working in a non-professional, short-term, or part-time job nine months after graduation.[21]

Ohio was the main employment destination for 2021 Moritz College of Law graduates, with 66% of employed 2021 graduates working in the state.[3]

Costs

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The total cost of attendance (indicating the cost of tuition, fees, and living expenses) at the College of Law for the 2022–2023 academic year is estimated at $53,849 for Ohio residents and $69,101 for non-residents.[22] Moritz College of Law's in-state tuition and fees on average increased by 2.27% annually over the past five years while its non-resident tuition and fees on average increased by 1.67% over the past five years.[22]

The Law School Transparency estimated debt-financed cost of attendance for three years is $194,717.[22] The average indebtedness of the 67% of 2021 College of Law graduates who took out loans was $83,831.[22]

Scholarships

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Moritz College of Law Dedication Wall

As of 2022, 33.9% of student receive a full-tuition scholarship, the highest percentage among all American law schools.[23]

Moritz Scholars

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The Moritz Merit Scholarship Fund was established in 2001 by Michael E. Moritz '61. The Fund provides for 30 annual full tuition plus stipend scholarships. The scholarships are designed to attract and train a select group of students with outstanding academic and personal histories in a variety of areas including academia, business, law, government, and public interest. In recent years, the Moritz family has criticized Ohio State for not providing the full 30 scholarships, mismanaging the investments and using the scholarship fund to pay for university operating expenses in violation of the endowment agreement.[24]

Barton Scholars

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The Robert K. Barton Memorial Scholarship Fund was established in 1968 by golf legend and Ohio State University alumnus Jack Nicklaus. The Scholarship was established in memory of his good friend and Moritz College of Law alumnus Robert K. Barton '62, one of central Ohio's top amateur golfers and law partner of former Ohio Governor and fellow Moritz alumnus John W. Bricker. Barton, his wife Linda, and another couple were killed when their private plane crashed en route to watch Nicklaus play in the 1966 Masters Tournament.[25]

Notable faculty

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Deans of Moritz College of Law
Name Tenure
Kent Barnett 2024–present
L. Camille Hébert (acting) 2024
Lincoln L. Davies 2019–2024
Alan C. Michaels 2008–2019
Nancy H. Rogers 2001–2008
Gregory H. Williams 1993–2001
Francis X. Beytagh 1985–1991
James E. Meeks 1978–1985
L. Orin Slagle 1974–1978
James C. Kirby 1970–1974
Ivan C. Rutledge 1965–1970
Frank R. Strong 1952–1965
Jefferson B. Fordham 1947–1952
Harry W. Vannemen (acting) 1946–1947
Arthur T. Martin 1940–1946
Herschel W. Arant 1928–1939
Alonzo H. Tuttle (acting) 1926–1928
John Jay Adams 1909–1926
George W. Rightmore (acting) 1908–1909
Joseph H. Outhwaite 1905–1907
William F. Hunter 1893–1905
Marshall Jay Williams 1891–1893

The Moritz College of Law has 80 faculty members. Notable current and former faculty members include:

Notable alumni

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Robert Duncan
William Saxbe
George Voinovich
Main article: List of Ohio State University Moritz College of Law alumni

The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law has approximately 10,000 alumni across the United States. Selected notable alumni include:

References

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  1. ^ "Ohio State University (Moritz)". U.S. News. Retrieved April 8, 2024.
  2. ^ a b "Widener Delaware Law School - Bar Passage". abarequireddisclosures.org. American Bar Association. Retrieved 29 January 2024.
  3. ^ a b c https://moritzlaw.osu.edu/sites/default/files/2023-03/EQSummary-FINAL%203.29.23.pdf [bare URL PDF]
  4. ^ a b c d e Williams, Lawrence (1935). "The Law School" (PDF). Law Journal of the Student Bar Association of the Ohio State University. hdl:1811/71791. Retrieved 2016-08-06.
  5. ^ $30M Gift is Largest Single Donation to OSU Archived 2006-09-01 at the Wayback Machine, onCampus. July 19, 2001. Accessed on June 13, 2006.
  6. ^ Law Record, Autumn 2005, Dean's Message Archived 2006-03-06 at the Wayback Machine. Accessed on June 13, 2006.
  7. ^ "2023 Standard 509 Information Report -Ohio State Moritz College of Law". abarequireddisclosures.org. American Bar Association. Retrieved February 5, 2024.
  8. ^ "How do law schools fare when assessed using this outcomes-based methodology?". Above the Law. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
  9. ^ "Ohio State University (Moritz)". US News. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
  10. ^ "Top 40 law faculties in terms of scholarly distinction, 2022". Brian Leiter. Retrieved April 8, 2024.
  11. ^ "20 Most-Cited Critical Theories of Law Faculty in the U.S., 2016-2020". Brian Leiter. Retrieved April 8, 2024.
  12. ^ "LAW JOURNALS". The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law. Retrieved 9 July 2018.
  13. ^ "OHIO STATE LAW JOURNAL". The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law. Retrieved 9 July 2018.
  14. ^ "I/S: A JOURNAL OF LAW AND POLICY FOR THE INFORMATION SOCIETY". The Ohio State University Moritz College Of Law. Retrieved 9 July 2018.
  15. ^ "OHIO STATE JOURNAL ON DISPUTE RESOLUTION". The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law. Retrieved 9 July 2018.
  16. ^ "OHIO STATE JOURNAL OF CRIMINAL LAW". The Ohio State University Moritz College Of Law. Retrieved 9 July 2018.
  17. ^ "OHIO STATE BUSINESS LAW JOURNAL". The Ohio State University Moritz College Of Law. Retrieved 9 July 2018.
  18. ^ Student Organizations: Moot Court Archived 2006-09-02 at the Wayback Machine. Accessed on August 25, 2007.
  19. ^ "Ohio State establishes Drug Enforcement and Policy Center with support from Charles Koch Foundation".
  20. ^ Leichter, Matt (29 April 2016). "Class of 2015 Employment Report". The Law School Tuition Bubble. Retrieved 6 August 2016.
  21. ^ "Ohio State University".
  22. ^ a b c d "Cost of Attendance and Debt at Ohio State University".
  23. ^ "Which law schools have the highest percent of full-tuition scholarships?".
  24. ^ Ludlow, Randy. "Moritz family fights Ohio State for using endowment to pay for fundraising". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved 2021-04-12.
  25. ^ MacDonald, Jim (April 8, 1966). "Death of Nicklaus friend saddens Masters leader". Toledo Blade. (Ohio). p. 16.
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