J. Reuben Clark Law School

The J. Reuben Clark Law School (BYU Law or JRCLS) is the graduate law school of Brigham Young University (BYU) in Provo, Utah. Founded in 1973, the school is named after J. Reuben Clark, a former U.S. Ambassador, Undersecretary of State, and general authority of the institution's sponsoring organization, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

J. Reuben Clark Law School
Parent school	Brigham Young University
Religious affiliation	The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Established	1973[1]
School type	Private
Dean	D. Gordon Smith
Location	Provo, Utah, USA 40.2494°N 111.6453°W
Faculty	40 (full-time), 57 (part-time)
USNWR ranking	37th (2021)[2]
Website	www.law.byu.edu
ABA profile	ABA Profile

Provo

Location in the continental United States

Provo

Location in Utah

BYU Law is fully accredited by the American Bar Association, and a member of the Association of American Law Schools.[3] BYU Law consistently ranks among the nation's top tier of American Bar Association approved law schools according to U.S. News & World Report, and it is consistently recognized for its low tuition and high placement rate in Article III federal judicial clerkships.[4]

History

On March 9, 1971, the BYU Board of Trustees announced that a law school would be established at the university.[5] Just two-and-one-half years later the opening ceremonies were held on August 27, 1973.[6] Classes were initially held several blocks south in an old Catholic school building (St. Francis of Assisi, 300 N. 900 East),[1] affectionately referred to as "St. Reuben's" by the students.

Future U.S. Solicitor General Rex E. Lee was the charter dean of the law school. The JRCLS Building was completed and dedicated in 1975, and the law school graduated its first class in 1976. The law school has since graduated more than 5,000 students.[7]

Campus

The nearly 100,000-square-foot (9,300 m²) BYU Law building is located on the east side of the campus of Brigham Young University and backdropped by Y Mountain. The building's five floors contain eleven classrooms, three seminar rooms, a student commons area, a student lunchroom, spaces for student organizations and activities, a large computer lab, and a computer training room.

The Howard W. Hunter Law Library occupies the north wing of the law building and houses a collection of over 450,000 volumes and volume equivalents in paper and microform. The library provides its law students with 470 individually assigned study carrels, 17 group study rooms, a reading room for quiet study, and a popular reading and conversation room. The library also has two classrooms where library faculty teach legal research and writing classes, familiarizing students with specific types of legal research and with library holdings.[8] In 2014, the National Jurist ranked the Howard W. Hunter Law Library as the 25th best law library in the country.[9]

The campus is located within the original jurisdiction of the United States District Court for the District of Utah and the appellate jurisdiction of the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit (except for patent claims and claims against the U.S. government under the Tucker Act, which are appealed to the Federal Circuit).

Academics

Admissions

Many admitted students have graduate and/or doctoral degrees in a wide range of academic disciplines, and most have spent time abroad.[10] Entering students graduated from over 70 different undergraduate colleges and universities in 11 countries and nearly 40 US states.

In 2009, the incoming class had a median GPA of 3.73 and a median LSAT score of 165.[11] Based on these numbers, BYU Law ranks 12th in the nation for GPA[12] and 25th in the nation for LSAT admissions standards.[13]

Admission to the BYU Law School is open to people of any faith or sexual orientation, subject to the school's Honor Code.[14] Among other things, the Honor Code precludes the admission and retention of students who are former members of the LDS Church,[15] or whose actions are categorized as "homosexual behavior," which includes both sexual relations and "all forms of physical intimacy that give expression to homosexual feelings".[16] To verify Honor Code compliance, students are required to obtain, and maintain during their course of study, an ecclesiastical endorsement from a religious leader or designated BYU chaplain.[17] In 2016, the American Bar Association, which accredits the school, conducted a review to determine whether BYU Law School's admission and retention policy was in accordance with its nondiscrimination policy.[18]

Juris Doctor (JD) program

Most of the students at BYU Law are enrolled in the Juris Doctor (JD) program. JD students are required to take 90 semester hours of credit in order to graduate. In the first year of law school all students are required to take one semester each of Civil Procedure, Contracts, Criminal Law, Property, Torts, Introduction to Legal Research and Writing, Introduction to Advocacy, Legislation and Regulation, and Structures of the Constitution. Additionally, each student must take Professional Responsibility during their second or third year and prepare a substantial paper (at least 30 pgs).[19] Students must also fulfill a Professional Skills Requirement by completing six hours of externship credit or Professional Skills Courses. In addition to their substantive coursework, many second and third-year students participate in moot court, a scholarly publication, a clinic, or an externship.

Joint Degree programs

For students interested in a more general interdisciplinary course of study, the School of Law offers five joint degree programs (usually completed in four years, as opposed to three for a standard JD):

JD-MBA, with the Marriott School of Business

JD-MPA, with the Romney Institute of Public Service and Ethics within the Marriott School of Business

JD-MAcc, with the School of Accountancy within the Marriott School of Business

JD-MEd, with the David O. McKay School of Education

Master of Laws (LLM) program

For foreign lawyers seeking a master's degree in Comparative American law, BYU Law offers a two semester Master of Laws (LLM) program. Applicants must have a law degree or certification from an institution located outside the U.S. to participate in the program.[20]

Academic offerings

The student-to-faculty ratio at BYU Law is about 18 to one.[21] The current faculty includes numerous former U.S. Supreme Court and U.S. Circuit Court judicial law clerks. The school hosts several events each year, including the World Family Policy Center / United Nations Conference (July),[22] the International Law and Religion Symposium (October),[23] and the Orrin G. Hatch Distinguished Trial Lawyer Lecture Series (November).

Students at BYU Law publish four law journals: the BYU Law Review, the BYU Journal of Public Law,[24] the BYU Education and Law Journal,[25] and the BYU International Law & Management Review.[26]

The JRCLS ranks 13th in the nation for U.S. Supreme Court clerk placement.

Rankings and honors

The U.S. News & World Report's "Best Law Schools" ranked BYU Law 37th in the country overall (2021),[2] and 3rd for "Law Degrees With Most Financial Value at Graduation" (2016)[27]

The National Jurist named BYU Law 1st in "Best Value Law Schools" (2016),[28] and 20th in "Best Law Schools"(overall) (2013)[29] In 2020, The National Jurist reported data from the U.S. Department of Education reflecting that BYU Law had the lowest median federal student debt ($51,250) of any law school in the country.[30]

Princeton Review's "Best Law School" ranked BYU Law 2nd for "Most Conservative Students," and 3rd in "Most Competitive Students," (2007)[31]

Leiter’s Law School Rankings placed the law school

• 13th in United States Supreme Court clerk placement (2003-2013)[32]
• 25th in Admissions Selectivity
• 33rd in Student Quality
• 49th in Scholarly Impact[33]

Employment

According to BYU's official 2013 ABA-required disclosures, within nine months of graduation 64.6% of the Class of 2013 found full-time, long-term, bar-passage-requirement employment; 11.5% found full-time, long-term, JD-advantage employment; and 5.4% found part-time, long-term, bar-passage-required or JD-advantage employment.[34] Overall, 92% of the Class of 2013 found employment within nine months of graduation, and 83.7% of those who found employment were in full-time, long-term positions.[34] BYU's Law School Transparency under-employment score is 20.4%, indicating the percentage of the Class of 2013 unemployed, pursuing an additional degree, or working in a non-professional, short-term, or part-time job nine months after graduation.[35]

Costs

The total cost of attendance (indicating the cost of tuition, fees, and living expenses) at BYU for the 2016-17 academic year is $33,464 for LDS students and $46,144 for students who are not LDS.[36] Law School Transparency estimated debt-financed cost of attendance for three years is $118,778.[37] It further estimated the cost of living at $20,352 and the cost of tuition and fees for LDS students at $12,310 while Non-LDS students would pay $24,620 during the 2016-17 term.[38]

Associated organizations

BYU Law students may participate in a wide variety of organizations while attending law school and after graduation. Co-curricular programs include Law Review, Moot Court,[39] Trial Advocacy,[40] and various other student-edited publications.[41] For extracurricular activities, students may choose from more than 30 student-run and professional associations, including the American Constitution Society, the Federalist Society, the Student Bar Association, and the Minority Law Students Association.[42][43]

Of particular note is the J. Reuben Clark Law Society, which is an organization of law school students and graduates consisting of 65 professional and 125 student chapters throughout the world. Although students and graduates of BYU Law are de facto members of the society, there is no requirement to attend the law school or to be a member of the LDS Church. The organization claims the following current or former government officials: 14 U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Judges, 18 U.S. District Court Judges, 4 U.S. Attorneys, 6 U.S. Senators, 9 U.S. Congressmen, dozens of legal officers in Fortune 500 companies, and over 100 State Supreme Court, Appellate Court, and District Court judges.[44] The Society holds an annual conference for students and practicing attorneys. Prior conferences have featured former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor and current U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.[45][46]

Students of the law school were among the members of the first chapter of the American Inns of Court, organized in 1980.[47]

Notable people

Faculty

Faculty include Kif Augustine-Adams, Cole Durham, Frederick Gedicks, Cheryl Preston, Brett Scharffs, D. Gordon Smith, Lynn Wardle, Kevin J Worthen.

Notable former faculty have included Hon. Dee Benson, Larry Echohawk, Michael Goldsmith, James D. Gordon III, Hon. Thomas B. Griffith, Bruce C. Hafen, H. Reese Hansen, RonNell Andersen Jones, Hon. Dale A. Kimball, Hon. Mike Lee, Justice Thomas R. Lee, and Hon. Howard C. Nielson Jr., James Rasband

Alumni

Notable BYU Law alumni include three U.S. Circuit Judges, five U.S. District Judges, one U.S. Senator, three U.S. Congressmen, three university presidents, numerous law professors, and a NFL Hall-of-Famer.

Alumni law clerks of the United States Supreme Court

For the 2003–2013 Terms of the United States Supreme Court, BYU Law was ranked #13 nationally in Brian Leiter's rankings for Supreme Court clerkship placement (per capita).[32]

Seat	Num	Justice	Law clerk	Started	Finished	Graduation year	Previous clerkship
CJ	97	Warren E. Burger	Monte N. Stewart	1977	1978	1976	J. C. Wallace (9th Cir.)
CJ/9	97/103	Warren E. Burger (shared with Antonin Scalia)	Von G. Keetch	1989	1990	1987	G. Pratt (2d Cir.)
CJ/10	97/106	Warren E. Burger (shared with Clarence Thomas)	Karl M. Tilleman	1992	1993	1990	J. Noonan (9th Cir.)
CJ	100	William Rehnquist	Stephen M. Sargent	1994	1995	1993	Tacha (10th Cir.)
CJ	100	William Rehnquist	Jay T. Jorgensen	1999	2000	1997	Alito (3d Cir.)
1	99	Lewis F. Powell, Jr.	Prof. Eric G. Andersen	1978	1979	1977	J. C. Wallace (9th Cir.)
1	99	Lewis F. Powell, Jr.	Hon. Michael W. Mosman	1985	1986	1984	Wilkey (D.C. Cir.)
6	93	Byron White	Pres. Kevin J Worthen	1983	1984	1982	Wilkey (D.C. Cir.)
8	102	Sandra Day O'Connor	Hon. Denise Posse-Blanco Lindberg	1990	1991	1988	McKay (10th Cir.)
8	110	Samuel Alito	Hannah Clayson Smith	February 2006	July 2006	2001	C. Thomas / Alito (3d Cir.)
8	110	Samuel Alito	Sen. Michael S. Lee	2006	2007	1997	Alito (3d Cir.) / Benson (D. Utah)
8	110	Samuel Alito	Prof. David H. Moore	2007	2008	1996	Alito (3d Cir.)
10	106	Clarence Thomas	Hannah Clayson Smith	2003	2004	2001	Alito (3d Cir.)
10	106	Clarence Thomas	Robert Stander	2014	2015	2011	Sutton (6th Cir.) / Lee (Utah)
9	106	Neil Gorsuch	Prof. Stephanie Barclay[48]	2021 (anticipated)	2022 (anticipated)	2011	Smith (9th Cir.)

See also

• List of deans of the J. Reuben Clark Law School
• List of law schools in the United States
• List of law clerks of the Supreme Court of the United States

References

1. Rea, Dorothy O. (May 16, 1974). "BYU law school thriving at end of first year". Deseret News. (Salt Lake City, Utah). p. B5.
2. https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-law-schools/brigham-young-university-03156
3. "Approved Private Law Schools". American Bar Association. Retrieved 2008-05-14.
4. https://www.usnews.com/education/best-graduate-schools/top-law-schools/slideshows/10-law-schools-where-you-can-pay-off-your-debt?slide=8
5. "Pres. Wilkinson resigns BYU position". Deseret News. (Salt Lake City, Utah). March 9, 1971. p. A1.
6. "Rites formally open BYU school of law". Deseret News. (Salt Lake City, Utah). August 27, 1973. p. B1.
7. "Founding Documents". JRCLS, BYU. Archived from the original on 2008-04-29. Retrieved 2008-05-27.
8. "BYU Law School". LexisNexis. Retrieved 2008-05-14.
9. "Best Law Libraries". The National Jurist. Retrieved 19 November 2014.
10. http://www.law2.byu.edu/admissions/pdf_documents/Profile%202008-2009.pdf%5B%5D Incoming Class Profile, BYU Law School
11. "Admissions: FAQ". Law2.byu.edu. 2007-03-01. Archived from the original on 2007-04-29. Retrieved 2010-10-05.
12. "Average Raw Data Law School Rankings: Highest GPA". Ilrg.com. Retrieved 2010-10-05.
13. "Brian Leiter Student Quality Rankings, 2009". Leiterrankings.com. 2008-04-06. Retrieved 2010-10-05.
14. "Acceptance Criteria: Non-Discrimination Policy". BYU Law. Retrieved 2016-04-23.
15. "Church Educational System Honor Code". BYU University Policies. Students must be in good Honor Code standing to be admitted to, continue enrollment at, and graduate from BYU....Excommunication, disfellowshipment, or disaffiliation from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints automatically results in the loss of good Honor Code standing.
16. "Church Educational System Honor Code". BYU University Policies. Retrieved 2016-04-23. Homosexual behavior is inappropriate and violates the Honor Code. Homosexual behavior includes not only sexual relations between members of the same sex, but all forms of physical intimacy that give expression to homosexual feelings.
17. "Church Educational System Honor Code: Continuing Student Ecclesiastical Endorsement". BYU University Policies.
18. Karen, Sloan (2016-04-18). "Inquiry Into BYU Law School's Expulsion of Ex-Mormons Proceeds". The National Law Journal.
19. "Academic Requirements". law.byu.edu. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
20. "LLM Program for Foreign Lawyers" (PDF). BYU J. Reuben Clark Law School. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 October 2013. Retrieved 30 January 2012.
21. "BYU, Clark". Best Graduate Schools. U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved 2008-05-27.
22. "World Family Policy Center homepage". JRCLS, BYU. Archived from the original on 2008-05-09. Retrieved 2008-05-27.
23. "International Center for Law and Family Studies homepage". JRCLS, BYU. Retrieved 2008-05-27.
24. "BYU Journal of Public Law". Law2.byu.edu. Retrieved 2010-10-05.
25. Williams, Taryn. "BYU Education and Law Journal: Current Issue". Law2.byu.edu. Retrieved 2010-10-05.
26. "BYU International Law & Management Review". Byuilmr.org. Archived from the original on 2011-04-14. Retrieved 2010-10-05.
27. Delece Smith-Barrow. "Most Valuable Law Degree Rankings, U.S. News & World Report". US News & World Report.
28. "National Jurist Best Value Rankings".
29. "National Jurist - February 2013".
30. https://www.bluetoad.com/publication/frame.php?i=651937&p=11&pn=&ver=html5
31. "Princeton Review's Top 50 Law Schools".
32. Nevers, Shawn. BYU Law Alum to Clerk for SCOTUS, Hunter's Query January 15, 2014 Archived April 29, 2014, at the Wayback Machine retrieved 2014-29-04
33. http://leiterlawschool.typepad.com/leiter/2018/08/top-50-law-schools-based-on-scholarly-impact-2018.html
34. "Employment Statistics" (PDF).
35. "BYU University Profile".
36. "Tuition and Expenses".
37. "BYU University Profile".
38. "Brigham Young University, Finances". www.lstreports.com. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
39. Archived October 29, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
40. "Trial Advocacy - Organizations". Law2.byu.edu. Archived from the original on 2009-03-30. Retrieved 2010-10-05.
41. Archived December 27, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
42. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-09-27. Retrieved 2011-04-25.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
43. "BYU Law Organizations". Law2.byu.edu. Retrieved 2010-10-05.
44. "J. Reuben Clark Law Society". Jrcls.org. Retrieved 2010-10-05.
45. "J. Reuben Clark Law Society Conference". Jrclsconference.org. Archived from the original on 2009-01-06. Retrieved 2010-10-05.
46. "Elder Holland addresses Clark law society on 25th anniversary". LDS Church News. February 23, 2013.
47. https://home.innsofcourt.org/AIC/About_Us/History/AIC/AIC_About_Us/History_of_the_American_Inns_of_Court.aspx?hkey=a37ee0c7-2df9-4af4-967e-1602688fd8f4
48. https://news.byu.edu/news/byu-laws-pipeline-us-supreme-court-continues

External links

• Official website
• Brigham Young University photographs of campus buildings, including photographs of the law building, UA 827 at L. Tom Perry Special Collections, Brigham Young University