Golden Gate University School of Law

REGISTRAR'S PHONE/FAX/EMAIL:
415-442-6620/415-495-6756/
registrar@law.berkeley.edu

CAREER SERVICE PHONE/FAX/EMAIL:
415-442-6625/415-543-6680/
lawcareer@ggu.edu

An Overview

GGU Law has trained savvy, creative, and socially responsible practitioners for more than100 years. This dynamic urban setting in San Francisco's legal district offers all the studentsunmatched access to courts, law firms, and key government agencies.

The main goal is to prepare the students to be critical thinkers, problem solvers, and leaders,with the flexibility to respond to changes in the legal profession. For that it is necessary to blendpractical skills training with legal theory throughout the curriculum and this university strives forexcellence in both teaching and scholarship. The mission of GGU is to produce a diverse group ofgraduates with the skill, judgment, and moral compass to become exceptional lawyers and sociallyresponsible members of the global community.

Golden Gate University is fully accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges(WASC). Graduates qualify to take the bar exam in all 50 states and in the District of Columbia.

Degrees Offered
LL.M. students can earn certificates of specialization in one of several subjects:

• LL.M. in Environmental Law
• LL.M. in Intellectual Property Law
• LL.M. in International Legal Studies
• LL.M. in Taxation Law
• LL.M. in U.S. Legal Studies

Details of Courses Offered

Golden Gate Law offers a Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Environmental Law that includes academic study, writing, and practical skills training. Students must take four core courses, additional elective courses, and complete a thesis. Students in two of Golden Gate Law's other graduate law programs, the LL.M. in International Legal Studies and the Doctor of Juridical Science (S.J.D.) in International Legal Studies programs, often focus their research on international environmental issues, particularly relating to energy law.

Students delve deeply into the areas of patent, trademark, and copyright law; draft agreements and litigation documents; and learn negotiating tips and strategies. The curriculum includes both domestic and international IP law courses, and offers an unprecedented level of instruction in legal issues relating to the creative arts with courses in entertainment, sports, and art law.

Golden Gate offers a wide array of courses in public and private international law, comparative legal systems, international economic law, international investment law, international organizations, international human rights law, and dispute resolution.

The LL.M. in International Law program is both academic and practical. At its core, the LL.M. program provides students with knowledge of the fundamental principles of international law and the current rules that govern their application. The curriculum reaches beyond rules, however, to examine the effects of various cultural practices and national policies on international trade, human rights, and the environment. In addition, courses trace the development of international and regional organizations and treaties that govern multinational issues. Students are exposed to practical applications of negotiating skills and to different methods of international dispute settlement.

The LL.M. in Taxation Law Program is one of the preeminent graduate tax law programs in the West, and it is the only program available to students in the San Francisco Bay Area. The program offers advanced instruction in six core areas: business taxes, estate planning, tax litigation and procedure, international taxation, employee benefits, and general taxation. The program is taught by experienced practitioners, government attorneys, and full-time faculty members who specialize in tax law, and it emphasizes both an academic and a practical approach to tax law.

Practitioners who wish to enhance their tax law expertise may also receive an Estate Planning Certificate, which is a 16-unit program. Students in the certificate program complete selected required and elective LL.M. tax law courses for credit, but the certificate is available only to non-degree seeking students.

Golden Gate University (GGU) provides a very flexible LL.M. program. It provides core training in United States law for foreign attorneys and law graduates with an option to prepare taking a state bar examination. Alternatively, interested students may opt to concentrate in a particular area of US law (See Program Highlights below for details). Students have the freedom to pursue customized study plans and to choose the courses or programs that are most advantageous to their goals. Students may start the program in August, January, or June.

Financial Aid

The Anne Marie Bourgeois Memorial Endowed Law Scholarshipwas established in memory of a 1989 graduate. It is awarded to women students with prior experience in the legal field.

The Louis Garcia Memorial Endowed Scholarship Fund was established in memory of a 1952 graduate and the first Latino judge to serve in San Francisco. The primary objective of this fund is to assist minority students.

The Diana Richmond Endowed Scholarship Fund for African Americans was funded with a major gift by Diana Richmond, a 1973 graduate and an established family practice lawyer in San Francisco. This award is given to African-American law students.

The Alumni Association Endowed Scholarship is awarded to a law student who has demonstrated leadership and is in the top fifteen percent of his or her class. The selection committee may also consider financial need.

The Frederick W. Bradley Endowed Scholarship, named for a 1966 graduate of the School of Law, is awarded solely on the basis of financial need.

The Phillip Burton Endowed Law Scholarship, named in memory of the former U.S. congressman and 1953 School of Law graduate, is awarded on the basis of financial need.

The Linda Caputo Memorial Scholarship was established by the friends, family, law school faculty, and classmates of Linda Caputo, who graduated from the School of Law in 1987 and had spina bifida. This scholarship is awarded to a student who has overcome significant obstacles to obtain a legal education.

The Martin S. Cohen Endowed Memorial Scholarship, named for a former student, is awarded to a Jewish student with demonstrated financial need and good academic standing.

The Kevin J. Connell J.D. Memorial Endowed Scholarship Fund was established in memory of a third-year student who died in spring 1995. The scholarship is awarded to a student in good academic standing with demonstrated financial need, with preference given to veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces.

The Environmental Law Scholarship is awarded to a student who has completed his or her second year of law school and has a demonstrated commitment to, and record of, achievement in environmental law. An essay is required with the application.

The Helen A. and John A. Gorfinkel Endowed Scholarship was established in memory of John Gorfinkel, a former professor and dean, and is awarded on the basis of financial need and academic achievement.

The Richard W. Johnson Memorial Endowed Scholarship was created and funded by classmates and friends of a 1965 graduate of the School of Law. This scholarship, given to a student who has shown great academic improvement since starting law school, is awarded at the start of a student's third year.

The Paul S. Jordan Endowed Law Scholarship is named for a School of Law faculty member, dean, and university trustee. Preference is given to students who demonstrate scholastic excellence and financial need.

The Hugh Geoffrey Major Endowed Women's Law Scholarshipwas established by Patricia Carson (Class of 1952) and named for her son. The scholarship is awarded to women students with financial need and good academic standing.

The Barbara M. Mathews Educational Scholarship, named for a 1983 law graduate, provides annual support for women students who majored in humanities as undergraduates and who demonstrate financial need.

The Masud Mehran Endowed Fellowship is named for a member of the University Board of Trustees since 1986. The fellowship is awarded to students in good academic standing with demonstrated financial need. Preference is given to individuals displaying entrepreneurial spirit and initiative.

The Anthony J. Pagano Dean's Merit Scholarship, named for a former dean of the School of Law (1988-1998), is awarded at the discretion of the current dean to a law student with financial need who demonstrates outstanding achievement in law school.

The Roderick S. Polentz Memorial Endowed Scholarship, established in 2005 by a generous gift from the Polentz family, is named in memory of a 1984 alumnus and is awarded to an evening law student.

The Joseph R. and June B. Rensch Endowed Scholarship is awarded to upper-division students on the basis of financial need, academic achievement, and potential for business leadership.

The Kathryn E. Ringgold Endowed Scholarship is awarded to a student with demonstrated financial need and solid academic standing, with preference given to women or African Americans.

The Louie Sbarbaro Endowed Scholarship Fund is named for a longtime bon vivant and raconteur who resided in Siskiyou County, California. This is a need-based scholarship, with preference given to students who resided in the northern part of California before entering law school.

The Catherine Sherburne-Thompson Endowed Scholarship Fund is named in memory of a 1956 School of Law graduate and its first female faculty member. This fund provides assistance to a part-time woman student in her third or fourth year.

The Professor James B. Smith Memorial Endowed Scholarship is given to a part-time woman student with significant financial need or to an older student of either gender.

The Union Bank of California Scholarship provides financial assistance to a low-income or minority student.

The Michael A. Zamperini/W. Clay Burchell Endowed Scholarship is awarded to a gay or lesbian law student who is beginning his or her final fall semester. This scholarship is awarded based on overall academic achievement and academic performance in the Writing & Research courses. An essay is required with the application.

The Joseph and Ruth Zukor Memorial Scholarship was endowed by Ruth Zukor in memory of her husband, who graduated from the School of Law in 1956. This scholarship is awarded to students who have demonstrated financial need and are in good academic standing.

Cost of Attendance

Career Development/Services Offered

Golden Gate University professional staff provides comprehensive services to support students and graduates in their transitions from law school to professional life. Law Career Services (LCS) professional staff offerings include:

• One-on-One Counseling: Beginning in their first year, students receive individualized guidance and coaching from one of our four attorney-career counselors.
• Access to Industry Experts: LCS continually brings attorneys to campus to speak about practice areas and job types. During the 2011-12 academic years, GGU Law hosted more than 30 such events.
• Resources for Graduating Students: LCS offers a series of workshops specifically targeted to the needs of graduating students. Recent graduates receive weekly e-newsletter with job search advice, job leads, and networking opportunities.
• Real-Time Information on Jobs, Networking: LCS utilizes a blog, e-news, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube to inform students about trends in the market, job search advice, job and grant opportunities and networking events, with a specially structured program for public interest opportunities.
• Recruitment Programs: GGU hosts semi-annual recruitment programs and promotes job fairs to link students with formal internship and job opportunities. LCS also maintains a password-protected website featuring job listings and a database of 7,000 employers.
• Bridge Fellowship Program: To assist in a smooth transition to law practice, GGU provides modest stipends to recent graduates who are volunteering in a legal capacity for courts, government agencies and public interest organizations. Several of these Fellows were subsequently hired by their host organizations, or by other organizations as a direct result of the experience and professional contacts they gained in these positions. The San Francisco and Alameda County District Attorney Offices, the San Francisco and Monterey County Public Defender Offices, the EEOC, the Center for Juvenile Justice Reform, and San Francisco Superior Court were just some of the agencies that selected GGU graduates as Bridge Fellows.

References

• http://law.ggu.edu/contact
• http://law.ggu.edu/career-services
• http://law.ggu.edu/about/law-at-ggu
• http://law.ggu.edu/academics/degree-programs
• http://law.ggu.edu/admissions/application-requirements
• http://law.ggu.edu/media/law/documents/law-admissions/2013-04-23-GGUGGUGGU-SOL-LLMLLMLLM-Application.pdf
• http://law.ggu.edu/admissions/international-applicants
• http://law.ggu.edu/law/academics/degree-programs/master-of-laws-in-environmental-law
• http://law.ggu.edu/law/academics/degree-programs/master-of-laws-in-intellectual-property-law#program
• http://law.ggu.edu/law/academics/degree-programs/master-of-laws-in-international-legal-studies
• http://law.ggu.edu/law/academics/degree-programs/master-of-laws-in-taxaxtion
• http://law.ggu.edu/law/academics/degree-programs/master-of-laws-in-us-legal-studies
• http://law.ggu.edu/media/law/documents/environmental-law-justice-brochure.pdf
• http://law.ggu.edu/law/law-student-services/registrar/tuition-and-fees