Stanford Law Revamps Legal Curriculum

However, per the February 13^th sacbee.com article, “Stanford Law School Advances New Model for Legal Education”, the JD program will retain the primary basis of a traditional legal curriculum. But, it will utilize the whole of Stanford University so as to give students a basis for grasping future clients' needs, via coursework and joint degree programs, in coordination with the school's other top notch graduate programs and departments. In this manner, students can look forward to developing a sophisticated set of skills based on a multi-disciplinary approach. A look at real world problems, and clinical experience in a variety of areas, ranging from Supreme Court litigation to corporate transactional law, will prepare students for successful careers.

Larry Kramer, Richard E. Lang Professor of Law and Dean was quoted as saying: “What we're doing here no other law school has done, and no other law school can do, because no other university matches Stanford in the number of top-notch programs and departments relevant to lawyers. We've utilized the whole university to create a multi-dimensional legal education, because we think lawyers have a valuable role to play in helping to solve the world's problems and that calls for more than knowing how to analyze case law. And we think we are uniquely positioned among law schools to produce lawyers who do that.”

Stanford's massive overhaul to its legal curriculum is forward thinking and gives students a competitive edge. Stanford masterminded and implemented the changes for a variety of reasons.

First, as other disciplines have continued to become more specialized, such as business, medicine, and education, the law must follow suit in order to keep pace, and answer needs within these disciplines. In addition, the new curriculum will focus not only on teaching aspiring attorneys to recognize problems, it will teach them methods for solving them. As well, as the world has become increasingly more global, lawyers must be prepared to meet, and address, international issues head on with knowledge and finesse – issues in the realm of intellectual property, war crimes and business deals, to name a few.

Howard L. Ellin, global hiring partner at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP & Affiliates was quoted as saying: “At Skadden, we value innovation tremendously, and Stanford Law School's curriculum reforms reflect a truly forward-looking holistic approach to legal education. The law school is dedicated to anticipating and fulfilling the practical and intellectual needs of both its students and the legal and business communities they enter after graduation.”

Examples of how Stanford's legal curriculum has changed include the school modifying its academic calendar from semesters to quarters to coincide with the rest of the university. As well, it's increased options for joint degrees. Currently, Stanford offers 23 formal joint degree programs and 28 individual joint degrees; this includes two with other institutions. As well, students can create their own joint degree program.

The law school has increased the number of clinics it offers, as well as reorganizing those clinics. Now, they operate as a single law firm, known as The Mills Legal Clinic. There are currently ten clinics that cover an increased number of practice areas.

The law school broadened the international scope of its curriculum by adding new coursework and programs. New classes will focus on international business, trade, and tax, and national security. As well, new programs offer students hands on experience in a global setting. Study abroad and student exchange programs, externships, and international clinics are just some of the opportunities students have to work and study in countries such as Afghanistan, Bhutan, Timor Leste, and Iraq.

In addition to curriculum changes, Stanford, just last year, dedicated the William H. Neukom Building, which now serves as the hub of the law school. At 65,000 square feet, it provides, under one roof, an environment for clinical and academic faculty to interact in both formal and casual settings.

Stanford Law School is located in Silicon Valley, near Palo Alto, California. Established in 1893, the school employs over 50 faculty members. It has the smallest student body of any law school – about 500 – who are working toward earning a JD or other graduate legal degrees such as the Master of Laws (LL.M.) and the Doctor of the Science of Law (J.S.D.).

See Top Law Schools Analyzed and Ranked By America's Top Legal Recruiter Harrison Barnes for more information.