Capital University Law School

Introduction

Capital University Law School, located in downtown Columbus, is at the epicenter of Ohio’s legal, business, and government community. Our location provides students with an ideal environment to study law and a wealth of opportunities to gain practical legal experience, meet future employers, and establish a network of contacts within the legal and professional arena. The Law School is within walking distance of the Ohio Supreme Court, the Ohio Court of Appeals, the Ohio Attorney General’s Office, the state legislature, major law firms, numerous state agencies, and Fortune 500 corporations.

Innovation and leadership are intrinsic traits of our heritage. For more than a century, Capital University Law School has produced some of the finest judges; partners and associates of respected law firms; officials at all levels of government; business professionals; and influential community leaders. We invite you to closely examine all of the factors that distinguish our law school:

• Outstanding faculty
• Superior Bar Success Program
• Innovative curriculum
• Extensive and diverse externship opportunities
• Remarkable alumni
• Commitment to serving diverse communities

Curriculum

Capital University Law School is committed to providing our full-time and part-time students with a first-rate education. The Law School’s comprehensive curriculum balances theoretical knowledge and practical applications of the law. Courses are both intellectually challenging and cutting edge, equipping our students with essential lawyering skills necessary for effective, creative, and ethical legal counseling and advocacy. By graduation, our alumni have made the transition from law student to legal practitioner—prepared to meet the challenges and demands of the evolving practice of law.

Teaching is a core value at Capital University Law School. Capital Law students describe the faculty as knowledgeable, accessible, collegial, cooperative, and true mentors. Outside of the classroom, our faculty members are accomplished scholars who distinguish themselves through their research, scholarship, and authorship of books and journal publications. In a recent study, Capital University Law School’s faculty is noted for scholarly productivity.

To learn more about Capital Law’s rich curriculum and distinguished faculty, visit the Law School website.

Diversity and Inclusion

Capital University Law School takes pride in its history of providing a legal education for groups who historically have been excluded from or underrepresented in law schools. Capital University Law School is committed to supporting and embracing diversity in all of its forms. The Law School actively recruits students of all races, ethnicities, sexual orientations, religions, and socioeconomic backgrounds.

Students come to Capital with diverse educational, cultural, social, and professional backgrounds. Capital University Law School embraces and values the varied perspectives our students bring to the school.

Capital Law has many programs and benefits that support students of color. The presence of minority faculty, a director of diversity and inclusion, availability of financial aid, both academic and nonacademic support, and participation in the Columbus Bar Association Minority Clerkship Program are examples of resources available to our students. In addition to the services at the Law School, Columbus also presents a diverse and supportive community in which our students can live, learn, play, and explore.

Special Programs

Diversity of opportunity is a trademark of Capital University Law School. Capital Law students have the unique opportunity to create their own academic path and pursue their personal passions through our specialized and innovative academic programs.

Individualized Curriculum

Capital University Law School remains on the cutting edge of developing practice-ready graduates. The Law School’s individualized curriculum gives students the option to tailor their studies in one of the following five major concentrations:

• Children and Family Law
• General Practice
• Litigation
• Regulatory Law
• Transactional Law

Within several of the major concentrations, students can specialize their studies as follows:

Each concentration is responsive to the evolving legal landscape and combines theoretical and practical classroom experience with faculty expertise. Concentration course requirements include a foundation class, a course fulfilling the upper-level writing requirement, an experiential course, an externship related to the concentration, and two or more additional courses from an elective options menu. Successful completion of all requirements will result in the awarding of a concentration certificate.

Joint-Degree Programs

The Law School’s joint-degree programs allow students to advance their education without delaying their career plans. These accelerated programs enable students to complete two degrees with a substantial reduction in total credit hours and in less time than it would take to obtain them separately. Capital offers a Juris Doctor degree with any of the following degrees:

• Master of Business Administration
• Master of Science in Nursing
• Master of Theological Studies
• Master of Laws in Business
• Master of Laws in Taxation

Experiential Learning

Our commitment to immersing you in the real-world environment of law is best exemplified by our diverse externship and pro bono programs, centers, and legal clinics.

The Law School’s externship program offers students more than 100 legal field sites with courts, agencies, corporate law departments, and legal service organizations. These diverse sites provide learning opportunities to experience the challenges and rewards of practicing law.

Through participation in our pro bono program, students give back to the community at large by assisting in brief advice and referral clinics, the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program, and student-created projects with local and national nonprofits and legal service organizations.

The Law School’s centers and clinics include

• The Center for Dispute Resolution
• The Family and Youth Law Center
• The General Litigation Clinic
• The Mediation Clinic
• The Family Advocacy Clinic
• Foster Youth Advocacy Center

These various clinics give students an opportunity to provide direct representation to individuals in need of legal assistance. Under the watchful eye of clinical faculty, the student’s experience is mentored and assessed to ensure future success as a licensed practitioner.

Admission

Capital University Law School seeks to attract a diverse pool of applicants who are motivated and committed, and possess the requisite skills and abilities to study law. Admission to the Law School is based on a review of each individual’s application file in its entirety. Rarely does any single factor, either LSAT score or undergraduate grade-point average, determine a candidate’s status.

The Law School’s Admission Committee thoughtfully and thoroughly evaluates the competitiveness and difficulty of each candidate’s undergraduate and graduate coursework, personal statement, letters of recommendation, evaluations, employment history, writing ability, leadership experience, extracurricular activities, general background, and any additional information the candidate feels is important to the admission decision. All of these factors, along with the LSAT score and grade-point average, are weighed during the admission process.

Student Activities

Capital University Law School offers a myriad of extra- and cocurricular activities to help round out students’ educations. Activities include several student organizations and moot court competition teams, as well as the Capital University Law Review.

Capital University Law School supports associations for students with common values and backgrounds, as well as groups focused on specific areas of law. Student organizations are educational, professional, and offer many opportunities for leadership development, networking, and engagement with professionals in the legal community.

The Moot Court Program is a student-led advocacy society at Capital University Law School. Members of the Moot Court Program receive practical experience in conducting mock trials, drafting appellate briefs, and developing their oral advocacy skills. Competitors travel all over the United States to compete in regional and national competitions in various areas of law, including adoption law, business law, environmental law, and labor law.

The Capital University Law Review provides the legal community with scholarly analysis of contemporary legal issues. The Review is published four times each year by Capital University law students. By participating in the publication process of the Review, students enhance their skills in legal research, writing, and analysis.

Professional Development

The Capital University Law School Office of Professional Development provides individual career counseling for students and alumni and hosts a wide variety of career-related programs, including Continuing Legal Education programs for alumni. The office provides an online job-posting board, coordinates employer recruiting programs, and maintains an extensive library of books and other relevant resources.

Capital University Law School graduates pursue a variety of legal and nonlegal employment opportunities in private practice, corporations, and government offices and agencies. For detailed current and historic employment outcomes about Capital University Law School graduates, visit Employment Outcomes.