From the School
Located in the heart of Southern California, Chapman University's Dale E. Fowler School of Law provides a personalized, practice-focused approach to legal education that prepares graduates to make a lasting difference in their communities. ABA accredited and ranked among US News & World Report's Top Law Schools, the Fowler School of Law is recognized for its distinguished faculty, smaller class sizes, and award-winning competition teams.
Overview
From The School
Chapman has a rolling admission policy. Applicants are required to submit a formal application, personal statement, resume, two letters of recommendation, and the CAS report from the Law School Admission Council (LSAC). The CAS report generally includes LSAT score(s), official transcript(s), and letters of recommendation. The law school takes the highest LSAT score. There is no application fee.
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From The School
Degrees Offered
Chapman offers a traditional Juris Doctor as well as a JD/MBA or JD/MFA in Film & Television Producing. Seven JD emphasis areas allow students to specialize wisely by earning a certificate in Advocacy and Dispute Resolution, Business Law, Criminal Law, Entertainment Law, Environmental/Land Use/Real Estate, International Law, or Tax Law. Chapman also offers LL.M. programs, including a dual LL.M./MBA.
Programs and Curriculum
Chapman Law offers an Academic Achievement Program to ensure all law students have access to innumerable resources for academic and professional success, including one-on-one faculty mentoring, undergraduate-to-graduate transition workshops, essay-writing workshops in the 1L substantive law subjects, and additional instruction from Academic Fellows. The First Generation Scholars Program, targeted to law students who are the first in the their family to earn a college degree, features workshops, panels, and mentorships designed to enhance academic success, professional development, and personal growth.
Faculty
The world-class faculty at the Fowler School of Law includes four former U.S. Supreme Court clerks; a Nobel laureate; a former five-time U.S. Congressman; leading legal scholars; former law partners; clinical and practice specialists; and a host of passionate educators from a wide range of specialty areas. The law school's professors are seasoned experts, leading public and academic discussions of the law. They frequently can be found publishing in the nation's top law journals as well as in national publications such as the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post; appearing as experts on network, cable and public television and radio news programs; writing leading casebooks and treatises; and contributing to legal and academic blogs.
Special Programs
Chapman has a thriving clinical program, with six clinics providing pro bono services to individuals in a diverse range of legal subject areas: tax, entertainment, elder law, family protection, constitutional law, and mediation. Each clinic is directed by a faculty member with significant clinical experience. Students participate in classroom and hands-on field work that may include client contact, research projects, document preparation, brief writing, and court appearances. Chapman also offers an industry-leading bar exam preparation program that includes two distinct for-credit courses that students take as part of the JD curriculum and an intensive supplemental program after graduation, during which the participants attend classes, receive individualized feedback on practice essays and take several mock bar exams.
Faculty Information
Students Say
When it comes to the job hunt, Chapman students feel good about their options. As one grateful individual notes, "Our career services office works really aggressively at making each student competitive in the job market." Indeed, "networking opportunities" are plentiful. Further, many students are quick to note "how much the alumni are involved with the school and recruit from the school." We'll give the final words to this student who happily concludes, "The staff, faculty, and administration all seem to have one goal: to help students graduate and succeed. I never felt as if I was short on resources or aid and my overall academic experience was fantastic."
Career overview
From The School
The law school's Career Services Office (CSO) offers comprehensive services to aid students and alumni in achieving employment goals. Dedicated career advisers meet with students regularly on an individual basis to help match students' education, skills, and interests with both traditional and non-traditional employment opportunities, including internships, externships and paid positions. CSO staff helps students prepare with in-person and online mock interview programs, and then put those skills to the test with on-campus interviews. In addition, Chapman provides complimentary membership to the Orange County Bar Association to maximize students' networking opportunities in the legal community.
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Overview
From The School
Tuition for 2019-2020 is $54,718 for full-time JD students and $43,680 for part-time JD students. There is no additional charge for out-of-state students.
Financial Aid
Chapman offers generous, merit-based scholarships based on LSAT and cumulative GPA data. Scholarships for First Generation college students and those with previous work experience are also available, in addition to federal loans. Chapman also participates in the Yellow Ribbon Program, which provides funding for eligible military veterans. Although applications are accepted year-round, prospective students are encouraged to apply by April 15 to maximize scholarship opportunities.
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Overall
From The School
Chapman provides a comfortable and supportive environment for the rigorous study of law. Students are collegial and collaborative and enjoy significant opportunities to work closely with faculty. Chapman offers more than three dozen law student organizations, which provide valuable networking opportunities in a variety of legal specializations. Students are actively involved in the planning and presentation of guest speakers and major annual events, including the Chapman Law Review Symposium, Entertainment & Sports Law Symposium, Diversity & Social Justice Forum Symposium, and Public Interest Law Foundation Benefit. Students also attend the Barrister's Ball, an annual dinner and dance party hosted by the Student Bar Association.
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From The School
Campus and Location
Chapman University is located in the heart of Orange County, just one block from the lively Old Towne Orange dining and shopping district — and a short drive to beaches and Disneyland. With its proximity to the Irvine Business Complex and the County's federal and state courts, the law school's location is ideal for maximizing employment and networking opportunities, with Los Angeles and San Diego counties within commuting distance. In addition, as the only private law school in Orange County that is part of an all-inclusive university campus, the Fowler School of Law offers law students all the benefits, services and activities afforded by Chapman University.
Facilities
The four-story Kennedy Hall law school building offers a contemporary and comfortable learning environment for law students. Recently renovated and updated classrooms and seminar rooms are equipped with state-of-the-art technology, capable of accommodating future changes in electronic, visual and on-site learning. The Aitken Trial Courtroom, which recently underwent a $1 million high-tech renovation, features wireless device connections, touch panel AV controls and video conferencing capability. Along with an appellate courtroom, the school provides fully equipped facilities for trial advocacy exercises, mock trial and moot court competitions, and formal hearings by visiting courts. The spacious, welcoming Darling Law Library occupies one wing of the building, providing 365 seats and ample natural lighting for studying and research. The newly created Center for Student Engagement provides a one-stop shop for student career and support services. Student lounges and facilities for student organizations and publications ensure that the law school experience at Chapman is both productive and enjoyable.
Assistant Dean of Admissions and Diversitiy Initiatives
Orange, CA 92866