The Birmingham School of Law is a state-accredited law school located in Birmingham, Alabama.[4] Founded in 1915 by Judge Hugh A. Locke, a judge of the Chancery Court and president of the Birmingham Bar Association, the Birmingham School of Law offers a part-time program of study in which graduates receive the Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree after four years of study.
| Birmingham School of Law | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Established | 1915 |
| School type | Private |
| Dean | S. Scott Garrett [1][2] |
| Location | Birmingham, Alabama, U.S. 33°30′57″N 86°48′23″W / 33.51597°N 86.80641°W |
| Enrollment | 400 |
| USNWR ranking | Unranked |
| Bar pass rate |
|
| Website | www |
The law school is not accredited by the American Bar Association and graduates may not qualify to be admitted to the bar in states other than Alabama.
Admissions
editThe law school requires applicants to have a bachelor’s degree before beginning classes but does not require an LSAT test score as part of its application process unless the applicant’s degree is from a foreign country. The school reviews an applicants’ academic records and employment history in determining acceptance.[5] The school requires a minimum 2.75 GPA to be considered for admission.[6]
Accreditation
editGraduates are eligible to take the Alabama Bar Examination pursuant to the authority granted by the Alabama Legislature and the Alabama Supreme Court.[7] The Birmingham School of Law is not accredited by the American Bar Association, nor is the school seeking accreditation. As a result, graduates are generally not allowed to take the bar exam and practice in other states.[8][9]
Bar examination passage
editThe Birmingham School of Law ranks significantly below Alabama's three ABA-accredited law schools in bar examination performance. The school had a 12.5% pass rate for first-time takers on the July 2023 examination compared to 82.20% for ABA schools. The school had a 8.57% pass rate for repeat takers on the July 2023 examination.[3]
Facilities
editThe school is located in downtown Birmingham, in a renovated a historic building. The school consists of an auditorium, mock courtroom, law library, computer lab, and multimedia classrooms. In the past, classes were held at Birmingham-Southern College, the Birmingham YMCA, the historic Frank Nelson Building in downtown Birmingham, and the Jefferson County Courthouse.
Associations
editNotable alumni
edit- Clarence W. Allgood (1902–1991) (LL.B. 1941), former United States federal judge[10]
- James D. Martin (1918–2017) attended, former member of the United States House of Representatives for the 7th district of Alabama - 1965 to 1967[11][12]
- Richard Shelby (b. 1934) (LL.B. 1961), graduate University of Alabama School of Law (LL.B. 1963), former United States senator from Alabama
- Mike D. Rogers (b. 1958) (JD 1991), U.S. Representative for Alabama's 3rd congressional district since 2003[13][14]
- Phil Williams (b. 1965) (JD 2003), former member of the Alabama State Senate - 2010 to 2018.[15]
References
edit- ^ "Birmingham School of Law - Student Handbook" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-08. Retrieved 2009-12-16.
- ^ "Faculty & Staff". bsol.com. Birmingham School of Law. Retrieved 8 March 2024.
- ^ a b "Alabama State Bar - July 2023 Bar Exam Results". admissions.alabar.org/. Retrieved 2024-03-08.
- ^ "Home". alabar.org.
- ^ "Admissions - Application Requirements". bsol.com. Birmingham Law School. Retrieved 8 March 2024.
- ^ "Birmingham School of Law - Minimum GPA of 2.75". odysseytestprep.com. Odyssey. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
- ^ "Section 34-3-2.1". Archived from the original on 2010-03-16. Retrieved 2009-11-26.
- ^ "Home". abanet.org. Archived from the original on 2007-11-16. Retrieved 2021-09-24.
- ^ "Home". bsol.com.
- ^ "Clarence W. Allgood". Biographical Directory of Federal Judges. Retrieved 13 December 2012.
- ^ "James D. Martin". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved 13 December 2012.
- ^ "James D. Martin". encyclopediaofalabama.org. Encyclopedia of Alabama. Retrieved 13 August 2024.
- ^ "Mike D. Rogers". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved 13 December 2012.
- ^ "Mike Rogers (Alabama)". ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia. Retrieved 13 August 2024.
- ^ "Alabama State Bar Exam Statistics".