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Dean's Message
Four core values--academic excellence, scholarship, public
service, and equal opportunity--define the School of Law-Newark. Few
institutions can match our contributions to the advancement of legal theory and
practice, our reputation for outstanding academic quality and a progressive
tradition, the diversity of our faculty and student body, and the
accomplishments of our clinical program. These strengths have consistently
produced leaders of the bench, the bar, the corporate world, all levels of
government, and public interest organizations in New Jersey and across the country.
Our faculty of nationally recognized scholars and experts in their
fields teach and inspire students in a supportive and challenging
academic environment. Students learn the law from a diverse and
dedicated group of men and women with expertise in such far-ranging
areas as civil liberties, corporate finance, land use, international
business, gender and race studies, banking regulations, employment law,
criminal procedure, and intellectual property. Their teaching is
enhanced by award-winning scholarship that addresses both established and emerging
areas of law and contributes to the development of legal theory.
At Rutgers-Newark, we recognize that today's students live in an
increasingly global world, with society, technology, and law changing
at an unprecedented pace. Faculty members and academic programs reflect
both our traditional strength in public interest law as well as a
significant focus on business law, intellectual property, and
international law. Courses in corporate, commercial, tax, and related
areas of law prepare students for careers on Wall Street and in other
business centers. Our Global Legal Studies program combines academics
and advocacy, providing students with a solid understanding of
international law and of the close relationship between its private and
public aspects.
We also recognize our increasing diversity--in race and ethnicity, in
immigrant status, and in family structure. Programs on such topics as
affirmative action in higher education, same-sex marriage, and the proper balance
between security and civil liberties in the face of new international
challenges reflect
the diverse views at the law school and in the legal community on these
matters.
Rutgers-Newark consistently ranks among the very
top national law schools in the diversity of its student body, reflecting our
long-standing commitment to equal opportunity for historically underrepresented
groups in the classroom and the legal profession. Our student body is diverse
in the broadest sense of the word--in terms of socioeconomic circumstances,
work experience, educational background, volunteer work, and leadership
experience, as well as race, religion, and ethnicity. Our commitment to promoting
representation of all segments of
society in the law school and in the legal profession sustains an environment for producing lawyers dedicated to advancing
the legal system and improving the administration of justice for all.
The School of Law-Newark continues to make innovative contributions to
clinical legal education, which it pioneered more than 35 years ago.
Clinics that specialize in diverse subject areas enable students to
serve a broad range of clients in pacesetting fields of law. Students
in the transaction-based Community Law Clinic, for example, serve urban
entrepreneurial businesses, while students in the Child
Advocacy Clinic represent children in education and family law matters.
Under the supervision of clinical law professors--all experienced
public interest lawyers--students hone practice skills and learn the
importance of legal work on behalf of the poor and underrepresented
while working on actual cases. Rutgers-Newark clinics are widely known
for their participation in significant civil rights, international
human rights, the environment, and other cases.
The Eric R. Neisser Public Interest Program serves as the umbrella
organization for a wide variety of public interest-related activities
and educational opportunities at the law school. It promotes a
culture of public service within the law school community, advances
opportunities for students to learn about and experience public
interest work, and supports students interested in developing careers
in public service.
The Rutgers experience is enhanced by our home in the Center for Law
and Justice, one of the finest law school buildings in the country.
Numerous features throughout the five-story, light-filled building
facilitate creative teaching, advance productivity, create a strong
sense of community, and encourage a collegial exchange of ideas. A
handsome courtroom complex affords students the opportunity to hear
guest lectures by distinguished members of the legal community,
including Supreme Court justices and other jurists, law professors, and
well-known attorneys. Student-organized programs on topical legal and
social issues bring additional prominent scholars and practitioners to
the campus. The courtroom also attracts New Jersey court proceedings
several times a year, further enriching the experiential learning of
our students.
The Center for Law and Justice is located on the campus of Rutgers-Newark,
the most diverse national university in the United States. Newark and
the surrounding area are home to major law firms, government offices,
corporations, entrepreneurial ventures, and public interest groups that
represent a wealth of permanent and summer job opportunities. Our
Office of Career Services sponsors numerous programs and events on
specific career issues and practice areas to help students plan their
career and find employment. Rutgers law graduates routinely report a greater than 95 percent employment status rate within nine months of
commencement.
For nearly 100 years, Rutgers has graduated lawyers who serve with
distinction as judges, government officials, and prominent attorneys in
public interest organizations and in the private sector. I strongly
encourage you to visit the Center for Law and Justice to experience for
yourself the distinctive education, culture, and inspiration that mark
the Rutgers-Newark law school experience.
Cordially,
Stuart L. Deutsch
Dean and Professor of Law
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