:Capital University Law School

The Columbus Law School was founded in 1903, as part of a national program sponsored by YMCA to make legal education practical, accessible, and affordable. The school affiliated with Capital University in 1966 and became the Capital University Law School. Its faculty now stands at 79, and its law library holdings include 265,000 volumes, periodicals, and microfilms.

Capital University Law School is located in the heart of the Discovery District of Columbus, Ohio. The site held the city's Central High School from 1862 to 1928. The school's building was constructed in 1941 for the Columbus Life Insurance Company, previously housed in the Clinton DeWeese Firestone mansion. In 1996, after 55 years of serving the insurance company, Capital University Law School began using the building.{{cite web | url=https://www.westernsouthern.com/columbuslife/about/history | title=Company History of Columbus Life }} The building's front entrance is framed by polished brass relief artwork commissioned by artist Ralph J. Menconi, depicting a ship and surrounded by vintage Art-Deco era accents.{{cite web |last1=Massa |first1=Michael |title=Art, Justice and Law At Capital |url=https://stories.capital.edu/2021/09/24/art-justice-and-law-at-capital/ |website=Capital Stories |publisher=Capital University |access-date=17 October 2023 |date=24 September 2021}}

Capital University Law School has been accredited by the American Bar Association since 1950 and has been a member of the Association of American Law Schools since 1983.{{cite web|url=http://www.americanbar.org/groups/legal_education/resources/aba_approved_law_schools.html |title=ABA-Approved Law Schools | Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar |publisher=Americanbar.org |access-date=2015-08-13}}{{cite web |url=http://www.aals.org/about_memberschools.php |title=Member Schools - Association of American Law Schools | The Association of American Law Schools |publisher=Aals.org |date=2014-06-20 |access-date=2015-08-13 |archive-date=2012-07-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120717014748/http://www.aals.org/about_memberschools.php |url-status=dead }} The student-faculty ratio is 10.6:1. The law school has been a charter member of the League of Ohio Law Schools since 1934.

Capital's 2022 entering class was composed of 162 students.{{cite web|url=http://law.capital.edu/Class_Profile.aspx |title=Class Profile - Capital University Law School |publisher=Law.capital.edu |access-date=2015-08-13}} Capital Law School offers a Juris Doctor, an LL.M. in Business, an LL.M. in Taxation, and an LL.M. in Business and Taxation.{{cite web |url=http://www.lsac.org/OfficialGuide-2013/lsac_1099.asp |title= Capital University Law School | Official Guide|website=www.lsac.org |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120723015235/http://www.lsac.org/OfficialGuide-2013/lsac_1099.asp |archive-date=July 23, 2012}}

The school's J.D. program has a full-time day division, as well as a part-time day and a part-time evening division. The J.D. program has concentrations in children and family law, civil litigation, criminal litigation, dispute resolution, environmental law, governmental affairs, labor and employment law, small business entities, and publicly-held companies. Students in the J.D. program may also avail themselves of joint degree programs in Master of Business Administration, Master of Science in Nursing, and Master of Theology.{{citation needed |date=April 2025}}

Capital Law is home to The Family and Youth Law Center and the Center for Dispute Resolution. Capital University Law School also serves the legal profession and business professionals through certificate programs (paralegal, legal nurse consultant, life care planner, as well as mediation and dispute resolution) and a variety of scholarly symposia and conferences that offer continuing legal education credit. Capital also offers a general litigation clinic, a mediation clinic, a family advocacy clinic, and a small business clinic.{{citation needed |date=April 2025}}

In 2023, U.S. News & World Report ranked Capital's full-time Juris Doctor program 175th for full-time programs in the United States. That same year, U.S. News ranked Capital's part-time Juris Doctor program between 64th and 70th for part-time programs in the country.{{cite web|author=Capital University |url=https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-law-schools/capital-university-03122 |title=Capital University | Best Law School | US News |publisher=Grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com |access-date=2021-04-17}}

The school was voted a "Best Value Law School" on the basis of tuition by the National Jurist magazine in 2009.{{cite web|url=http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/cypress/nationaljurist0909/#/30 |title=National Jurist - September 2009 |publisher=Nxtbook.com |access-date=2015-08-13}} In 2011, the National Jurist magazine, as well as PreLaw magazine named Capital as one of the nation’s top law schools in preparing students for legal careers in public service.{{cite web|url=http://www.nationaljurist.com/content/best-schools-public-service |title=Best schools for public service |publisher=the National Jurist |date=2011-12-05 |access-date=2015-08-13}} In 2012, the magazines listed Capital as one of the nation’s top law schools in terms of preparing its students for the bar exam.{{cite web|url=http://law.capital.edu/News.aspx?id=19084 |title=News - Capital University Law School |publisher=Law.capital.edu |date=2012-02-15 |access-date=2015-08-13}} In 2014, Capital was named to the National Jurist Magazine's "Honor Roll" of law schools that provide practical legal education.{{cite web|url=http://www.nationaljurist.com/content/60-law-schools-earn-top-honors-practical-training |title=60 law schools earn top honors for practical training |publisher=the National Jurist |date=2014-02-20 |access-date=2015-08-13}} In 2015, Capital was once again listed in the National Jurist Magazine's "Honor Roll" of law schools that deliver a practical, experiential legal education.{{cite web|url=http://law.capital.edu/News.aspx?id=34975 |title=News - Capital University Law School |publisher=Law.capital.edu |access-date=2015-08-13}} In 2019, PreLaw magazine listed Capital Law as one of the top law schools in the country for practical training and alternate dispute resolution.{{Cite web|url=https://law.capital.edu/News.aspx?id=2147484337|title = News - Capital University Law School}} PreLaw magazine further listed Capital as one of the top law schools for criminal law in 2019.{{Cite web|url=https://law.capital.edu/News.aspx?id=2147484704|title = News - Capital University Law School}}

{{update |section|date=April 2025}}

Capital's average Ohio bar passage rate for first-time takers of exams administered in 2022 was 72.99 percent.{{cite web|url=https://www.law.capital.edu/media/gerbxujf/aba-bar-passage-2023.pdf |title=Bar Passage Rate - Capital University Law School |publisher=Law.capital.edu |access-date=2023-09-09}}

{{update |section|date=April 2025}}

Capital University's Law School Transparency employment score is 51.6%.{{Cite web |title=Overview of Capital University |url=https://www.lawschooltransparency.com/schools/capital |access-date=2022-05-03 |website=Law School Transparency |language=en}} The University's Law School Transparency under-employment score is 21.4%, indicating the percentage of the Class of 2021 unemployed, pursuing an additional degree, or working in a non-professional, short-term, or part-time job nine months after graduation.{{cite web |title=Capital University Profile |url=https://www.lawschooltransparency.com/schools/capital |access-date=2022-05-02 |publisher=1stscorereports.com}} The median salary for Capital University Law School graduates is $56,836.{{Cite web |title=Graduate Salaries for Capital University |url=https://www.lawschooltransparency.com/schools/capital/salaries |access-date=2022-05-03 |website=Law School Transparency |language=en}}

{{update |section|date=April 2025}}

The total attendance cost (tuition, fees, and living expenses) at Capital University Law School for the 2024 academic year is approximately $63,950 for a full-time student.{{cite web|url=http://law.capital.edu/CostofAttendanceTables/|title=Cost of Attendance Tables - Capital University Law School|website=law.capital.edu}} The Law School Transparency estimated debt-financed cost of attendance for three years is $236,228.{{cite web|url=https://www.lstreports.com/schools/capital/|title=Capital University|website=www.lstreports.com}}

Various notable faculty and alums have contributed at the local, state, and national levels.

• Bradley A. Smith - former Commissioner and Chairman of the Federal Election Commission from 2000 to 2005
• Jack Guttenberg - a legal writer, an expert on professional responsibility, and a co-author of the authoritative source on the Ohio new law of professional conduct for attorneys, Ohio Law of Professional Conduct.

A survey completed in 2008 of faculty scholarship conducted by the Roger Williams University School of Law found Capital's faculty to be one of the most productive scholarly faculties in its tier for 1993-2008, Capital being the #2 law school as listed in U.S. News & World Report's fourth-tier law schools, and #36 of law schools that were outside of the top 50 law schools in U.S. News.{{cite web|url=http://law.capital.edu/uploadedFiles/Law_Multi_Site/About/Publications/08CapLawAnnualR11.pdf |title=Capital University Law School Dean's Annual Report 2007-2008 |publisher=Law.capital.edu |access-date=2015-08-13}}

• Jennifer Brunner, Ohio Secretary of State (2007–2010){{cite web|title=Jennifer Brunner|url=http://votesmart.org/candidate/biography/69569/jennifer-brunner#.UVDoihx--BE|publisher=Project Vote Smart|access-date=26 March 2013}}
• Jonathan Dever, former State of Ohio Representative
• Daniel Gaul, judge for the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court
• Bruce Edward Johnson, Ohio Lt. Governor (2004–2006)
• Jim Jordan, U.S. Representative (R-OH, 2007–present)
• Greg Lashutka, Mayor, Columbus, OH (1991–1999)
• Allen Loughry, Justice of the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals
• Dennis M. McCarthy, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs (2009-2011)
• Matthew W. McFarland, Federal District Judge for the Southern District of Ohio (2019-present)
• Paul McNulty, US Deputy Attorney General (2005–2007), US Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia (2001–2005)
• Sarah D. Morrison, Federal District Judge for the Southern District of Ohio (2019-present)
• Deborah Pryce, U.S. Representative (R-OH, 1993-2009)
• Harley Rouda, former US Representative (D-CA, 2019-2021)
• Michael Watson, Federal District Judge for the Southern District of Ohio (2004-present)
• Dave Yost, Ohio's 32nd Auditor of State and 51st Ohio Attorney General

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Category:Universities and colleges founded by the YMCA

Category:Law schools in Ohio

Category:Buildings and structures in Downtown Columbus, Ohio

Category:Universities and colleges established in 1903

Category:1903 establishments in Ohio

Category:Broad Street (Columbus, Ohio)