Georgia State University College of Law

As far back as the early 1970s, Georgia legislators and academic leaders debated establishing a new law school. The Georgia State University College of Law finally was sanctioned by the state’s Board of Regents in 1981 and Ben F. Johnson became its first dean.{{cite web|url=http://law.gsu.edu/home/about/history/ben-f-johnson-jr/|title=Ben F. Johnson Jr.|publisher=Georgia State University College of Law}}

The college enrolled 200 students in its inaugural year, taught by six professors. Most students were part-time, and many took classes at night, because they had full-time jobs during the day. The college’s first seven graduates were hooded in December 1984.

By the end of its first decade, full-time faculty had grown to 31, nearly half of whom were women.

Georgia State University College of Law is currently ranked as the 69th best law school by U.S. News & World Report (2023-2024). The College of Law also boasts a strong Health Law program (currently ranked 1st nationally by U.S. News & World Report) and a successful part-time program (currently ranked 12th nationally). The law school was ranked 42nd by Above The Law in 2019 using metrics that focus more on student outcomes rather than inputs.{{Cite web|url=https://abovethelaw.com/law-school-rankings/top-law-schools-2019/#rankings|title=The 2019 ATL Top 50 Law School Rankings|website=Above the Law|language=en-US|access-date=2019-02-04}} Additionally, GSU was named by Princeton Review in its 2013 edition of The Best 168 Law Schools.{{cite web|title=2013 Princeton Review Best Law Schools |url=http://law.gsu.edu/news/8289.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121203153900/http://law.gsu.edu/news/8289.html |archive-date=2012-12-03 }}

The cost of tuition and fees at Georgia State University College of Law for the 2024-2025 academic year for full time in-state students is $17,596 and $38,578 for out-of-state students and $38,850 for out-of-country students.

For the Georgia State Law class entering in 2024, the school accepted 31.03% of applicants, with 34.02% of those accepted enrolling. Enrolled students had a median GPA of 3.56 and a median LSAT score of 159.{{Cite web | url=http://law.gsu.edu/admissions/admissions-faq/ | title=See Yourself at Georgia State Law }}{{cite web |title=Georgia State University College of law - 2023 Standard 509 Information Report|url=https://www.abarequireddisclosures.org/Disclosure509.aspx |website=abarequireddisclosures.org |publisher=American Bar Association|access-date= April 13, 2024}}

The school has a number of legal clinics, such as the Phillip C. Cook Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic, which serves low-income taxpayers.{{cite web |title=Phillip C. Cook Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic |url=http://law.gsu.edu/taxclinic/index.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131101123945/http://law.gsu.edu/taxclinic/index.html |archive-date=2013-11-01 }}

The school operates the Summer Academy in International Commercial Arbitration, a five-week, six-credit hour study abroad program based in Linz, Austria.{{cite web|title=SAIICA |url=http://law.gsu.edu/students/5009.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130617121948/http://law.gsu.edu/students/5009.html |archive-date=2013-06-17 }} the Buenos Aires Summer Program in Argentina (jointly sponsored with the Florida International University College of Law); and the Summer Legal and Policy Study in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.{{cite web|title=Summer Legal and Policy - Rio|url=http://law.gsu.edu/metrogrowth/4866.html}}

According to Georgia State's official 2023 ABA-required disclosures, 93.3% of the Class of 2023 obtained some form of employment 10 months after graduation, with 83.33% obtaining Bar Passage Required employment (i.e. as attorneys). Most employment was with firms of one to ten attorneys although 25 graduates obtained employment with firms of over 500 attorneys. Most employment was in the State of Georgia.{{cite web |title=Georgia State College of Law Employment Summary 2023 Graduates |url=https://www.abarequireddisclosures.org/employmentoutcomes.aspx |website=abarequireddisclosures.org |publisher=American Bar Association|access-date= 1 November 2024}} Georgia State's Law School Transparency under-employment score is 10%, indicating the percentage of the Class of 2023 unemployed, pursuing an additional degree, or working in a non-professional, short-term, or part-time job 10 months after graduation.{{Cite web | url=https://www.lawschooltransparency.com/schools/gsu | title=Overview of Georgia State University }}

• Judiciary
• Shawn LaGrua, J.D. 1987 - Associate Justice, Supreme Court of Georgia{{Cite web|last1=Bluestein|first1=Greg|last2=Journal-Constitution|first2=The Atlanta|title=Kemp names Shawn LaGrua to Georgia's top court|url=https://www.ajc.com/politics/politics-blog/kemp-taps-shawn-lagrua-to-georgias-top-court/6IWB7T3I65HFHDZBRQELNO54AA/|access-date=2020-12-04|website=ajc|language=en}}
• John "Trea" Pipkin III, J.D. 2005 - Judge, Georgia Court of Appeals
• J. Wade Padgett, J.D. 1990 - Judge, Georgia Court of Appeals{{Cite web |title=Gov. Kemp Announces Appointments to Court of Appeals, Columbia Circuit Superior Court and Solicitors General {{!}} Governor Brian P. Kemp Office of the Governor |url=https://gov.georgia.gov/press-releases/2024-02-19/gov-kemp-announces-appointments-court-appeals-columbia-circuit-superior |access-date=2024-08-25 |website=gov.georgia.gov |language=en}}
• Barbara Swinton, J.D. 1991 - Judge, Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals{{Cite news|url=http://www.normantranscript.com/news/government/governor-mary-fallin-selects-judge-barbara-swinton-to-fill-vacancy/article_e0a2e28e-7ac6-11e6-9e95-eb8c6a27df66.html|title=Governor Mary Fallin selects Judge Barbara Swinton to fill vacancy on Oklahoma Civil Appeals Court|work=Norman Transcript|access-date=2017-11-08|language=en}}
• Cynthia J. Becker, J.D. 1987 - Judge, DeKalb County Superior Court
• Bill Hamrick, J.D. 1991 - Superior Court Judge, Coweta Judicial Circuit; former member of the Georgia State Senate (D-30); incoming Georgia State-wide Business Court judge{{Cite web |title=Gov. Kemp Appoints Judge Hamrick to State-wide Business Court |url=https://gov.georgia.gov/press-releases/2022-08-03/gov-kemp-appoints-judge-hamrick-state-wide-business-court |access-date=2022-08-25 |website=Governor Brian P. Kemp Office of the Governor |language=en}}
• Charles M. Eaton Jr, J.D. 2012 - Superior Court Judge, Atlanta Judicial Circuit; former member of the Georgia Public Service Commission
• Government
• Glenn Richardson, J.D. 1984 - Former Speaker of the Georgia House of Representatives (2005-2010)
• Cynthia Coffman, J.D. 1991 - 38th Attorney General of Colorado
• Keisha Lance Bottoms, J.D. 1996 - former Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement and Senior Advisor to the President;{{Cite news |title=Keisha Lance Bottoms to join White House as senior Biden adviser |language=en-US |newspaper=Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/06/14/keisha-lance-bottoms-joins-white-house-biden/ |access-date=2022-07-02 |issn=0190-8286}} former Mayor of Atlanta; former member of the Atlanta City Council{{Cite news|url=http://www.ajc.com/news/local/who-atlanta-mayor-elect-keisha-lance-bottoms/RCV7O7QTZsjwktTkQHXsXM/|title=Who is Atlanta mayor-elect Keisha Lance Bottoms?|last=Godwin|first=Becca J. G.|newspaper=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution|access-date=2017-12-07}}{{Cite news|url=http://www.ajc.com/news/local/keisha-lance-bottoms-begins-her-inauguration-day-with-prayer/ckbTRT2kRvUxJXaTs2iVpL/|title=Keisha Lance Bottoms sworn in as the new Mayor of Atlanta|last1=Poole|first1=Shelia|last2=Stafford|first2=Leon|newspaper=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution|access-date=2018-01-03}}
• Steve Tumlin, J.D. 1988 - Mayor of Marietta, Georgia
• Curt Thompson, J.D. 1993 - Former member of the Georgia State Senate (D-5); former member of the Georgia House of Representatives (69th District)
• Rich Golick, J.D. 1997 - Former member of the Georgia House of Representatives (40th District)
• Trey Kelley, J.D. 2014 - Current member of the Georgia House of Representatives (16th District)
• Beth Moore, J.D. 2011 - Former member of the Georgia House of Representatives (95th District)
• Sam Park, J.D. 2013 - Current member of the Georgia House of Representatives (101st District)
• Matt Ramsey, J.D. 2005 - Former member of the Georgia House of Representatives (72nd District); House Majority Whip (2013-2016)
• Bonnie Rich, J.D. 1994 - Former member of the Georgia House of Representatives (97th District)
• Stephen Dickson, J.D. 1999 - 18th Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration
• Nika Rurua, J.D. 2001 - Former member of the Cabinet of Georgia (country)
• Other notable alumni
• Claudia Brind-Woody, J.D. 1999 - IBM executive
• Stan Case, J.D. 1996 - News anchor of CNN Radio (1985-2011)
• Linda Dunikoski, J.D. 1993 - Prosecutor in the Atlanta Public Schools cheating scandal (2014-2015) and murder of Ahmaud Arbery (2021) trials
• Emily Jacobson, J.D./MBA 2014 - Olympic saber fencer
• Notable faculty
• Paul A. Lombardo, Professor of Law - Senior Advisor to the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues
• Thomas W. Thrash, Professor of Law (1986-1997) - Judge, United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia

• Georgia State University Law Review

{{more citations needed|date=August 2013}}

{{Reflist}}

• [http://law.gsu.edu/ College of Law]
• [http://law.gsu.edu/academics/ Academic Programs and Centers]
• [http://www.gsu.edu/ Georgia State University]

{{Georgia State University}}

{{Law Schools of the Southeast}}

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Category:Law schools in Georgia (U.S. state)

Category:Georgia State University