Southern New England School of Law (SNESL) was a

non-profit A nonprofit organization (NPO), also known as a nonbusiness entity, nonprofit institution, not-for-profit organization, or simply a nonprofit, is a non-governmental (private) legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public, or so ...

law school A law school (also known as a law centre/center, college of law, or faculty of law) is an institution, professional school, or department of a college or university specializing in legal education, usually involved as part of a process for b ...

located in

North Dartmouth, Massachusetts Dartmouth (Massachusett: ) is a coastal town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. Old Dartmouth was the first area of Southeastern Massachusetts to be settled by Europeans in 1652, primarily English. Dartmouth is part of New Englan ...

that operated from 1981 to 2010. At its closure, its assets were donated to the University of Massachusetts system to become the basis for the

University of Massachusetts School of Law The University of Massachusetts School of Law (UMass Law) is a public law school in Dartmouth, Massachusetts. The only public law school in Massachusetts, it is the successor to Southern New England School of Law, a private law school that dona ...

Location

The law school was located in

, between

New Bedford, Massachusetts New Bedford is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. It is located on the Acushnet River in what is known as the South Coast region. At the 2020 census, New Bedford had a population of 101,079, making it the state's ninth-l ...

and

Fall River, Massachusetts Fall River is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. Fall River's population was 94,000 at the 2020 United States census, making it the List of municipalities in Massachusetts, tenth-largest city in the state, and the second- ...

History

Southeastern Massachusetts-Rhode Island-Avins Law School was incorporated in 1981, offering weekend classes from a storefront location in Fall River. It adopted the name "Southern New England School of Law" in 1986 and won authorization to confer the

Juris Doctor A Juris Doctor, Doctor of Jurisprudence, or Doctor of Law (JD) is a graduate-entry professional degree that primarily prepares individuals to practice law. In the United States and the Philippines, it is the only qualifying law degree. Other j ...

degree in 1988. The first graduation was held in 1989. A full-time day program was established in 1992, and the School moved to its Faunce Corner Road campus in North Dartmouth in 1994. It became accredited by the

New England Association of Schools and Colleges The New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Inc. (NEASC ) is an American educational organization that accredits private and public secondary schools (high schools and technical/career institutions), primarily in New England. It also ...

in 1995. At its closure in 2010, it had 200 students, 1200 alumni, 13 full-time faculty and over 20 adjunct instructors.

Affiliation with University of Massachusetts

In 2005, the University of Massachusetts system trustees considered but rejected a proposal to create a UMass Law School by merging SNESL with UMass Dartmouth. Prior to the school's incorporation into the University of Massachusetts system, students enrolled at Southern New England School of Law had the option of completing a dual JD/MBA program. The MBA (Business School) component was offered at the nearby

University of Massachusetts Dartmouth The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth (UMass Dartmouth or UMassD) is a Public university, public research university in Dartmouth, Massachusetts. It is the southernmost campus of the University of Massachusetts system. Formerly "Southeas ...

campus. Full-time students enrolled in the joint program completed the course of study within four years or eight semesters. Additionally, UMass Dartmouth provided Southern New England School of Law students with dormitory arrangements, access to meal services, and use of the UMASS library, bookstore, and athletic facilities. On December 10, 2009, the Board of Trustees of the University of Massachusetts voted to have UMass Dartmouth acquire the law school from the law school trustees with the aim of creating a competitive and low cost alternative to private law schools in the area. Southern New England held its final commencement on May 29, 2010 and was succeeded by the

at Dartmouth.

Accreditation

SNESL was accredited by the

. It was not accredited by the

American Bar Association The American Bar Association (ABA) is a voluntary association, voluntary bar association of lawyers and law students in the United States; national in scope, it is not specific to any single jurisdiction. Founded in 1878, the ABA's stated acti ...

. Southern New England School of Law's accreditation status was the subject of a lawsuit, Joseph Rodi v. Southern New England School of Law, 532 F.3d 11 (1st Cir. 2008).

Clinical programs

Southern New England School of Law ran clinics offering legal services to individuals and organizations in Massachusetts on a pro bono basis. Clinics were led and organized by faculty and licensed attorneys, and allowed law students at SNESL to assist. The Immigration Law Clinic provided legal services to immigrants and community groups throughout Massachusetts. Clients were referred by several local agencies. Other SNESL clinics included the Community Development Clinic, designed to work with local non-profit organizations; and the Legal Services Clinic, located in one of the city’s legal services offices, The New Center for Legal Advocacy, in New Bedford, Massachusetts.

Student associations

The Student Bar Association served as the official student association of Southern New England School of Law. It sponsored academic, professional and social activities and brought guest speakers to the Law School. The Southern New England Roundtable Symposium Law Journal, a student organization, published an electronic law journal annually in the winter semester, "to contribute to the legal community by publishing articles that highlight current legal issues and changes in the law." Other student organizations included

Delta Theta Phi Delta Theta Phi () is a professional law fraternity and a member of the Professional Fraternity Association. Delta Theta Phi is the only one of the two major law fraternities to charter chapters (senates) in the United States at non-American Bar ...

Law Fraternity, the Black Law Students Association (BLSA), the Legal Association of Women (LAW), the

International Law Students Association International is an adjective (also used as a noun) meaning "between nations". International may also refer to: Music Albums * ''International'' (Kevin Michael album), 2011 * ''International'' (New Order album), 2002 * ''International'' (The T ...

(ILSA), the

Moot Court Moot court is a co-curricular activity at many law schools. Participants take part in simulated court or arbitration proceedings, usually involving drafting memorials or memoranda and participating in oral argument. In many countries, the phrase ...

Program, and the

Yearbook A yearbook, also known as an annual, is a type of Annual publication, a book published annually. One use is to record, highlight, and commemorate the past year of a school. The term also refers to a book of statistics or facts published annually ...

References

External links

University of Massachusetts School of Law
{{DEFAULTSORT:Southern New England School Of Law University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Education in Bristol County, Massachusetts Buildings and structures in Bristol County, Massachusetts Dartmouth, Massachusetts Educational institutions established in 1981 Educational institutions disestablished in 2010 Defunct private universities and colleges in Massachusetts