Penn State Dickinson Law, formerly Dickinson School of Law, is a

public In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociology, sociological concept of the ''Öf ...

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 ...

Carlisle, Pennsylvania Carlisle is a Borough (Pennsylvania), borough in and the county seat of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, United States. Carlisle is located within the Cumberland Valley, a highly productive agricultural region. As of the 2020 United States census ...

. It is one of two separately accredited law schools of

Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with campuses and facilities throughout Pennsyl ...

History

The Law School offers J.D. and LL.M. degrees in law and hosts visiting scholars. The Law School was opened by Judge John Reed in 1834 as the law department of

Dickinson College Dickinson College is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1773 as Carlisle Grammar School, Dickinson was chartered on September 9, 1783, ...

, named for

Founding Father The following is a list of national founders of sovereign states who were credited with establishing a state. National founders are typically those who played an influential role in setting up the systems of governance, (i.e., political system ...

John Dickinson John Dickinson (November 13, O.S. November 2">Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates.html" ;"title="/nowiki>Old Style and New Style dates">O.S. November 21732Various sources indicate a birth date of November 8, 12 or 13, but his most recent biographer ...

. It received an independent charter in 1890 and ended all affiliation with the college in 1917. In 2000, Penn State and The Dickinson School of Law completed a merger that began in 1997. From 2006 until 2014, Penn State's Dickinson School of Law operated as a single law school with two campuses – one in

and one in University Park, Pennsylvania. In the summer of 2014, Penn State received approval from the ABA to operate the two campuses as two distinct law schools (now known as

Penn State Law Penn State Law, located in University Park, Pennsylvania, was one of two separately accredited law schools of the Pennsylvania State University. Penn State Law offers J.D., LL.M., and S.J.D. degrees. The school also offers a joint J.D./M.B.A ...

and Dickinson Law), both of which share the history and achievement of The Dickinson School of Law. In November 2022, Penn State President

Neeli Bendapudi Neeli Bendapudi (née Dutta) is an Indian-American academic administrator who is the 19th president of Pennsylvania State University. From 2018 until 2021, she served as the 18th president of the University of Louisville. In December 2021, Penn ...

announced a task force to implement the recommendation that the two schools be merged into a single entity, with the primary location to be at the Carlisle campus.

Lewis Katz Hall

Lewis Katz Hall is named in honor of philanthropist and businessman Lewis Katz for his $15 million gift to the Law School as the principal donor to the construction and renovation project that began in January 2008. Completed in January 2010, the transition marked the end of a two-year, $52 million construction project which included the addition of the elegant, new Lewis Katz Hall which leverages advanced high-definition, digital audiovisual telecommunications systems to connect Dickinson Law to not only Penn State's University Park campus but to locations around the world. The project included an extensive renovation of historic Trickett Hall, the Law School's home since 1918, which houses the Law School's library, named in honor of H. Laddie Montague, Jr., a prominent Philadelphia lawyer and trial attorney who has committed $4 million to the school. As a design companion to Penn State Law's Lewis Katz Building, Dickinson Law's Lewis Katz Hall was renovated and rebuilt to comply with LEED Silver standards. The facilities feature classrooms, a courtroom/auditorium, an exterior courtyard, and a vegetated green roof.

Curriculum

Dickinson Law's required 1L curriculum begins with the fundamentals of national and transnational law. During their first year, students must complete courses including

Civil Procedure Civil procedure is the body of law that sets out the rules and regulations along with some standards that courts follow when adjudicating civil lawsuits (as opposed to procedures in criminal law matters). These rules govern how a lawsuit or ca ...

Constitutional Law Constitutional law is a body of law which defines the role, powers, and structure of different entities within a state, namely, the executive, the parliament or legislature, and the judiciary; as well as the basic rights of citizens and, in ...

Contracts A contract is an agreement that specifies certain legally enforceable rights and obligations pertaining to two or more parties. A contract typically involves consent to transfer of goods, services, money, or promise to transfer any of thos ...

Criminal Law Criminal law is the body of law that relates to crime. It proscribes conduct perceived as threatening, harmful, or otherwise endangering to the property, health, safety, and Well-being, welfare of people inclusive of one's self. Most criminal l ...

Property Property is a system of rights that gives people legal control of valuable things, and also refers to the valuable things themselves. Depending on the nature of the property, an owner of property may have the right to consume, alter, share, re ...

, legal writing, and

Torts A tort is a civil wrong, other than breach of contract, that causes a claimant to suffer loss or harm, resulting in legal liability for the person who commits the tortious act. Tort law can be contrasted with criminal law, which deals with c ...

. At Dickinson Law, students must earn at least six of 12 required experiential learning credits in a real-world practice setting, such as a certified legal internship within one of the Law School's in-house legal clinics; an internship with a government, nonprofit or private office; or full immersion in the Semester-in-Practice program; or an international venue. The second and third years at Dickinson Law are distinguished by "The Lawyer As...": electives and experiential learning opportunities organized by the way lawyers use their training. Required courses after completion of the first year include Problem Solving III: The Lawyer as Persuader and Practicing Law in a Global World: Context and Competencies II. Students may earn up to six credits towards the J.D. degree from approved graduate-level courses offered by other Penn State departments. Students also may enroll in one of an array of joint degree programs, graduating with both a J.D. from Dickinson Law and a master's degree from a coordinate department of Penn State. Current joint degree offerings include a J.D./M.B.A., J.D./M.P.A., J.D./M.P.H., J.D./DRPH. Dickinson Law also offers certificate programs in which students may hone their expertise in a specific area by taking a prescribed combination of core and elective courses. Current certificate offerings include Corporate Compliance Certificate, Cyber, Privacy, and Data Security Certificate, Government Affairs, Health Law and Policy, and Litigation and Dispute Resolution.

Dickinson Law Programs

* Semester-in-Washington, D.C. Program (federal government) * Semester-in-Harrisburg Program (state government) * International Justice Program at the Hague, Netherlands (international criminal law) * Center for Public Interest Advocacy * Children's Advocacy Clinic * Community Law Clinic * Medical-Legal Partnership Clinic with

Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center (MSHMC) is a 619-bed non-profit, tertiary, research and academic medical center headquartered in Hershey, Pennsylvania and serving central Pennsylvania. The hospital is owned by the Penn State ...

Law journals

Dickinson Law features three scholarly journals, including the

Dickinson Law Review Dickinson Law Review is the flagship law review of Penn State Dickinson Law. Founded in 1897 as ''The Forum,'' it is the fifth oldest law review in continuous print in the United States. From 1898–1899, Julia Radle, the first female student in ...

. The Law Review was founded in 1897, and is one of the oldest continually published law school journals in the country. In addition, the school also publishes the Penn State Journal of Law and International Affairs, and The Yearbook on Arbitration and Mediation.

Employment

According to Penn State Dickinson Law's official 2022 ABA-required disclosures, about 91% of the class of 2022 obtained full-time, long-term, J.D.-required employment nine months after graduation.

Costs

The total cost of attendance (including tuition and related expenses) at Dickinson Law to earn a J.D. or LL.M. degree during the 2020-2021 academic year is $67,656.

Notable alumni

Matthew W. Brann Matthew William Brann (born July 25, 1965) is the chief United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. Early life and education Brann was born in Elmira, New York, on July 25, 1965. H ...

, chief judge, U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania *

Bill Bufalino William Eugene Bufalino (; April 13, 1918 – May 12, 1990) was an American attorney who represented the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) from 1947 until 1971. He retired in 1982. Bufalino worked closely with Jimmy Hoffa until 1971. B ...

, attorney to

Jimmy Hoffa James Riddle Hoffa (; born February 14, 1913 – disappeared July 30, 1975, declared dead July 30, 1982) was an American labor union leader who served as the president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) from 1957 to 1971. He i ...

Christopher F. Burne Christopher Francis Burne is a United States Air Force lieutenant general and was Judge Advocate General of the Air Force from May 2014 until May 2018. He retired on July 1, 2018. Biography Christopher Francis Burne was born on October 7, 1958, i ...

U.S. Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its origins to 1 ...

Lieutenant General, Judge Advocate General (TJAG) *

William W. Caldwell William Wilson Caldwell II (November 10, 1925 – May 19, 2019) was an American attorney and jurist who served as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. Early life and educatio ...

, former judge, U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania *

Mitchell Harry Cohen Mitchell Harry Cohen (September 11, 1904 – January 7, 1991) was a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey. Education and career Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Cohen received a Bache ...

, former judge, U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey *

Christopher Conner Christopher Charles Conner (born October 25, 1957) is a former United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. Education and career Conner was born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. He recei ...

, judge, U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania *

Pedro Cortés Pedro A. Cortés (born May 28, 1966) is an American government official. He served twice in the role of Secretary of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, originally from 2003 to 2010 until Governor Ed Rendell and later from 2015 to 2017 under Govern ...

Secretary of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania The secretary of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (or "Secretary of state (U.S. state government), secretary of state") administers the Pennsylvania Department of State of the U.S. state (officially, "Commonwealth (U.S. state), commonwealth") of ...

Andrew Curtin Andrew Gregg Curtin (April 22, 1815October 7, 1894) was an American lawyer and politician. He served as the 15th governor of Pennsylvania during the American Civil War, helped defend his state during the Gettysburg Campaign, and oversaw the crea ...

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

-era

governor of Pennsylvania The asterisk ( ), from Late Latin , from Ancient Greek , , "little star", is a Typography, typographical symbol. It is so called because it resembles a conventional image of a star (heraldry), heraldic star. Computer scientists and Mathematici ...

(1861–1867) * J. Steward Davis,

Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...

trial lawyer and first Afro-American valedictorian at Dickinson * J. Michael Eakin, justice,

Pennsylvania Supreme Court The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania is the highest court in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's Unified Judicial System. It began in 1684 as the Provincial Court, and casual references to it as the "Supreme Court" of Pennsylvania were made offici ...

John Sydney Fine John Sydney Fine (April 10, 1893 – May 21, 1978) was an American lawyer, judge, and politician. A Republican Party (United States), Republican, he served as the 35th governor of Pennsylvania from 1951 to 1955. Early life Fine was born in ...

, former Pennsylvania Governor (1951–1955) *

Mike Fitzpatrick Michael Gerard Fitzpatrick (June 28, 1963 – January 6, 2020) was an American attorney and politician who served as a Republican Party (United States), Republican member of the United States House of Representatives, representing from 2005 to ...

, United States Congressman from Pennsylvania * Robert S. Gawthrop III, former judge, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania *

Jim Gerlach James William Gerlach (born February 25, 1955) is the former U.S. Representative for , serving from 2003 to 2015. He is a member of the Republican Party. Gerlach retired from Congress after completing his sixth term. Early life, education and c ...

, former U.S. Congressman * Kim Gibson, senior judge,

U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania The United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania (in case citations, W.D. Pa.) is a United States district court, federal trial court that sits in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh, Erie, Pennsylvania, Erie, and John ...

* Milton W. Glenn (1903–1967), former U.S. Congressman *

Thomas M. Golden Thomas M. Golden (November 1, 1947 – July 31, 2010) was a United States District Court Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Education and career Born in Pottsville, Pennsylvania, he received a Ba ...

, former judge, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania * Rick Gray, former mayor of

Lancaster, Pennsylvania Lancaster ( ) is a city in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 58,039 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, eighth-most populous ci ...

* T. Millet Hand (1902–1956), represented

New Jersey's 2nd congressional district New Jersey's 2nd congressional district, based in South Jersey, Southern New Jersey, is represented by Republican Jeff Van Drew. He was first elected as a Democrat in 2018, but announced on December 19, 2019, that he would be switching parties ...

in the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...

from 1945 to 1957 *

John Berne Hannum John Berne Hannum (March 19, 1915 – April 23, 2007) was a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Education and career Born in Chester, Pennsylvania, Hannum received a Bachelo ...

, former judge, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania *

Daniel Brodhead Heiner Daniel Brodhead Heiner (December 30, 1854 – February 14, 1944) was an American lawyer and politician who served as a two-term Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania from 1893 to 1897. Biography Daniel Brodhead ...

, former U.S. Congressman * John W. Herron, judge, Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas (1988-2023) *

Arthur Horace James Arthur Horace James (July 14, 1883April 27, 1973) was an American lawyer, politician, and judge. A Republican, he served as the 14th lieutenant governor (1927–1931) and the 31st governor (1939–1943) of Pennsylvania. Early life and career Th ...

, 31st

Governor of Pennsylvania The asterisk ( ), from Late Latin , from Ancient Greek , , "little star", is a Typography, typographical symbol. It is so called because it resembles a conventional image of a star (heraldry), heraldic star. Computer scientists and Mathematici ...

Charles Alvin Jones Charles Alvin Jones (August 27, 1887 – May 21, 1966) was a United States federal judge, United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit and chief justice of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. Education an ...

, former judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit and Chief Justice,

Supreme Court of Pennsylvania The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania is the highest court in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's Judiciary of Pennsylvania, Unified Judicial System. It began in 1684 as the Provincial Court, and casual references to it as ...

John E. Jones III John Edward Jones III (born June 13, 1955) is the 30th President at Dickinson College and a former United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. He is best known for his presiding role ...

, former judge, U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania and 30th President of

* Paul E. Kanjorski, former United States Congressman from Pennsylvania *

Lewis Katz Lewis Katz (; January 11, 1942May 31, 2014) was an American businessman, philanthropist, and newspaper publisher, who was a co-owner of ''The Philadelphia Inquirer''. Early life Katz was born to a Jewish family New Jersey Nets New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 ** "New" (Paul McCartney song), 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, 1995 * "New" (Daya song), 2017 * "New" (No Doubt song), 1 ...

* Jack Keeney,

U.S. Department of Justice The United States Department of Justice (DOJ), also known as the Justice Department, is a federal executive department of the U.S. government that oversees the domestic enforcement of federal laws and the administration of justice. It is equi ...

attorney * John W. Kephart, former chief justice,

Edwin Michael Kosik Edwin Michael Kosik (May 5, 1925 – June 13, 2019) was a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. Education and career Kosik was born in Dupont, Pennsylvania. He received a Bache ...

, judge, U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania * George Kunkel, former Pennsylvania State Senator *

Tom Marino Thomas Anthony Marino (born August 13, 1952) is an American politician and attorney, who served as a United States House of Representatives, United States Representative from Pennsylvania from 2011 to 2019. He represented the from January 3, 20 ...

, U.S. Congressman from Pennsylvania and former judge, U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania * Julia K. Munley, judge, U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania *

Clarence Charles Newcomer Clarence Charles Newcomer (January 18, 1923 – August 22, 2005) was a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania for more than 33 years. Education and career Newcomer was born in M ...

, former judge, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania] * John Pettit (attorney), John Pettit, former district attorney,

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. * Sylvia H. Rambo, first woman to serve as chief judge, U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania *

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, former Pennsylvania governor, former Assistant to the President for Homeland Security, first

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Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Assistant may refer to: * Assistant (by Speaktoit), a virtual assistant app for smartphones * Assistant (software), a software tool to assist in computer configuration * Google Assistant, a virtual assistant by Google * ''The Assistant'' (TV ser ...

* Andrew Sacks, Pennsylvania trial lawyer, one of the few U.S. attorneys who has handled two cases in excess of $1 billion *

Rick Santorum Richard John Santorum Sr. ( ; born May 10, 1958) is an American politician, attorney, author, and political commentator who represented Pennsylvania in the United States Senate from 1995 to 2007. He was the Senate's Chairman of the United Sta ...

, former U.S. Senator * Joseph F. Saporito Jr., judge, U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania * Lansdale Sasscer, former U.S. Congressman *

Ronald A. Sell Ronald A. Sell (born April 17, 1945, in Hartford, Wisconsin), is a former member of the Wisconsin State Assembly. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago and became a clergyman. Additio ...

, Wisconsin State Assemblyman *

Michael Henry Sheridan Michael Henry Sheridan (July 8, 1912 – August 23, 1976) was a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. Education and career Sheridan was born in Nanticoke, Pennsylvania, Sherid ...

, judge, U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania *

D. Brooks Smith David Brookman "Brooks" Smith (born December 4, 1951) is a senior judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. He was previously Chief Judge of both the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit and the United St ...

, senior judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit * Edward G. Smith, former judge, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania * Donald Snyder (LLM, Commerce and Taxation), Pennsylvania State Representative and Majority Whip, Pennsylvania State House of Representatives * Gerald J. Spitz, former state representative,

Pennsylvania House of Representatives The Pennsylvania House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Pennsylvania General Assembly, the legislature of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. There are 203 members, elected for two-year terms from single member districts. It ...

* Correale Stevens, justice,

Richard Barclay Surrick Richard Barclay Surrick (born December 18, 1937) is a senior United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Education and career Surrick was born in Media, Pennsylvania. He received a B ...

, senior judge, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania * Emanuel Mac Troutman, former judge, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania * Thomas I. Vanaskie, former chief judge, U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania and former judge on the

Third Circuit Court of Appeals The United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit (in case citations, 3d Cir.) is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts for the following districts: * District of Delaware * District of New Jersey * Eas ...

References

External links

Official website

Official logo
{{authority control Pennsylvania State University colleges Law schools in Pennsylvania Universities and colleges in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania Carlisle, Pennsylvania Universities and colleges established in 1834 1834 establishments in Pennsylvania Dickinson Law