The Nashville School of Law (formerly known as the Nashville YMCA Night Law School), is a private law school specializing in legal education for non-traditional, part-time, working professionals and others seeking a legal education. The school was founded in 1911 and its faculty includes practicing lawyers and judges from across the state of Tennessee.
The school is accredited by the Tennessee Board of Law Examiners but not by the American Bar Association. Nashville School of Law graduates may take the bar examination in Tennessee. In order to practice law in another state, Nashville School of law graduates would have to request a waiver from the Supreme Court of that state.
Unlike ABA-accredited law schools, Nashville School of law does not publish employment data for its recent graduates. Students attend classes at night which allows working professionals to complete the degree in four years.
44.6% of Nashville School of Law first-time takers passed the Tennessee bar exam for the July 2017 administration, vs. a 67.7% pass rate for the state as a whole.
History
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In the fall of 1911, Morton B. Adams, William P. Cooper, Lee Douglas, and Robert Selph Henry, then recent graduates of Vanderbilt University Law School, opened night law classes at the Y.M.C.A. for the benefit of those unable to attend law classes during the day. The law school has been in continual operation since that time. It was incorporated under the laws of the State of Tennessee on January 19, 1927. Since that date, the law school has conferred the Juris Doctor or Doctor of Jurisprudence degree on over 2,970 graduates.
Until November, 1986, the school operated as the Nashville Y.M.C.A. Night Law School, leasing its classroom space from the Downtown Y.M.C.A. On November 24, 1986, the school officially changed its name to Nashville School of Law.
The late James Gilbert Lackey, Jr. (1915â€"1987) served as Dean of the Law School and taught Contracts from 1946 to 1986. Upon his retirement, the faculty elected Judge Joe C. Loser, Jr., Dean of the school. Judge Loser then retired from the Third Circuit Court of Davidson County, Tennessee after twenty years on the bench to become the fourth Dean in the school's history on August 23, 1986. Following Dean Loser's retirement, former Tennessee Supreme Court Justice and NSL faculty member, Justice William C. Koch, Jr. became the fifth dean of NSL in July 2014. He has retained his role as the Constitutional Law professor for second year students.
Accreditation
Nashville School of Law is approved by the Tennessee Board of Law Examiners and graduates may take the bar examination and practice law in the State of Tennessee; in order to continue to fulfill its mission of providing an accredited high quality legal education, Nashville School of Law maintains its value with affordable tuition.
The School is not, however, accredited by the American Bar Association. This limits the ability of graduates to practice law in states other than Tennessee. In order to practice law in another state, graduates would have to request a waiver from the Supreme Court of that state.
Academics
The 48 credit hours required for the J.D. degree requires four years to complete, and several of the courses are designed to focus on practice in Tennessee. Classes are held each evening Monday to Thursday. Students admitted for the Fall term typically attend on Monday and Thursday nights, while students admitted for the Spring term attend on Tuesday and Wednesday nights. Students must attend at least two sessions each week in order to complete the course of study in four years.
All students must complete 48 credit hours with a GPA of at least 2.25 to graduate. The top ten percent of each graduating class is inducted into Cooper's Inn, the school honor society, and recognized at graduation. The student who graduates at the top of the class is awarded the Founder's Award and receives a set of the Tennessee Code Annotated.
Faculty
The school's faculty includes practicing lawyers and judges from across the state of Tennessee; formerly including the late former Tennessee Chief Justice Adolpho Birch, and now including former Justice William C. Koch, Jr. of the Tennessee Supreme Court, who became Dean of the school in July 2014.
Campus and library
In 1990 the school moved to 2934 Sidco Drive, and in Fall 2005 the school moved into its new facility at 4013 Armory Oaks Drive.
The Nashville School of Law Library consists of 15,727 hard copy volumes. All students have access to LexisNexis and Westlaw research services in the library at the computer lab, from any location in the facility through a wireless-enabled laptop, and from any other location with Internet access.
Admissions
Nashville School of Law enters two terms each year, in February and August, and operates on a "rolling admissions" basis, which means applications are processed at the time they are received. Applicants must have received, or will receive prior to matriculation, a Bachelor's Degree from a college or university on the approved list of the Southern Association of Schools and Colleges, or the equivalent regional accrediting association.
The admissions process includes an admissions index computed as follows: Multiply the applicant's cumulative GPAâ€"as determined by LSDASâ€"by ten, then add 80% of the applicant's LSAT score. Applicants with an index score below 140 are not accepted. The applicant must also submit three letters of recommendation, one of which must be from someone in the legal field, and should describe any extracurricular activities during their undergraduate career or business accomplishments since college graduation. Applicants must also include an explanation of any prior arrests and/or any disciplinary action received from an educational institution. Nashville School of Law maintains a strict anti-discrimination and anti-harassment policy, and provides assistance for disabled students.
The median LSAT score for students admitted in the 2013-2014 admissions cycle was 146 (30th percentile) and the median GPA was 3.06.
Costs and financial aid
For the 2014â€"2015 school year tuition was $5,760.00 based on 12 credit hours at $480.00 per course credit hour. The law school’s tuition is among the lowest of private law schools in the United States. Tuition is computed on a per credit basis. This computation does not include additional exam fees, books, required bar prep courses, or registration fees. Students pay tuition in full at registration for a 5% discount, or in monthly installments with no interest (cash, check, or credit card only). As a private institution, NSL does not participate in federal loan programs; students are not eligible for federal loans and must apply independently for loans through local banks. The school offers a limited number of partial and full scholarships for second, third, and fourth year students, based on need and merit.
Post-graduation employment
Unlike ABA-accredited law schools, Nashville School of law does not publish employment data for its recent graduates.
The school's lack of ABA-accreditation also limits the ability of graduates to practice law in some states. States differ as to limitations on whether non-ABA graduates may practice law. Each state supreme court governs who may practice pursuant to its own rules and regulations.
Notable alumni
- Albert Gore, Sr., former U.S. Senator and father of former Vice President Albert Gore, Jr.
- Jack Kershaw, attorney and sculptor who represented Martin Luther King, Jr.'s assassin James Earl Ray and founded the League of the South
Notes
External links
- Nashville School of Law Homepage