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School of Law

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The School of Law is one of UB's 13 schools and colleges. It is the only SUNY law school.[1] It is primarily located in O'Brian Hall.[2] For the graduating class of 2027, there are 148 enrolled JD students.[3]

History

The School of Law was founded in 1887 as the Buffalo Law School.[4] It was originally affiliated with Niagara University and joined the State University of New York system in 1962.[5]

The first women to graduate from the Buffalo Law School were Helen Z.M. Rodgers and Cecil B. Wiener in 1899.[5]

The School of Law began granting Master of Laws (LL.M.) degrees in 1906 and Juris Doctor (JD) degrees in 1964.[5]

Academic Programs

Graduate Programs

The School of Law offers three graduate programs:[6]

  • Juris Doctor (J.D.)
  • Master of Laws (LL.M, with optional concentrations in Cross-Border Legal Studies and Criminal Law)[7]
  • Doctor of Juridicial Science (J.S.D.)

Combined Programs

3+3 BA/JD Program

The School of Law offers UB undergraduates from select majors the opportunity to apply for an accelerated program. This is currently available to students majoring in Sociology, Criminology, English, History, Philosophy, Political Science, and students in the Social Sciences Interdisciplinary Program majoring in Legal Studies.[8]

Additionally, undergraduate students of specific majors from parter institutions that do not have their own law schools are eligible to apply for this program. The current partners are Alfred University, Canisius University, Hilbert College, Le Moyne College, Nazareth University, Niagara University, Rochester Institute of Technology, St. John Fisher University, SUNY Buffalo State, SUNY Canton, SUNY Geneseo, SUNY Old Westbury, and SUNY Potsdam.[9]

Combined Graduate Programs

The School of Law offers several combined graduate programs in conjunction with other schools and departments:[10]

Student Outcomes

JD graduates from the School of Law had a first-time bar passage rate of 85.7% as of 2024. 94.4% of 2024 JD graduates had jobs, with 84.4% having long-term, full-time legal jobs.

One year after graduation, 2018 and 2019 JD graduates had a median annual salary of $64,220 in 2021 dollars.[11]

Student Life

The Buffalo Law Review was founded in 1950 and is edited by current UB law students.[4] The School of Law is also home to the Buffalo Intellectual Property Law Journal, which began in 2001.[5]

The Student Bar Association was founded in 1951.[5]

Notable People

  • Kenneth Landau, JD ’80 (Attorney and Radio Host)[12]
  • Denise O'Donnell, JD ’82 (Former U.S. Attorney for the Western District of New York)[13]

References