Belmont University announced plans for the College of Law in 2009, with the first class beginning in 2011. Belmont Law was accredited by the American Bar Association in 2013, making it the first new accredited law program in Tennessee in over 50 years and the first new law school in Middle Tennessee in nearly 100 years. Belmont Law achieved American Bar Association accreditation in the earliest possible time allowed by accreditation guidelines.
Curriculum
The college's curriculum includes the Juris Doctor with specialized certificate programs available in Criminal Law, Health Law, and Entertainment Law. The College of Law curriculum focuses on creating practice-ready attorneys with a practicum requirement in each semester to help students become proficient in the “practice” of law. These practicums give instruction in all aspects of the practice of law, such as legal writing, legal research, client interviewing, document drafting, litigation, negotiation, and more. In 2017, a dual JD/MBA program was launched, allowing students to take classes for both degrees concurrently and complete requirements for both degrees within three years.
Facilities
The law school is housed in the Randall and Sadie Baskin Center, a 75,000-square-foot LEED Gold building atop a five-level underground garage. The Baskin Center houses more than a dozen large classrooms, a trial courtroom, an appellate court room, faculty offices, student commons, and a two-story law library.
Organizations and Publications
Students can hone their oral and written advocacy skills through local and national competition through the Board of Advocates program, which includes mock trial, moot court, and transactional teams. The College of Law publishes four academic journals, the Belmont Law Review, Criminal Law Journal, Entertainment Law Journal, and Health Law Journal.
Employment
Statistics for the class of 2018 indicate 96% of students are employed in some capacity, with 95% employed in bar passage required or J.D. advantage positions. Most graduates remain in state, with 89% employed in Tennessee. Of those employed, 63% work at a law firm, 14.5% work in business or industry, 18.5% work in government or judicial clerkships, and 4% work in public interest. Belmont Law's Law School Transparency under-employment score is 6.4%, indicating the percentage of the Class of 2018 unemployed, pursuing an additional degree, or working in a non-professional, short-term, or part-time job nine months after graduation.
Bar Passage
On the July 2019 bar exam, 97.18% of Belmont Law's first-time test takers and 94.52% of its total takers passed, the highest of any law school in Tennessee and +23.62% above the state's overall 70.90% pass rate. In 2018, 94.52% of Belmont Law's first-time test takers and 90.79% of its total takers passed the bar exam, ranking 12th in the nation for bar passage.
Costs
Tuition costs for the year 2019 are $44,470, with 49% of students receiving scholarships. Belmont Law ranks #104 in terms of highest tuition among full-time law students based on 283 tuition rates from 194 law schools, with in-state tuition counting separately.
