Situated at Pennsylvania, the Dickinson School of Law under the Pennsylvania State University is one of the oldest law schools in the state and in the U.S. Founded in 1834, the Dickinson School Law is a private institution that was absorbed by the Pennsylvania State University in 2000. This institution is known for its ADR or Alternative Dispute Resolution program and it is included in the roster of top 100 law schools according to the latest edition of the U.S. News and World Report. (1)
As a student of the Dickinson School of Law, you get to enjoy the institution’s excellent Juris Doctor programs. Aside from the usual curriculum for first year law students, you are actually required to complete additional courses for one semester. These additional courses include Property and Torts, Civil Procedure, Contracts, Constitutional Law, and Criminal Law. If you wish to enhance your writing or research skills, you can take advantage of the school’s four law journals — the Penn State Law Review, the Penn State International Law Review, the Penn State Environmental Law Review, and the World Arbitration and Mediation Review. (2)
The Penn State Dickinson School of Law also offers excellent joint degree and LL.M. programs under the tutelage of professors who are renowned experts in their respective fields. Programs through legal clinics are also offered along with specialized fields of study. (3) As a student at the Dickinson School of Law, you can also take advantage of the school’s overseas programs offered during the summer. These overseas programs can allow you to travel to European cities such as Siena, Rome, Florence, Hague, Brussels, Luxembourg, Strasbourg, Oxford, and Vienna. (4)
In order for you to increase your chances of getting into the Penn State Dickinson School of Law, you have to have an outstanding GPA and a high LSAT score. Moreover, your undergraduate course should have equipped you with proper writing, speaking, and analytical skills. Although pursuing a degree in Political Science is a popular route for many aspiring lawyers, you don’t have to choose this course. As long as your undergraduate course exposes you to learning opportunities that can enhance your skills as a future lawyer, then you should be good to go. (5)
(1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dickinson_School_of_Law
(2) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dickinson_School_of_Law
(3) http://www.dsl.psu.edu/academics/jointdegrees.cfm
(4) http://www.dsl.psu.edu/programs/studyabroad.cfm
(5) http://money.cnn.com/2000/09/08/career/q_degreepoliticalscience/