University of Michigan Law School
The University of Michigan Law School is part of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.
Academic Profile
The Law School was founded in 1859 and is currently attended by approximately 1,200 students. The majority of the students sought the American degree Juris Doctor ( JD), a small part of most foreign students in the Master of Laws ( LL.M.) or Doctor of the Science of Law ( SJD ) program enrolled. Special emphasis of the University of Michigan School of Law International Law are (among others taught by the German judge at the ICJ, Bruno Simma ) and interdisciplinary aspects of the law.
In 2004, researched and taught 72 full-time professors and 42 adjunct professors or guest at the University of Michigan Law School. Since its inception, the University of Michigan Law School, one of the most prestigious in the United States and regularly wins top rankings in relevant rankings. The same applies to the library of the University of Michigan Law School, which comprises nearly a million volumes [ as of August 2006] and occupies the 4th place out of 183 studied quite academic libraries in a recent study.
Architectural significance
Decorated Gothic-style building of the University of Michigan Law School form the so-called Law Quadrangle, one of the most remarkable from the architectural point of view jurisprudential campus of the United States. The Law Quadrangle was built in 1924-1933 according to the plans of the New York architect Yorke & Sawyer. Idea and financing owes the University of Michigan Law School a generous donation of their alumnus William W. Cook, who bequeathed his entire fortune, according to the current value of over 240 million U.S. dollars, the faculty. The four buildings of the Law Quadrangle be used even today for the most part according to the original plan and therefore accommodate next lecture halls, offices and even dorm library, dining hall and social and club rooms for the students. The constantly growing library made in 1981, however, a partial outsourcing of stocks necessary. In order to preserve the unity of the Gothic Law Quadrangle, architect Gunnar Birkerts reached back to an underground solution that can still get natural sunlight to the majority of jobs. For this spectacular design Birkerts was awarded the Arnold W. Brunner Prize from the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters.
Affirmative - Action Controversy
In 2003, the admissions policy of the University of Michigan Law School was the subject of a landmark decision by the U.S. Supreme Court, the Supreme Court of the United States, the Grutter v. Bollinger decision in the case that the ethnicity of applicants will be considered as a factor in the admission decision approach may, thus pursued affirmative -action policy, which aimed at promoting black and other minority applicants maintained. Even if the affirmative -action policies of the University of Michigan Law School, consequently overlooking the Federal Constitution met no more doubts, they met with the defeated claimants as well as in parts of Michigan's population continues to resistance. On 7 November 2006, finally had a among others labored by Barbara Grutter and Jennifer Gratz referendum success, according to the Constitution of the State of Michigan to be amended so that in authorization decisions of public education institutions, ie in particular the University of Michigan and the University of Michigan Law School, applicants, no preferential treatment shall be granted on the basis of race, origin or other ethnic criteria. Regarding the original December 22, 2006 provided for the entry into force of the constitutional amendment are currently several lawsuits still pending. On 19 December 2006, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan ruled, therefore, that until the decision on the merits at least the University of Michigan and two other public universities in the state for the time being may not maintain the previous approval practice.