Newsletter | Liberty University School of Law

Message from the Dean

B. Keith Faulkner
Dean, Professor of Law

At the heart of Liberty University School of Law is its unyielding commitment to view law as vocation—a high and noble calling on one’s life. From this lens, we channel our time, talent, and treasure to develop lawyers with a passion for law and a purpose for life.

Over this year, I have been thrilled to see our alumni and students’ dedication to this commitment realized again and again. The Class of 2018 finished 7^th in the nation out of 204 law schools (Top 3%) in bar passage. Our 2019 graduates followed this exceptional achievement with a 92% bar pass rate across 13 jurisdictions – 24^th in the nation and top 12% of all law schools. Since 2015, Liberty Law graduates have enjoyed a cumulative average pass rate on Virginia’s July Bar Exams of 87.5% – perennially one of the toughest in the country.

Our competitive skills teams continue to excel. Annually, our students win regional and national titles in competitions, and over the last three years, we have been ranked 3^rd, 4^th, and 9th nationally in the ABA Competitions Championship. We remain true to the real strength of a Liberty Law degree – the proper blending of theoretical knowledge with practical skills offered from a Biblical worldview.

Liberty Law was also named the law school with the sixth-lowest debt after graduation by the U.S. News and World Report in 2019, and through our generous scholarship program and the increasing success of our graduates’ job placements, we are confident that Liberty graduates have a degree to serve them for life but a debt load that will not.

As our law school matures and grows in size and stature, changes are a constant. In the last two years, Professors Mantilla, Martins, Todd, and Tompkins have all earned tenure. We have lost Professors Harp, Udobong, and Sandez to other professional endeavors or retirement, and most recently Professor Boz Tchividjian announced that he is returning to practice in Florida. Finally, Professor Scott Thompson has turned over the reins of our beloved Lawyering Skills Program to Professor Grant Rost, but Scott continues coaching and teaching full-time for the law school. Finally, some from among your ranks have taken new positions in the law school or joined the staff to help prepare the next generation of Liberty Law alums. Specifically, earlier this year Susan Patrick (2010) was named Associate Dean for Admissions and Financial Aid while this spring Andrew Connors (2010) joined on as the Director of the Legal Writing Center and Director of the Intellectual Property Clinic.

In the following newsletter, you will get to read about some of these events, and how our students are following their passion for law to tackle difficult current issues and use law to glorify God. You will also get to read about some of the amazing work being done by our alumni and the way that they are using their Liberty Law degree to change the world.

Our graduates are influencers in the Bar as they inspire the profession, innovate the practice, and impact their communities.

Article Highlights

Liberty Law Welcomes longtime judge as first Jurist in Residence

Following a 42-year law career in Virginia, former Lynchburg City Circuit Court Judge R. Edwin Burnette Jr. joined the Liberty University School of Law in February as the first Jurist in Residence in the program’s history.

View the full Liberty University News Service article

Liberty Law holds first-ever virtual moot court tournament with students, judges, and alumni from across the U.S.

In the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, as all classes and lectures have moved online, Liberty University School of Law made unprecedented accommodations in order to host its first-ever virtual moot court competition.

Read the full Liberty University News Service article

PreLaw Magazine’s “Best Schools for Practical Training” A+ rating

The Liberty University School of Law has been rated as one of the best schools for practical training by preLaw Magazine.

View the preLaw Magazine article

Martin Wishnatsky Remembered

It is with a great sense of loss that the law school received news that Martin Wishnatsky completed his pilgrimage on earth, but fortunately we mourn not as those who are without hope. Martin’s life and testimony bear witness to God’s amazing grace that transforms hearts and minds.

Read the full School of Law article