Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico School of Law

The Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico School of Law was founded in 1948 and is settled in an area of 124 acres in the City of Ponce, Puerto Rico on the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico main campus. The law school is located in the Spellman Building and was founded in 1961 by Monsignor Fremiot Torres Oliver. The law school received the accreditation from the Puerto Rican Superior Education Council of Puerto Rico on April 13, 1964. The American Bar Association granted provisional accreditation on April 13,1967 and final accreditation on August 1972. The Law School offers the course of study leading to the J.D. degree through a three year full-time day anda four year part-time evening programs. The law school admits students for its fall (August) and spring (January) sessions. It offers two Joint Degree Programs, the J.D./M.B.A. and J.D./M.P.A. with the University graduate programs.

The School of Law houses a major research library with a collection of about 207,095 volumes and extensive computer-assisted research capabilities including Lexis/Nexis, Westlaw, and [http://pr.microjuris.com MICROJURIS.COM] with wireless access to the Internet from anywhere in the law school campus. It is the home of the Revista de Derecho Puertorriqueno which is a student and faculty edited law review published since 1961. The School of Law is noted for its Legal Service Clinic and Externship programs that offer to its students the opportunity to serve the community and the poor in need of legal services. The Legal Clinic and Externship programs provide an excellent opportunity for training our students in advocacy, administrative and judicial proceedings both at the local as well as the federal level.

Students at the School of Law enjoy all of the resources of the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico. The University offers an array of physical activities including fitness classes; weight training; jogging track; basketball and outdoor pool. It also benefits from its location in the City of Ponce, Puerto Rico home of magnificent museums, churches, theathers and cultural attractions.

The law school has the most active national law student organizations in Puerto Rico, with local chapters of The Federalist Society, The American Bar Association, The Federal Bar Association and The American Association of Trial Lawyers.

Notable faculty

* Rafael Hernandez Colon - Former Governor of Puerto Rico

* Pedro Ortiz Alvarez - Former Secretary of Consumer Affairs, current legal counsel to Gov. Anibal Acevedo Vila

* Hector Luis Acevedo- Former Secretary of State and Mayor of San Juan

* Javier Echevarria Vargas- Alumni and former Secretary of Consumer Affairs

* Jose Alberto Morales - former Dean, former President of the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico, and former candidate for mayor of Ponce.

* Ivan Ayala Cadiz- Alumni, former Secretary of Consumer Affairs and Superior Court Judge

* Charles Cuprill Oppenheimer - Past Rotary District Governor, Retired Mayor General, Puerto Rico National Guard. Served 3 times as Dean of the Law School. One of the Founders of Ponce School of Medicine. Two time president of Phi Sigma Alpha and "Hermano Emeritus" Medal holder of the Fraternity.

* Hector R. Cuprill - Alumni, former Chairman Ponce Municipal Legislature, former member Ponce School of Medicine Board of Trustees. Founder and faculty advisor of Delta Theta Phi Law Fraternity - Torruella Chapter, the Federal Bar Student Chapter (first nationwide) and the Federalist Society - Charles Cuprill Chapter (first in PR).

Notable alumni

* Efraín Rivera Pérez - Associate Judge of the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico

* Aida Delgado - U.S. Magistrate, U.S.D.C. for the District of PR, U. S. District Judge, U.S.D.C. for the District of PR

* Antonio Faz Alzamora - Puerto Rico Senator, former President of the Senate of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

* Pedro Ortiz Alvarez - Former Secretary of Consumer Affairs, current legal counsel to Gov. Anibal Acevedo Vila

See also

* Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico
* Ponce School of Medicine
* Ponce, Puerto Rico

External links

* [http://www.pucpr.edu/derecho/ Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico School of Law] (Spanish language)
* [http://www.revistadederechopuertorriqueno.com/ Revista de Derecho Puertorriqueno (Law Review)] (Spanish language)