Chapman University

Dale E. Fowler School of Law

Degrees & Programs
  • JD
  • JD Certificate Programs
  • Joint Degrees
    • ‹
    ›
    About the Fowler School of Law

    Powerfully tested. Confidently prepared.

    Located in the heart of Southern California, Chapman University's Fowler School of Law provides a personalized and practice-focused approach to legal education that prepares our graduates to make a lasting difference in their communities. ABA accredited and ranked among US News & World Report's Top Law Schools, Chapman Law is recognized for its distinguished faculty, collegial environment, and ideal Orange County location.

    Latest Fowler School of Law News

    Cover of AMICUS #1 Announcing AMICUS #1

    Launched in May 2024 to coincide with the school’s commencement celebrations, Fowler School of Law’s Amicus magazine is an annual publication commemorating a year in the life of our school. It’s a celebration of our students, our alumni, faculty and staff, introducing new readers to the broader Chapman Family at the Fowler School of Law. Read the digital version here.

    Photograph of Fowler School of Law library books Op-Ed: SCOTUS Preserves the Opportunity to Combat Disinformation, Will We Take It?

    In a rapidly changing legislative landscape, many are asking if the government should have any role in combating political disinformation online, and if so, what governmental action would be consistent with the First Amendment. Professor Nahal Kazemi's op-ed tackles SCOTUS's latest decision.

    Photograph of Chapman graduate celebrating commencement Class of 2024: Commencement

    The Class of 2024 saw their last year of law school out in style on May 17, as guest speaker Hon. Frederick P. Aguirre (Ret .), faculty and staff, family, and loved ones cheered our graduates on. Congratulations to all of our 2024 graduates, we're looking forward to welcoming you back as Chapman alumni!

    Photograph of Chapman alumni LtCol Alex Douvas Alumni on the Move: LtCol Alex Douvas

    Lieutenant Colonel Alex Douvas (JD ’05) returned to campus with a small entourage of Marine Corps recruiters to discuss his work as a Marine Corps judge advocate with Fowler students interested in learning about what this specialization might have to offer their careers.

    Photographic collage of images from scholar weekend 2024 20th Annual Scholars Weekend

    March 14-16 marked the 20th annual Scholars Weekend for the Fowler School of Law, an important event in the admissions cycle and a terrific opportunity for the Fowler School of Law community to welcome outstanding prospective candidates already admitted to our JD program.

    Photograph of Dean Paton presenting at the 70th anniversary of Brown v Board Event Fowler and OC Judiciary Commemorate 70th Anniversary of Brown v Board

    Opening our doors to collaboration with the Orange County Superior Court, the Orange County Bar Association and the Thurgood Marshall Bar Association, the Fowler School of Law was proud to host a special event on February 29 commemorating the 70th anniversary of the landmark 1954 Supreme Court decision in Brown vs Board of Education.

    Photograph of the 2024 Chapman Law Review Event Program Chapman Law Review 2024 Symposium

    The 2024 Chapman Law Review Symposium was hosted in a packed-to-capacity Kennedy Hall and treated guests to a dazzling array of legal scholarship, experience and insight. Academics, practitioners and lawmakers led the audience through regulations governing the music industry, the implications for Artificial Intelligence and machine-generated melodies, copyrightability, questions around the federal right to publicity, and using rap lyrics as evidence in criminal trials.

    Photograph of the December 2023 Bar Swearing in Ceremony December 2023 Bar Swearing-in Ceremony

    Memorial Hall recently played host to the 2023 Fowler School of Law bar swearing-in ceremony. The historic Chapman venue was awash with smiles, collegial warmth and even a few relieved sighs as Fowler graduates took their Californian and federal oaths. View a gallery of the evening's proceedings.

    Photograph of Professor Mainero during a Bar-Preparation session Fowler Students Set a High Bar in 2023

    This July, one hundred and sixteen Fowler School of Law graduates passed the California Bar Exam, posting a remarkable 81% successful pass rate for first-time bar-takers from the school. Placed in context, this achievement is nothing short of exceptional: Of the 7,500-plus bar-takers this July, 49% failed the exam; new graduates from Californian ABA-accredited schools saw a lowly 76% pass rate; and out-of-state ABA-accredited schools had to make do with a meager 70% pass rate for their first time bar-takers.

    More Fowler Law News
    Professor John Hall being interviewed
    Faculty News

    Fowler School of Law Professor Embedded in Ukraine

    Professor John Hall spent the summer of 2023 embedded with the Kharkiv Human Rights Protection Group in Ukraine where he witnessed first-hand the impact of the war on Ukrainian culture. For Hall, a routinely overlooked aspect of the war remains the systematic destruction of Ukrainian cultural heritage sites that seem to be deliberately targeted by the Russian army. Giving a video interview during a break in Russian missile strikes on Kharkiv in 2023, Hall explains how the devastation of these cultural sites seems to form part of a Russian strategy of cultural decimation.

    Read Professor Hall's Op-ed about the attack on Ukrainian culture on the school blog.

    Watch the Video Interview 

    A focus on practice-ready education

    People's hands on tax paperwork

    Chapman Law Clinics

    In each of our legal clinics, students work on real cases under the supervision of clinical faculty members. Clinical students engage in hands-on client work that includes document preparation, research projects, brief writing, and court appearances.

    Learn more about our legal clinics
    Four Chapman Law Externships student posing together

    Externship Opportunities

    Through our externship program, students gain real-world experience working for judges, government agencies, corporations, public interest organizations, private law firms, and more, developing a range of practical skills to help them transition into the legal workplace after graduation.

    Learn more about externships
    Law students competing

    Competition Teams

    Many Chapman students participate on our award-winning lawyering skills teams, traveling throughout the United States and abroad to compete against other top law schools. Students may compete in one or more of these areas: Appellate Moot Court, Mock Trial, or Dispute Resolution.

    Learn more about competitions
    Law professor in suit
    Faculty

    Learning from the best

    The world-class faculty at the Fowler School of Law includes three former U.S. Supreme Court clerks, a Nobel laureate, a former five-time U.S. Congressman, leading legal scholars, former law partners, clinical and practice specialists, and a host of passionate educators from a wide range of specialty areas.

    Learn More

    Consumer Information (ABA Required Disclosures)

    Giving

    Law Library

    Publications

    Events

    Alumni Information

    JD Emphasis Areas

    Visit Us

    Take the Next Step

    Apply Now
    Schedule a Tour
    Request a Catalog
    Chapman University Dale E. Fowler School of Law

    One University Drive, Orange, CA, 92866

    (714) 628-2500

    Follow Fowler Law on Social Media