In recognition of the prestige the Franklin Pierce name carries in the global intellectual property (IP) community, the University of New Hampshire School of Law is now the UNH Franklin Pierce School of Law.
The change reflects a common practice for law schools to have names in addition to the university’s moniker. Prior to joining UNH, the school was Franklin Pierce Law Center.
"This expansion of the law school name blends the best of the past, present and future,” notes Megan Carpenter, dean of the law school. "It restores a name of high value in the intellectual property community while preserving the law school’s important association to UNH and the state of New Hampshire. The Franklin Pierce name is considered the gold standard for intellectual property internationally. We’re confident welcoming Franklin Pierce back into our name will build new bridges globally as well as enhance relationships with our alumni."
The law school, which is consistently ranked in the top 100 overall by U.S. News and World Report, is ranked in the top five for IP and is the only law school in America ranked in the top 10 in IP for the 28 years that U.S. News has been ranking IP programs. The law school is also known for innovation in legal education, including in social justice, health law and policy and sports, as well as for its Daniel Webster Scholar Honors Program, a first-of-its-kind program in the nation, which allows students to graduate without taking the traditional two-day bar exam.
The law school has also excelled at job placement and bar passage, with the most recent data from the American Bar Association showing 95 percent of juris doctor graduates are employed within 10 months of graduation. It is ranked first in New England and fifth in the country for jobs on the open market. In addition, 93 percent of the UNH Franklin Pierce School of Law's first-time takers passed the bar exam in 2017.
