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University Campus & Law School BuildingThe Chapman University School of Law is the only law school in Orange County located on a university campus. The campus setting presents many opportunities to develop interdisciplinary courses and degree programs with other schools of the university. The site, located near the Orange Metrolink station, was once part of the fabled Rancho Santiago de Santa Ana, a huge tract granted by the Spanish crown in 1810. A prominent Los Angeles lawyer, Alfred Beck Chapman, and his law partner, Andrew Glassell, acquired a large portion of the ranch in 1868, and laid out the town, which today is called Orange.In 1872, Mr. Chapman donated to the town the land on which the new law building is located. The law building is located just two blocks from "the circle" in the heart of Historic Old Towne Orange. The circle has been featured in a number of movie productions because of its quaint array of restaurants and shops, many of which trade in antiques. On June 1, 1999, the School of Law occupied the new $30 million law school complex on Chapman University's main campus in Orange. The Law School building was officially named Donald P. Kennedy Hall, honoring Mr. Donald Kennedy a longtime Chapman trustee and benefactor. The dedication ceremony was held October 20, 1999, with keynote speaker Justice Clarence Thomas of the United States Supreme Court. View keynote address (PDF). The principal building, rising four stories and providing 133,000 square feet of floor space, offers an efficient and pleasant learning environment for students. Classrooms and seminar rooms are equipped with state-of-the-art technology for enhanced teaching and learning, and are capable of accommodating future changes in electronic, visual and on-site learning. The law library occupies one wing of the building and individualizes the research process by offering student carrels equipped with outlets for laptop computers and related electronic devices. Two courtrooms, one designed for trials and the other for appellate hearings, provide fully equipped facilities for trial advocacy exercises, mock trial and moot court competitions, and formal hearings by visiting courts. Student lounges and facilities for student organizations ensure that the law school experience at Chapman will be both productive and pleasant. In addition, a new 720-car parking structure at the rear of the law building provides ample parking for students, faculty and visitors. The distinctive historical facade of an earlier building, modeled after the eleventh century romanesque Basilica del Santi Vitale e Agricola in Bologna, Italy, is preserved within the walls of the new structure. Thus, the building links the important heritage of the past with the exciting educational environment of the future. |
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