University of Idaho College of Law

Introduction

The College of Law, established in 1909, has been a member of the AALS since 1914 and has been accredited by the ABA since 1925. As Idaho’s leader in legal education, the College of Law emphasizes quality over quantity and is founded on collegiality and a dedication to the highest ideals of a noble profession.

Students have the option to complete all three years in either Moscow or Boise. These two options expand the Juris Doctor curriculum with emphasis areas correlated to the interdisciplinary assets of Moscow’s location as part of the broader University of Idaho campus and Boise’s commercial and government connections.

College of Law students benefit from an attentive, dedicated, and accessible faculty as well as the unique opportunity to combine residential university community and metropolitan living and learning.

Enrollment/Student Body

With an overall enrollment around 300, students at the College of Law have a wide variety of backgrounds and life experiences. Students enroll from across the country, representing almost 100 colleges and universities, 24 different states, and several foreign countries. Approximately 60 percent of our students are Idaho residents. The College of Law welcomes and actively seeks diversity, with particular attention to students of color and those who have overcome socioeconomic disadvantage. Due to our highly selective admission process and positive learning environment, including an academic success program run by a licensed attorney, academic attrition is less than 3 percent.

Technology, Library, and Physical Facilities

Over 40 major research databases and wireless capability throughout the Menard Law building in Moscow allow students to quickly access a large collection of electronic resources with the most up-to-date legal information. The Law Library houses a print collection of Anglo-American and international law materials, with in-depth collections to support the law school’s signature areas of emphasis in Business Law and Entrepreneurship, Native American Law, Natural Resources and Environmental Law, and our clinical programs. Located in the Idaho Law and Justice Learning Center in Boise, as the result of an innovative collaboration with the Idaho Supreme Court, the College of Law assumed management of the Idaho State Law Library. The State Law Library currently houses a collection of print and electronic resources to support the research needs of Idaho attorneys and judges, the public, and the law students and faculty.

Curriculum

All first-year students are required to take courses in Legal Research and Writing, Contracts, Criminal Law, Torts, Property, Civil Procedure, and Constitutional Law. After the first year, students must take Professional Responsibility, Evidence, Administrative Law, Business Associations, and Constitutional Law II, and they may choose to pursue an area of emphasis. The College of Law provides emphases in natural resources and environmental law, business law and entrepreneurship, and Native American law.

Practical Skills

The College of Law places great importance on public service and the development of practical skills. We require all students to complete at least 50 hours of preapproved pro bono service before graduation, which allows students to engage in substantial, law-related public service work.

There are six live-client clinics available at the College of Law:

1. Main Street Clinic (Moscow)
2. Immigration Clinic (Moscow)
3. Small Business Legal Clinic (Boise)
4. Tax Clinic (Boise)
5. Economic Development Clinic (Boise)
6. Mediation Clinic (Moscow)

Students also sharpen their practical skills through participation in the summer externship program, by completing a semester in practice externship, and/or by competing in a wide variety of faculty- and lawyer-supervised skills competitions.

Concurrent Degrees

Students may pursue:

• Concurrent JD/MS/PhD in Water Resources (Law, Management, and Policy): The Water Resources graduate program provides interdisciplinary study options through the University of Idaho Water Resources Program to address complex water resources issues. We communicate across disciplines to broaden and deepen students’ understanding of these problems. The concurrent JD/MS may be completed in four years, and the JD/PhD may be completed in six. Available in Moscow.
• Concurrent JD/MBA (Master of Business Administration): The program allows students to earn the JD and MBA in four years, rather than the usual five. Available in Boise.
• Concurrent JD/MS Environmental Science: The concurrent JD/MS in Environmental Science, offered in conjunction with the University of Idaho Environmental Science Program, is designed to give students technical knowledge in natural resources and environmental science coupled with professional expertise provided by training in law. Available in Moscow.
• Concurrent JD/MS degree in Bioregional Planning and Community Design: The concurrent JD/MS in Bioregional Planning and Community Design degree, offered in conjunction with the University of Idaho Bioregional Planning and Community Design Program, offers the opportunity to combine the studies of law, science, policy, engineering, and social science to help create a community of “planner-lawyers” who can better serve clients in a planning context. Available in Moscow.
• Concurrent JD/Professional Science Master’s: The concurrent JD/PSM degree program through the University of Idaho Professional Science Master’s Program is an interdisciplinary, nonthesis degree that combines rigorous study in science with training in management and communication skills. Available in Moscow.
• Concurrent JD/Master of Accounting degree in cooperation with the University of Idaho College of Business and Economics and dual JD/Master of Accounting, Taxation Emphasis degree in cooperation with Boise State University. These programs are particularly valuable for students interested in practicing tax law.

Admission

Applications are accepted beginning in October preceding the fall when an applicant intends to matriculate. Our law program is full time although we offer an adjusted curriculum for students who cannot attend class full time. Applicants must submit college transcripts and letters of recommendation through LSAC’s Credential Assembly Service (CAS). The application priority deadline is March 15, but we recommend late-fall application. Applications submitted after March 15 will be reviewed, but timely applications will receive priority consideration. The Admission Committee looks at each applicant holistically, including, but not limited to, LSAT score, academic record and background, writing ability, personal statement, work and life experiences, and recommendations.

Student Activities

Students can join one or more of UI’s 30 active student organizations. The Student Bar Association represents student interests, both educational and social. The Idaho Law Review, which covers topics ranging from state and regional problems to national and international issues, and the Idaho Critical Legal Studies Journal, an online journal of critical legal studies, give students valuable writing and editing experience. The Board of Student Advocates and the Law Students for Appropriate Dispute Resolution coordinate intramural competitions and provide opportunities for students to participate in national competitions that build professional skills. Other groups include the American Civil Liberties Union, the Latino Law Caucus, the Federalist Society, the Multicultural Law Caucus, the Native American Law Students Association, OUTLaw, the J. Reuben Clark Law Society, and the Women’s Law Caucus.

Career Development

The assistant dean (in Moscow) and director (in Boise) are licensed attorneys who are active members of the legal community, allowing them to build relationships with alumni and employers. Both use their experience to provide one-on-one counseling, arrange OCIs and employer visits, host a variety of workshops, cultivate networking opportunities, and review student résumés and cover letters.