University of Missouri School of Law

Introduction

Founded in 1839, University of Missouri School of Law was the first state university west of the Mississippi River. Established in 1872, the School of Law has had an enviable history of service to the state and the nation. Graduates include judges, governors, attorneys general, and legislators who serve locally and nationwide. The law school is a charter member of the Association of American Law Schools (AALS) and is fully accredited.

Located in Columbia, Mizzou is 35 miles from Jefferson City, the state capital. The location provides law students with easy access to the legislature, the Supreme Court of Missouri, and the various offices of state government. In addition to living and studying in one of America’s most livable cities, students are within two hours of the cultural, athletic, and entertainment centers of St. Louis and Kansas City. Students and their families enjoy Columbia’s Midwestern friendliness. It combines a small-town feel with the diversity and opportunities often found only in larger cities. Columbia truly offers something for everyone.

Faculty

At Mizzou Law, the faculty focus is on students and is achieved through teaching, research, and service. An open-door policy for students is the norm. Mizzou Law faculty are recognized for achievement inside and outside the classroom through teaching awards, appointments on committees and boards, and publications in national academic journals and media outlets throughout the state and nation.

Enrollment/Student Body

The law school student body is composed of students from numerous states and foreign countries. This diverse and collegial group of students results in a stimulating environment inside and outside the classroom. Mizzou Law maintains a smaller incoming class size to encourage greater interaction with faculty and peers.

Curriculum

The academic program leading to the JD degree traditionally consists of six semesters of study. One seven-week semester is offered each summer. To graduate, students must complete 89 semester hours, including a writing requirement and a professional perspectives requirement. Students must have a minimum average of 77.5 on a scale of 65 to 100 to graduate.

Students often describe the academic atmosphere at MU as challenging, but with an emphasis on learning rather than competition. Courses offer students a broad and balanced perspective on the law and legal institutions to prepare them for a wide range of career options in law, as well as alternative careers anywhere in the country.

Student Experience

John K. Hulston Hall was designed with the student experience in mind. Students have different comfortable places to study, including individual study carrels housed in the library. Due to the law school’s focus on student collaboration, many lounge and meeting spaces are available. Students have 24-hour access to the building, including the law library.

Students have access to amenities located at the University of Missouri, including the student recreation facility, the campus library, and the student center. The law school is part of the large university campus with NCAA Division I athletics, concert series, and diverse programming.

Special Programs: Alternative Dispute Resolution

The Center for the Study of Dispute Resolution is a unique feature of the law school and provides national leadership in this area of the law. First-year law students are exposed to an overview of dispute resolution processes. Mizzou Law also offers a variety of dispute resolution courses and other educational opportunities for second- and third-year students.

One of the first programs of its kind in the country, the center houses a Master of Laws in Dispute Resolution degree program.

MU was the first US law school to offer an LLM exclusively focused on dispute resolution. In addition, Mizzou Law offers an LLM in American Law, which provides an introduction to the American legal system and US legal practice for students who earned their first degree in law outside the United States.

MU is consistently regarded as one of the top law schools in dispute resolution.

Joint-Degree Programs

The School of Law offers several JD joint-degree programs, including Business Administration, Public Affairs, Health Administration, Library Science, Human Development and Family Studies, Economics, and Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis. Through the world’s first school of journalism, students can pursue a joint master’s or doctoral degree.

The law school has established other joint-degree programs to meet individual interests. Traditionally, joint-degree students spend their first year in the School of Law. (Students must fulfill the entrance requirements of both schools.)

Certificate Programs

The law school offers a certificate in dispute resolution. In addition, eight certificates in journalism, education policy, and health ethics, among other topics, are available to law students through the graduate school. Concentrations are available through the School of Law in tax and criminal justice.

Students can complete these certificates and concentrations by focusing a set number of elective hours in these areas.

Study-Abroad Programs

Mizzou Law offers the opportunity to study abroad in South Africa.

Since 2004, the School of Law has conducted a summer program in Cape Town, South Africa, in cooperation with the University of the Western Cape. The program consists of three two-credit courses in different areas of comparative law and includes field trips to the Cape of Good Hope, the Stellenbosch wine region, Robben Island, and other scenic and historical locations.

With law school approval, students can also obtain academic credit while studying in another ABA-approved law school’s international program.

Clinics and Externships

Mizzou Law provides students with practical experience to enhance lawyering skills and to promote awareness of ethical issues. An active externship and judicial clerkship program and eight other skills programs—the Criminal Prosecution Clinic, Entrepreneurship Legal Clinic, Family Violence Clinic, Legislative Practicum, Landlord-Tenant Practicum, Mediation Clinic, Innocence Clinic, and Veterans Clinic—have been developed to enrich student skills. Students, subject to the rules of the Supreme Court of Missouri, are able to practice law in these programs.

Student Activities

All students are eligible to participate in the writing competition for membership on the Missouri Law Review, the Journal of Dispute Resolution, or the Business, Entrepreneurship & Tax Law Review. Also open to all students, the Board of Advocates sponsors a wide variety of advocacy competitions. The school has chapters of the Order of Barristers, Order of the Coif, the Student Bar Association, and two legal fraternities. Other student organizations, encompassing almost every aspect of social and academic life, are also offered.

Admission

A faculty committee reviews all applications. In many cases, factors other than the GPA or LSAT score have proven to be determinative. If the LSAT is repeated, the committee will consider all scores in its evaluation.

Students are encouraged to apply early and to visit the law school. The Admissions Office can arrange for students to meet with an admission counselor, attend a class, and tour Hulston Hall.

Expenses and Financial Aid

Mizzou Law offers an outstanding value. Out-of-state students may be eligible to obtain Missouri residency after their first year of law school. Financial assistance is available to students in the form of scholarships, federal loans, research assistantships, and a work-study program.

Career Development

The Office of Career Development serves as a liaison between students or alumni and prospective employers. Students are taught to use their analytical and advocacy skills to achieve career goals. Workshops, seminars, and individual counseling are offered to help students successfully employ their lawyering skills. Additional resources include a smart suite that allows students to interview with prospective employers, facilitates student employment, and creates the ability to record and replay mock interviews.