University of Nevada, Las Vegas, William S. Boyd School of Law
The information on this page was provided by the law school.
Official Guide to ABA-Approved JD Programs
The William S. Boyd School of Law, the first and only public law school in Nevada history, commenced classes in fall 1998 and now has graduated more than 2,700 students. Located in a unique, dynamic, and continually growing metropolitan area, Boyd offers its students an evolving social climate in which to study the law and observe and participate in its application. The law school is fully accredited by the American Bar Association and is a member of the Association of American Law Schools.
Faculty
The full-time faculty consists of experienced, accomplished, and well-respected legal educators. All faculty members have excellent credentials, experience, and reputations; all are people for whom teaching and mentoring of students is very important; and all are people who are eager to serve their community through scholarship, civic involvement, and various outreach programs. The law school also taps into the wealth of talent in the local bar association for adjunct faculty who teach a variety of specialized courses.
Community Service
A unique aspect of a Boyd education is an early focus on service learning. Under the supervision of attorneys from Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada, Nevada Legal Services, and the law school, all first-year students participate in a community service program directing informational workshops and providing legal information to those in need on the subjects of bankruptcy, foreclosure mediation, small claims, family law, paternity custody, immigration, mediation, and guardianship. After the first year, in our Partners in Pro Bono Program, students work one-on-one with attorney mentors on pro bono cases. These programs are intended to acquaint students with the large unmet need for legal services and to instill a lasting commitment to community service and pro bono work.
Facility
The Boyd School of Law facility includes the William S. Boyd Hall, the Beverly Rogers Literature and Law Building, and the Thomas and Mack Moot Court Facility. Classrooms include state-of-the art technology for presentations using PowerPoint, video, and document cameras, and are equipped to facilitate videoconferencing and distance learning. Classroom, lounge, and study space offer students indoor and outdoor wireless access seating areas where they can make productive use of their time between classes.
Library
The Wiener-Rogers Law Library holds the most substantial collection of legal materials in the state of Nevada. The library is staffed by excellent, service-oriented librarians who have come from major libraries across the country. Patrons and students have access to a core collection of important material in printed and micro formats. The library offers one computer lab and provides numerous carrels for individual study, as well as group study rooms. The growing library collection now exceeds 400,000 volumes and microform volume equivalents.
The JD Program
Curriculum
The Boyd School of Law offers and encourages its students to undertake a generalist curriculum. Specific course offerings are constantly reviewed and revised as societal needs, student interest, and faculty resources change. The curriculum generally emphasizes the responsibilities, skills, and values required of members of the legal profession. This emphasis comes to the fore in Lawyering Process, a three-semester required course that offers students the opportunity to examine the relationship between legal analysis and other legal skills such as research, writing, oral advocacy, and client interviewing and counseling, with significant emphasis on professionalism and ethics.
Programs of Study
The law school offers a traditional three-year, full-time JD program and a four-year, part-time JD program during evening hours. Additionally, three dual-degree programs have been established: Juris Doctor/Master of Business Administration, Juris Doctor/Master of Social Work, and Juris Doctor/PhD in Education. Finally, the law school offers an LLM in Gaming Law and Regulation.
Student Life
Career Placement and Bar Passage
Admission Decisions: Beyond the Numbers
The Boyd School of Law seeks to enroll an academically well-qualified, accomplished, and diverse group of individuals who will contribute to the vitality of the school’s educational program, the community, and the legal profession after graduation. Applicants for admission may demonstrate qualification and accomplishment through distinguished academic records as undergraduate or graduate students, successful careers, meaningful contributions to their communities, or successful efforts to meet challenges associated with race, ethnicity, gender, economic status, or disability. Students of diverse backgrounds, attitudes, and interests contribute to the breadth and quality of the classroom and nonclassroom dialogues, which are critical elements of legal education.