University of Wyoming College of Law

The JD Program

Introduction

The University of Wyoming College of Law, founded in 1920, is ABA accredited and a member of the AALS. An excellent faculty comprises 25 full-time distinguished professors as well as more than 15 part-time adjunct professors, with highly qualified lecturers to instruct a student body of approximately 225. The limited size of the student body and the favorable student-to-faculty ratio (approximately 9 to 1), create an atmosphere of friendliness and informality. Students enjoy a degree of access to faculty rarely found at larger institutions. UW Law provides a high-quality, affordable legal education. It is consistently considered to be one of the best value schools in the nation. The College of Law is located in Laramie on the campus of the University of Wyoming, the only four-year institution of higher learning in Wyoming. The university has a student body of approximately 13,000. Laramie is a town of 32,000 located in southeastern Wyoming at an altitude of 7,200 feet on the high plains between two mountain ranges. UW Law’s proximity to the mountains provides a variety of recreational activities, including skiing, backpacking, rock climbing, hiking, mountain biking, camping, fishing, and hunting. Laramie is just two hours north of Denver, Colorado, and 45 minutes from Cheyenne—Wyoming’s state capital.

Faculty

The faculty has a proven record of excellence in teaching, research, and scholarship. Particular areas of strength include environmental and natural resource law, litigation, international law (private and public), business law, rural law, and transactional law. Faculty members are actively engaged in public service and international outreach. Because of our small student body, the University of Wyoming College of Law faculty provides students with instructional and research opportunities that are often not available in larger institutions. Students regularly converse with their professors both inside and outside the classroom, establishing lifelong professional connections.

Curriculum

The 1L year consists of foundational subjects, including Contracts, Property, Torts, Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law, Legal Research and Writing, and Criminal Law. During the 2L year, students take two required courses (Evidence and Professional Responsibility) and electives of their choice. The 3L year is comprised entirely of elective and seminar courses tailored toward an area of law, including business, civil litigation, criminal, energy, environment and natural resources, general practice, government, international human rights, international business, public interest, real estate, intellectual property, and social justice.

Practical legal training is available through the following opportunities:

• Clinical Programs
  • Civil Legal Services: Students provide legal assistance to economically disadvantaged persons.
  • Defender Aid: Students brief and argue criminal appeals for indigent persons, and assist penitentiary inmates in post-conviction cases.
  • Family and Child Legal Advocacy: Students address legal issues of domestic violence victims.
  • Prosecution Assistance: Students work with prosecuting attorneys in criminal cases.
  • International Human Rights: Students work on global human rights issues, including immigration, asylum, and other international advocacy cases.
  • Energy, Environment, and Natural Resources Law: Students work together with Wyoming’s Office of Attorney General on a wide variety of actual cases.
• Estate Planning Practicum
• Business Law Practicum
• Local Government Assistance Practicum
• Five Centers
  • Center for the Study of Written Advocacy
  • Center for Laws and Energy Resources in the Rockies
  • Rural Law Center
  • Center for International Human Rights Law
  • Firearms Research

UW Law guarantees that all of its students can participate in at least one clinical program.  All clinical programs and practicums operate under faculty supervision.

Numerous externship opportunities are available including state and federal courts, the Wyoming Supreme Court, Shoshone and Arapaho Tribal Court, the US Attorney’s Office, the Wyoming Attorney General, state and federal public defender, FBI, JAG, municipal and government agencies, and other nonprofit entities, including the Innocence Project, ACLU, Biodiversity Conservation Alliance, and Access to Justice.

Clinics, externships, internships, and faculty research projects are available each term.  All students have access to these opportunities at the University of Wyoming College of Law.

Special Programs

Under Wyoming state law, students in the clinics can brief and argue cases before the Wyoming Supreme Court, an opportunity that is rare—if not unique—among law schools. Students also regularly appear in state court hearings and represent clients in a variety of venues and proceedings.

Summer Trial Institute

The Summer Trial Institute is a two-week, intensive course in which leading trial attorneys from across Wyoming and the country mentor law students in their trial skills. The summer trial institute typically attracts 75 judges, lawyers, and professors to provide two weeks of intensive litigation training to 24 students.

In this “learn-by-doing” course, students gain trial skills by practicing in a courtroom with seasoned lawyers and by receiving direct feedback from peers or future employers. The course culminates with the students trying a jury trial in front of sitting Wyoming judges who have volunteered their time and expertise to the program.

This program is part of the Trial Practice program at UW Law and is made possible by the collaborative efforts of the College of Law, the American College of Trial Lawyers, and the American Board of Trial Advocates.

Joint-Degree Programs

The practice of law has become increasingly complex, requiring lawyers to think broadly as problem-solvers. Joint degree programs permit students to personalize their study of law by adding knowledge, skills, and analytical tools from other disciplines.

Capitalizing on the University's depth of resources, the College of Law collaborates with University graduate departments to offer multiple joint degree programs. Students must apply for admission to both programs; however, both departments will recognize a number of credits from the corresponding program to allow students to earn both degrees in a shorter period of time. The University of Wyoming College of Law offers three joint degree programs:

1. JD / Masters in Environment and Natural Resources (MA ENR)
2. JD/ Masters in Business Administration (MBA)
3. JD/ Masters in Public Administration (MPA)

Admission Standards

UW Law seeks candidates whose intellectual abilities and proven academic skills make it likely that they will successfully complete our academic program and use their legal education productively. We favor candidates with potential for leadership in their chosen professions. Our students are expected to be committed to hard work, honesty, integrity, and community service commensurate with the privilege of membership in the legal profession. We seek to admit candidates whose diverse backgrounds, experiences, knowledge, and perspectives will enliven and enrich the learning experiences of fellow students, faculty, and the rest of the academic community.

The College of Law enrolls 75 to 80 students each fall. The college begins accepting applications on October 1 for the class entering the following August. An early admission program is available for those who apply before December 15. The entering class is selected from applications completed by April 30. Applicants should register with LSAC’s Credential Assembly Service and request official undergraduate transcripts by mid-January and take the LSAT no later than April.

Applicants must have an undergraduate degree from an accredited institution prior to matriculation. Admission is based on the applicant’s undergraduate records, LSAT scores, personal statement, a "Why WY" or "Overcoming Adversity" statement, resume, letters of recommendation, and other criteria relevant to success in the study and practice of law.

Proficiency in English is critical to success at the University of Wyoming College of Law. All international applicants from non-English-speaking countries must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) exam.  A score of 100 or higher on the TOEFL is required for admission.

UW Law does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, age, veteran status, sexual orientation, or political beliefs.

Student Activities

The College of Law publishes the student-edited Wyoming Law Review biannually. Other organizations include the John Burman Student Government, American Constitution Society, Beyond the Law, Board of Advocates, DEI Student Group, Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies, Natural Resources & Environmental Law Club, Outlaw, Phi Alpha Delta Legal Fraternity, Women’s Law Forum, Students for Equal Justice, Military Student Group, Sports and Entertainment Law, Trial Lawyers Association Student Chapter, and Wellness Advocates.

Students participate in the Davis and Cannon Natural Resources Law Moot Court Competition, the Richard E. Day Client Counseling Competition, the ABA Negotiations Competition, the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition, and the Voir Dire Competition.

The college’s Order of the Coif is a national honorary organization.  The chapter recognized legal scholastic excellence.  Each year, the chapter may initiate into membership those students who graduate in the highest 10 percent of their class, and may also initiate an honorary member from the legal profession.

Career Services and Professional Development

Approximately 75 percent of graduates remain in the Rocky Mountain region after graduation, due in part to the wide availability of legal opportunities in the area, but UW Law has alumni around the US and across the globe. The curriculum is broad in scope, providing a core foundation of legal knowledge applicable in a wide range of legal and geographic areas. Wyoming has adopted and will participate in the NextGen Bar Exam.  Wyoming currently participates in the Uniform Bar Exam (UBE), which enables graduates to transfer their bar scores to over 45 additional states.

UW Law graduates continually report an 85-90 percent employment rate after graduating, and practice primarily in small private firms or are employed by federal, state, local, and tribal governments. Students are also employed in the public interest sector, in judicial clerkships, and in the growing area of business and industry.

As with other aspects of UW Law, the small size of the student body permits Career Services to provide students with personal attention not available at larger institutions. Students receive one-on-one career counseling and job-search assistance for permanent or summer employment. Career Services also provides insightful career panels, interview experience, and résumé/cover letter workshops. A network of loyal alumni hire, often exclusively, at the College of Law. Fall and spring on-campus interviews also provide many firms and students with interview opportunities. An online posting system allows organizations from across the country to announce legal jobs to UW students. Career services online and library resources are available to all students.

Financial Aid

Scholarships are available, and well over half of the students receive some federal financial aid. Scholarship awards are based on merit, need, and special circumstance. Students should file the FAFSA prior to March 1. Scholarships are granted based on the student’s application for admission. Incoming scholarship awards are valid for three years so long as students remain in good academic standing (GPA above 2.5). Student loans and other financial resources are administered through the UW Student Financial Aid Office.

Facilities

UW Law is composed of large classrooms, courtrooms, a jury room, seminar/study rooms, and study carrels. The spacious on-site library has 350,000 volumes and multiple electronic databases. Wi-Fi and the newest instructional technologies are available throughout the building. The Alan K. Simpson Center for Clinical and Experiential Learning is a 2024 facility addition, providing community-rich spaces that enhance students’ training as both scholars and practitioners. The building provides a positive learning environment and is conveniently located.