School of Law

University of Missouri-Columbia, School of Law History

University of Missouri-Columbia School of Law was established in 1872 and is a public institution. The 1348-acre campus is in a suburban area 125 miles west of St. Louis. The primary mission of the law school is to educate students about the fundamentals of legal reasoning and critical thinking, including the analysis and synthesis of court opinions, preparation and argument of cases, and the resolution of client problems and ethical issues that attorneys must face. Students have access to federal, state, county, city, and local agencies, courts, correctional facilities, law firms, and legal aid organizations in the Columbia area. Housing for students is available in on- and off-campus apartments and dormitories. All law school facilities are accessible to the physically disabled.

University of Missouri-Columbia, School of Law Academics

In addition to the J.D., the law school offers the LL.M. Students may take relevant courses in other programs and apply credit toward the J.D.; a maximum of 3 to 6 credits may be applied. The following joint degrees may be earned: J.D./M.A. or M.S. (Juris Doctor/Master of Arts in economics, journalism educational leadership and policy analysis, human development, and family studies.), J.D./M.B.A. (Juris Doctor/Master of Business Administration), J.D./M.H.A. (Juris Doctor/Master of Health Administration), J.D./M.L.S. (Juris Doctor/Master of Library & Information Science), J.D./M.P.A. (Juris Doctor/Master of Public Administration), J.D./M.S. (Juris Doctor/Master of Science in consumer, Family, and personal financial planning), and J.D./Ph.D. (Juris Doctor/Doctor of Journalism).

The School of Law offers concentrations in corporate law, criminal law, environmental law, family law, international law, litigation, tax law, and trial law; alternative dispute resolution. In addition, the school offers a criminal clinic, a domestic violence clinic, a legislative clinic, and a mediation clinic. Internship programs are available to upper-level students who wish to experience the practice of civil and criminal law in various state and federal agencies; 3 credit hours are offered. Seminars are open to upper-level students on Communication Law, Criminal Law, and Environmental Law. Upper-level students may perform independent research for a faculty member and earn up to 3 credit hours. The main lecture series at the law school is the Nelson Lecture, in which noted national legal scholars deliver a major address. There are also annual lectures in dispute resolution and dispute resolution brown bag lunches. The Professional Perspectives requirement is mandatory for all students. It is designed to enrich the law school experience. The School of Law participates in the London Law Consortium. A semester in the Bloomsbury district of London, in the winter semester, is available to second- and third-year law students in good standing. A summer abroad program in Capetown, South Africa at the University of Western Cape is also offered. The school has a full-time academic counselor available to assist students with academic concerns. Remedial programs include Legal Reasoning. Scholarship funds are available; the Law School is a supporting institution in CLEO and participates in the ABA-legal opportunity scholarship program. The most widely taken electives are Trial Practice, Family Law, and Secured Transactions.

To earn the J.D., candidates must complete 89 total credits, of which 45 are for required courses. They must maintain a minimum grade average of 70.0 in the required courses. The following first-year courses are required of all students: Advocacy and Research, Civil Procedure I and II, Contracts I and II, Criminal Law, Lawyering, Legal Research and Writing, Property, and Torts. Required upper-level courses consist of completion of a writing requirement, Constitutional Law, Criminal Procedure, Evidence, and Professional Responsibility. The required orientation program for first-year students is a 3 1/2-day program for first-year students, consisting of meetings with administration, faculty, and student organizations; learning rules and regulations; and learning to brief a case.

In order to graduate, candidates must have a GPA of 77.5 and have completed the upper-division writing requirement.

University of Missouri-Columbia, School of Law Unique Programs

Library

The law library contains 285,617 hard-copy volumes and 103,682 microform volume equivalents, and subscribes to 2070 serial publications. Such on-line databases and networks as CALI, DIALOG, Legal-Trac, LEXIS, LOIS, OCLC First Search, WESTLAW, Merlin, the Internet, and World Wide Web are available to law students for research. Special library collections include U.S. and Missouri state documents and a nineteenth-century criminal trial collection. Recently, the library upgraded its computer laboratory to Windows NT and Netware 5, and added carrel seating and a wireless network. The ratio of library volumes to faculty is 9521 to 1 and to students is 636 to 1. The ratio of seats in the library to students is 1 to 1.

Special Consideration

Requirements are not different for out-of-state students. Transfer students must have one year of credit, have attended an ABA-approved law school, and “B” average or better, first year law school grades.

University of Missouri-Columbia, School of Law Admissions

In the fall 2007 first-year class, 980 applied, 351 were accepted, and 146 enrolled. Twenty transfers enrolled. The median LSAT percentile of the most recent first-year class was 78; the median GPA was 3.56 on a scale of 4.0. The lowest LSAT percentile accepted was 27; the highest was 98.

Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree and take the LSAT. Minimum acceptable LSAT percentile is 27. The most important admission factors include LSAT results, GPA, and academic achievement. No specific undergraduate courses are required. Candidates are not interviewed.

The application deadline for fall entry is March 1. Applicants should submit an application form, LSAT results, transcripts, a personal statement, a nonrefundable application fee of $50, 2 letters of recommendation, and for non-scholarship recipients-first deposit of $250 is due on April 4; the second deposit of $250 is due on May 9th. For scholarship recipients-full $500 deposit is due on April 4. The deposits are credited toward tuition. Notification of the admissions decision is on a rolling basis- December through April 10. The latest acceptable LSAT test date for fall entry is February. The law school uses the LSDAS.

University of Missouri-Columbia, School of Law Financial Aid

About 90% of current law students receive some form of aid. The average annual amount of aid from all sources combined, including scholarships, loans, and work contracts, is $15,200; maximum, $28,100. Awards are based on need and merit. Required financial statement is the FAFSA. The aid application deadline for fall entry is March 1. Special funds for minority or disadvantaged students include need- and merit-based law school scholarships, ranging from $500 to full tuition. First-year students are notified about their financial aid application at time of acceptance and will receive the award letter 6 to 8 weeks after completing the FAFSA.

University of Missouri-Columbia, School of Law Students

About 37% of the student body are women; 13%, minorities; 5%, African American; 4%, Asian American; 2%, Hispanic; and 1%, Native American. The majority of students come from Missouri (80%). The average age of entering students is 24; age range is 20 to 60. About 75% of students enter directly from undergraduate school, 4% have a graduate degree, and 25% have worked full-time prior to entering law school. About 3% drop out after the first year for academic or personal reasons; 97% remain to receive a law degree.

Students edit the Missouri Law Review, the Environmental Law and Policy Review, and the Journal of Dispute Resolution. Moot court competitions include the Midwest Moot Court Competition, National Moot Court, and the ABA Moot Court. Other competitions are the Negotiation, Arbitration, Trial, Client Counseling, and First Year Moot Court. Student organizations, local chapters of national associations, and campus organizations include the Board of Advocates, the Student Bar Association, the Women’s Law Association, Black Law Student Association, Non-Traditional Law Student Association, Intellectual Property and Entertainment Law, Phi Alpha Delta, the ABA-Law School Division, and the Association of Trial Lawyers of America.

The law school operates on a traditional semester basis. Courses for full-time students are offered days only. There is no part-time program. New students are admitted in the fall. There is a 7-week summer session. Transferable summer courses are offered.