Overview

Applicants
399
Acceptance Rate
62%
Median Undergrad GPA
3.37
Accepted Applicants Who Attend
79

Test Scores

LSAT
25th-75th percentile
(enrolled students)
-

Deadlines

Application Deadlines
March 1

Application Process

Rolling Admissions
Yes

Application Fee
$60

CAS Service Used
Yes

Applicants accepted in terms other than fall
No

Transfer Applicants Accepted
Yes

Deferred Admission
No

Other Admission Factors

Academic

LSAT Score
Undergraduate GPA
Letters of Recommendation
Essay / Personal Statement

Selectivity Rating

Faculty Information

Student/Faculty
9:1
Total Faculty
34

63
Female
9
Underrepresented Minorities


Students Say

The Alexander Blewett III School of Law at the University of Montana takes a thorough, hands-on approach to legal education, enrolling 80 students each year and molding them into practice-ready lawyers through a “balance of academic and practical approaches.” The school acts as the academic legal center in Montana, emphasizing areas of law significant to the Rocky Mountain West. This is done through specialty programs such as Environmental Law and Natural Resources, Indian Law, and Conflict Resolution. The school also focuses on providing professional services to the state, tribal governments, and local communities through legal clinics (such as the Land Use & Natural Resources Clinic and the Veterans Advocacy Clinic) and field placements with organizations like the ACLU and governmental offices and agencies. As one student shares, “We have access to meet and speak with attorneys as well as state and federal judges all the time.” While all first-year students complete a foundation in Lawyering Fundamentals before moving on to simulation courses in their second year, these clinical programs and placements are considered capstones of a University of Montana law education, and every third-year student must participate in order to graduate.

Here, “facilities are … equipped with smart technology,” and “the school generally runs very smoothly.” That's thanks in part to “small classroom sizes [which] make it very personable.” Additionally, the “ease of access to the professors and staff is outstanding,” as they are “readily available to walk people through questions, give career advice, and [offer] tips about staying sane through finals.” They “provide an atmosphere that mirrors extended family.” Faculty members “almost all come from a career of practice, and it shows in their teaching,” with them regularly “providing an academic background for issues, and then almost always tempering that lesson with an overview of how that impacts the practical application of the law.” As an added bonus, many of the teachers “have fantastic connections with firms/organizations outside of the academic community that greatly [help] students in finding jobs.” One pleased attendee notes that “the lawyers in this state love the school,” so “if you want to work in Montana, this is the school to go to.” To that end, the Career Services department “constantly communicates with students regarding opportunities and assists with application materials to best position students for success.” As this is the only law school in Montana, “the opportunities for students are endless,” and “first year law students regularly get paid internships for the summer, and second year students often clerk.”

Career overview

Pass Rate for First-Time Bar Exam
80%
Median Starting Salary
$53,000
% of graduates who are employed within ten months of graduation
84%
% of job accepting graduates providing useable salary information
78%

Career Services

On campus summer employment recruitment for first year JD students
Yes

On campus summer employment recruitment for second year JD students
Yes

# of Employers that Recruit on Campus Each Year
35

Employers who most frequently hire graduates
Church, Harris, Johnson & Williams; Garlington, Lohn & Robinson; Milodragovich, Dale, Steinbrenner & Nygren; Moulton, Bellingham, Longo and Mather; Holland & Hart; Crowley Fleck; Smith, Walsh, Clark and Gregoire; MT Sup. Ct.; MT Dist. Cts.; MT Fed. Dist. Cts.

Graduates Employed by Area

41%
Private Practice
30%
Judicial Clerkships
9%
Government
3%
Business/Industry
1%
Public Interes

Graduates Employed by Region

78%
Mountain
3%
South West
3%
Pacific

Prominent Alumni

Hon. Sidney R. Thomas
Chief Judge for the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals

Hon. James R. Browning
U. S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Cir.; Clerk of U. S. Supreme Court

Hon. William J. Jameson
U. S. District Court, Montana Div.; Past President of the American Bar Association

Robert M. Carlson
2018 President of the American Bar Association

Denise Juneau
1st Native American woman elected to public office in Montana

Dates

Financial Aid Rating
Feb 15
Application Deadlines
Mar 1

Financial Aid Statistics

Average Annual Total Aid Package Awarded
$27,198

% Students Receiving Some Aid
89%

Expenses per Academic Year

In-State Tuition
$11,238
Out-Of-State Tuition
$30,425
Estimated On-Campus Room and Board
$12,480
Estimated Off-Campus Room and Board
$12,480
Estimated Cost for Books / Academic Expense
$3,968
Fees
$2,011

Student Body Profile

Total Enrollment
221
Parent Institution Enrollement
10,962

Number of Foreign Countries Represented
0
Average Age at Entry
28

% International
0%

Demographics

10.00%
% Under-represented Minorities

100% are full time
0% are part time
50% female
50% male

Campus Life

Students Say

“Social events are common” among this group of “kind, caring, and extremely brilliant” students. These events often include Friday fundraisers for local community groups and charities. That's because it's a “small town, small school” deal here. That also means students “get to know each other pretty well, including across classes.” In fact, there are “weekly group meetings among first year law students and upperclassmen to ensure first-year matriculation is maximized for … law school success.” Overall, students “have well balanced lives and enjoy the great music and amazing trails in Missoula.” One assures, “There are hiking trails for miles just a block away from the law school building.” While there are “lots of outdoor recreational opportunities, [there's] not a ton of nightlife.” Also of note is the wide political bent, but students are sure to “have lively, spirited, and above all, respectful conversations about politics.” That respect extends to any type of student, including those with families: The university “is extremely welcoming to families,” and “you can take your kids to class, there are family rooms for nursing or taking care of your child, and above all else, all of us students are so willing to help the other students with children out.”

More Information

% of Classrooms with Internet Access
100%

Admissions Office Contact

Contact
Sarah Pepe
Director of Admissions

Address
University of Montana School of Law
Room 180
Missoula, MT 59812

Phone
406-243-2396

Email
sarah.pepe@mso.umt.edu


Articles & Advice