Admissions Policy
What is UM looking for in the students it admits?
At the University of Montana School of Law, we base our admissions decisions on several criteria that we use as indicators of good moral character and intellectual promise. Of course, we look to your general academic record as an undergraduate and your score on the Law School Admission Test (LSAT). But, our Admissions Committee also weighs such factors as your writing ability, the trend in your undergraduate grades, the quality of your work in difficult courses, your ability to overcome economic or other disadvantages, and your life experiences. We try to bring together a class of intellectually bright, engaging, and enthusiastic students who will enrich the academic life of the law school and the education of their classmates.
We limit each entering class to 84 students. For the class entering Fall 2011, the average LSAT score was 154 and the average undergraduate GPA was 3.42.
Each entering class consists of approximately 59 Montana residents and 25 nonresidents. As a state-supported law school, we limit the nonresident component of each class to approximately one-third. We also admit students only for the full-time study of law. We do not have an evening or part-time program. The criteria to determine residency are described in the Montana Board of Regents Policy & MCA 20-25-501.
The School of Law is committed to providing full opportunities for the study of law and entry into the legal profession of qualified members of groups (notably racial and ethnic minorities) who have been victims of discrimination. During the admissions process, we remain sensitive to the potential of such applicants. We also observe the non-discrimination policy of the Montana University System's Board of Regents and strive to enroll and graduate American Indian and other minority students at least in proportion to their representation in Montana's population.
What type of student comes
to The University of Montana School of Law?
Our students like to be actively involved—involved in their own education, involved in the life of the law school, and involved in the broader community. In first-year course sections with only 40 students and the small group law firm program, you cannot help but be involved in class discussions. In Trial Practice, you will take your turn conducting a jury trial and in Business Transactions you will negotiate and draft a purchase and sale agreement. With approximately 250 total students, you will find many opportunities to work on a legal journal (we have two), join a competitive team (we have at least five each year), or be a leader in one of our student clubs or organizations. In a small community like Missoula, you can make a difference through your involvement with The University of Montana Public Interest Law Coalition or the Volunteer Income Tax Association.
Aside from the shared trait of being involved,
our students cannot be stereotyped. About half of each class
consists of students who have been out of school from three
to 30 years. In fact, the average age of our entering class
for the last 10 years is 27. So whether you are coming right
from college, returning to school while raising a family
or starting a second career, you will find classmates in
the same situation. You may find yourself in class seated
next to a teacher, a forester, or a rancher. With the class entering in 2011 as typical, you will also find yourself in class with students from 19 states and Canada, representing 50 different undergraduate institutions and 39 different majors.
Application Procedure and Instructions
Candidates must have received a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited college or university prior to matriculation. (Click here for a list of the Regional Institutional Accrediting Agencies.)
Applicants must be of good moral character and must maintain continuing good moral character as a condition of continuing enrollment. All states require applicants for admission to the bar to fulfill certain character and fitness requirements. These requirements are separate and may differ from those of the School of Law. Applicants are encouraged to secure information prior to law school matriculation on the bar admission requirements of the state(s) in which they plan to practice.
If you have completed a year of law study at another law school, you must wait two years before submitting an application to the University of Montana School of Law to begin again as a first year student.
Please see special instructions for Transfer Students, Visiting Students, and International Students
Law School Admission Counsel (LSAC) and the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) (www.lsac.org)
Applicants must register for and take the LSAT. For entry into the class beginning Fall 2012, we accept test results dated after March 1, 2007. We accept February scores for admission in the same year.
LSAC Credential Assembly Service (CAS) (www.lsac.org) Applicants must register for LSAC’s Credential Assembly Service (CAS) and follow the Service’s instructions and procedures to ensure their applications are complete.
Application and Fee - Applicants must submit an electronic application and a $60 application fee through the CAS. The University of Montana does not routinely offer an application fee waiver. However, applicants who receive a fee waiver through the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) are entitled to a waiver of the law school’s portion of the application fee ($30). The remaining $30 must be remitted by check to the University of Montana.
Transcripts - Applicants must arrange for original transcripts from all undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate institutions to be sent to the CAS.
Personal Statements - Applicants must attach to their electronic applications two personal statements of no more than 800 words each.
1. The first statement should describe the applicant’s interest in the study and practice of law and in the University of Montana School of Law.
2. The second statement should describe an activity, event, or accomplishment and its relationship to the development of one or more of the applicant’s personal qualities (for example, writing and speaking skills, care and concern for others, initiative and sustained effort, commitment to political or moral principles).
Resume - Applicants must submit a personal resume if applying after October 3, 2011.
Letters of Reference - Applicants must target three letters of reference through the CAS to the University of Montana School of Law. Applicants should have one general reference letter from someone other than a relative and two academic reference letters from faculty members from colleges or universities. Applicants who graduated from an undergraduate institution several years ago and are unable to arrange academic references from instructors who knew them well, may substitute letters from employers or supervisors who can address the applicant's abilities and intellectual promise for the study of law.
A reference letter that is particularly helpful is one that discusses, by way of example or specific illustration, the applicant's abilities in each of these areas:
● native intelligence (analytical powers, rigor of thought,
critical faculty, reasoning ability);
● independence of thought (originality, imagination, creative intelligence);
● effectiveness of oral communication;
● effectiveness of written communication;
● industry and motivation (persistence, self-discipline, study techniques);
● judgment and maturity (conscientiousness, common sense); and,
● leadership ability.
Additional information such as emotional maturity, character, and special background or interests, also may impact admission decisions.
Acceptance
Accepted applicants who wish to reserve a seat in the entering class are required to make an advance deposit of $300 by the deadline stated in their acceptance letter. For those applicants who enroll, the deposit will be credited toward total University fees at the time of registration. Applicants who fail to make the deposit within the time specified in their acceptance letter forfeit their place in the entering class. If the Admissions Director receives notice of cancellation by July 15, $150 of the deposit paid is refundable.
Application Deadline
The University of Montana School of Law begins reviewing applications as they are completed. Applications are not complete until all of the above-listed materials are received. If your file is completed by February 15, you will be notified of a decision (admit, deny or retain for further review) by March 15. If your file is completed by March 15, you will be notified of a decision by April 15. Files completed after March 15, may be considered on a space-available basis.
Lori Freeman, Class of 1990
Director of Admissions and Career Services
The University of Montana School of Law
32 Campus Drive
Missoula, MT 59812
406.243.2698 (phone)
406.243.6601 (fax)
The provisions of the admissions portion of this web site are informational in character and do not constitute an irrevocable contract between the applicant or student and the School of Law. The School of Law reserves the right to make any changes, including, but not limited to, requirements for admission, continuance, and graduation.
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