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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 2009, the average LSAT score was 154 and the average undergraduate GPA was 3.44.
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 25 and 40 students, 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 less than 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 2009 as typical, you will also find yourself
in class with students from 14 states, representing 44 different
undergraduate institutions and 33 different majors. This
rich mix makes for lively and insightful class discussions.
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