Bar Pass Rate Soars to 94.5%
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More than 94% of law graduates from the University of Montana’s Alexander Blewett III School of Law passed the Montana Bar Exam on their first attempt in July, a rate 19% higher than the national first-time passage rate cited by the American Bar Association. By comparison, the overall pass rate for all candidates taking the July exam in Montana was 85%. “We are delighted that so many of our graduates can immediately begin serving their communities and pursuing their career goals,” law Dean Paul Kirgis said. “Especially this year, with the disruptions caused by COVID-19, it’s gratifying to see these results. They are a testament to the quality and dedication of both our students and our faculty.” Read more |
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Professor Jordan Gross poses in front of Article IV of the Montana Constitution’s Declaration of Rights on the wall of the law building. |
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Rural Justice Initiative Crosses Disciplines to Support Criminal Justice Reform
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A newly expanded program at UM’s Alexander Blewett III School of Law will provide graduate students with opportunities to make immediate, meaningful impacts on justice policies that affect rural and Indigenous communities. Through UM’s Rural Justice Initiative, graduate students in law, public administration, social work, sociology, history, psychology and other social science disciplines will conduct hands-on research. They will engage with local, state and tribal stakeholders to formulate public policy and legislative proposals for Montana and other rural jurisdictions. The Rural Justice Initiative is an expansion of the Montana Justice Initiative, which started at UM with support of a 2016 philanthropic gift from Dan Weinberg. Weinberg is the former state senator who founded the Montana Innocence Project in 2008 to exonerate and prevent wrongful convictions. The Montana Justice Initiative encouraged interdisciplinary study of justice and its role in Montana’s criminal justice system. For four years, the initiative led an innovative approach to studying criminal justice by bringing together the diverse perspectives of law, public administration, social work, sociology, history, psychology and other social science disciplines. In May 2020, Weinberg made a second philanthropic gift of $375,000 to expand the original initiative from the classroom to the field. Renamed the Rural Justice Initiative in August 2020 to reflect collaboration with jurisdictions beyond Montana, the effort will continue working on interdisciplinary, evidence-based law and public policy and help lead the conversation on justice reform in the U.S. Professor of Law Jordan Gross directs the Rural Justice Initiative with support from psychology instructor Dr. Laura Kirsch. Gross sees the Rural Justice Initiative as an extension of the Blewett School of Law’s values in hands-on legal training and public service, and part of the University’s emphasis on interdisciplinary education. “This initiative extends beyond imparting knowledge in the classroom to creating agents of change,” she said. “I’m hopeful this is an opportunity to seize the moment and rethink as a community how we move forward.” |
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Professor Andrew King-Ries |
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Law Faculty Selected as MUS Teaching Scholars
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The Montana University System has selected Blewett School of Law Professors Andrew King-Ries and Monte Mills for its 2020 Teaching Scholars program, which strives to enhance student success and recognize faculty who have made exemplary contributions to teaching and learning at their institutions. This year’s program focuses on “Equity-Minded Pedagogies.” In addition to Professors King-Ries and Mills, University of Montana faculty members Salena Beaumont Hill, adjunct professor in Native American studies and the Rural Institute, and Kate Brayko, associate professor in the Phyllis J. Washington College of Education’s Department of Teaching and Learning, were selected for the program. “The fact that four UM faculty members were chosen for this year’s Teaching Scholars program is a testament to UM’s commitment to teaching excellence,” said acting Provost Reed Humphrey. “UM’s Office of Organizational Learning and Development has promoted faculty learning communities for a number of years. We’re excited that this MUS program is using this successful model to address societal inequities in the learning environment.” Read more |
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Katy Stack Steps in as Director of Career Development
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Katy Stack is the Blewett School of Law’s new director of career development. A 2010 graduate of the School of Law, Katy has extensive connections with the bench and bar throughout Montana. She clerked for U.S. Magistrate Judge Keith Strong (ret.) and U.S. District Court Judge Dana Christensen before opening her own successful law practice in Missoula. |
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Roger Barber (left), Leslie Halligan (center), Mike Halligan (right) |
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Law Alumni Receive Distinguished Alumni Awards
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The law school has three alumni among the recipients of the 2020 University of Montana Distinguished Alumni Award: | • | Roger Barber ’67, J.D. ’71, M.B.A. ’83 | | • | Leslie Halligan ’83, J.D. ’86 | | • | Mike Halligan ’75, M.P.A. ’77, J.D. ’85 |
Each Homecoming, the UM Alumni Association honors outstanding alumni with Distinguished Alumni Awards. University alumni and friends are invited to nominate, on an individual basis, a graduate or former student for this award. Distinguished Alumni Awards recognize individuals who have distinguished themselves in a particular field and who have brought honor to the University, the state or the nation. The UMAA Board of Directors Awards Committee focuses on career achievement, professional honors, professional membership/directorship, community service and UM or UMAA recognition or service in selecting recipients. Read more |
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Updates from the Department of Public Administration and Policy
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UM Announces New Certificate of Nonprofit Administration
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Montana is home to more than 7,400 nonprofits, a sector that has grown 20% in the last decade across the country, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Responding to the need for a pipeline of talented professionals, the University of Montana launched an undergraduate certificate in nonprofit administration this fall. Offered by UM’s Department of Public Administration and Policy in the Baucus Institute, the certificate program helps students build leadership capacity and professional skills to manage and support nonprofit and philanthropic organizations. “Students who earn the nonprofit certificate learn important aspects that are unique to working in the nonprofit sector, giving them a competitive edge in the job market,” said Andrea Vernon, DPAP clinical professor and nonprofit administration expert. “It is a streamlined way to upskill for work in the nonprofit sector for students who are unable to do the full nonprofit minor.” Although DPAP has an undergraduate minor in nonprofit administration, the new certificate provides an additional opportunity to meet growing workforce needs. It consists of four, flexible classes worth 12 credits that students can take online or in person. Read more |
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Alexander Blewett III School of Law University of Montana - 32 Campus Drive Missoula, MT 59812 406-243-4311 | www.umt.edu/law |
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