Brandon Zeak, a UM class of 2020 law graduate, landed a job with the Missoula County Attorney's Office
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UM Law Graduate Employment Rate Climbs 94% Despite Pandemic
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Bucking a national downward trend caused in part by COVID-19, the employment rate for University of Montana law graduates climbed in 2020 compared to 2019. Fully 94% of the Alexander Blewett III School of Law’s class of 2020 were employed or seeking a post-graduate degree 10 months after graduation, and 86.9% were in full-time, long-term, bar-passage-required positions. According to national statistics from the American Bar Association, 77.4% of 2020 graduates from 197 law schools approved by the ABA were employed in full-time, long-term bar-passage-required or Juris Doctor-advantage jobs roughly 10 months after graduation – an employment rate nearly 10% lower than UM law graduates. “Despite the uncertainty of the past year, our graduates have been able to achieve their career goals and find employment at an exceptionally high rate,” said Katy Stack, the UM law school’s director of career development. |
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The late Bonnie Heavy Runner's daughter, Aislinn Roux, accepts the honorary Ph.D. from President Seth Bodnar
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UM Law Graduate Receives Posthumous Honorary Ph.D.
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The late Bonnie Heavy Runner, who was a tribal court judge and staunch advocate for Native American causes, received a posthumous Honorary Doctorate of Law at the University of Montana Commencement ceremony on May 1, 2021. |
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Rob Joki, a recent bankruptcy clinic student and UM law graduate, presents in Judge Benjamin Hursch's courtroom
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Bankruptcy Judge Helps UM Law Students Gain Practical Experience
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At the University of Montana’s Alexander Blewett III School of Law, students gain real-world legal experience on their paths to earning their Juris Doctors. For a select number each semester, that experience comes in the form of individualized practical training with the Honorable Benjamin Hursh of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Montana. Just a few years ago, shortly after the judge was appointed to the bench, Hursh became involved in supervising the bankruptcy clinic at UM’s law school, sharing with students his enthusiasm and giving them insight into the area of bankruptcy law. In the spring of 2021, he also began teaching the school’s bankruptcy class. “My interest in supervising the clinic and teaching the bankruptcy class reflects my strong belief that I would not have the privilege of serving on the bench if it had not been for innumerable people who made investments in me as a student when I attended law school at the University of Montana and later as an attorney,” Hursh said. “By teaching and supervising the clinic, I hope I can contribute something to the students’ education and professional development in the same way that so many contributed to mine.” |
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Jonathon Byington, associate dean and professor, sits with 2021 law graduate Daniel Horton and his son
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UM Law School Keeps Family Life Central
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Daniel Horton still remembers the shock he felt when law professors invited students to bring their kids to class during his first semester at the University of Montana’s Alexander Blewett III School of Law. As one of many law students with children, Horton said the announcement came as a relief, creating a welcoming environment for the school’s student parents who balance the overwhelming nature of managing academic and caregiving responsibilities. “Professors took the time to welcome the child, and it was very sincere,” Horton said. “You could see a nostalgic look on the professor’s faces, taking them back to when they were in that very same seat, and now they’re in a position to create an environment for parent students to bring their child and still learn.” The average age of UM’s incoming law class is 27 and many current students either have young children or are starting families. Sally Weaver, director of Academic Success and associate dean of students at UM’s Alexander Blewett III School of Law, said faculty in the school are especially attuned to the added challenges that come with being a parent and a law student. Weaver was a mother studying law and likes to joke that her daughter “went through law school" with her. “I’m particularly aware of the challenges and how difficult it is and how courageous our students are,” Weaver said. |
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Montana Water Rights Runs Deep for UM Law Student
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There’s an old saying in the West: Whiskey is for drinking; water is for fighting over. University of Montana third-year law student Brooke Reynolds is learning firsthand just how contentious water rights can be in Montana, serving this summer as an intern on the Montana Water Court. Reynolds has learned in her short time on the court that water claims can stretch back decades, even to Montana’s statehood, and the process for determining who truly owns rights to a body of a water can be extremely complicated. “There are a lot of nuances and paperwork involved. Some claims go back so far they are actually handwritten decrees,” Reynolds said. “We work to consolidate cases and quantify water claims. The state needs to determine where all the water is going.” |
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Professor Sandi Zellmer Serves as a Lead Author of Treatise on Water Law
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Sandi Zellmer, law professor in the Blewett School of Law, is the lead author on the sixth edition of the only concise treatise on water law, Water Law in a Nutshell. Released this year, the new edition adds dozens of recent decisions and key statutory changes. Virtually every principal case in all of the leading water law casebooks is cited, making it an excellent aid for students and practitioners all across the country. The book addresses evolving areas like equity and inequities in the access to clean water, public recreational access and use, interstate allocations, instream flow protection, groundwater-surface water conflicts, federal water development, takings claims and public interest concerns. |
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Class of 2021 Stepped Up Pro Bono Service During Pandemic
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Raising awareness of access to justice concerns and supporting pro bono service reflects a shared community value and is an institutional priority. Blewett School of Law graduates recognize the character, values and professionalism necessary to serve society as lawyers, including the importance of pro bono work, service and access to justice for underserved communities. To support this learning outcome, the law school maintains a voluntary Pro Bono Program. Despite the health, energy, remote learning, mental and emotional challenges students faced during the COVID-19 pandemic, the class of 2021 managed to provide 3,100 hours of pro bono service over the course of their three years of law school. Of the 73 members of the class of 2021, 41 provided pro bono service during their law school careers. |
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3L Reflection: Kimberly Wein
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After finishing my undergraduate education in 2004, I knew I wanted to pursue law school someday, but it seemed like an insurmountable task. Time passed, and I kept putting off applying. Fourteen years later, I moved to Missoula, Montana, without contemplating attending law school here. I moved to pursue my passions of hiking, biking and riding horses. Little did I know that I would be taking the LSAT and attending law school a little more than a year after my arrival, sacrificing much of the time that I would have spent hiking, biking and horseback riding for studying, studying and studying. The LSAT was particularly ominous. I tried studying on my own, starting and stopping at least a dozen times. I felt like I would never be able to teach myself the intricacies of the logic puzzles, and I was right. It was only upon discovering the LSAT prep course that University Montana offered, under the tutelage of Professor Soazig Le Bihan, that I gained the confidence and skills necessary to take on the LSAT. Not only did Professor Le Bihan teach the skills necessary to take the LSAT, she spent office hours tirelessly revising my letter of intent and other components of my law school application. Without her assistance, I would probably not be where I am today. Law school was not what I expected it to be. I knew it would be challenging, but I severely underestimated the task ahead of me. Unlike my undergraduate experience, I was suddenly surrounded by people who had a stern sense of purpose, varied and commendable experience and the wits to succeed. I knew that my effort would have to be substantially greater if I was going to keep up. |
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Save the Date for the Law Alumni Homecoming Tailgate
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Join fellow School of Law alumni and friends at our annual Law Alumni Homecoming Tailgate. The event will place at the law school on Saturday, September 25, 2021, before the Griz take on Cal Poly. More details coming soon. |
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Dr. Sara Rinfret and JD-MPA Graduate Co-Author Article with Leading Scholars
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Dr. Sara Rinfret and recent JD-MPA graduate Shane St. Onge co-authored with top scholars an article, “Bots, fake comments, and E-Rulemaking: The impact on federal regulations,” published in the International Journal of Public Administration. The paper examines how one submits public comment for federal rules and the impact of bots and/or fake comments. |
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Professor Craig Cowie Publishes Article About the CFPB's Response to COVID-19 in Montana Law Review
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Law professor and director of the Blewett Consumer Law and Protection Program Craig Cowie recently published "Is the CFPB Still on the Beat? The CFPB’s (Non)Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic" in volume 82 of the Montana Law Review. This article discusses how the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) shifted to pursuing mostly smaller cases unrelated to the pandemic rather than squarely addressing the pandemic and moving quickly to help consumers. Cowie also elaborates on some other actions the CFPB took that made situations worse for consumers.
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The Baucus Institute Department of Public Administration and Policy will welcome a new faculty member this fall. Dr. Blake Emidy teaches courses in public management and organizational theory and behavior. His research looks at the organizational factors that contribute to employee motivation and well-being in the public sector, including the effects of budget cuts and downsizing. He also examines differences in employee perceptions of organizational justice at the intersection of gender, race and sexual orientation.
"My role as assistant professor in the department will involve teaching courses in organizational behavior, leadership and human resources in the |
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public and nonprofit sectors,” said Emidy. “Additionally, I will continue to research topics related to diversity management and inclusion, employee motivation, and the effects of organizational downsizing. This semester, I will be teaching Organization Theory (PUAD 504) and Human Resource Management (PUAD 522).”
Prior to joining the University of Montana, Emidy taught at Georgia College and State University. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Public Policy Leadership from the University of Mississippi's Trent Lott Leadership Institute, and MPA and Ph.D. degrees from Georgia State University's Andrew Young School of Policy Studies.
“I am most excited about joining a department with formal commitments to fostering collegiality and inclusion in the classroom and the community,” he said. “I've already felt so welcomed by colleagues, students and other folks in the Missoula community, and I cannot wait to join you all in August.”
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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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