Gonzaga University School of Law

Introduction

Gonzaga University School of Law is dedicated to providing students with an excellent legal education and promoting the intellectual life of the university. To fulfill this dedication, the law school fosters a vibrant culture of scholarly inquiry; delivers rich and diverse learning experiences; teaches broad knowledge of legal doctrine, theory, and policy; and nurtures professional skills and social consciousness, all consistent with the law school's mission as Jesuit, Catholic, and humanistic. Gonzaga is committed to educating a diverse student community, including students of all backgrounds and beliefs.

The campus is located in Spokane, Washington, a four-season city with the Spokane River flowing through its center. Step outside the School of Law onto the Centennial Trail to enjoy the picturesque walk into beautiful downtown Spokane. The metropolitan area of approximately 500,000 people serves as the hub of the Inland Northwest, a large area running from the Cascade Mountains in the west to the Rockies in the east. The Spokane International Airport is conveniently located 10 miles from the Gonzaga University campus.

Spokane is a cultural center for the area, with professional and amateur theater groups, a symphony, numerous art galleries, and other cultural offerings. Spokane also serves as the region's hub for health care, higher education, agriculture, and light industry and is a recreational sports area abundant with lakes, mountains, and forests.

Physical Facilities and Library

On the banks of the Spokane River, Gonzaga University School of Law provides a stunning setting for research and learning. Beautiful outdoor spaces, roof plazas, balconies, and comfortable lounges encourage student and faculty interaction. The law school offers a variety of classroom and library spaces to accommodate traditional courses, smaller skills-based courses, collaborative work, and individual study. Two large computer labs, wireless network access, and advanced classroom technology throughout the building facilitate today's mobile work environment. The Chastek Library is the largest legal research facility between Seattle and Minneapolis with a collection of over 300,000 volumes and an extensive array of electronic resources. The library offers many services to support the instructional, research, and scholarly endeavors of the law school and university community. Librarians provide reference support and play an active role in legal research instruction using both traditional and electronic resources.

Curriculum and Faculty

Gonzaga has a rigorous curriculum that focuses on legal doctrine, analysis, problem solving, values, and ethics. Equally as important is the emphasis on practical experience to develop real-world lawyering skills.

The term "teaching faculty" applies in a very special way to the School of Law faculty. The Jesuit tradition demands a high degree of student-professor interaction inside and outside the classroom, and this emphasis attracts exceptional faculty. Gonzaga's focus on the individual student, a favorable student-to-faculty ratio, and the promotion of positive rather than negative competition provides an atmosphere of success in which to study.

Special Programs

The unique first-year program at Gonzaga pairs two doctrinal courses each semester with a skills and professionalism lab that immediately begins the process of turning law students into lawyers. In the fall semester, Civil Procedure and Torts are paired with a lab that emphasizes the development of litigation skills. In the spring, Contracts and Property are paired with a lab that exposes the students to the transactional law side of the profession. Both labs also include instruction and exercises that are designed to help our students begin to identify and develop the professional values and habits that will be a part of their lives as attorneys.

Gonzaga's skills training continues into the second year through our two-year Legal Research and Writing program. In addition, all students are required to engage in experiential learning, either through working in a professional externship or in Gonzaga's legal clinic, during their upper-class years. Students can earn up to 15 credits in externship or clinic placements, during which they learn real-world lawyering skills under the supervision of lawyers in the field.

The Center for Law in Public Service supports the aspirations of students who study law in order to use their knowledge and skills for public service, whether they wish to make a full-time practice of public service law or to promote the public good through part-time pro bono legal work or other means. The center provides curricular and extracurricular avenues for students to acquire the skills and substantive knowledge applicable to practicing public service law.

Gonzaga offers dual-degree programs leading to the JD/MBA, the JD/MAcc, and the JD/MSW degrees.

Admission

The School of Law endeavors to attract students with ambitious minds, professional motivation, commitment to the highest ethics and values of the legal profession, and an interest in public service. Consideration of applicants is not restricted to impersonal statistics, but includes recognition and review of the enriching qualities of applicants reflected in their personal statements, résumés, and letters of recommendation. Gonzaga seeks to enroll a diverse student body.

Student Activities

Gonzaga's educational philosophy is based on the centuries-old Ignatian model of educating the whole person—mind, body, and spirit. Students, therefore, find it easy to become involved in a broad range of activities at the School of Law. Gonzaga competes regionally and nationally in various moot court competitions. The student-run Gonzaga Law Review is circulated throughout the country, and the Gonzaga Journal of International Law, an online international law journal, receives submissions from around the world. The Student Bar Association is a strong, active organization that encourages student involvement, and there is ample opportunity to participate in intraschool moot court competitions, and other legal organizations and activities. Whatever your interests or career goals, there are activities available that will enhance your knowledge and abilities, while contributing to the community.

Housing

The Gonzaga campus is in a residential area in close proximity to downtown Spokane. Even within walking distance of the law school, rental rates are reasonably priced. For further information, please review the Gonzaga University Housing and Residence Office website.

Financial Aid

Law school is a career investment. For students who need financial assistance to help fund this investment, we encourage filing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Gonzaga also provides more than $2 million in scholarship aid to entering law students, and your admission application will serve as your scholarship application. All law school applicants are automatically considered for scholarships. However, students who are interested in applying for the Thomas More Scholarship need to apply separately. The Thomas More Scholarship Program provides a unique opportunity for talented individuals to realize their commitment to serving the public interest through law. For more information, please review the Thomas More Program website. Gonzaga awards up to five Thomas More Scholarships a year, covering 100 percent of tuition.

Professional Development

The Center for Professional Development is committed to serving the needs of students, employers, and alumni. The Center helps students integrate into the professional world of law practice from the first day of classes by providing up-to-date job listings, library resources, interview tools, and workshops. Recognizing that career development is a lifelong process, the office provides graduates access to services throughout their professional lives. Prospective employers are encouraged to utilize our recruitment services, including online job postings, job fairs, customized recruiting, and interviewing programs. We encourage prospective students to meet with our career counselors to learn more about legal opportunities.

Applicant Profile

Gonzaga University School of Law

This grid includes only applicants who earned 120–180 LSAT scores under standard administrations.

Apps = Number of Applicants
Adm = Number Admitted
Reflects 100% of the total applicant pool; highest LSAT data reported.
* Includes 8 applicants without an LSAT score.