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University of Wyoming College of Law

Dept. 3035, 1000 E. University Avenue
Laramie, WY 82071
Phone: 307.766.6416; Fax: 307.766.6417
E-mail: lawadmis@uwyo.edu; Website: www.uwyo.edu/law

Introduction

The University of Wyoming College of Law, founded in 1920, is ABA accredited and a member of the AALS. An excellent faculty of 17 full-time and 19 part-time professors and highly qualified lecturers instructs a student body of approximately 230. The limited size of the student body and the favorable student-to-faculty ratio (10.6 to 1), create an atmosphere of friendliness and informality. Students enjoy a degree of access to faculty rarely found at larger institutions. UW Law provides a high quality, affordable legal education and is considered one of the best value schools in the nation. The College of Law is located in Laramie on the campus of the University of Wyoming, the only four-year institution of higher learning in Wyoming. The university has a student body of 13,000. Laramie is a town of 30,000 located in southeastern Wyoming at an altitude of 7,200 feet on the high plains between two mountain ranges. UW Law's proximity to the mountains provides a variety of recreational activities, including skiing, backpacking, rock climbing, hiking, mountain biking, camping, fishing, and hunting. Laramie is just two hours north of Denver, Colorado, and 45 minutes from Cheyenne—Wyoming's state capital.

Faculty

The faculty has a proven record of excellence in teaching, research, and scholarship. Particular areas of strength include environmental and natural resource law, water law, constitutional law, and international, business, and transactional law. Faculty members are actively engaged in public service and university functions. Because of our small student body, the University of Wyoming College of Law faculty has instructional and research opportunities often not available in larger institutions. Students regularly converse with their professors both inside and outside the classroom, establishing lifelong professional connections.

Curriculum

The 1L year consists of foundational subjects, including Contracts, Property, Torts, Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law, Legal Research and Writing, Criminal Law, Appellate Advocacy, and Introduction to Law. During the 2L year, students take two required courses (Evidence and Professional Responsibility) and electives of their choice. The 3L year is comprised entirely of elective and seminar courses tailored toward an area of law, including business, civil litigation, criminal, energy, environment and natural resources, general practice, government, international, public interest, real estate, and social justice. Practical legal training is available through four clinical programs, an international human rights practicum, and a rural law center. Numerous externship opportunities are available including state and federal courts, Wyoming Supreme Court, Shoshone and Arapaho Tribal Court, the US Attorney's Office, Wyoming Attorney General, state and federal public defender, FBI, JAG, municipal and government agencies, and other nonprofit entities, including the Innocence Project, ACLU, Biodiversity Conservation Alliance, and Access to Justice. Clinics, externships, internships, and faculty research projects are available each term.

Special Programs

Students may obtain practical experience and academic credit in four clinical programs:

  1. Defender Aid—students brief and argue criminal appeals for indigent persons, and assist penitentiary inmates in post-conviction cases;
  2. Prosecution Assistance—students work with prosecuting attorneys in criminal cases;
  3. Legal Services—students provide legal assistance to economically disadvantaged persons; and
  4. Domestic Violence—students address legal issues of domestic violence victims.

Students also can participate in an International Human Rights Practicum addressing immigration, asylum, and other human rights issues and an Estate Planning Practicum in which estate planning matters for qualifying individuals are addressed. All clinical programs and practicums operate under faculty supervision. Under Wyoming state law, students in the clinics can brief and argue cases before the Wyoming Supreme Court, an opportunity that is rare—if not unique—among law schools. Students also regularly appear in state court hearings and represent clients in a variety of venues and proceedings. Students have the opportunity to practice in a summer trial institute taught by experts in the field of trial advocacy.

The college offers three joint degrees: JD/MA in Environment and Natural Resources, JD/MPA, and JD/MBA. The College of Law has had a strong program in environment and natural resources for many years. Courses are offered in environmental law, oil and gas, mining law, public lands, water rights, and energy/climate. UW Law has strengths in trial and appellate practice, business planning, transactional law, estate planning, corporate and commercial law, administrative law, consumer law, American Indian law, family/domestic law, and international law.

UW Law and Kyung Hee University in Seoul, Korea, are partners in a Memorandum of Agreement which provides opportunities for UW students to study in Korea, to aid in international trade negotiations, and to assist South Korea as it implements the American jury trial system.

Admission Standards

UW Law seeks candidates whose intellectual abilities and proven academic skills make it likely that they will successfully complete our academic program and use their legal education productively. We favor candidates with potential for leadership in their chosen professions. Our students are expected to be committed to hard work, honesty, integrity, and community service commensurate with the privilege of membership in the legal profession. We seek to admit candidates whose diverse backgrounds, experiences, knowledge, and perspectives will enliven and enrich the learning experiences of fellow students, faculty, and the rest of the academic community.

The College of Law admits 75 to 80 students each fall. The college begins accepting applications on October 1 for the class entering the following August. An early admission program is available for those who apply before December 1. The entering class is selected from applications completed by March 1. Applicants should register with LSAC's Credential Assembly Service and request official undergraduate transcripts by mid-January and take the LSAT no later than February.

Applicants must have an undergraduate degree from an accredited institution prior to matriculation. Admission is based on applicant's undergraduate records, LSAT scores, personal statement, and other criteria relevant to success in the study and practice of law. Applicants must submit two letters of recommendation. UW Law does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, age, veteran status, sexual orientation, or political beliefs.

Student Activities

The College of Law publishes the student-edited Wyoming Law Review twice annually. Other organizations include Potter Law Club (student government), three law fraternities, Students for Equal Justice, Intellectual Property Club, International Law Students, Natural Resources Law Forum, Women's Law Forum, J. Reuben Clark Society, Minority Student Law Association, and the Wyoming Student Trial Lawyers. Students participate in the National Moot Court, National Environmental Law Moot Court, National Client Counseling, and the ATLA National Student Trial Advocacy. The college has two honorary societies: Order of the Coif and Excellence in Advocacy.

Career Services

About 85 percent of graduates remain in the Rocky Mountain region, but UW Law has alumni around the globe. The curriculum is broad in scope, providing a core foundation of legal knowledge applicable in a wide range of legal and geographic areas.

UW Law graduates practice primarily in small private firms or are employed by federal, state, local, and tribal governments. Students are also employed in the public interest sector, in judicial clerkships, and in the growing area of business and industry.

As with other aspects of UW Law, the small size of the student body permits Career Services to provide students with personal attention not available at larger institutions. Students receive one-on-one career counseling and job-search assistance for permanent or summer employment. Career Services also provides insightful career panels, interview experience, and résumé/cover letter workshops. A network of loyal alumni hire, often exclusively, at the College of Law. Fall and spring on-campus interviews also provide many firms and students with a chance to interview one another. An online posting system allows organizations to announce legal jobs across the country to UW students. Career services online and library resources are available to all students.

Financial Aid

About $1 million in scholarships are available, and approximately half of students receive some financial aid. Scholarship awards are based on merit, need, and special circumstance. Students should file the FAFSA prior to March 1. Scholarship applications are submitted to the College of Law. Student loans and other financial resources are administered through the UW Student Financial Aid Office.

Facilities

UW Law is composed of large classrooms, courtrooms, seminar/study rooms, and individual student lockers and study carrels. The spacious on-site library has 350,000 volumes and multiple electronic databases. Wi-Fi and the newest instructional technologies are available throughout the building. Two state-of-the-art courtroom/classrooms, a jury room, and seminar rooms were completed in 2009. The building provides a positive learning environment and is conveniently located.

Applicant Profile

University of Wyoming College of Law

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

  GPA    
LSAT
Score		 3.75+
Apps		 3.75+
Adm		 3.50–
3.74 Apps		 3.50–
3.74 Adm		 3.25–
3.49 Apps		 3.25–
3.49 Adm		 3.00–
3.24 Apps		 3.00–
3.24 Adm		 2.75–
2.99 Apps		 2.75–
2.99 Adm		 2.50–
2.74 Apps		 2.50–
2.74 Adm		 2.25–
2.49 Apps		 2.25–
2.49 Adm		 2.00–
2.24 Apps		 2.00–
2.24 Adm		 Below 2.00
Apps		 Below 2.00
Adm		 No GPA
Apps		 No GPA
Adm		 Total
Apps		 Total
Adm
175–180 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
170–174 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2
165–169 4 4 4 3 1 1 3 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 14 11
160–164 10 9 5 4 9 7 5 4 1 1 3 0 2 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 36 26
155–159 9 9 26 18 32 27 25 17 13 4 10 4 2 1 1 0 2 0 2 2 122 82
150–154 16 9 25 17 43 25 37 13 31 8 16 2 12 2 6 1 1 0 4 3 191 80
145–149 6 4 21 5 22 7 29 6 14 1 13 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 112 25
140–144 4 0 2 0 8 0 10 0 4 0 3 0 1 0 2 0 0 0 2 2 36 2
135–139 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 2 0 2 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 10 0
130–134 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 5 0
125–129 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0
120–124 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 49 35 84 48 116 68 111 41 67 15 50 7 26 3 12 2 3 0 12 9 530 228

Apps = Number of Applicants
Adm = Number Admitted
Reflects 99% of the total applicant pool; highest LSAT data reported.