University of Minnesota Law School

Introduction

The University of Minnesota Law School, founded in 1888, is one of the country's premier law schools. Under the leadership of international scholar, Dean David Wippman, the quality of Minnesota's faculty, the academic credentials of its students, and the caliber of its library and physical facilities are the strongest in the history of the school. For over 120 years, the school's tradition of excellence and innovation in legal education has made it among the best in the nation. In keeping with its Midwestern traditions, the Law School provides a personal, collegial environment for the study of law. At the same time, the school's location in the midst of a thriving cosmopolitan area provides a variety of academic, employment, cultural, and recreational opportunities. Students have easy access to the resources of a world-class research university and to the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, one of the most progressive and livable metropolitan communities in the country.

Faculty

The faculty's wide-ranging expertise allows students to choose from an academically rich and innovative curriculum that integrates theory and doctrine with skills, ethics, and practice.

Faculty members are prolific and influential scholars, having published over 250 books and close to 2,500 articles. Thirty-six percent of the tenured faculty are invited members of the prestigious American Law Institute, and 68 percent of them have been honored with chair-level appointments. Members of the faculty include a chair of the United Nations Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights (the first US citizen to chair the commission since Eleanor Roosevelt), a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and a former counselor on international law for the US Department of State.

But while the faculty's scholarship has earned them national acclaim, their equally energetic passion for teaching and mentoring, along with a 10.8:1 student-to-faculty ratio, have earned them the respect and appreciation of their students.

Student Body/Admission

With 246 students in the most recent entering class, the student body is large enough to enjoy the benefits of diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and interests, while remaining small enough to foster the kind of collegial and supportive community that is a hallmark of Minnesota life.

Although the atmosphere and camaraderie reflect distinctly Minnesotan values, 35 states plus DC, 7 countries, and over 150 undergraduate institutions are represented in the current JD student body. The admissions committee looks beyond a simple evaluation of LSAT scores and undergraduate GPA to compose a class that will produce leaders in the legal profession. Many students have advanced degrees and prior work experience.

Library and Physical Facilities

The award-winning Walter F. Mondale Hall was substantially expanded in 2001. The building houses all faculty offices, eight law school research institutes, model classrooms in varying sizes, a beautiful auditorium, the law clinics, a cafeteria, the law school bookstore, student lockers, offices for student organizations and publications, a variety of lounge areas, and a computer lab. All incoming JD students are issued laptops, and wireless access is available in all student areas of the building.

Mondale Hall also houses the law library, which is the seventh largest in the United States with over one million volumes. The library offers students 24-hour access. The professional staff takes pride in the outstanding collection of materials and in the individualized service it provides to students and faculty.

Curriculum

Minnesota is implementing curriculum innovations that are designed to merge traditionally doctrinal pedagogy with clinical instruction. Beginning in the first year, students will build on basic lawyering skills, doctrinal concepts, and ethical considerations to craft professional solutions to realistic problems in the new Practice and Professionalism class. First-year students will also enjoy Minnesota's rich curriculum with the opportunity to choose an elective in their second semester. Minnesota continues to be one of only a handful of schools with three years of writing requirements and enjoys one of the smallest first-year writing section sizes, with 10 to 12 students per section. Second-year students are required to participate in a journal or competitive moot court.

Drawing on the strength of a world-class university, qualified students may pursue dual or joint degrees with a myriad of nationally ranked graduate and professional schools. Especially noteworthy is Minnesota's unique joint-degree program in law, health, and the life sciences. Students also enjoy the opportunity to specialize in various subject areas. Currently, concentrations are available in health law and bioethics, human rights, and labor and employment law.

Clinical Programs

With 24 separate clinics, Minnesota has one of the country's largest and most active clinical programs. Through the clinics, students represent real clients under the close tutelage of the clinic faculty. Over 50 percent of the student body participates in a live-client clinic prior to graduation, providing more than 18,000 hours of pro bono legal work for the Twin Cities community each year.

Special Programs

Minnesota hosts international exchange programs in Brazil, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and Uruguay, and a six-week Summer Study-Abroad Program in Beijing, China. These programs enable interested students to study abroad and allow students to benefit from the international perspectives students from these countries bring to the classroom.

Through the Law School Public Service Program, students are asked to perform 50 hours of pro bono legal service for low-income and disadvantaged Minnesotans. Those who complete at least 50 hours of service are recognized for their dedication with a notation on their transcript and at the graduation ceremony.

Nine major research institutes are housed in the Law School: the Human Rights Center; Institute on Race and Poverty; Corporate Institute; Consortium on Law and Values in Health, Environment, and the Life Sciences; Institute on Crime and Public Policy; Rubina Institute of Criminal Law and Criminal Justice; Institute on Law and Economics; Institute on Law and Politics; and the Institute on Law and Rationality. These institutes enrich the school's intellectual life, contribute to policy debate and formation, and provide research and employment opportunities for selected law students.

Student Activities

Minnesota hosts seven student-edited journals: ABA Journal of Labor and Employment Law; Constitutional Commentary; Crime and Justice; Law and Inequality: A Journal of Theory and Practice; Minnesota Journal of International Law; Minnesota Journal of Law, Science, and Technology; and Minnesota Law Review. Students receive academic credit for their journal work.

Students also receive credit for moot court participation. The breadth of Minnesota's moot court program is unusual, with eight programs spanning a wide variety of subject areas: Civil Rights Moot Court, Intellectual Property Moot Court, International Moot Court, Environmental Law Moot Court, Wagner Labor and Employment Law Moot Court, National Moot Court, ABA Moot Court, and Maynard Pirsig Moot Court.

Student extracurricular activities include nearly 50 separate student organizations, spanning the full spectrum of political viewpoints, social interests, and intellectual and recreational activities (not to mention a full-blown musical theater production).

Expenses and Financial Aid

In recent years, over 90 percent of the student body has received financial aid and over 70 percent of each incoming class received a scholarship of some kind. Second- and third-year students also may apply for research assistantships.

Career and Professional Development

With alumni in all 50 states and over 250 federal and state court judges nationwide, Minnesota graduates are leaders in the judiciary, government, law practice, business, and academics. Employers interview on campus, at regional interview programs sponsored by the Career Center, and at job fairs for nearly 700 offices, including law firms, corporations, and governmental agencies from around the United States. Employers nationwide regularly solicit résumés from students for job postings. Each year, 15 to 20 percent of the graduates accept prestigious judicial clerkships.

Applicant Profile

University of Minnesota Law School

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

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
	GPA
LSAT score 175–180	16	9	10	6	10	3	10	3	3	1	2	1	0	0	2	1	0	0	2	0	55	24
LSAT score 170–174	86	33	73	26	58	34	37	13	16	5	13	9	3	1	1	0	0	0	8	4	295	125
LSAT score 165–169	203	123	268	155	201	93	108	48	51	24	20	9	14	7	1	1	1	0	40	18	907	478
LSAT score 160–164	226	93	242	2	200	2	115	1	36	0	19	0	6	1	4	0	0	0	40	4	888	103
LSAT score 155–159	137	72	172	1	166	2	97	2	58	0	35	0	8	0	3	0	0	0	30	2	706	79
LSAT score 150–154	71	39	75	4	108	4	92	5	54	0	31	0	19	0	10	0	0	0	17	2	477	54
LSAT score 145–149	16	7	20	1	32	0	28	0	15	0	13	0	10	0	2	0	0	0	4	0	140	8
LSAT score 140–144	2	0	6	0	4	0	11	0	12	0	1	0	2	0	2	0	1	0	1	0	42	0
LSAT score 135–139	0	0	0	0	3	0	5	0	5	0	3	0	4	0	1	0	0	0	1	0	22	0
LSAT score 130–134	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	0
LSAT score 125–129	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	4	0
LSAT score 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	757	376	866	195	783	138	504	72	250	30	140	19	67	9	26	2	2	0	144	30	3539	871

Apps = Number of Applicants
Adm = Number Admitted
Reflects 100% of the total applicant pool; highest LSAT data reported.