Mitchell Hamline School of Law

Introduction

Mitchell Hamline School of Law was formed in 2015 by the combination of William Mitchell College of Law and Hamline University School of Law. This extraordinary union brought together two law schools that have shaped Minnesota’s legal landscape for more than a combined 155 years, creating the top law school in the Midwest for students seeking a rigorous, practical, and problem-solving approach to legal education.

Mitchell Hamline is a top law school for dispute resolution and health law, and a nationally recognized pioneer in clinical programs. It offers a multitude of legal education programs, combining legal theory and training with other professions, such as business and public health.

Mitchell Hamline’s 19,000 alumni are leaders in the profession, working in the state’s largest law firms, Fortune 500 companies, judiciary, government, and nonprofit organizations. More than half of all district court judges in Minnesota are Mitchell Hamline alumni. Always committed to access, the law school provides the most enrollment options in the nation. In addition to its full- and part-time programs, Mitchell Hamline has the only online/on-campus hybrid JD program at an ABA-approved school and is one of only two law schools to offer a weekend JD program.

Mitchell Hamline is located in Saint Paul, the capital of the state of Minnesota and a city that was recently voted the most livable city in America. Saint Paul adjoins Minneapolis, the state’s largest city. Together, they form the core of Minneapolis-Saint Paul, the 16th-largest metropolitan area in the United States, with about 3.46 million residents. The region also houses more Fortune 500 companies per capita than any other US city.

Our Faculty

Our faculty are known for teaching, scholarship, and practice. They have served on the bench and some work in the region’s top law firms. Many have had careers in public service, government, and corporations. We pride ourselves on the fact that our professors have written many of the books used by law school professors and legal practitioners throughout the country. Faculty briefs and research have been accessed thousands of time by legal scholars; professors are regularly quoted by national and international media. Many of our professors are exploring new ground on issues such as cyber law, intellectual property, national security, elder law, family law, and food safety. Adjunct professors, who practice at 18 of the top 25 law firms in the state, bring real-world practice to the classroom and connection to the practice of law.

Library and Physical Facilities

Our state-of-the-art law library is named after Warren E. Burger, a 1931 William Mitchell graduate and the 15th Chief Justice of the United States. Its extensive in-house and online collection, as well as welcoming design, is the preferred choice for alumni, legal professionals, faculty, and scholars. Nearly all of our professional librarians have JD degrees and several have law practice experience. Our librarians help plan research strategies, locate and use legal and nonlegal resources, and facilitate computer-assisted research. Extended reference desk hours reflect our commitment to the needs of students, faculty, alumni, and scholars.

The Rosalie Wahl Legal Practice Center is home to our renowned clinical and skills program and located in the same building as classrooms and faculty offices. It is named after Rosalie Wahl, a William Mitchell graduate and the first woman to serve on the Minnesota Supreme Court. The campus is equipped with technologically advanced moot courtrooms, computer labs, seminar rooms, a student lounge, and a cafeteria. Students can participate in more than 30 student organizations, including the Student Bar Association and the Mitchell Hamline Law Review, a student-edited journal. Founded in 1974, the Law Review publishes timely articles of regional, national, and international interest for legal practitioners, scholars, and lawmakers. Judges throughout the United States regularly cite the Law Review in their opinions.

Career Services

Our full-service Office of Career and Professional Development is committed to helping students in their job searches, career-planning, and interviewing skills. Our extensive electronic resources are accessible from anywhere in the world. Our alumni network of more than 19,000 offers students a broad network of practicing lawyers, which you can take advantage of for practical training and in-the-field placement.

Special Programs

• International Programs: Mitchell Hamline has a strong presence in the international community. From our international programs for students to the global work of our alumni and faculty, we understand the value in providing students with an international perspective. Our students study abroad. Our alumni work throughout the world. And our faculty are internationally renowned for their legal expertise, scholarship, teaching, and public service. In addition to our LLM program, Mitchell Hamline has a Visiting Scholars Program for those interested in pursuing significant independent legal research.
• Legal Practice Center: The center is the heart of Mitchell Hamline’s practical legal education. Named for one of its cofounders who would go on to become the first woman on the Minnesota Supreme Court, the Rosalie Wahl Legal Practice Center functions as a law office within the law school. Students represent low-income renters, prisoners, nonprofit groups, immigrants, and others. They assist parents in child protection cases, draft contracts, and file patent applications. The center also houses our clinical program, which has been among the best in the nation for the past 11 years, as well as skills courses, the externship program, and public service initiatives. This is where students work directly with faculty to develop lawyering skills, and it’s a valuable resource for people in need of pro bono legal services.
• Simulation Courses: At Mitchell Hamline, students’ real work with clients is supplemented by realistic learning scenarios throughout the curriculum. Students are presented with a set of hypothetical facts and are asked to play a variety of roles in resolving the situation. Simulations offer both real-world context and real-time feedback from professors and legal practitioners. Mitchell Hamline was a pioneer in the use of videotape to both teach skills and critique student performance, and we remain a leader in helping students sharpen their skills for practice.
• Centers and Institutes: Mitchell Hamline offers students specialized instruction across a range of areas. Our Dispute Resolution Institute has been recognized among the top programs of its kind for the last 15 years, and our health law program is nationally recognized based on the strength of our Health Law Institute. Other prominent centers and institutes include Child Protection, Indian Law, Intellectual Property, and Law and Business.

Mitchell Hamline’s LLM Program

Mitchell Hamline’s LLM for lawyers or individuals with an equivalent degree, introduces foreign graduates to the legal system of the United States. The program brings together a global community of lawyers and legal scholars who receive the specialized training and education they need to compete on an international level. LLM students attend classes with Mitchell Hamline JD students, choosing courses and seminars that reflect their individual practice and research interests.

Customized Curriculum

The LLM program at Mitchell Hamline is designed as a “self-directed” curriculum as it allows students to create their own program. LLM students work closely with a faculty advisor to select their coursework and customize their degree with either a specialized focus or a general degree in American law.

Those choosing a specialized focus put together course and seminar schedules that reflect a certain practice specialty such as intellectual property, business law, dispute resolution and negotiation, international and comparative law, and instruction in American law (for faculty). Students who are not interested in choosing a certification or focus can pursue a general course plan focusing in American law. LLM students must write a thesis paper, which may be written on any topic of the student’s choice and with approval from the faculty advisor.

Faculty Advisor

Each student is assigned a faculty advisor based on his or her area of interest. The faculty advisor assists students in putting together the right combination of courses to meet their particular objectives. LLM students will meet with their faculty advisor throughout the year. The faculty advisor will also assist LLM students in writing their master’s paper and supervise their research.

Program Requirements

To complete the program, students need a minimum of 24 credits. The following course is required:

• American Legal System (3 credits), designed to introduce foreign law graduates to important US American legal concepts

Application Information

Information about how to apply is available at LLM for Foreign Lawyers: Application. Admission into the program will be based on the following criteria:

• Official transcripts from all colleges or universities the student has attended submitted to LSAC, or credential evaluation of all college or university transcripts from a recognized credential evaluation service. (Exchange students provide copies of their transcripts in English.)
• Personal statement, in English, describing previous law study and professional experience, reasons and goals for studying in the LLM program, and any other relevant information.
• Proof of competency in English. Applicants from non-English speaking countries or whose native language is not English must provide proof of English competency. This may be by means of an official TOEFL score report, IELTS score report, other established test of English, or successful completion of an English language program. Applicants may also be invited to demonstrate English competency through an interview.
• Two letters of recommendation, in English, submitted directly from the recommender to LSAC or Mitchell Hamline.
• Résumé/curriculum vitae, in English.

Program Overview

• Requirements

Contact Information

For additional information about this program, please visit the Mitchell Hamline LLM website or contact:

Ann L. Gemmell
Dean of Admissions
875 Summit Avenue
St. Paul, MN 55105
USA

Phone: 651.695.7601
Fax: 651.290.6414
Email: ann.gemmell@mitchellhamline.edu