University of Denver Sturm College of Law

University of Denver Sturm College of Law
Name	Sturm College of Law
Parent	University of Denver
Established	1892
Type	Private law school
City	Denver
State	Colorado
Country	United States
Dean	Carissa Hessick
Students	approximate

University of Denver Sturm College of Law is a professional school within the University of Denver located in Denver, Colorado. Founded in 1892, the school has developed programs in litigation, transactional practice, public interest, and environmental law. Alumni and faculty have participated in cases before the Supreme Court of the United States, served in the United States Congress, and held appointments in the Colorado Supreme Court and federal judiciary.

History

The law school traces its origins to the late 19th century during the Panic of 1893 era and the westward expansion that saw development of Denver, Colorado as a regional hub; early faculty included practitioners involved with the Torrens title system and litigation related to Colorado Silver Boom. During the 20th century, the school expanded alongside legal developments such as the New Deal and civil rights litigation exemplified by Brown v. Board of Education, while alumni engaged with issues before the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit and the United States District Court for the District of Colorado. In recent decades, the school underwent renovation projects akin to those at institutions like Harvard Law School and Yale Law School, and received philanthropic investment comparable to gifts made to Stanford Law School and Columbia Law School.

Academics and Programs

The curriculum offers the Juris Doctor aligned with curricular models seen at University of Chicago Law School, Georgetown University Law Center, and New York University School of Law, including electives in energy and natural resources similar to programs at University of Colorado School of Law, and clinics resembling initiatives at University of Michigan Law School. Joint degrees with the University of Denver Graduate School of Social Work and business degrees comparable to the Booth School of Business and the Kellogg School of Management mirror interdisciplinary trends at schools like Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law and Duke University School of Law. Specialized tracks include environmental law engaging topics from the Clean Air Act and Endangered Species Act, international law coursework addressing matters involving the United Nations and World Trade Organization, and dispute resolution programs informed by arbitration practices at the International Chamber of Commerce.

Admissions and Rankings

Admissions statistics align with national patterns tracked by publications such as U.S. News & World Report and specialty rankings found in the Princeton Review and Above the Law; applicants typically present credentials comparable to peers at the University of Iowa College of Law and Wake Forest University School of Law. The school's placement outcomes show graduates entering clerkships with judges from the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, positions in firms with ties to the American Bar Association, and roles in agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency and the Federal Trade Commission. Financial aid packages and loan repayment assistance echo programs at institutions like Georgetown University Law Center and American University Washington College of Law.

Campus and Facilities

Located on the University of Denver campus near Speer Boulevard and Cherry Creek, facilities include moot courtrooms modeled after spaces at Columbia Law School and legal writing centers comparable to those at Penn State Law. The law library holds collections relevant to litigation before the Colorado Supreme Court and regulatory work involving the Securities and Exchange Commission, and serves as a research hub similar to libraries at Boston University School of Law and Emory University School of Law. Renovations and building projects have been influenced by design trends employed at Georgetown University Law Center and the University of Southern California Gould School of Law.

Clinical Education and Centers

Clinical programs provide experiential learning in areas including immigration law with connections to cases under the Immigration and Nationality Act, criminal defense work related to practice before the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, and family law matters analogous to those litigated in the Colorado Court of Appeals. Centers focus on energy and environmental policy intersecting with work at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, indigenous rights engaging precedents like Worcester v. Georgia, and transactional clinics that mirror projects at the Stanford Law School Rock Center for Corporate Governance. Partnerships extend to organizations such as the American Civil Liberties Union and the Legal Aid Society.

Notable People

Faculty, alumni, and former deans include individuals who have served in the United States Senate, held cabinet roles under Presidents of the United States including appointees from the administrations of Barack Obama and George W. Bush, and litigators who argued before the Supreme Court of the United States. Graduates have become judges on the United States District Court for the District of Colorado, justices of the Colorado Supreme Court, and general counsels at corporations listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Distinguished alumni have collaborated with figures from the Rockefeller family and nonprofit leaders associated with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Student Life and Organizations

Student organizations include chapters of the American Bar Association student division, societies focused on international law with ties to the International Court of Justice, public interest groups that coordinate with the National Association for Public Interest Law, and journals that publish scholarship on topics discussed in forums like the Association of American Law Schools annual meeting. Competitive teams participate in mooting competitions such as the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition and negotiation tournaments similar to those hosted by Harvard Law School. Student governance interacts with national networks including the National Conference of Bar Examiners and alumni outreach comparable to efforts by the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School alumni association.

Category:Law schools in Colorado