University of Montana School of Law

University of Montana School of Law
DocFreeman24 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Name	University of Montana School of Law
Established	1911
Type	Public
Parent	University of Montana
City	Missoula
State	Montana
Country	United States
Dean	Leslie Butler
Students	286 (approx.)

University of Montana School of Law is a public professional school located in Missoula, Montana, and is the law school of the University of Montana. Founded in 1911, it offers juris doctor and advanced legal degrees with a focus on public service, natural resources, and tribal law. The school is known for clinical education and regional impact in the Rocky Mountain West, engaging with institutions such as the Montana Supreme Court, United States District Court for the District of Montana, Flathead Indian Reservation, Crow Tribe, and Blackfeet Nation.

History

The school was established during the Progressive Era while the Montana Legislature debated higher education expansion and land-grant policy, contemporaneous with institutions like Princeton University reshaping professional curricula and events like the 1912 United States presidential election. Early deans engaged with figures such as Earl C. Broberg and legal developments from the era of the Lochner v. New York jurisprudence and the Treaty of Fort Laramie (1868)'s aftermath affecting tribal law. Through the New Deal period and World War II, the school expanded curricula paralleling reforms in the Wagner Act and interactions with federal agencies like the National Park Service in regional conservation law. Postwar growth reflected broader trends seen at the University of California, Berkeley School of Law and the University of Chicago Law School, while the school's emphasis on natural resources law paralleled litigation in the Yellowstone National Park region and cases before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Campus and Facilities

Situated on the western edge of the University of Montana campus in Missoula, the law school neighbors landmarks like the Clark Fork River and the Missoula County Courthouse. Facilities include moot courtrooms modeled after venues used in the United States Supreme Court, faculty offices inspired by layouts at the Yale Law School, and research spaces comparable to those at the University of Colorado Law School. The building houses legal research collections connected to resources such as the Library of Congress classification systems and archives related to the Montana Historical Society, as well as conference spaces used for symposia featuring participants from the American Bar Association, National Native American Bar Association, and the Federal Bar Association.

Academics and Programs

The school offers a three-year Juris Doctor program and advanced degrees reflecting specializations in environmental and natural resources law, tribal law, public interest law, and litigation. Courses draw on case law from the Montana Supreme Court, precedent from the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, and statutes like the Clean Water Act and the Endangered Species Act. Electives include water rights taught with reference to the Mason-Dixon Line-distinctive doctrines in western states, comparative modules engaging scholars from the University of Washington School of Law and the University of Idaho College of Law, and clinics collaborating with the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia model. The curriculum incorporates experiential learning methods championed by educators from Harvard Law School and Columbia Law School and seminars on legal history connecting to works on the Northwest Ordinance and the Homestead Acts.

Admissions and Student Body

Admissions consider undergraduate records from institutions such as the Montana State University system, the University of Washington, and private colleges including Carleton College and St. Olaf College, as well as LSAT or GRE performance reflecting national trends tracked by the Law School Admission Council. The student body includes residents of Montana, members of tribal nations like the Salish and Kootenai Tribes, and students from neighboring states including Idaho, Wyoming, and North Dakota. Student organizations mirror national counterparts such as the American Constitution Society and the Federalist Society, and co-curriculars collaborate with community groups like the Missoula County Public Defender office and the Montana Legal Services Association.

Clinical Programs and Centers

Clinical offerings include a public interest clinic, tribal law clinic, environmental law clinic, and an appellate advocacy program that work with the Montana Department of Justice, the Federal Public Defender, and tribal courts of the Northern Cheyenne Tribe. Centers and initiatives conduct research on issues akin to studies at the Stanford Environmental Law Clinic, partner with the Environmental Protection Agency and the Bureau of Land Management, and host conferences featuring scholars from the Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation and practitioners from the American Indian Law Center. Clinics frequently litigate matters involving statutes like the Indian Child Welfare Act and constitutional questions reminiscent of matters before the United States Supreme Court.

Faculty and Administration

Faculty have included scholars with ties to institutions such as the University of Minnesota Law School, Duke University School of Law, and the University of Chicago Law School, and have produced scholarship appearing in journals like the Harvard Law Review, Yale Law Journal, and the Michigan Law Review. Administrators engage with statewide policy through the Montana Board of Regents and collaborate on bar preparation aligned with the Montana Bar Examination standards administered by the Montana Board of Bar Examiners. Visiting professors and lecturers often come from federal agencies including the Department of the Interior and the United States Department of Agriculture.

Career Outcomes and Notable Alumni

Graduates pursue careers as public defenders, prosecutors, judges, tribal advocates, and private practitioners, serving in offices such as the Office of the Attorney General of Montana, the United States Attorney's Office for the District of Montana, and as tribal attorneys for the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes. Alumni have been elected to bodies like the Montana Legislature and appointed to benches including the Montana Supreme Court and federal district courts, and have argued before the United States Supreme Court. Notable alumni include state leaders, members of Congress, and advocates active with organizations such as the National Congress of American Indians and the Natural Resources Defense Council.

Category:Law schools in Montana