College of Law Offers First-Rate Legal Education

by Jerry Parkinson, Dean

Since its founding in 1920, the University of Wyoming College of Law has enjoyed a strong reputation for academic excellence. It has been accredited by the American Bar Association since 1923 and in 1985 was granted membership in the Order of the Coif, a national honorary society that recognizes excellence in legal education. Fewer than half of American law schools have been granted such membership.

The College offers real advantages to students pursuing a legal education. First is its size. With about 225 carefully-selected students (75-80 in each entering class, drawn from an applicant pool in recent years that has exceeded 700), Wyoming's law school is among the country's smallest, which contributes to a quality of life that is rare among American law schools. Our students are not faces in a crowd; they are active participants in an environment that is intellectually vigorous and challenging, yet informal and friendly.

Our small size means students have increased opportunities to participate in student organizations, law review, moot court and trial competitions, and other activities. They can gain practical experience by participating in one of five clinical programs, which provide opportunities for client representation, including argument of real cases before the Wyoming Supreme Court. UW students also have more meaningful opportunities to interact with members of the state bench and bar, which improves not only their education but also their job prospects upon graduation.

The College regularly enriches its students' learning experience with prominent guest speakers and other events. We recently endowed two new lecture series, one of which highlighted Justice Sandra Day O'Connor as its inaugural speaker.

Throughout its history, the UW College of Law has attracted outstanding lawyer-educators to its faculty. We have always taken our teaching mission very seriously, and I would not hesitate to measure our faculty against any other law faculty in the country in terms of overall teaching quality. The faculty is a relatively young, vibrant group that shows every day a strong commitment and dedication to student learning. Four of our current faculty members have received the university's highest teaching award - the Ellbogen Award for Meritorious Classroom Teaching. Half of the law school's teachers are women, representing one of the most gender-balanced law faculties in the country.

Our students also have opportunities to work with faculty members in their scholarship and public service endeavors. A recent accreditation report commends the faculty for its "remarkable record" of scholarly productivity, much of which is devoted to law reform and promotion of the public good.

The faculty's commitment to public service and leadership is an attribute shared by our graduates. For decades, the College of Law has played a substantial role in developing leaders for the State of Wyoming and the nation. Among its alumni are many state and federal judges (including all five members of the current Wyoming Supreme Court), business executives, governors (including current Governor Dave Freudenthal and Mike Sullivan, former United States Ambassador to Ireland), state and federal legislators (including former United States Sen. Alan Simpson), and local community leaders.

The College of Law occupies an attractive, modern building that is conducive to learning and studying. Students have their own carrels in the library and ample classroom and study space. Indeed, the law building ranks among the top 10 accredited law schools in the country in terms of space per student. We have made substantial strides in recent years in the enhancement of technology in the law building, and many of our professors regularly use instructional technology in their classes.

A few years ago, the Princeton Review stated that "if every state were to have only one law school, Wyoming's would serve as an ideal model. The UW law school is very small, very inexpensive and very solid." Our tuition remains low, but we maintain high standards of quality. The University of Wyoming College of Law truly is a "best buy" in American legal education.

Posted on Friday, July 08, 2005