University of Missouri School of Law
Encyclopedia
- This article is about the school in Columbia. For the school in Kansas City see University of Missouri–Kansas City School of Law
University of Missouri School of Law (Mizzou Law or MU Law) is the law school of the University of Missouri
University of Missouri
The University of Missouri System is a state university system providing centralized administration for four universities, a health care system, an extension program, five research and technology parks, and a publishing press. More than 64,000 students are currently enrolled at its four campuses...
, a state university
State university system
A state university system in the United States is a group of public universities supported by an individual state, or a similar entity such as the District of Columbia. These systems constitute the majority of public-funded universities in the country...
in the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
State of Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
. It is located on the university's main campus in Columbia
Columbia, Missouri
Columbia is the fifth-largest city in Missouri, and the largest city in Mid-Missouri. With a population of 108,500 as of the 2010 Census, it is the principal municipality of the Columbia Metropolitan Area, a region of 164,283 residents. The city serves as the county seat of Boone County and as the...
, forty minutes from the Missouri State Capitol
Missouri State Capitol
The Missouri State Capitol is located in the U.S. state of Missouri. Housing the Missouri General Assembly, it is located in the state capital of Jefferson City at 201 West Capitol Avenue. The domed building was designed by the New York architectural firm of Tracy and Swartwout and completed in 1917...
and Supreme Court
Supreme Court of Missouri
The Supreme Court of Missouri is the highest court in the state of Missouri. It was established in 1820, and is located in Jefferson City, Missouri. Missouri voters have approved changes in the state's constitution to give the Supreme Court exclusive jurisdiction- the sole legal power to hear -...
in Jefferson City
Jefferson City, Missouri
Jefferson City is the capital of the U.S. state of Missouri and the county seat of Cole County. Located in Callaway and Cole counties, it is the principal city of the Jefferson City metropolitan area, which encompasses the entirety of both counties. As of the 2010 census, the population was 43,079...
.LSAC/ABA School Overview The school was founded in 1872 by the Curators of the University of Missouri, making it one of the oldest law schools west of the Mississippi River. Its alumni include governors, legislators, judges, attorneys general, and law professors across the country.
Overview
Mizzou Law is one of the nation's leaders in Alternative Dispute Resolution, having founded the nation’s first center dedicated to the study of settling disputes beyond litigation. This center, the Center for the Study of Dispute ResolutionCenter for the Study of Dispute Resolution
The Center for the Study of Dispute Resolution is a research center under the University of Missouri School of Law with a mission to develop and promote:...
(CSDR) is Mizzou Law’s only research center. The School also offers a Certificate in Dispute Resolution to its J.D.
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
candidates, and a LL.M.
Master of Laws
The Master of Laws is an advanced academic degree, pursued by those holding a professional law degree, and is commonly abbreviated LL.M. from its Latin name, Legum Magister. The University of Oxford names its taught masters of laws B.C.L...
for those who have already completed law school. The School discontinued its certificates in tax law and intellectual property law in 2004 because it lacked the faculty to teach those classes.
The median LSAT score for the incoming class of 2007 was 159, with a median GPA of 3.53.Internet Legal Research Group: 2009 Law School Rankings, Profile of the University of Missouri-Columbia It accepted 35.8% of its applicants. Its student body total was 449 during the 2007-2008 school year. The law school also has a historical bar passage rate around 90.8%, which is higher than the Missouri state average of 86%. At graduation, roughly half of its students have secured employment for after the bar; 9 months after graduation around 95% of all students are employed.
J.D. Degree
Students must complete 89 credit hours in order to receive a J.D.Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
from the University of Missouri. During the first year, all students must take Advocacy & Research, Civil Procedure I & II, Contracts I & II, Criminal Law, Lawyering, Legal Research & Writing, Property, and Torts. During the second year, all students must take Constitutional Law and Evidence. During either the second or third year, all students must take Professional Responsibility and Criminal Procedure. Students may apply up to 3 hours of non-law school coursework towards their degree in some circumstances. Students may also apply up to 31 hours of legal coursework completed at another ABA-accredited law school towards their degree from MU.
Additionally, all students must attend several presentations beyond their regular classes. These presentations qualify for “Professional Perspectives” or “Career Perspectives” credit, depending on the nature of the lecture and whether the Dean’s office or the Office of Career Development sponsors the presentation. These presentations are usually hosted by student organizations.
Students also must complete a “Writing Requirement,” in which the student conducts original research and drafts a paper on that issue. The paper must be approved by a member of the faculty who then edits and suggests changes and improvements. The student may only receive his or her writing credit after rewriting the paper, following the faculty comments. Students who participate in one of the school’s law reviews may apply their work for the law review towards the writing requirement.
LL.M. in Dispute Resolution
The LL.M. in Dispute Resolution program at University of Missouri School of Law is offered by the Center for the Study of Dispute Resolution. The University of Missouri School of Law is the first law school in United States to offer an LL.M. that is exclusively focused on Dispute Resolution, and consistently ranks as one of the top law schools offering Dispute Resolution programs in the United States. Students who already have a law degree (either a J.D. from an ABA-accredited law school, or a LL.B. from a school outside the United States) may receive their LL.M. in Dispute Resolution from the University of Missouri. Students must complete 24 credit hours, 15 of which must be in Dispute Resolution. These 15 hours include the 16 hours that students earn from required coursework in Arbitration, Research, Methods for Evaluating Dispute Resolution Systems, Non-Binding Dispute Resolution, and Understanding Conflict.Dual Degrees
Mizzou Law has ten dual degree programs with other schools at the University of Missouri. These programs lay out which courses students may count towards their law degree in addition to their non-law degree. These programs are:- JD/MBA in Business
- JD/MPA in Public Administration
- JD/MHA in Health Administration
- JD/MA in Economics
- JD/MA in Journalism
- JD/MA in Educational Leadership & Policy Analysis
- JD/MA or MS in Human Development & Family Studies
- JD/MS in Consumer & Family Economics
- JD/PhD in Journalism
- JD/MLS in Library & Information Science
Certificates
The School of Law also has affiliations with other schools and programs at the university, whereby the student earns a certificate from another school:- Center for the Digital Globe - an interdepartmental certificate, established by the College of Business, School of Journalism, School of Law, and Department of Textile and Apparel Management in the College of Human Environmental Sciences with a focus on the “managerial, theoretical and policy-related issues associated with digital media, electronic commerce and globalization;”
- European UnionEuropean UnionThe European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
Graduate Certificate from the European Union Center, established by the European Union to “develop a better understanding of the EU by individuals, businesses and governmental entities;” and - Certificate in Journalism from the Missouri School of JournalismMissouri School of JournalismThe Missouri School of Journalism at University of Missouri in Columbia, claims to be the oldest formal journalism school in the world. Founded in 1908, only the Ecole Supérieure de Journalisme de Paris established in 1899 may be older...
.
Clinics & Externships
Mizzou Law operates five clinics:- Criminal prosecution;
- Family violence;
- Judicial;
- Legislative; and
- Mediation.
Students may also perform an externship for up to 3 hours of credit. Externships are only permitted in public law offices, government offices, and not-for-profit offices. Students extern in places in Columbia and Jefferson City, such as the Missouri Department of Revenue, the Secretary of State’s Office, the Missouri Department of Mental Health, and the Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations.
Study Abroad
The University of Missouri accepts credits earned from all ABA-approved law schools and study abroad programs. It also runs its own study abroad programs.- South Africa Program – students take a comparative law class and study dispute resolution in an international context.
- London Consortium – students take American and British law courses.
Rankings
- 93rd best law school - U.S. News and World Report ranks Mizzou Law the 93rd among the "Top 100" American law schools in their 2011 rankings.
- 3rd best law school in Dispute Resolution - U.S. News and World Report ranks Mizzou Law the 3rd among American law schools in Dispute Resolution in their 2011 rankings.
Journals
The law school has a unique method for selecting associates to its three law reviews. Unlike other schools that base placement entirely on grades, the University of Missouri uses a write-on system. After the final exams in the spring semester have been returned, packets are made available to all interested students. In the packet are two assignments: the first is a case and citations to other sources; and the second is a mock list of footnotes. Applicants to the law reviews must write a case note based on the case in the packet, using as citations only those sources specifically listed; applicants must also meet minimum page length and minimum footnote requirements. Applicants must also edit the mock list of footnotes for errors, pursuant to the BluebookBluebook
The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation, a style guide, prescribes the most widely used legal citation system in the United States. The Bluebook is compiled by the Harvard Law Review Association, the Columbia Law Review, the University of Pennsylvania Law Review, and the Yale Law Journal....
method of citation. Applicants must then return the entire packet, as well as a list identifying their preferences of law reviews.
The Editors-in-Chief and other editors blind-grade the assignments. Law school administrative assistants rank each student three times: first, by weighting the applicants' GPAs at 80% and their written submissions 20%; then, by weighting the GPAs at 20% and the written submissions at 80%; lastly, by ranking solely based on the scores of the written submissions. The editors-in-chief then select which applicants they want. The Missouri Law Review selects first based on the 80/20 rankings, then the Journal of Dispute Resolution, then the Missouri Law & Policy Review. Then, they pick again in order, this time based on the 20/80 rankings, and finally they select based on the 0/100 rankings.
Missouri Law Review
The Missouri Law Review is the law school's oldest and most prestigious law review. It is entirely student-run and student-edited and publishes four times a year. It has been cited over fourteen hundred times in published court opinions, including the Supreme Court of the United StatesSupreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
, since 1936, when publication began.
Each spring the law review hosts a symposium on a different part of the law. Noted scholars and practitioners in the given area give a presentation, and then they write an article which the law review publishes later that year. Recent topics have included:
- Evolving the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and its Patent Law Jurisprudence (2011)
- Can We Fix Our State Indigent Defense Systems? (2010)
- Mulling over the Missouri Plan: A Review of State Judicial Selection and Retention Systems (2009)
- Federalism & International Law (2008)
- A Festschrift in honor of Dale A. Whitman (2007)
- Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Bankruptcy Reform (2006)
- Reflections on Judging: A Discussion Following the Release of the Blackmun Papers (2005)
- Fear and Risk in Times of Democratic Crisis (2004)
Journal of Dispute Resolution
The Journal of Dispute Resolution, operated by the Center for the Study of Dispute Resolution, is entirely student-led and student-edited. Published semi-annually, the Journal is considered the leading publication in alternative dispute resolution.The Journal, like the Missouri Law Review, hosts annual symposia in the area of dispute resolution. Past symposia have included:
- Collaborative Governance: The Future of Regulation: An Interdisciplinary and International Review (2009)
- Developing Better Lawyers and Lawyering Practices] (2008)
- Media & Conflict (2007)
- A Tribute to Leonard Riskin (2006)
- The Vanishing Trial] (2006)
- Damages (2004)
- International versus Domestic Conflict Resolution (2003)
- The Uniform Mediation Act (2003)
- Challenging Assumptions About Mediation (2002)
- The Revised Uniform Arbitration Act (2001)
Missouri Environmental Law & Policy Review
The Missouri Environmental Law & Policy Review, or MELPR , is a joint venture between the School of Law & the Missouri Bar Association. Founded in 1993, it is the law school's youngest law review, consisting of eleven student editors and no more than twenty student associates. From its inception in 1993 to the 2010-2011 school year, MELPR published three editions each year. Beginning in the 2011-2012 school year, MELPR will publish two editions each year, with one being printed in the fall and one in the spring. MELPR publishes case notes and articles on topics including energy policy, land use, water policy, agricultural law, land reclamation, and environmental sustainability.Notable faculty
- Doug Abrams (family law)
- Royce de rohan BarondesRoyce de rohan BarondesRoyce de Rohan Barondes is a noted scholar in the field of business law at the University of Missouri School of Law. Barondes joined the University of Missouri faculty in 2002, after having taught law in the business schools of the University of Georgia and Louisiana State University...
(contracts & business organizations) - Robert G. Bailey (arbitration)
- Frank O. Bowman (federal sentencing guidelines)
- Michelle Arnopol Cecil (bankruptcy & taxation)
- Dennis D. CrouchDennis CrouchDennis David Crouch is an American patent attorney who worked for McDonnell Boehnen Hulbert & Berghoff LLP in Chicago, Illinois, until 2007. In 2007, he accepted a post of associate professor at the University of Missouri School of Law in Columbia, Missouri.In 1997, he received his B.S.E...
(patent law) - Carl EsbeckCarl EsbeckCarl H. Esbeck is the R.B. Price Distinguished Professor and the Isabelle Wade & Paul C. Lyda Professor of Law at the University of Missouri School of Law. He joined the law faculty in 1981. He has published in the areas of church-state relations and civil rights...
(religious liberties) - David A. Fischer (products liability)
- R. Wilson Freyermuth (property law & secured transactions)
- Leonard Riskin (conflict resolution)
- Elwood L. ThomasElwood L. ThomasElwood L. Thomas was a judge of the Supreme Court of Missouri, under an appointment by then-Governor John Ashcroft. He was retained at the November, 1992, election. He died while on the court from complications of Parkinson's Disease...
- former professor; later a judge on the Supreme Court of MissouriSupreme Court of MissouriThe Supreme Court of Missouri is the highest court in the state of Missouri. It was established in 1820, and is located in Jefferson City, Missouri. Missouri voters have approved changes in the state's constitution to give the Supreme Court exclusive jurisdiction- the sole legal power to hear -... - Rodney Uphoff (criminal defense)
- Dale A. WhitmanDale A. WhitmanDale A. Whitman is an American educator who served as Dean of the University of Missouri School of Law. He received a B.S. from Brigham Young University in 1963 in electrical engineering and subsequently earned an LL.B. from Duke University in 1966. Whitman late taught at BYU and then moved to the...
(property law)
Notable alumni
- Howard L. BickleyHoward L. BickleyHoward Lee Bickley was an American lawyer and judge. Originally from Missouri, he relocated to New Mexico and became Chief Justice of the New Mexico Supreme Court....
, Chief Justice of the New Mexico Supreme CourtNew Mexico Supreme CourtThe New Mexico Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of New Mexico. It is established and its powers defined by Article VI of the New Mexico Constitution... - William H. BillingsWilliam Howard BillingsWilliam Howard Billings was a judge of the Supreme Court of Missouri. Prior to his appointment by then-Governor Kit Bond, he had been a member of the Missouri Court of Appeals in Springfield, and before that a circuit court judge; both times he was appointed by Democratic Governor Warren Hearnes...
, former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Missouri - Patricia BreckenridgePatricia BreckenridgePatricia Breckenridge is a Judge on the Supreme Court of Missouri. She was born in Nevada, Missouri, and received her undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Missouri. Governor Kit Bond appointed her as a judge in Vernon County, Missouri in 1982. She was subsequently elected to the...
, Judge of the Supreme Court of Missouri - Mel CarnahanMel CarnahanMelvin Eugene "Mel" Carnahan was an American politician. A Democrat, he served as the 51st Governor of Missouri from 1993 to 2000. He died in a plane crash on the Pevely and Hillsboro, Missouri border during a campaign for the U.S...
, former Governor of Missouri - Ann K. CovingtonAnn K. CovingtonAnn K. Covington is a former chief justice of the Supreme Court of Missouri. A native of Fairmont, West Virginia, she was the first woman to hold that position. Covington served on the Supreme Court from 1989 to 2001; in 2001 she joined the large St. Louis, Missouri law firm Bryan Cave. Covington...
, former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Missouri - Forrest C. DonnellForrest C. DonnellForrest C. Donnell was a United States Senator and the 40th Governor of Missouri. He was a Republican.-Early life:Donnell was born in Quitman, Missouri....
, former Governor of Missouri & former U.S. Senator - Warren E. HearnesWarren E. HearnesWarren Eastman Hearnes was an American politician and the 46th Governor of Missouri from 1965 to 1973. He was the first Missouri Governor eligible to serve two consecutive four year terms, and a lifelong Democrat...
, former Governor of Missouri & former Missouri Secretary of State - John C. HolsteinJohn C. HolsteinJohn C. Holstein is a former judge of the Supreme Court of Missouri, under an appointment by then-Governor John Ashcroft. From 1995 to 1997, he served as Chief Justice for the court. In 2002 he retired from the court and returned to private practice in Springfield, Missouri. Judge Holstein...
, former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Missouri - Chris Koster, Attorney General of Missouri
- Ted KulongoskiTed KulongoskiTheodore R. "Ted" Kulongoski is an American politician, who served as the 36th Governor of Oregon. A Democrat, he has served in both houses of the Oregon Legislative Assembly, as the state Insurance Commissioner, the Attorney General, and an Associate Justice on the Oregon Supreme Court.-Early...
, former Governor of OregonOregonOregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
& former Justice of the Oregon Supreme CourtOregon Supreme CourtThe Oregon Supreme Court is the highest state court in the U.S. state of Oregon. The only court that may reverse or modify a decision of the Oregon Supreme Court is the Supreme Court of the United States. The OSC holds court at the Oregon Supreme Court Building in Salem, Oregon, near the capitol... - Claire McCaskillClaire McCaskillClaire Conner McCaskill is the senior United States Senator from Missouri and a member of the Democratic Party. She defeated Republican incumbent Jim Talent in the 2006 U.S. Senate election, by a margin of 49.6% to 47.3%. She is the first woman elected to the U.S. Senate from Missouri in her own...
, U.S. Senator from Missouri - Jeremiah "Jay" NixonJay NixonJeremiah Wilson "Jay" Nixon, Sr. is the 55th and current Governor of the U.S. state of Missouri. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as Missouri's Attorney General before his election in 2008.-Political career:...
, Governor of Missouri - Guy Brasfield ParkGuy Brasfield ParkGuy Brasfield Park was a politician from the U.S. State of Missouri.Park was born in Platte City, Missouri and he graduated from law school at the University of Missouri. Park practiced law in Platte City, twice winning election to be the prosecuting attorney for Platte County...
, former Governor of Missouri - Mary Rhodes RussellMary Rhodes RussellMary Rhodes Russell is a judge on the Supreme Court of Missouri, appointed in 2004 by Governor Bob Holden, a Democrat....
, Judge of the Supreme Court of Missouri - Ike SkeltonIke SkeltonIsaac Newton "Ike" Skelton IV is the former U.S. Representative for . During his tenure, he has served as the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee. He is a member for the Democratic Party...
, former United States Congressman from Missouri
Student organizations
- American Bar Association – Law Student Division
- American Civil Liberties UnionAmerican Civil Liberties UnionThe American Civil Liberties Union is a U.S. non-profit organization whose stated mission is "to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States." It works through litigation, legislation, and...
- MU Chapter - American Constitution Society
- Asian American Law Students Association
- Association of Intellectual Property and Entertainment Law
- Black Law Students Association (BLSA)
- Board of Advocates
- Christian Legal Society
- Elwood L. Thomas American Inn of Court
- Federalist Society
- Hispanic Law Students Association
- International Law Students Association
- J. Reuben Clark Law Society
- Jewish Law Students Association
- Lambda LegalLambda LegalLambda Legal is an American civil rights organization that focuses on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender communities as well as people living with HIV/AIDS through impact litigation, education, and public policy work.Lambda's founder William J. Thom, Esq...
Society - Law Students of a Better Society
- Law Students for Reproductive Justice
- Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys
- Missouri Equal Justice Foundation
- National Lawyers Guild
- Non-Traditional Law Students Association
- Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity
- Phi Delta PhiPhi Delta PhiPhi Delta Phi, ΦΔΦ, is the world's second largest legal fraternity. Phi Delta Phi is the second oldest legal organization in continuous existence in the United States and third oldest in North America...
(Tiedeman Inn) - Public Interest Law Association
- Sports Law Society
- Student Bar Association
- Student Hurricane Network
- Women's Law Association