University of St. Thomas - School of Law (MN)

The University of St. Thomas School of Law in Minneapolis couples a dedication to practical education with the school's mission of educating the whole person. The curriculum here looks beyond just legal skills to the "people skills" involved in lawyering, and there is an emphasis on practical learning, accomplished through externships, internships, clinics, mentor programs, and experiential learning requirements. The first year at St. Thomas Law is dedicated to the building blocks of law (following an introductory week of Foundations of Justice) as well as an intense (and celebrated) legal research, analysis, and writing program. In the second and third years, students take part in the unique Mentor Externship Program, which taps into the School of Law's network of lawyers and judges to provide practical experience and guidance within the legal world. All students are also required to complete fifty hours of public service in order to graduate. "From the writing classes to trial advocacy, I feel that I am equipped to enter the legal workforce with a good foundation to tackle any challenges thrown at me," says one student. The law school facility is "gorgeous, well-kept, and very conducive to both social and educational programming," and while the St. Thomas Law does not offer any concentrations or specializations outside of the compliance certificate, the "clinic programs allow for practical, legal experience that is more meaningful than classroom/curriculum learning."

The faculty, administration, and staff at St. Thomas Law are "diverse in their backgrounds, political views, educational theories, [and] religion," and "the school lives and breathes academic freedom in the best sense." There are so many excellent professors here that "when registering for classes, students don't use [the teacher] as a factor when determining what classes to take." "Rigorous intellectual debate is encouraged," and professors are "incredibly flexible in allowing each student to engage in topics that interest that student." They are "brilliant but very human" and "always available and trying to interact with students at a personal level without being intrusive." The administration, faculty, and the Academic Success advisors (through the Center for Student Achievement) all "push students to network and get out of the school to meet other lawyers." St. Thomas Law "aggressively [tries] to distinguish itself by finding us opportunities to gain practical experience."

"Student life is incredible" at St. Thomas Law, between the different student organizations and consistently occurring events ranging from "purely social to networking and professional opportunities." The campus location in downtown Minneapolis is "amazing in terms of both transportation and access to legal events/jobs," and the university is "always promoting social, networking and sports events outside the classroom." The law school is unique in that it's small enough to for students to feel that they are a part of a close-knit community, while "at the same time feels big enough to where you are constantly making new connections throughout law school." Student organizations "do an excellent job of outreach and getting students involved in clubs [and] events," and there are always "different speakers brought to campus to discuss many social taboos other schools shy away from," and "even though political difference is explicit among students and faculty, it's a family." "We can fight among ourselves but we know we are accepted and cared for in the community," says a student. The St. Thomas Law student body is "somewhat competitive, but not overly so;" students are "more than willing to help each other out to ensure that we all succeed." Those who attend the law school "will frequently recommend fellow classmates to fill open positions that they hear about" and fully recognize that if "helping out others not only boosts the class as a whole, but helps us understand the material better." They "get along very well" on all fronts, and almost all sections "interact with each other on a regular basis outside of class."