ELeVaTiNg LEGAL EDUCATION
FIND YOUR PLACE
Our students are expected to be committed to hard work, honesty, integrity, and community service commensurate with the privilege of membership in the legal profession. We seek to admit candidates whose diverse backgrounds, experiences, knowledge and perspectives will enliven and enrich the learning experiences of fellow students, faculty, and the rest of the academic community.
Located in Laramie, Wyoming, heart of the Rocky Mountains, the UW College of Law is known for its outstanding programs, intimate family-like atmosphere, innovative skills training, affordability, and overall student satisfaction.
Laramie, popularly referred to as “Laradise” is the epitome of an ideal college town in America. With a supportive community of 31,000, our hometown rallies around University activities and creates an environment welcoming to students and families alike.
Just a short drive from Denver, Laramie offers easy access to big city amenities, while still boasting even easier access to the great outdoors. Known for rock-climbing, hiking, skiing, mountain biking, picturesque views and sunsets, Laramie is a haven for adventure!
YOUR COMMUNITY
Ideal Location
• Scenic location
• Small town feel with big city access
• 320 days of sunshine
• Abundant outdoor activities and entertainment
• Elevation of 7220 feet
• Ski area within 45 miles
Intimate Community
• Popularly referred to as “Laradise”
• Rated #1 Small College Town in America
• Vibrant downtown with multiple events, festivals, and summer farmers markets
Family Friendly Life in Laramie
• Average student Age: 27
• Welcoming Law School community
• Close relationship with the Wyoming State Bar and Bench
• Commitment to diversity and inclusion
The University of Wyoming campus is nestled in Laramie, Wyoming which sits in the southeast corner of Wyoming. Surrounded by National Forest, a state park and open spaces, Laramie has an upbeat and lively downtown, 17 designated parks and plazas, and plenty of activities when you’re not in class.
UW College of Law Small Size, Big Opportunity
• Average class size: 75-85
• Average total students: 230
• 9:1 student to faculty ratio
• State-of-the art courtrooms
• Guaranteed access to extensive experiential training opportunities
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One of my favorite experiences at the University of Wyoming College of Law has been the close relationships I’ve developed with several professors here. The faculty truly care about their students and want to see them succeed both in the classroom and the legal profession. I have received invaluable guidance and mentorship from faculty during my three years at the College of Law that has profoundly impacted my time in school and professional endeavors. That makes Wyoming Law unique; I don’t think most students across the country have the same mentorship opportunities as students at UW.
~ Jake Vogt, College of law graduate
YOUR EDUCATION
Consistently named one of the nation’s “best value” law schools, the University of Wyoming College of Law offers exceptional instruction at a price that enables our students to graduate with considerably less debt than at most other schools.
At Wyoming, we believe that our students learn best by doing. We offer a wealth of opportunities for “real-world” experience. Through our legal clinics, students regularly go to trial, argue before the Wyoming Supreme Court, and participate fully in all aspects of client representation in a variety of legal areas.
Through our interactive approach to legal education, our students are taught valuable skills and doctrine in our classes so that they obtain a comprehensive foundation seamlessly integrated with experiential development.
My experience learning and working at the University of Wyoming College of Law has been priceless. Professors at the University have taught me the legal and practical skills needed to achieve future success as an attorney. Specifically, the legal clinics have given me real life experience with indigent clients and the opportunity to argue cases in front of courts all over Wyoming. I have been taught skills and given knowledge that will help me beyond the bar and long into my professional career!
~ River Heide, College of Law Graduate
DEGREE PROGRAM JURIS DOCTOR
The University of Wyoming College of Law’s Juris Doctor degree provides extensive offerings from renowned experts in energy, natural resources, business, tax, legal writing, family law, criminal law, international law, and many other areas.
CERTIFICATE PROGRAM
ENERGY, ENVIRONMENT & NATURAL RESOURCES LAW
Students at UW law can earn a certificate of specialization in Energy, Environmental, and Natural Resources (EENR) law. The certificate serves as an endorsement that officially recognizes students who have tailored their legal educations to develop competency in these fields. The certificate reflects students’ deeper and broader understanding in these important areas of law and communicates this competence to potential employers.
JOINT DEGREE PROGRAM
JD/MASTER BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
The on-campus Master of Business Administration (MBA) Program features an innovative and applied curriculum delivered by a well-rounded and
distinguished group of faculty members, along with leadership development, and both inclass and on-site learning opportunities in real-world
business settings. The dual degree program is offered with a 1-Year Accelerated MBA in partnership with the College of Business.
DEGREE PROGRAMS
JOINT DEGREE PROGRAM
JD/MASTER PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
The Master of Public Administration (MPA) is a professional degree for those who seek leadership positions in public service. Students who combine the MPA with the JD learn the skills and techniques necessary to design and implement policies, projects, and programs to address important societal problems. JD/MPA students prepare for leadership and management positions at the local, state, and national level in the public and nonprofit sectors, and develop the skills necessary to engage in effective and ethical management of organizations.
JOINT DEGREE PROGRAM
JD/MASTER ENVIRONMENT & NATURAL RESOURCES
The College of Law and Helga Otto Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources (ENR) offer a combined three- or four-year program in law and graduate-level environment and natural resources. JD/MA law and ENR students collaborate across campus to practice critical thinking and collaborative problem solving for natural resource challenges. Student take on a Plan B thesis project to study and write about an environment and natural resources challenge.
STUDENT CLUBS & ORGANIZATIONS
The UW College of Law affords several opportunities for students to get involved in an array of clubs and organizations with their fellow classmates and the entire student body.
The 20+ student groups engage in academic and social activities to enhance the educational experience at the college, including sponsoring dynamic speakers, volunteering within the community, organizing pro bono activities, and supporting students within their varying interests.
ADVOCACY COMPETITIONS
Run by the Board of Advocates, the College of Law offers several competition opportunities, allowing students to sharpen their skills and compete at the local, regional, and national level.
Competition options include:
• Davis and Cannon Natural Resources Law Moot Court
• Richard E. Day Client Counseling
• Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court
• ABA Negotiations
• Voir Dire Competition
SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE
FACULTY
The University of Wyoming College of Law boasts expertise in nearly every area of the law, allowing the college to offer a wide range of learning opportunities unprecedented for a school of its size, a 9:1 student to faculty ratio. Dedicated scholars and prolific writers, the College of Law faculty are actively publishing articles, books, and book chapters in their areas of expertise. Their dedication to scholarship is matched by their commitment to teaching with several faculty members winning awards for classroom excellence.
WYOMING LAW REVIEW
The student run Wyoming Law Review publishes articles written by practitioners and professors from throughout the country, as well as case notes and comments written by students attending the University of Wyoming College of Law. Law Review is managed and edited by an editorial board of third-year students under the supervision of a faculty advisor. Appointment to Law Review is one of the highest honors conferred by the College of Law.
Clinics and Practicums
The University of Wyoming offers a clinic guarantee for third-year law students in a variety of clinical programs and practicums. Our clinical programs allow students to directly represent clients and practice law under the supervision of a faculty supervisor.
FULL CLINICS AND PRACTICUMS AT UW INCLUDE:
• Civil Legal Services Clinic
• Family and Child Legal Advocacy Clinic
• Defender Aid Clinic
• Prosecution Assistance Clinic
• Energy, Environment and Natural Resources Clinic
• International Human Rights Clinic
• Estate Planning
Practicum
• Entrepreneurship and Business Law
Practicum
• Local Government Assistance Practicum
Legal Externships Summer Trial Institute
The College of Law offers extensive externship placements with judges, government agencies, and non-profit/public interest organizations both inside and outside of Wyoming. Students in the externship program earn credit working under an experienced attorney in a variety of practice areas and settings.
One of the most indemand courses at the College of Law is the Summer Trial Institute. An intensive two-week trial “boot camp,” the course prepares students to become successful trial attorneys in both civil and criminal law cases. Students gain skills through direct interaction with experienced practitioners, individualized evaluation, hands-on simulations, and mock trials before practicing or retired judges.
EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING
Consistently named a Best School for Practical Training, the College of Law offers a robust curriculum that includes live-client clinics, intense simulation courses, a large externship program, five legal research centers, and informative field courses where students learn on the job.
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After being a law student here at UW, I realize that there are many advantages that the College of Law has over other law schools. These include smaller class sizes, a smaller student to faculty ratio, more real-world opportunities through clinics and practicums, and of course the affordability. All these things have allowed me to have an excellent law school experience.
~ Ted Sutton, College of Law Graduate
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130 3 96
TOTAL CASES OPEN ANNUALLY in the combined clinics & practicums
AVERAGE APPEARANCES BEFORE THE WYOMING SUPREME COURT
STUDENTS PLACED IN AN EXTERNSHIP POSITION ANNUALLY
My experience at the University of Wyoming College of Law was unmatched. I had the opportunity to learn from and work with an array of top-notch legal scholars. The small class sizes provide a unique and individualized learning experience. I could not imagine a better place to quick start my legal career.
~ Celyn Whitt, College of Law Graduate
Gina Guy Center for Law and Energy Resources in the Rockies
The Gina Guy Center for Law and Energy Resources in the Rockies (CLERR) provides a focal point for the many energy and natural resources activities at the University of Wyoming College of Law and serves as a vehicle for outreach from the College of Law to the interested public. The interdisciplinary approach of the Center allows for the exploration of the legal, social, economic, technological, and political realities that affect energy and natural resources policy.
Through speakers, conferences, symposia, and similar activities, CLERR provides a platform for engaging in constructive and meaningful public policy debate and offers the opportunity for robust legal and policy research. The strong energy, environment, and natural resources curricula, coupled with a wealth of “real world” experiences and collaboration with crossdisciplinary University of Wyoming programs, such as the School of Energy Resources and the Helga Otto Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources, provide CLERR the ability to prepare students to face the challenges of our energy future.
Center for the Study of Written Advocacy
The mission of the Center for the Study of Written Advocacy is to advance the discipline of legal writing, and more specifically, the practice of professional legal advocacy by producing, facilitating, and promoting research and scholarship that explores the substance, procedure, and ethics of written legal advocacy. In addition to supervising student research assistants, the Center hosts a variety of activities including scholarly writing workshops, continuing legal education presentations, and legal writing conferences.
With the emphasis of writing skills in the legal profession, the Center boasts nationally recognized legal writing professors that establish the University of Wyoming College of Law as a leading institution in legal writing and research, and provide exceptional legal writing instruction to law students.
Center for International Human Rights Law and Advocacy
Rural Law Center
The Rural Law Center is meant to further three general missions:
Provide service to rural communities and lawyers who practice law in rural areas.
Help prepare students for rural practice and service.
Facilitate scholarly research concerning the law relevant to rural areas and issues.
The Center for International Human Rights Law & Advocacy at the University of Wyoming College of Law provides opportunities for students to engage with global human rights issues. Since the center’s founding in August 2010, Wyoming students have represented individuals fleeing persecution in asylum proceedings, promoted the rights of women and girls in Mozambique and Cambodia, and advised lawmakers in Uganda on best practices relating to oil governance, among other projects.
The Firearms Research Center
The Firearms Research Center (FRC) was launched to establish more voices in the firearms discussion, create a pipeline of graduates prepared to serve as firearms lawyers, and act as a reliable, nonpartisan resource for firearms-related information. By bringing together scholars from a wide range of academic disciplines and experts without traditional academic backgrounds, the Center’s aim is to foster a broad discourse and produce meaningful change in how firearms are discussed and understood. The FRC will offer a community where scholars and established experts can cultivate knowledge within a collaborative community of support.
Civil Legal Services Clinic
The Civil Legal Services Clinic (CLSC, formerly the Legal Services Program) is the College of Law’s oldest clinic, having provided legal assistance to Wyoming citizens for over 20 years. Student interns enrolled in the CLSC represent low-income and marginalized individuals across the state who could not otherwise afford legal representation. The CLSC’s mission is to provide legal services in a broad range of general civil legal matters. As such, students’ caseloads are diverse and touch on many areas of civil practice, including housing, consumer rights, education, veterans’ service-connected disability benefits, and other public benefits laws.
Under the supervision of the Clinic Director, student interns interview and counsel clients, investigate facts, strategize case options, negotiate with opponents, draft pleadings, and argue in court. In addition, to provide student interns with hands-on exposure to the business realities of legal practice, they maintain case files while also managing time-keeping and other organizational activities. Depending on the need, students may also work on special projects including conducting research and providing support to advocates who are testifying on legislative matters. Finally, student interns work closely with the Wyoming legal community, developing important relationships that will support the students through their professional lives.
Family and Child Legal Advocacy Clinic
The Family and Child Legal Advocacy Clinic offers participating law students education and lawyering experience by allowing students to form lawyer-client relationships directly with clients, to exercise legal judgment and perform legal services for those clients pro bono, including interviewing, counseling, research, discovery, negotiation, motion practice, trials, and appeals. Student attorneys handle civil legal matters such as divorce, child custody, domestic violence protection orders, stalking and sexual assault protection orders, adoption, guardian ad litem appointments in juvenile and domestic relations cases, and select immigration issues. Law students may also represent children or their parents in child abuse and neglect, termination of parental rights, children in need of supervision and delinquency actions. In addition, law students have the opportunity to work together with practicing professionals in the fields of social work, psychology, pediatrics, and psychiatry.
Energy, Environment and Natural Resources Clinic
The Energy, Environmental and Natural Resources Law Clinic (EENR Clinic) works directly with the Wyoming Attorney General’s Office. Students work with attorneys from the Water and Natural Resources Division of the Wyoming Attorney General’s Office on cases involving the State of Wyoming, state agencies, or state officials. Work in the past has included drafting motions in nationally significant natural resource federal court cases, assisting in agency adjudicative and administrative hearings, and more.
LEGAL CLINICS & PRACTICUMS
International Human Rights Clinic
The International Human Rights Clinic at the COL was founded in 2013 as a pillar of the University of Wyoming’s Center for International Human Rights Law & Advocacy. The clinic is supported by a dedicated endowment and features advocacy directed by faculty supervisors, as well as a classroom component.
THE CLINIC’S INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS ADVOCACY HAS INCLUDED:
Litigating a path-breaking maternal mortality case before the Constitutional Court in Uganda.
Conducting an investigation into trafficking and modern day slavery in the Southeast Asian seafood industry.
Providing a report to immigration judges on country conditions in Ethiopia.
Research into the torture of dissidents in Bahrain.
An investigation into oil governance practices in East Africa.
The UW Family & Child Legal Advocacy Clinic has provided me unparalleled experience in the realm of family law. The clinics are truly where the rubber meets the road, as the subjects taught in our law school courses are utilized every day by student attorneys. It has been a privilege to represent Wyoming citizens as they navigate a challenging, and sometimes complicated legal landscape. I have had the opportunity of handling an array of family law matters including divorce, child custody, and adoption cases. I have also gained experience with cases involving domestic violence, the Indian Child Welfare Act and The Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction. I am grateful for the opportunity to work in this clinic; and I know I am equipped with the knowledge and experience to begin my legal career upon graduation.
~ Jesselyn Burroughs, College of Law Graduate
Estate Planning Practicum
Working with real clients with real problems allows law students to begin the lifelong process of becoming thoughtful, responsible, and reflective lawyers. Practicum students gain critical skills in communication, information gathering, and legal and factual analysis that prepare them to address the
complex needs their clients will present. Students gain legal experience while, at the same time, learning how to professionally and ethically represent a client. Students learn to find the right combination of zealous and compassionate advocacy, are challenged to consider how the practice of law may be reformed, and
embrace the professional responsibility of assisting those who may otherwise be financially prohibited from accessing the legal system.
*All clinics and practicums are subject to change in terms of content, caseload, and specific course focus in any given year.
LEGAL CLINICS & PRACTICUMS
Defender Aid Clinic
The Defender Aid Clinic (DAC) has historically represented people unable to afford counsel at all stages of the criminal legal process across the state of Wyoming, in both the state and federal district courts.
Currently, the DAC focuses on post-conviction litigation and early release efforts, including pursuing sentence reduction motions, habeas corpus motions, motions to correct illegal sentences, and post-conviction claims of legal innocence for state and federal defendants. A large portion of the DAC’s docket is also focused on sentencing advocacy and sentencing mitigation in the postconviction context.
Students who enroll in the DAC can expect to take on substantial responsibility for litigating a post-conviction case and to travel to penal institutions throughout the state for the purpose of meeting, interviewing, and counseling clients on a variety of legal matters. Students in the clinic are the primary points of contact for DAC clients and other outside entities such as prosecutors, prison officials, and members of the Board of Parole.
Students can also expect to get significant experience with client interviewing and counseling, negotiating with opposing parties, and legal research and writing.
Prosecution Assistance
Third-year students can gain practical legal experience in trial and appellate work through the Wyoming Prosecution Assistance Program. The program, which was founded more than 20 years ago, provides assistance to Wyoming County and Prosecuting Attorneys, to the Wyoming Attorney General, and to the United States Attorney for the District of Wyoming in criminal cases and in selected civil cases involving questions of significant public interest.
Business Law Practicum
Students perform the legal tasks involved in starting a business for actual clients, for hypothetical clients, or both. Most clients include those referred by the University of Wyoming Technology Transfer and Research Products Center and the University of Wyoming Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Legal tasks may include advising on entity choice; drafting and filing organizational documents; assisting with intellectual property, employment, and ethical, issues, and other transactional matters. Other activities may include attending relevant lectures and business events at the university and in the local community.
Local Government Assistance Practicum
Students assist local government attorneys in Wyoming, Colorado and New Mexico in addressing various issues related to scope of local government authority, open meeting requirements, public record requests, revenue, licensing/permitting, housing and water management. The work includes legal research and analysis. Such analysis may be incorporated in draft memoranda, resolutions or ordinances.
UW College of Law Legal Clinics
130
CASES OPENED
DEFENDER AID
Cases opened in 10 Wyoming counties.
ESTATE PLANNING
19
Cases opened in 6 Wyoming counties.
ENERGY, ENVIRONMENTAL & NATURAL RESOURCES
Cases opened statewide.
PROSECUTION ASSISTANCE
Cases opened in 7 Wyoming counties.
CIVIL LEGAL SERVICES
Cases opened in 8 Wyoming counties.
BUSINESS LAW
Cases opened in 1 Wyoming county.
FAMILY AND CHILD LEGAL ADVOCACY
Cases opened in 13 Wyoming counties.
20
WYOMING COUNTIES
Counties served by UW College of Law students.
LOCAL GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE Cases opened in 2 Wyoming counties.
8
New cases opened from Jan. 1, 2023, through Dec. 31, 2023. Does not include existing cases that extend into the next years.
As an employer, the biggest strength we saw in the candidates was that each of them had practical, real-world experience. This makes them attractive candidates and is a testament to UW’s commitment to its clinical programs, externships and summer associate positions.
~ Johnson Muffly & Dauster, PC Fort Collins, Colorado
91% 13
EMPLOYMENT RATE AFTER GRADUATING STUDENTS PLACED IN LEGAL LIFTOFF MENTORSHIP PROGRAM
& PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
51% 51% 8
AVERAGE STUDENTS PER CLASS IN JUDICIAL CLERKSHIPS
OF THE ATTORNEYS IN THE STATE ARE UW COLLEGE OF LAW GRADUATES
OF THE JUDGES IN THE STATE ARE UW COLLEGE OF LAW GRADUATES
Clerkships
Obtaining a clerkship position is one of the most prestigious and highly sought after positions for any new lawyer embarking on their legal career. At UW, our close relationship with the judiciary within Wyoming and surrounding states puts us in a unique position to place a high proportion of students within federal clerkships, supreme court clerkships, and district court clerkships. Our students have continually proven to be tenacious problem solvers. Often demonstrating grit, resilience, and resourcefulness, our graduates are proactive in finding solutions for their judges, as well as demonstrating a steadfast work ethic. Due to these qualities, judges continue to seek Wyoming law graduates for their clerkship positions.
Legal Liftoff Employment
The vast majority of each graduating class finds employment within 10 months of graduating from the UW College of Law. Students seek employment over a wide range of practice areas including private practice, government and public interest, business and industry, and judicial clerkships. A handful of students choose to pursue another graduate degree before entering the workforce, while others choose non-traditional JD positions. The versatility of a UW law degree makes each of our students competitive applicants in whichever field they choose.
Legal Liftoff is a mentorship program held over spring break. The intent is to provide the student with a possible mentor into the future, and for a supervisor to allow a student the opportunity to observe real world practice and provide a discussion of various issues.
I could not have asked for a better mentor. She has not only given me genuine and thoughtful guidance in regards to the field of bankruptcy law, but also has provided personal advice for law school and an insight to the different parts/ counties of Wyoming. To say my expectations for the program had been far surpassed would be an understatement.
~ Aileen Kim, UW Student and Legal Liftoff Participant
3-year average of 2021, 2022 & 2023:
We find UW trained lawyers frequently stack up better than other lawyers trained across the country.
~ The Honorable Kelly Rankin, U.S. District Court Judge for the District of Wyoming
21% 8%
The University of Wyoming College of Law prides itself on offering a high quality education at an affordable price. Graduates from the College of Law experience an education that allows them to distinguish themselves and take their place among a collegial network of professionals and alumni.
YOUR EXPERIENCE
With a commitment to upholding its tradition of excellence, the UW College of Law strives to provide the resources necessary to help students flourish in their studies and their future careers, and is dedicated to helping students have the best experience possible during their legal education.
“The best part of my experience at the University of Wyoming College of Law has been the opportunities to learn beyond a textbook. The skills I gained in the legal clinics and in the law school’s competitions are invaluable. These experiences have provided me with a positive and supportive environment to develop applicable knowledge of the legal field while working alongside some of the best attorneys in the state. I could not have asked for a better foundation that I can continue building on in my career.
~ Morgan Cloud, College of Law Graduate
NEXTGEN BAR EXAM STATE
TOP ENVIRONMENTAL LAW SCHOOL 2024
BEST SCHOOLS FOR PRACTICAL TRAINING 2024
BEST VALUE LAW SCHOOL 2023-2024
TOP SCHOOL FOR FAMILY LAW 2023-2024 TOP SCHOOL INTERNATIONAL LAW 2022-2023
Application submitted online via LSAC.org
Register for and take the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT). Score is valid for 5 years. You may register via LSAC.org
Register for LSAC’s Credential Assembly Service (CAS) via LSAC.org
Submit Official Transcripts through LSAC from all higher education institutions you’ve attended
2-3 Letters of Recommendation (it is advised to have 1 general reference letter and 1 academic reference letter)
APPLICATION CHECKLIST
$50 non-refundable application fee
Personal statement attached to your electronic application (2-3 double-spaced pages)
Why WY Essay (detailing why you want to attend the UW College of Law) -OR- Overcoming Adversity Essay (about your path to law school) attached to your electronic application (1-2 pages)
Personal resume
Other supplemental addenda as required (i.e. character & fitness explanation)
If applying for Financial Aid & scholarships, complete the FAFSA
