Shape Your Future at WILLAMETTE LAW
Transforming Legal Education into Real-World Impact
Through rigorous academic courses and hands-on experiential training, Willamette Law offers a legal education that translates to real world practice.
Our law school environment empowers students from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences to explore different legal areas of interest and become well-trained attorneys. With the support of faculty, staff, and fellow students, you will gain the skills, knowledge, and experience you need to make a difference as a lawyer – from day one.
Unparalled Guidance & Support
A Faculty of Legal Professionals
Our faculty includes legal scholars and seasoned practitioners who bring their experience into the classroom and our clinics. You will learn from professors who are nationally recognized scholars and who also spent decades practicing with law firms, government agencies, nonprofit organizations and the judiciary. Their work has shaped legislation, affected industries, and advanced justice – and they are committed to helping you do the same. Under the guidance of our faculty, you will learn to think like a lawyer.
“To have faculty who are willing to talk through questions I have, give advice, and know they truly care is something I wouldn’t have had at another law school. The faculty are not just good lawyers, but first and foremost, great teachers.”
—Madeline Hueske JD ’24
Mentorship in Many Forms
As a first year law student, there’s no one better to turn to for advice than those who have been where you are. Our Academic Excellence Fellows offer peer-to-peer mentorship for our first year law students. Peer mentors can help you adjust to law school, manage course load demands, develop strong study habits, or just grab coffee and chat, offering the support you need most.
You will also be assigned an Attorney Mentor. Members of the Oregon State Bar volunteer their time to serve as mentors for our students –
beginning in their first year of law school. These professional mentors are available to offer career advice, help you prepare for exams, or review resumes as you apply for jobs. This program is often a highlight for our students throughout their time at Willamette Law.
“I learned a lot from my mentor during law school, but what was ultimately more important was learning what type of lawyer I wanted to be.”
—Jim MacDonald JD ’22
Legal Areas of Focus
No matter your area of interest, Willamette Law will help you pursue your goals.
Our curriculum will help you customize your JD to prepare you for a legal career in some of today’s most in-demand sectors. Our clinics, simulation-based courses, and certificates help to focus your attention while you are in law school. You can choose from any one of our certificate programs to enrich your law school experience.
BUSINESS LAW
Learn how to counsel business clients on transactions, formation, intellectual property issues, corporate governance, taxation, and compliance with government regulations.
LAW & GOVERNMENT
Delve into the process of making and advocating for public law and policy as you consider the role of law within the public sector.
ELDER & ESTATE PLANNING LAW
Learn how to counsel clients on wills, trusts, taxes, incapacity planning, and end-of life issues.
ENVIRONMENTAL LAW
Take on the climate crisis and advocate for legislation that will safeguard our planet for future generations – while balancing economic development with ecological preservation.
HEALTH LAW
Our location between Salem Health and the Oregon State Capitol offers students an ideal environment to study the intersection of healthcare, law, and government.
ADVOCACY & DISPUTE RESOLUTION
Become an expert at resolving conflicts through negotiation, mediation, and arbitration.
INTERNATIONAL LAW
Develop the skills and confidence to help clients navigate the complexities of global relations and laws.
Gain Hands On Experience
To prepare for real world legal practice, students represent clients in our clinics, gain work experience in externships, and use simulation courses to practice the kinds of skills that lawyers use every day.
Externships
Earn academic credit while working under a practicing attorney. Externships allow novice lawyers to immerse themselves in a specific area of law. Students have countless externship opportunities available to them throughout the state and across the country to best match their career interests and goals. Over the last three years our students have participated in externships at employers including the Alaska and Oregon Innocence Projects, Dutch Bros., the Federal Public Defenders (in both Oregon and Alaska), the Oregon Supreme Court, and many others.
Clinical Law Program
The clinics are hands-on programs involving students in legal work representing real clients under the supervision of experienced attorneys. We currently offer three clinic programs:
CRIMINAL DEFENSE CLINIC
This clinic offers students the opportunity to build critical legal skills by working closely with clients and building confidence in the courtroom. Students will build skills in oral and written advocacy by reviewing discovery, writing motions, and - for many - appearing at contested hearings and jury trials before local courts.
IMMIGRATION CLINIC
We offer the only immigration law clinic in Oregon. Our Immigration Clinic empowers students to represent clients who are confronting serious immigration challenges. Students gain practical experience including conducting several interviews with clients, assisting clients with filing asylum applications, preparing in-depth briefs, completing research and analysis, and representing clients at administrative hearings or before the Immigration Court.
“I feel the clinic has given me the practical experience I needed to feel empowered in pursuing a potential career. I had a balance between the independence in handling my own caseload and the guidance from my professor in teaching us how to become the most effective and impactful attorney we can be for our client.”
- Alondra Duran JD ’23
TRUSTS & ESTATES CLINIC
In this clinic, students work with clients who need to plan for their families and their future. Students may prepare client letters, wills, trusts, durable powers of attorney, life insurance and retirement beneficiary forms, advance medical directives, and other estate planning documents. Students will also gain experience interviewing and counseling clients, gathering information about property ownership, drafting documents, and assisting clients in executing them.
Get Involved
Willamette University School of Law includes many student-run organizations centered around shared interests, identities, perspectives, and backgrounds.
Student organizations offer opportunities to supplement your academic experience and enhance the cultural, social, and recreational aspects of the law school experience. We offer over 25 student organizations that are open to and welcome all members of the Willamette Law student community, and include:
• Affinity Groups
• Service Organizations
• Academic Opportunities
• Recreational Organizations
Location = Opportunities
To shape policy, you need to be in the right place at the right time. Our proximity to Oregon’s center of government positions our students to have an impact. Being located so close to the Oregon State Capitol, the Oregon Supreme Court, multiple state agencies, and many law firms offers our students
the chance to gain meaningful legal training, build connections, and set themselves up for long-term employment. Our students have contributed to legislation, secured externships with lawmakers, conducted legal research, and participated in legal proceedings in the courtroom.
“One of the great things about being at Willamette and what drew me initially is being so close to the Capitol. The school is such a big part of the Oregon legal community, the state government and the city of Salem. I’ve been able to see a lot of what goes on in the government and legal community in Oregon, and I’m excited to become a lawyer and be a part of that. I really feel at home here.”
- Colby Alexander BA ’24, JD ’26
Helping You Earn Your Law License
At Willamette Law, we use our curriculum and resources to best support a changing licensure landscape. New pathways to licensure are gaining momentum across the country, and Willamette Law is leading the way. With Oregon’s new Supervised Practice Portfolio Examination, aspiring attorneys have a licensure option beyond the traditional bar exam. We offer support and preparation for students pursuing both traditional and emerging pathways to licensure.
LICENSURE SUPPORT, NO MATTER THE PATHWAY
Licensure
Preparing to Pass the Bar Exam
From the moment you enroll, we provide the academic rigor, mentorship, and resources you need to become fully licensed attorneys. Our proactive, structured approach is designed to help you pass the bar and launch a successful legal career. We believe you have the capability to succeed, and once you’re here, we are confident in your potential – backing it up with the support, guidance, and resources to help you achieve your goals.
A full bar prep course from a leading provider is included in your tuition, saving you thousands of dollars while ensuring you have the resources needed to succeed. Our faculty mentors work closely with you to develop a personalized study plan tailored to your strengths and areas for improvement. Throughout the summer, dedicated study spaces and faculty support keep you on track, providing the structure and guidance essential for bar exam preparation.
BUILD A MEANINGFUL CAREER WITH LIFELONG SUPPORT
Career Support For Life
The Office of Career Planning and Development provides resources that will help you meet your professional goals.
We coordinate career-building programs and provide career coaching tailored to your unique goals and strengths. Our experienced advisors provide support and resources to help you explore a wide range of legal careers and prepare for your future role in the legal profession.
That support continues beyond graduation. Through our JD for Life program, Willamette Law graduates can continue to benefit from the expertise of our faculty by auditing courses for the remainder of their career. Whether you want to brush up on your knowledge, or pivot into a new field, we offer you the resources to get there. You will also have life-long access to career counseling, professional development resources, and job postings. At all stages of your career, you will have the support of Willamette Law.
“I’ve built friendships that will last a lifetime and found mentors who pushed me to believe in myself when I needed it most.”
- Carly Dederick JD ’25
YOU ARE
Warmly Invited
Tour our campus, talk to faculty and current students, explore our academic environment, and get to know our community.
Apply
Willamette Law’s early decision deadline is December 1. Our final application deadline is August 1, but we suggest you apply before April 1 of the year you intend to enter.
There is no application fee. Apply with an LSAT or GRE score.
To apply, please visit: go.willamette.edu/apply-law
Office: 245 Winter Street SE, Salem, OR 97301
Email: law-admissions@willamette.edu
