UM Law School Tagged as a “Best Value” for Prospective Students

MISSOULA – National Jurist’s PreLaw Magazine ranked the University of Montana’s Alexander Blewett III School of Law No. 7 in the nation on its 2021 list of Best Value Law Schools.

The ranking uses a formula incorporating the rate of employment after graduation, bar passage rate, tuition costs, living expenses and the average debt students accrue. It recognizes schools that graduate students who excel at passing the bar and landing jobs without taking on excessive debt.

With low tuition costs, UM’s law school brings legal education into reach for many students, helping them accumulate minimal debt while receiving a practical education for which the school is known.

In 2020, UM law students had a first-time bar passage rate of 92%. Students also had strong job prospects after graduation, with 30.4% of 2020 graduates placed in judicial clerkships –  which also ranks No. 7 nationally, according to PreLaw Magazine.

“The program is affordable, but more importantly, the faculty engage with us and encourage us to build strong connections with each other and the legal community,” said second-year law student Stephan Licetra. “They are building professional, practical lawyers who will serve their communities well.”

To the students of the Blewett School of Law, the value of their education extends beyond metrics to incorporate the character and values of the law school community and the uniqueness of Missoula, where they learn and live.

“The smaller class sizes and intentional emphasis on wellness practices has allowed me to build relationships with our amazing faculty and staff,” said Haleigh Thrall, a mom to three school-aged children who is completing her third year of law school at UM. “It has been crucial to my success both professionally and as a working parent.

“The Blewett School of Law has afforded me the opportunity to learn and grow in the community that I hope to serve,” she said.

Click HERE to read the full article in PreLaw Magazine.

Click HERE to learn more about the Blewett School of Law.