The University of Montana School of Law was established in Missoula, Montana in 1893 and is the oldest law school in the state. The school was founded as part of the University of Montana and has remained affiliated with the university ever since. The first class had only two students and one professor, but by 1920 enrollment had grown to over 100 students. Over the years, the school’s curriculum has expanded to include courses such as environmental law, business law, and international law. In addition to its traditional courses, the school offers specialized programs such as its Indian Law Program which provides Native American students with an opportunity to study tribal laws and policies. In recent years, UMSL has also become known for its focus on public interest law and for its commitment to providing access to justice for all Montanans regardless of their economic status. UMSL graduates have gone on to become successful lawyers, judges, legislators, academics, and other public service professionals throughout Montana and beyond.
University of Montana School of Law is located in the state of Montana. As one of the leading law programs, University of Montana School of Law has a high average LSAT score of 151-157 when recruiting new students. As a return, the median starting salary for law graduates reaches $53,500 per year. See the following table for detailed admissions information and career profiles of University of Montana School of Law.
Admissions: University of Montana
The University of Montana School of Law has a very competitive admissions process. The law school typically admits around 110 students each year, out of an applicant pool of over 1,800 individuals. The school has an acceptance rate of approximately 6%. Admitted students have an average LSAT score of around 156 and undergraduate GPA of 3.4. The school also takes into consideration the personal statement, letters of recommendation, and any relevant life experiences when making their admission decisions.
The University of Montana School of Law is committed to creating a diverse student body and encourages applications from individuals with unique backgrounds and perspectives. In addition to the traditional criteria used for admission, the law school considers factors such as work experience, non-traditional path to law school, leadership potential and community service. They also take into account how applicants will contribute to the overall diversity within the student body. Approximately 40% of enrolled students are people from minority backgrounds and first-generation college graduates are well represented in each class as well.
Fall 2019 Admissions and Enrollment Statistics
Total number of full- and part-time applicants
396
Total number of full- and part-time acceptances
199
Overall acceptance rate
50.3%
Total number of full- and part-time first-year students enrolled
84
Number of full-time program applicants
396
Number of full-time program acceptances
199
Full-time acceptance rate
50.3%
Number of first-year full-time students enrolled
84
Number of part-time program applicants
N/A
Number of part-time program acceptances
N/A
Part-time acceptance rate
N/A
Number of first-year part-time students enrolled
N/A
Fall 2019 GPA and LSAT Scores
25th-75th percentile GPA scores for all students
3.26-3.69
25th-75th percentile LSAT scores for all students
151-157
25th-75th percentile undergraduate GPA for full-time students
3.26-3.69
25th-75th percentile LSAT scores for full-time students
151-157
25th-75th percentile undergraduate GPA for part-time students
N/A
25th-75th percentile LSAT scores for part-time students
N/A
Careers: University of Montana
Bar Statistics (Winter and Summer 2018 administrations)
State where the greatest number of first-time test takers took the bar
MT
School’s bar passage rate for first-time test takers
88.1%
Statewide bar passage rate for first-time test takers
92.5%
Class of 2018 Graduates
Total graduates
82
Graduates employed at graduation
N/A
Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation
92.3%
Starting Salaries of 2018 Graduates Employed Full-time
25th percentile private sector starting salary
$43,500
Median private sector starting salary
$53,500
75th percentile private sector starting salary
$60,000
Percent in the private sector who reported salary information
85%
Median public service starting salary
$45,000
Areas of Legal Practice (Class of 2018)
Percent employed in academia
0.0%
Percent employed in business and industry
4.0%
Percent employed in government
10.0%
Percent employed in all judicial clerkships
25.0%
Percent employed in law firms
46.0%
Percent employed in public interest
10.0%
Percent employed in an unknown field
5.0%
Percent employed in a judicial clerkship by an Article III federal judge
2.5%
2018 Graduates Employment Location
Graduates employed in-state
72%
Graduates employed in foreign countries
0%
Number of states where graduates are employed
9
New England (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT)
0.0%
Middle Atlantic (NY, NJ, PA)
0.0%
East North Central (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI)
N/A
West North Central (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD)
0.0%
South Atlantic (DE, DC, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV)
0.0%
East South Central (AL, KY, MS, TN)
0.0%
West South Central (AR, LA, OK, TX)
0.0%
Pacific (AK, CA, HI, OR, WA)
N/A
Mountain (AZ, CO, ID, MT, NV, NM, UT, WY)
N/A
Employment location unknown
5.0%
Career Services
(Data appear as originally submitted by this school)
Career services operations
UM’s Career Services facilitates the job search process for our students seeking a summer internship, part-time employment during the school year, or permanent employment. We assist with the development of resumes and cover letters; notify students of legal positions; organize on-campus recruitment events; and present career workshops.
Job Type
Bar admission required or anticipated (e.g., attorney and corporate counsel positions, law clerks, judicial clerks)
81.0%
J.D. preferred, law degree enhances position (e.g., corporate contracts administrator, alternative dispute resolution specialist, government regulatory analyst, FBI special agent)
6.0%
Professional/other (jobs that require professional skills or training but for which a J.D. is neither preferred nor particularly applicable; e.g., accountant, teacher, business manager, nurse)
6.0%
Nonprofessional/other (job that does not require any professional skills or training or is taken on a temporary basis and not viewed as part of a career path)
