School of Law
Printer-friendly versionMichael L. Moffitt, Dean
541-346-3852
541-346-3846 admissions office
541-346-1564 fax
105 Knight Law Center
1221 University of Oregon
Eugene OR 97403-1221
admissions@law.uoregon.edu
www.law.uoregon.edu
Faculty
Barbara Bader Aldave, Loran L. Stewart Professor of Business Law (business associations, securities regulation); director, Center for Law and Entrepreneurship. BS, 1960, Stanford; JD, 1966, California, Berkeley (Coif); Oregon bar, 1966; Texas bar, 1982. (2000)
Adell L. Amos, associate professor (environmental and natural resources law); associate dean, academic affairs. BA, 1995, Drury; JD, 1998, Oregon (Coif); Missouri bar, 1999. (2005)
Carl S. Bjerre, Wallace L. and Ellen A. Kaapcke Professor of Business Law (commercial law, contracts). BA, 1982, California, Berkeley; JD, 1988, Cornell (Coif); New York bar, 1989; Oregon bar, 2001. (1996)
John E. Bonine, Bernard B. Kliks Professor of Law (environmental law, administrative law, constitutional law). AB, 1966, Stanford; LLB, 1969, Yale; California bar, 1970; Oregon bar, 1977. (1978)
Stuart Chinn, assistant professor (constitutional law, legislation). BA, 2001, MA, 2001, JD, 2004, PhD, 2008, Yale. (2009)
Andrea Coles-Bjerre, associate professor (creditors’ rights, bankruptcy, civil procedure). BA, 1984, Barnard; JD, 1987. Brooklyn Law; New York bar, 1988. (1996)
Michael Fakhri, assistant professor (international busines transactions, law and development). LLB, 2001, Queen's (Ontario); LLM, 2006, Harvard. (2010)
Caroline Forell, Clayton R. Hess Professor of Law (women and the law, torts, trusts and estates). BA, 1973, JD, 1978, Iowa (Coif); Oregon bar, 1978. (1978)
Dave Frohnmayer, professor (state administrative law, legislative issues); president emeritus. BA, 1962, Harvard; BA, 1964, MA, 1969, Oxford; JD, 1967, California, Berkeley (Coif); California bar, 1967; Oregon bar, 1971. (1970)
Elizabeth R. Frost, instructor (legal research and writing). BA, 2002, Yale; JD, 2006, Michigan, Ann Arbor. (2010)
Susan N. Gary, Orlando John and Marian H. Hollis Professor of Law (trusts and estates, estate planning, nonprofit organizations). BA, 1977, Yale; JD, 1981, Columbia; Illinois bar, 1981; Oregon bar, 1989. (1992)
Ibrahim J. Gassama, professor (torts, international law, human rights); James O. and Alfred T. Goodwin Senior Faculty Fellow. BA, 1980, Virginia Polytechnic; JD, 1984, Harvard; New York bar, 1985. (1991)
John Greenman, assistant professor (constitutional law, public law, torts). BA, 1993, Williams College; MFA, 1996, Iowa; JD, 1999, Texas, Austin. (2009)
Rebekah H. Hanley, senior instructor (legal research and writing); assistant dean, career services. BA, 1996, Yale; JD, 2000, California, Los Angeles (Coif); California bar, 2000. (2004)
Leslie J. Harris, Dorothy Kliks Fones Professor of Law (criminal law, family law, children and the law). BA, 1973, New Mexico State; JD, 1976, New Mexico (Coif); New Mexico bar, 1976; District of Columbia bar, 1977. (1982)
Richard G. Hildreth, Bernard B. Kliks Professor of Law (ocean and coastal law, property, climate change law and policy); director, Ocean and Coastal Law Center; dean’s distinguished faculty fellow. BSE, 1965, JD, 1968, Michigan (Coif); diploma in law, 1969, Oxford; diploma in law, 1973, Stockholm; California bar, 1969; Oregon bar, 1982. (1978)
Robert C. Illig, associate professor (business associations, mergers and acquisitions, private equity and venture capital); dean's distinguished faculty fellow. BA, 1991, Williams; JD, 1996, Vanderbilt; New York bar, 1997. (2004)
Carrie Leonetti, assistant professor (criminal law, evidence, criminal adjudication). AB, 1994, Michigan, Ann Arbor; JD, 2000, Harvard; Maryland bar, 2000; California bar, 2008. (2008)
Tom Lininger, Orlando John and Marian H. Hollis Professor of Law (ethics, criminal law, public interest law); associate dean, faculty development. BA, 1988, Yale; JD, 1991, Harvard; California bar, 1993; Oregon bar, 2008. (2003)
Mohsen Manesh, assistant professor (advanced business law, business associations, contracts). BS, 2003, Arkansas; JD, 2006, Georgetown. (2011)
Roberta Mann, Frank E. Nash Professor of Law (tax law, property law, environmental law). BS, 1980, MBA, 1982, JD, 1987, Arizona State; LLM, 1995, Georgetown; Arizona bar, 1987; District of Columbia bar, 1989. (2008)
Megan McAlpin, instructor (legal research and writing). BS, 2000, Western Oregon; JD, 2003, Willamette; Oregon bar, 2003. (2007)
Michelle McKinley, associate professor (immigration law, refugee and asylum law, international law); dean's distinguished faculty fellow. BA, 1985, Wellesley; MPhil, 1988, Oxford; JD, 1995, Harvard. (2007)
Michael L. Moffitt, professor (civil procedure, negotiation, appropriate dispute resolution); Philip H. Knight Dean of Law. BA, 1991, Marietta; JD, 1994, Harvard. (2001)
Margaret L. Paris, professor (criminal law, Oregon practice and procedure). BA, 1981, JD, 1985 (Coif), Northwestern; Illinois bar, 1985. (1992)
Eric Priest, assistant professor (copyright law, trademark law, property). BA, 1999, Minnesota, Twin Cities; LLM, 2005, Harvard; JD, 2002, Illinois Institute of Technology. (2009)
Ofer Raban, associate professor (constitutional law, criminal investigation, legal interpretation); Elmer Sahlstrom Senior Faculty Fellow. BA, 1994, City University of New York, City College; DPhil, 1994, Oxford; JD, 1999, Harvard. (2008)
Jennifer Reynolds, assistant professor (dispute resolution); associate director, Appropriate Dispute Resolution Center. AB, 1992, Chicago; MA, 1996, Texas, Austin; JD, 2008, Harvard. (2009)
Joan Rocklin, senior instructor (legal research and writing); director, externships and clinics. BA, 1993, Williams; JD, 1998, Pennsylvania (Coif); New York bar, 1998. (2001)
Suzanne E. Rowe, James L. and Irene R. Hershner Professor of Law; director, Legal Research and Writing Program. BA, 1983, North Carolina, Chapel Hill; JD, 1989, Columbia; California bar, 1992; District of Columbia bar, 1992. (2000)
Cheyney C. Ryan, professor (conflict and dispute resolution). MA, 1973, PhD, 1974, Boston. On leave 2012–13. (1974)
Nancy E. Shurtz, B. A. Kliks Professor of Law (taxation, estate planning, women and the law). BA, 1970, Cincinnati; JD, 1972, Ohio State; LLM, 1977, Georgetown; Ohio bar, 1973; Tennessee bar, 1973; District of Columbia bar, 1977. (1982)
Merle H. Weiner, Philip H. Knight Professor of Law (torts, family law, domestic violence). BA, 1985, Dartmouth; LLM, 1988, Cambridge; JD, 1990, Harvard; District of Columbia bar, 1991; Maryland bar, 1991; California bar, 1993. (1998)
Mary C. Wood, Philip H. Knight Professor of Law (Indian law, public lands, property); faculty director, Environmental and Natural Resources Law Program. BA, 1984, Washington (Seattle); JD, 1987, Stanford; Washington bar, 1989; Oregon bar, 1990. (1992)
Emeriti
Donald W. Brodie, professor emeritus. BA, 1958, Washington (Seattle); LLB, 1961, New York University; Washington bar, 1961; Oregon bar, 1981. (1967)
Maurice J. Holland, professor emeritus. AB, 1958, Yale; MA, 1961, JD, 1966, LLM, 1970, PhD, 1980, Harvard; Massachusetts bar, 1963; Oregon bar, 1987. (1986)
Jon L. Jacobson, professor emeritus. BA, 1961, JD, 1963, Iowa (Coif); California bar, 1964. (1968)
Mary S. Lawrence, associate professor emerita. BA, 1960, MA, 1962, Michigan State; JD, 1977, Oregon; Oregon bar, 1977. (1977)
Ralph James Mooney, professor emeritus. BA, 1965, Harvard; JD, 1968, Michigan (Coif); California bar, 1968. (1972)
James M. O’Fallon, professor emeritus. BA, 1966, Kansas State; MA, JD, 1972, Stanford (Coif); California bar, 1973. (1981)
Milton L. Ray, professor emeritus. BA, 1947, Rochester; JD, 1950, Chicago (Coif); Illinois bar, 1950; California bar, 1964. (1971)
Eugene F. Scoles, distinguished professor emeritus. AB, 1943, JD, 1945, Iowa (Coif); LLM, 1949, Harvard; JSD, 1955, Columbia; Iowa bar, 1945; Illinois bar, 1946. (1968)
Rennard Strickland, distinguished professor emeritus. BA, 1962, Northeastern State; MA, 1966, Arkansas; JD, 1965, SJD, 1970, Virginia (Coif); Creek Nation bar, 1965. (1997)
Peter N. Swan, professor emeritus. BS, 1958, LLB, 1961, Stanford; California bar, 1962; United States Supreme Court bar, 1967; Oregon bar, 1979. (1970)
Dominick R. Vetri, professor emeritus (art law, torts, gay and lesbian legal issues). BS, ME, 1960, New Jersey Institute of Technology; JD, 1964, Pennsylvania (Coif); New Jersey bar, 1965; Oregon bar, 1977. (1967)
The date in parentheses at the end of each entry is the first year on the University of Oregon faculty.
Participating
Kyu Ho Youm, journalism and communication
About the School
The School of Law offers a three-year, full-time professional curriculum leading to the doctor of jurisprudence (JD) degree; a two-year, full-time program leading to an interdisciplinary master’s degree (MA or MS) in conflict and dispute resolution; and a one-year, full-time program leading to a master of laws (LLM) in environmental law.
The law school’s broad-based curriculum and clinical programs prepare students for careers in almost every practice area. Special centers and programs include business law and entrepreneurship, environmental law, dispute resolution, public interest law, the Portland program, and the Wayne Morse Center for Law and Politics.
The Career Center offers counseling, seminars, mentoring programs, and connections to UO law graduates throughout the world.
The John E. Jaqua Law Library is a light-filled space occupying three floors, designed to meet the research and study needs of law students. It provides print, electronic, and video resources, and has full wireless access and power to support student laptops. Each floor of the law library contains a mix of books, tables, carrels, equipment, and study rooms. Law students can use our online catalog to order materials from the law library and from other libraries in Oregon and Washington. Attorney librarians teach students how to perform legal research in class and in the library.
UO law students run three journals, two public interest funds, and nearly forty active student organizations; serve the public in seven clinical programs; and organize the world’s oldest and largest public interest environmental law conference, attracting more than 3,000 participants each year. UO students have received the top Oregon State Bar Association award for pro bono work nine times.
The William W. Knight Law Center offers a spacious, warm environment for study and community activities and includes more than 1,500 fast Ethernet jacks as well as wireless access throughout the building.
Additional information and complete descriptions of courses offered appear in the University of Oregon School of Law viewbook. Free copies are available from the law school’s Office of Admissions.
Academics
Law students spend their first year in eight required courses designed to provide a solid foundation in legal theory, practical writing and research skills, and a theoretical and practical knowledge of the law: Contracts (LAW 611), Torts (LAW 613), Civil Procedure (LAW 615), Property (LAW 617), Criminal Law (LAW 618), Legal Research and Writing I and II (LAW 622, 623), and Constitutional Law I (LAW 643).
Clinics, Externships, and Practical Skills
Courses such as Trial Practice Laboratory and Moot Court Competition offer structured role-playing exercises that hone professional lawyering skills. The judicial externship program develops legal analysis, research, and writing skills. Familiarity with the Oregon political process is gained through the Legislative Issues Workshop. Nine clinics introduce students to actual clients and cases through the supervised practice of law.
Child Advocacy Externships. Students in this externship work during the summer for Oregon juvenile court judges and practitioners. Those who work with judges perform research, prepare for and observe all types of hearings in juvenile delinquency and dependency cases, as well as working on a major law reform project under the judge’s direction. Students placed with practitioners are involved in all areas of the attorneys’ practices.
Civil Practice Clinic and Advanced Civil Practice Clinic. Students represent low-income clients through Lane County Legal Aid. Cases may result in a court appearance or contested case hearing, often involving social security, welfare, food stamp, public housing, or unemployment benefits.
Criminal Defense Clinic. Students conduct client and witness interviews and investigations and help defend clients in a wide range of misdemeanor prosecutions in Oregon Circuit Court through Public Defender Services of Lane County.
Domestic Violence Clinic and Advanced Domestic Violence Clinic. Students work with Lane County Domestic Violence Clinic attorneys and client advocates to represent victims of domestic violence and stalking in contested protective order hearings.
Domestic Violence Externships. Students are placed at the Klamath Falls Legal Aid Services of Oregon office and handle a range of issues related to the representation of domestic violence victims, which may include, for example, Family Abuse Protection Act orders, stalking orders, family law issues, housing issues, and employment issues. The externship exposes students to the challenges faced by low-income, rural victims of violence. Court experience is part of the externship.
Environmental Law Clinic and Advanced Environmental Law Clinic. Working with the Western Environmental Law Center, students are advancing theories never before litigated in any American court. The emphasis is on intellectually challenging and creative work. The Environmental Law Clinic is open to some second-year students. All other clinics are open to third-year students only. Every qualified student who applies has an equal chance to participate through a lottery during the spring of second year.
Environmental Law Externships. Externs are placed with governmental and nonprofit agencies working on a variety of issues related to environmental regulations and compliance, energy policy, land use, and climate change.
Federal Bankruptcy Court Externship. Students serve as judicial externs for the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Oregon and participate in all aspects of judicial decision-making, including researching and drafting bench memoranda and opinions, and observing oral arguments and chambers conferences. This one-semester externship is supervised by a U.S. bankruptcy judge in either Eugene or Portland.
Judicial Externships. Externs work for district and appellate federal courts, federal immigration court, state trial and appellate courts, and the U.S. bankruptcy courts. The judges include students in all aspects of their work, including settlement meetings, trials, and discussions in chambers.
Legislative Issues Workshop. Students are involved in research, bill tracking, report writing, committee presentation, and other tasks during the biennial sessions of the Oregon Legislative Assembly.
Mediation Clinic. After mediation training, students spend one morning each week working in a local small claims court, helping disputants to search for nonlitigation solutions to their problems.
Nonprofit Clinic. A joint venture with the UO's Department of Planning, Public Policy and Management and the Master's Degree in Conflict and Dispute Resolution program. Students learn about nonprofit work with assistance from experienced practitioners in the field and through practical experience working with nonprofit clients.
Office of the United States Trustee Permanent Externship Program. The Office of the United States Trustee is the division of the U.S. Department of Justice responsible for overseeing the administration of bankruptcy cases. In this supervisory role, the U.S. trustee ensures that the bankruptcy cases proceed without delay, debtors comply with the disclosure requirements of the Bankruptcy Code, assets are distributed according to the code’s priority scheme, plans of reorganization proposed by consumer debtors comply with the code’s requirements for confirmation, and instances of fraud and abuse of the bankruptcy system are identified.
Portland In-House Counsel Externships. This externship places students in corporate counsel offices in order to give them a window into the world of major Oregon businesses and the operations of corporate legal counsel. Students participating in the program are exposed to the roles of in-house counsel, the relationship between in-house and outside counsel, and the workings of major Oregon business operations. The substantial classroom component for both full- and part-time externs explores ethical issues faced by corporate counsel.
Probate Mediation Clinic. After completing both basic mediation training and a specialized probate mediation training, students enrolled in the clinic first observe and then comediate cases with experienced mediators. The cases are evaluated and assigned by Judge Holland in the Lane County Circuit Court. Cases involve issues in estate law as well as adult guardianship and conservatorship proceedings.
Prosecution Clinic and Advanced Prosecution Clinic. Students are assigned to one of several local prosecutors’ offices, where they prepare and try minor criminal cases under the supervision of an attorney. Students may assist senior prosecutors on felony cases. The classroom component consists of weekly two- to three-hour discussions of the roles of participants in the criminal justice system through the various stages of the criminal process.
Small Business Clinic. Students advise local small-business owners on business formations, stock sales, leases, contracts, and other transactional legal issues.
Tax Externship. Students work full- or part-time with the Office of Chief Counsel for the Internal Revenue Service in Portland. The counsel’s office represents the IRS in litigation in the U.S. Tax Court. Students research and write on tax issues involving small businesses and individuals. Offered each spring semester.
Trial Practice Laboratory. Students examine and develop courtroom skills in civil and criminal cases. Primary emphases are on the opening statement, direct examination, cross-examination, objections, closing argument, and voir dire of juries. Each student participates in weekly classroom exercises and in a full trial at the end of the semester. Erin Zemper, director.
Statements of Completion
Second- and third-year students may develop a specialty in business law, criminal practice, dispute resolution, environmental and natural resources law, estate planning, intellectual property law, international law, law and entrepreneurship, ocean and coastal law, public interest and public service law, sustainable business law, or tax law. A student who satisfactorily completes one of these programs receives a statement of completion.
Centers and Programs
Appropriate Dispute Resolution Center
Many lawyers today are more likely to participate in a settlement conference, mandatory arbitration, or mediation session than they are to argue a case in the courtroom. The law school’s appropriate dispute resolution courses, trainings, and programs help students understand a wide range of dispute resolution methods so that as lawyers they may advise their clients wisely. http://adr.uoregon.edu.
Business Law
Comprehensive business law courses contribute to the core of the law school curriculum. Practical experience is gained in classroom studies and in real-world opportunities, teaching students the relationship between law and entrepreneurship and providing students the necessary deal-making skills to become transactional lawyers. http://bizlaw.uoregon.edu.
Center for Law and Entrepreneurship
The center prepares law students to represent and to be entrepreneurs, encourages faculty research related to problems that confront entrepreneurs, and brings law students and members of the Northwest business community together. The center collaborates on a number of projects with the university’s Charles H. Lundquist College of Business, and in addition to lectures, symposiums, and numerous business courses, the center runs the Small Business Clinic. The Law and Entrepreneurship Student Association actively participates in directing the center and hosts various guest lectures and opportunities for interaction with members of the local business and legal communities. http://bizlaw.uoregon.edu/center.
Environmental and Natural Resources Law
For more than forty years, this program’s focus on public interest environmental law and its commitment to innovations in environmental legal education have made it one of the nation’s oldest and most respected programs. Its faculty continues to make a global impact on environmental law. http://enr.uoregon.edu.
Family Law, Child Advocacy Law, and Elder Law
The increasingly complex nature of family relationships requires lawyers to possess an in-depth understanding of the law that structures them. Future legal practitioners gain the knowledge and practical skills necessary to advocate for children, families, and the elderly, and also may pursue opportunities and hone their skills with the law school’s Child Advocacy Project or the Domestic Violence Clinic. http://familylaw.uoregon.edu.
Legal Research and Writing
This rigorous program thoroughly prepares law students for the exacting style of writing that is expected of individuals in a clerkship or legal practice. http://law.uoregon.edu/lrw.
Portland Program
The program creates opportunities for students to build ties with the legal and business community in Portland, Oregon. As the state’s largest city, Portland is home to more than 2,000 UO School of Law alumni. The Portland Program offers externships, courses, symposiums, and a summer session. http://bizlaw.uoregon.edu/pdx.
Public Interest–Public Service Program
The UO School of Law has a longstanding commitment to public service and the public interest. Law school students are nine-time winners of the Oregon State Bar Pro Bono Challenge, volunteering more legal-service hours to Oregon’s poor and underserved than any other law school in the state. http://law.uoregon.edu/pips.
Wayne Morse Center for Law and Politics
An independent center within the law school, the Wayne Morse Center for Law and Politics organizes dynamic programs in the spirit and tradition of former U.S. senator and law school dean Wayne Morse. Senator Morse was best known for his stance against the Vietnam War and as an advocate for civil rights, labor rights, and the rule of law. http://waynemorsecenter.uoregon.edu.
Degree Programs
LLM in Environmental and Natural Resources Law
The School of Law offers a degree program leading to a master of laws in environmental and natural resources law. Applicants must have a JD from an accredited U.S. law school or a law degree from a non-U.S. program of legal education. The program requires two semesters in residence at the UO School of Law and 24 credits earned.
Students participate in the LLM seminar and select seven other approved, semester-long courses. The LLM seminar is an integrating experience for students, providing education on topics of current concern and introducing students to a variety of lawyers, officials, and natural environments in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States during field trips. The students also work to improve their skills in making presentations, preparing articles for publication, and working collaboratively.
Some LLM students also have the opportunity to participate in the clinical program at the Western Environmental Law Center and the externship program at the Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide.
This program is intended to prepare a select group of postgraduate students for careers in teaching, high-level governmental or international positions, and legal careers in private or public service.
Full information can be found on the program website, http://llm.uoregon.edu.
Master’s Degree in Conflict and Dispute Resolution
The graduate program in conflict and dispute resolution, housed in the School of Law, offers an interdisciplinary, two-year master’s degree (MA or MS) granted by the Graduate School.
The program comprises four components:
- Core required courses—43 credits
- Elective courses—16 credits
- Internship—8 credits (320 hours)
- Thesis or final project—9 credits
- In addition, students participate in thirty-two hours of basic mediation training, a prerequisite for the mediation skills course
First-year students take all the core courses together as a cohort. In their second year of study, degree candidates focus on individualized learning, completing their elective course work, their internship, and their final project.
Electives may be selected from courses offered across campus by various departments and programs, including the Lundquist College of Business; international studies; planning, public policy and management; philosophy; political science; psychology; sociology; and others. The conflict and dispute resolution master’s program develops its own elective courses that attract students from across the campus. Examples include the psychology of conflict resolution; conflict resolution in schools; grappling with zero-sum conflicts such as Northern Ireland and Israel-Palestine; environmental conflict resolution; and conflict resolution in the workplace.
The internship is a key element of the educational program, providing practical experience in an area that has relevance to the student’s educational and career goals and the potential to be a stepping stone to future career development. Internship placements range from local to international. Students are not required to complete all internship credits within a single term. Internship credits needn’t be acquired only at one placement location but may be divided among two, or possibly even three, sponsoring agencies.
The final project component of the degree requirements is sufficiently flexible in format and content to allow students to choose between a theory-based academic paper or a project more practical in nature. The former typically will be a formal study of some aspect of the field, the latter a project of practice conducted in the field followed with a final project report. Successful completion of the final project requires an oral defense before the student’s final project committee.
Full information can be found on the program website, http://conflict.uoregon.edu.
Concurrent Degree Programs
JD/MS in Conflict and Dispute Resolution
The School of Law offers a concurrent degree program leading to a doctor of jurisprudence and a master of science degree in conflict and dispute resolution. Students receive two degrees in four years rather than in the standard five, deepening their understanding of negotiation, dispute resolution, and alternative methods of settlement. Applicants must apply to and be accepted by both programs.
JD/MA in International Studies
The School of Law and the International Studies Program offer a concurrent degree program leading to a doctor of jurisprudence and a master of arts degree in international studies with a specialization in international law. Students receive two degrees in four years. Applicants must apply to and be accepted by both programs.
JD/MBA
The School of Law and the Lundquist College of Business Graduate School of Management offer a doctor of jurisprudence and master of business administration (JD/MBA) concurrent degree program. The program prepares students to use their legal skills in fields that require understanding of business principles, finance, accounting, corporate management, sports marketing, and international business. Students receive two degrees in four years rather than in the standard five. Applicants must apply to and be accepted by both schools.
JD/MA or MS in Environmental Studies
The School of Law and the Environmental Studies Program offer a concurrent degree program leading to a doctor of jurisprudence and a master of arts or a master of science in environmental studies. This program introduces students to scientific, social, and legal aspects of environmental regulation and resource development. Students receive two degrees in four years rather than in the standard five. Applicants must apply to and be accepted by the School of Law and the Environmental Studies Program.
JD/MA or MS in Media Studies
The School of Law and the School of Journalism and Communication offer a concurrent degree program leading to a doctor of jurisprudence and a master of arts or master of science in media studies. The degrees provide students with opportunities for both legal and communications internships. Applicants must apply to and be accepted by both schools.
JD/MCRP in Community and Regional Planning
The School of Law and the Department of Planning, Public Policy and Management offer a concurrent degree program leading to a doctor of jurisprudence and a master of community and regional planning. The degrees provide students with opportunities for both legal and planning internships. Applicants must apply to and be accepted by both programs.
JD/MPA in Public Administration
The School of Law and the Department of Planning, Public Policy and Management offer a concurrent degree program leading to a doctor of jurisprudence and a master of public administration. The degrees provide students with opportunities for both legal and public administration internships. Applicants must apply to and be accepted by both programs.
JD/MS in Water Resources Policy and Management
The School of Law and Oregon State University offer a concurrent degree program leading to a doctor of jurisprudence and a master of science in water resources engineering, water resources science, or water resources policy and management. Applicants must apply to and be accepted by both programs.
Academic Support
The Academic Choice for Excellence Program, a voluntary program open to first-year law students, is particularly beneficial for nontraditional law students and those who are the first in their family to attend college or have been away from school for several years. The program includes academic tutoring designed to bolster the principles that underlie first-year course work, to develop research and writing skills, and to clarify the law school examination process.
Academic Calendar for Law Students
The School of Law operates on an early semester calendar. On this schedule, registration for fall and spring semesters begins the third week of April, fall semester examinations are given before the winter vacation, and the spring semester ends in mid-May. More information about calendar dates is available online at registrar.uoregon.edu/calendars/academic.
January Term
The School of Law offers a collection of one-week intensive courses held the week before the start of the regular spring semester.
Summer Session
The School of Law offers a summer session that is open to law students who have completed at least one year of law work and who are in good standing at a law school accredited by the American Bar Association. Summer session students may earn up to 8 semester credits in the law school.
Summer session is not open to beginning law students.
For complete summer session information, contact the registar’s office at the School of Law or visit http://law.uoregon.edu/registar.
Admission Procedures
Prelaw Preparation
The School of Law does not prescribe a prelaw curriculum. Intellectual maturity and breadth of educational background are considered more important than specific subject matter.
Details about prelaw study and law school admission criteria appear under Law, Preparatory, in the Academic Resources section of this catalog.
Information about the School of Law and its programs is available at its website. The law school viewbook, which also provides general information, may be requested through the website or by contacting the Office of Admissions. Admissions staff members are happy to respond to inquiries regarding the admission process as well as to make arrangements for visits to the School of Law.
Basic Admission Requirements
An applicant must have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university prior to enrolling in the School of Law. Enrollment restrictions and the large volume of applications for admission to the law school make it necessary to admit applicants who, in terms of their overall records, are the most qualified for legal studies.
In evaluating the strength of the overall record, the admissions committee considers the undergraduate grade point average (GPA), the results of the Law School Admission Test (LSAT), the personal statement, and letters of recommendation. The applicant should also submit a résumé that highlights educational background, employment, global and multicultural experience, and extracurricular activities. International applicants are required to submit results of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).
The admissions committee strives to annually enroll a class that is academically distinguished and reflects a rich blend of educational, economic, cultural, and professional backgrounds.
Requirements through the Law School Admission Council
The University of Oregon School of Law is a member of the Law School Admission Council (LSAC). To complete the application process, an applicant must register with LSAC to take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) and participate in the Law School Data Assembly Service (LSDAS); register at www.lsac.org or call (215) 968-1001. An applicant should take the LSAT no later than February of the year in which they wish to enroll. A score from the June 2007 test administration is the oldest acceptable score for fall 2012. An applicant must submit official academic transcripts of all college-level work and postgraduate work and letters of recommendation to the LSDAS. All required fees must be paid and all required documents received before the admissions committee will review an application. Applicants receive an admission decision from the Office of Admissions in a letter sent through the United States Postal Service between January and May.
Class Profile
For the class of 2014, the School of Law received 2,178 applications for the 183 seats in its first-year class. For first-year students entering in fall 2011, the 75th percentile undergraduate GPA was 3.60, the median GPA was 3.39, and the 25th percentile GPA was 3.17. The 75th percentile LSAT score was 160, the median LSAT score was 159, and the 25th percentile LSAT score was 157.
Costs and Financial Aid
Law students are classified as graduate students. Tuition and fees are payable in full as prescribed by the Office of Business Affairs. Payment of the stipulated fees entitles students enrolled for academic credit to all services maintained by the university for the benefit of students.
Tuition and Fees for JD Program
For the 2011–12 academic year, tuition and fees were $26,146 for resident students and $32,590 for nonresidents. See the law school website for more information. Tuition and fee schedules are subject to revision by the State Board of Higher Education.
Residence classification regulations appear in Chapter 580, Division 10, of Oregon Administrative Rules, which are quoted in the Admissions section of this catalog. Details governing administration of nonresident and resident policies are complex. For answers to individual questions, students are advised to consult a staff member in the university’s Office of Admissions.
Total Costs
Because student living arrangements and personal spending habits vary widely, no single figure represents the cost of attending the university. Information on total 2011–12 costs for a resident student at the School of Law is available to view at http://lawadmissions.uoregon.edu/tuition. The child-care allowance varies according to circumstance and is based on documentable costs for the period of time the student is enrolled. Transportation costs also vary.
Health insurance is optional. Costs for semester or for full twelve-month coverage are available in the office of the Associated Students of the University of Oregon.
Financial Assistance
See the Student Financial Aid and Scholarships section of this catalog for complete information about financial aid including loans.
Scholarships and Fellowships
Information about scholarships and financial aid is available on the school’s website at http://law.uoregon.edu/students/financial or by telephone, (541) 346-1558.
The law school has a Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP) to help students with large law school loans to more easily enter public service.
Degree Requirements
The curriculum presents fundamental subjects of law during the first year, and the first-year program is prescribed. All second- and third-year courses are elective except Constitutional Law II (LAW 644) and Legal Profession (LAW 649), which are required.
Students who have been admitted to the School of Law, who have satisfactorily completed 85 semester credits, and who have otherwise satisfied the requirements of the university and the School of Law are granted the JD degree provided that they
- Obtain, at least two years before completing work for the JD degree, a BA or BS or equivalent degree from an accredited college or university
- Complete successfully prescribed first-year courses
- Complete successfully Constitutional Law II (LAW 644) and Legal Profession (LAW 649)
- Fulfill a skills requirement and a writing requirement
- Have been full-time law students for at least six semesters or equivalent
- Obtain a 2.00 cumulative law school grade point average
- Fulfill other requirements as may be imposed
The School of Law reserves the right to modify its curriculum and graduation requirements at any time.
Students in the School of Law may accrue up to 5 of the required 85 semester credits by successfully completing graduate-level courses or seminars at the University of Oregon. These courses must be relevant to their program of legal studies and approved in advance by the assistant dean for student affairs.
A total of three years of full-time resident professional study in the University of Oregon School of Law or another law school of recognized standing is required for the JD degree. At least 55 semester hours must be completed at the University of Oregon School of Law.
During the second or third year of law school, each student must complete a writing requirement designed to improve legal writing skills and the ability to analyze legal problems. The requirement is met by an intensive writing experience involving thorough research, substantial writing and editing, and interaction with a faculty member in developing and editing a research paper or legal documents.
During the second or third year of law school, each student must also complete at least one course with substantial professional skills components to qualify for graduation. Professional skills include clinics and externships, trial and appellate advocacy, alternate methods of dispute resolution, counseling, interviewing, negotiating, and drafting.
Law Courses (LAW)
A complete list of courses with descriptions is available online at http://law.uoregon.edu/academics/catalog.
199 Special Studies: [Topic] (1–5R)
Term Courses for Nonlaw Students
410/510 Experimental Course: [Topic] (1–5R)
600 Law Courses for Nonlaw Students (1–15R) Generic course number for translating 600-level School of Law semester credits to term credits on academic records for nonlaw students.
610 Experimental Course: [Topic] (1–5R)
Required First-Year Courses
611, 612 Contracts (3,3)
613, 614 Torts (3,3)
615 Civil Procedure (4)
617 Property (4)
618 Criminal Law (3)
622, 623 Legal Research and Writing I,II (2,2)
643 Constitutional Law I (3)
Second- and Third-Year Courses
Second- and third-year courses are elective except LAW 644 and 649, which are required. Most courses listed below are offered each academic year. Every effort is made to offer these courses at least once every two years, but the ability of the School of Law to offer some courses may be limited by student interest and faculty resources.
620 Business Associations (4)
621 Advanced Business Law (2)
625 Business Bankruptcy (3)
626 Mergers and Acquisitions (3)
633 Business Planning (2–3)
635 Secured Land Transactions (2–3)
636 Commercial Law (4)
637 Trusts and Estates I (3)
639 Employment Discrimination (3)
640 Children and the Law (3)
642 International Business Transactions (3)
644 Constitutional Law II (3)
645 Oregon Practice and Procedure (3)
646 Federal Jurisdiction (3)
647 Conflict of Laws (3)
648 Bankruptcy (3)
649 Legal Profession (3)
652 Evidence (3)
655 Family Law (3)
656 Elder Law (3)
658 Local Government Law (3)
659 Labor Law (3)
660 Employment Law (3)
661 Remedies (3)
662 Jurisprudence (3)
663 Antitrust Law (3)
664 Administrative Law (3)
665 Securities Regulation (2–3)
667 Copyrights (3)
668 Land Use Law (2–3)
669 Water Resources Law (2–3)
670 Public Land Law (3)
671 International Law (2–3)
673 Patent Law and Policy (2–3)
675 Legal Writing (1–3R)
678 Indian Law (2–3)
680, 681 Federal Income Tax I,II (3,3)
682 Estate and Gift Taxes (2)
683 Estate Planning (3)
684 Criminal Investigation (3)
685 Criminal Adjudication (3)
686 Environment and Pollution (3)
687 Wildlife Law (2)
688 Hazardous Waste Law (2)
690 International Environmental Law (2–3)
691 Comparative Environmental Law (3)
692 International Trade and Investment Law (3)
693 Human Rights and Environment (3)
Professional Writing, Research, and Seminars
601 Research: [Topic] (1–16R)
605 Reading and Conference: [Topic] (1–6R)
607 Seminar: [Topic] (1–5R) Recent topics include Accounting for Lawyers, Advanced Appellate Advocacy, Advanced Contracts, Advanced Commercial Law, Advanced Legal Research, American Indian Policy, American Legal Biography, American Legal History, Animal Law, Appropriate Dispute Resolution, Arbitration, Art Law, Civil Rights Litigation, Climate Change Litigation, Coastal Law, Commercial Law Survey, Complex Litigation and Advanced Toxic Torts, Constitutional Law Seminar, Criminal Investigation, Criminal Responsibility, Cybercrime, Cyberlaw, Disability Law, Domestic Violence Law, Elder Law, Environmental Justice, European Union Law, Federal Judicial Settlement, Financial Institutions, Forensic Science in Criminal Law, Global Environmental Challenges, Health Law, Human Rights Law, Immigration Law, Indigenous People and International Law, Insurance and Commercial Mediation, Intellectual Property Management Strategies, Intellectual Property Survey, Intellectual Property Licensing, Interviewing and Counseling, Language of Corporate Finance, Latinos and the Law, Law and American Culture, Law and Language, Law, Culture, and Society, Law Practice Management, Litigation Practice and Procedure, LLM Seminar, Mediation, Natural Resources Law, Negotiation, Nonprofit Organizations, Ocean Law, Patent Litigation, Perspectives on Tort Law, Postconviction Remedies, Public Trust Law, Refugee and Asylum Law, Selected Issues in Criminal Procedure, Tax Policy, Tribal Courts and Tribal Law, Venture Capital, White Collar Crime, Women and the Law, Writing Fiction about the Law.
610 Experimental Course: [Topic] (1–5R)
Clinical Experience and Practice Skills Courses
704 Judicial Internship: [Topic] (1–12R)
707 Seminar: [Topic] (1–5R) Recent topics are Advanced Civil Practice Clinic, Advanced Domestic Violence Clinic, Advanced Environmental Law Clinic, Advanced Prosecution Clinic, Civil Practice Clinic, Criminal Defense Clinic, Criminal Prosecution Clinic, Domestic Violence Clinic, Environmental Law Clinic, Federal Bankruptcy Court Internship, Journal of Environmental Law and Litigation, Legislative Issues Workshop, Mediation Clinic, Moot Court Board, Moot Court Competition, Office of the United States Trustee Permanent Externship Program, Oregon Law Review, Oregon Review of International Law, Transactional Practice Laboratory, Trial Practice Laboratory.
712 Small Business Clinic (3)
714 Judicial Externship: [Topic] (1–12R)
Conflict and Dispute Resolution Courses (CRES)
199 Special Studies: [Topic] (1–4R)
401 Research: [Topic] (1–4R)
404 Internship: [Topic] (1–4R)
410 Experimental Course: [Topic] (1–5R)
503 Thesis (1–9R)
601 Research: [Topic] (1–9)
604 Internship (1–8R)
605 Reading and Conference: [Topic] (1–5R)
607 Seminar: [Topic] (1–5R)
608 Workshop: [Topic] (1–5R)
610 Experimental Course: [Topic] (1–5R) Topics include Psychology of Conflict, Research Methods, Facilitation, Drafting Settlement Agreements.
611 Terminal Project (1–9R)
612 Philosophy of Conflict Resolution (4)
613 Perspectives on Conflict Resolution (4)
614 Negotiation, Bargaining, and Persuasion (4)
615 Cross-Cultural Dynamics in Conflict Resolution (4)
616 Mediation Skills (4)
617 Professionalism in Practice (4)
618 Adjudication and Courts (2)
630 Arbitration and Hybrid Processes (2)
650 Capstone Seminar (1)