KU Law Viewbook | 2018-2019

CHART YOUR COURSE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS SCHOOL OF LAW VIEWBOOK 2018-19

LAW SCHOOL IS A

JOURNEY. So is a career in law.

Whether you envision your future self as an outstanding practitioner, a nonprofit agent of change or a business leader, KU Law will equip you with the deep knowledge, practice-ready skills and soaring confidence to arrive at your destination. With programs in areas as diverse as corporate law, environmental law, international law, public interest law and many others, Jayhawk lawyers have been reaching new horizons near and far for 140 years. Ready to chart your course for a career in law? Consider this your travel guide.

RISE WITH US.

U YO

TAKEOFF

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VOYAGE

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KU

DESTINATIONS

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TAKEOFF

THE FLIGHT BEGINS The first-year experience The KU Law program begins with a five-day Lawyering Boot Camp.

Before you take a deep dive into the case law that forms the basis for legal education, our clinical faculty will provide you with the essential tools to excel in law school. From how to read a case to how to properly outline a class, you will be ready to achieve.

CURRICULUM The first year of law school provides the foundation for your legal career. KU Law faculty prepare you for the intellectual and practical challenges in law school and beyond. It begins with the core curriculum of doctrinal classes — full explorations of contracts, constitutional law, property and the other building blocks of a legal career. But intellectual inquiry is not enough for liftoff. Our first-year Lawyering Skills Program provides a full spectrum of preparation, from writing to training in negotiation, mediation and other skills.

SMALL CLASS SIZES What makes it all work? Small class sizes. If you’re a fall starter, half of your first-year classes meet in small sections of 20 to 25 students. Summer starters begin as a single small section. KU Law faculty believe that small working groups are essential to building relationships of trust and exploration that create strong learners.

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ORIGIN Kansan with sights on career in public sector/government

First-year curriculum includes 3 or 4 small-section classes with 20 to 25 students.

LAYOVER Judicial clerk for federal judge, gaining practical experience

FLIGHT PATTERN // INGRID WONG, L’12

NUMBER CRUNCHER CONNECTION Summer associate, attorney for 2 years at Husch Blackwell

ARRIVAL Senior counsel, Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City 3

TAKEOFF

Summer start advantage As a first-year student, you may choose to begin your studies either in the summer or the fall.

Summer starters begin law school in late May and enjoy these benefits:

SMALL CLASS SIZES Summer start classes typically have 20 to 25 students.

LIGHTER LOAD You’ll work hard in summer school, but you’ll only be taking two classes at a time.

FLEXIBLE START Summer starters get an 8-credit head start on completing the 90 credits required to graduate, creating the opportunity to take fewer credits per semester and still graduate on time.

ACCELERATED DEGREE

Summer starters who accelerate their studies can complete their J.D. in a little more than two years by attending school during summer and winter sessions. Combined with one of our joint degree programs, you can complete two degrees in as few as three years.

About 25 students in each entering class begin law school in the summer.

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RISE AND SPECIALIZE Upper-level courses and concentrations You’ve conquered your first-year requirements.

Now you have access to more than 100 upperlevel courses encompassing nearly every legal career path. Many are seminars, simulation courses, directed research or clinics.

12 JOINT DEGREES Including Business Administration, Health Services Administration and Public Administration

The intriguing offerings include Digital Privacy Rights in an Open Society, Corporate Finance, Food and Drug Law, Islamic Law, Indian Gaming, Nonprofit and Tax-Exempt Organizations, Representing Asylum Seekers, and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning (LGBTQ) Seminar.

law.ku.edu/academics 

4 LAW DEGREE PROGRAMS J.D. | 2-Year J.D. for Foreign-Trained Lawyers | LL.M. in American Legal Studies | Doctor of Juridical Science

9 CERTIFICATES Including Advocacy Skills, Environmental Law and Tax Law

77 percent of upper-level classes have 25 or fewer students.

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VOYAGE

EXPERT FACULTY

Nationally recognized scholars, lawyers Your professors at KU Law are scholars and lawyers recognized nationally and abroad as leaders in their fields. Many have written the casebooks used in their classrooms and, frequently, at law schools across the country. With decades of experience in practice and the classroom, they will constantly challenge and engage you.

They will also take you under their wings, offering advice and guidance as you

Raj Bhala

Distinguished Professor of Law Senior Advisor, Dentons

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Textbooks + treatises on international trade, Islamic law

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Countries taught/presented in

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Years teaching law

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navigate the challenges of becoming a lawyer. Faculty offices surround and open into the Wheat Law Library. So you’re never more than a few steps away from your teachers and mentors, and their doors are always open to students.

law.ku.edu/faculty ď §

KU Law faculty members rank among the top 25 percent of all U.S. law schools for scholarly impact.

7-to-1 student-to-faculty ratio.

Know your professors.

Jean Phillips

Clinical Professor of Law Director, Project for Innocence

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Years teaching law and supervising clinical students

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Direct appeals, constitutional challenges and actual innocence cases won in past 10 years by KU’s Project for Innocence under Phillips’ guidance.

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VOYAGE

EARN YOUR WINGS Hands-on learning opportunities More than 50 years ago, KU Law started its first clinic: the Paul E. Wilson Project for Innocence. Today you have access to an experiential learning program that includes live-client clinics, field placements and skills simulations. You can take and defend depositions, write and argue mock appellate briefs, represent state and federal inmates in post-conviction appeals and more — all under the direction of clinical faculty, practicing attorneys and judges.

KU Law’s moot court program continues its top-30 national streak, ranking 26th for 2017-18.

ADVOCACY COMPETITIONS Competition is fun and challenging. At KU Law, you can participate in moot court, mock trial and the Transactional LawMeet. In your second year, you can enter the moot court competition, drafting an appellate brief and arguing before the “U.S. Supreme Court.” Top teams form the Moot Court Council and represent KU Law at national and international competitions. You can also train for national mock trial competitions and the Transactional LawMeet, a national competition in which you negotiate and close a mock business deal.

Students in the 6th Semester in D.C. Program work, attend classes taught

by KU Law faculty and build a professional network in the nation’s capital.

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ARRIVAL Litigation associate at Polsinelli PC in Kansas City, MO

CONNECTION Moot court teaches value of teamwork in client advocacy

LAYOVER Judicial clerk for federal judge, witnessing all phases of litigation

FLIGHT PATTERN // KRISTON GUILLOT, L’17

BIG FIRM LITIGATOR ORIGIN KC sales/marketing consultant with health care law interest

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VOYAGE

More than 3,370 hours of free legal services performed by 36 students through KU Law’s Pro Bono Program during the 2017-18 academic year — an average of 94 hours per student.

Evan Rodriguez, L’19

Jessie Pringle, L’19

“Few law school experiences parallel working in the Project for Innocence. Even if your case does not end up in the news, you walk away knowing more about being a strong and caring lawyer.”

“Through my legal tech fellowship at Kansas Legal Services, I empowered people to navigate the justice system when they couldn’t afford an attorney or there weren’t enough resources for us to represent them directly.”

Project for Innocence

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Field Placement Program Kansas Legal Services

Gain experience Translate classroom theory into real-world practice in one of our 9 clinical and field placement programs. We’re talking real clients, real cases and real opportunities to make a difference for individuals and communities. Not only will you be testing your knowledge and gaining confidence, but you’ll be showing employers you’re ready to hit the ground running.

CLINICS • Legal Aid Clinic • Project for Innocence • Tribal Judicial Support Clinic

FIELD PLACEMENTS • • •

• • •

Criminal Prosecution Elder Law Field Placement Program, including 6th Semester in D.C. Judicial Legislative Medical-Legal Partnership

SKILLS SIMULATIONS

Malika Baker, L’20

Judicial Field Placement | Judge Steve Leben Kansas Court of Appeals “Working for Judge Leben was an invaluable experience that will benefit my future career as an attorney. During my internship I had the opportunity to draft bench memoranda and discuss numerous oral arguments with the judges.”

KU Law skills simulations provide training in advanced litigation, contract drafting, First Amendment advocacy and more. Taught in the same way top firms train new associates, you will gain hands-on experience developing litigation and business law skills. Veteran attorneys teach Deposition Skills, Expert Witness Skills, Settlement, and Due Diligence workshops, providing invaluable guidance and feedback as you practice your skills with your peers.

law.ku.edu/hands-on  11

VOYAGE

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KANSAS

TOPEKA STATE CAPITAL POP: 127,000

Lawrence is the 9th smartest city in the United States, according to Lumosity.

GREEN HALL

Topeka  Lawrence 20 miles

Unmistakably Lawrence When you land in Lawrence, you touch down in one of America’s top 10 college towns — large enough to give off a big-city vibe, but small enough to make you feel right at home. A stunning campus perched on Mount Oread overlooks the Kansas River and a vibrant downtown, where you can discover music venues and street-corner musicians, browse locally owned art galleries and boutiques, and satisfy your craving for just about any food imaginable.

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Ideally located between the state capital and Kansas City, Lawrence gives you quick access to shopping, entertainment and an international airport. This geographical advantage equates to outstanding employment opportunities right here in Lawrence, 20 minutes west in Topeka (the seat of state government) and 40 minutes east in Kansas City (home to major corporations, law firms and a techfueled start-up culture).

Lawrence  Kansas City 40 miles

UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS KU CAMPUS STUDENTS: 28,000

KANSAS CITY KANSAS + MISSOURI POP: 2.1 MILLION

Mass. St.

LAWRENCE HOME TO KU POP: 95,000

Founded by abolitionists in 1854, Lawrence carries on the values of its founders: tolerance, optimism and community.

VISIT KU LAW As our guest, you can take a student-led tour, sit in on a first-year class and meet with an admissions staff member.

We also host open houses each fall and winter.

law.ku.edu/visit  13

VOYAGE

TRAVEL COMPANIONS Friends, traditions, student involvement A little competition is good, but collegiality is essential.

You and your classmates are on this journey together, becoming fast friends and forming relationships that will last long after you leave Green Hall.

STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS KU Law students take full advantage of opportunities outside of the classroom. You can get involved in student government, intramural sports and student organizations. There are more than 25 student interest groups at the law school alone and over 600 across campus. More than social clubs, many of these groups contribute dollars and hours of service to the university and Lawrence communities.

TRADITIONS One hundred forty years of history has produced a legacy of traditions and pastimes at KU Law. Camping out for prime student seats at Allen Fieldhouse, where the Kansas Jayhawks dominate in basketball.

Inspiring your classmates and professors to donate nearly 5,500 pounds of food to area families in need.

Testing your legal citation prowess in a fast-paced relay that pits small sections against one another in friendly competition. KU Law traditions bond students together across classes and generations: Thanksgiving Food Drive l Pub Night fundraiser for women’s charities l Diversity in Law Banquet l Bluebook Relays l Walk to “old” Green Hall

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SO MANY CHOICES KU Law student groups cover a wide range of interests and affinities. A few options: American Constitution Society l Black Law Students Association l Environmental Law Society l Federalist Society l Hispanic American Law Students Association l Military & Veterans Law Society l Outlaws & Allies l Public Interest Law Society l Women in Law

KU Law students access Big 12 sports, top-notch recreation facilities and miles of running and bike trails.

law.ku.edu/community ď §

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KU

DESTINATIONS

GOING THE EXTRA MILE One-to-one career planning Your path to success starts the day you enter Green Hall. The Career Services Office takes an intensive one-to-one approach, developing a career strategy that is unique to you and your aspirations.

While most graduates enter legal practice with top law firms, government agencies and corporations, others seek out nontraditional careers with consultancies, nonprofits and startups.

Through individual and group programming, the Career Services

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Office will help you discover the breadth of amazing opportunities available to you and develop a detailed plan to land the career you want.

Our office will connect you with the powerful network of KU Law graduates practicing throughout the region, across the country and around the world — opening doors that will benefit you in securing your first job and over the trajectory of your career.

ARRIVAL President/CEO of UnidosUS, nation’s largest Latino civil rights and advocacy organization

CONNECTION Jobs on Capitol Hill, in the White House and at the University of Kansas

FLIGHT PATTERN // JANET MURGUIA, L’85

CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST

KU Law grads have enjoyed successful nontraditional legal careers with public interest organizations, such as the ACLU, Amara Legal and Kansas Appleseed.

LAYOVER Earns 3 KU degrees, building Jayhawk network that opens doors

ORIGIN Daughter of Mexican immigrants, raised in Kansas City, KS

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KU

DESTINATIONS

EXPANDING HORIZONS KU Law ranks 18th among public law schools in percentage of new graduates hired at the 100 largest law firms in the country.

Career Services helps you make connections

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Traveling On-Campus Interviews

Legal Career Options Day

Job Fairs

Each August the CSO takes students to interview in key markets like Dallas and Denver. With participating employers ranging from law firms and judges, to government agencies and corporations, the program connects you to alumni and employers in ways a phone call or Skype interview never could. Best of all, if you apply to an employer and get an interview, the CSO pays for everything, including flight, lodging, meals and even a happy hour with alumni.

Nearly 100 representatives from employers across the region come to KU Law each fall to meet the 1L class during Legal Career Options Day. Employers represent every possible career — from firms big and small, to state and federal agencies, to nonprofits and corporations — and they are here to help you expand your horizons and understand the array of career options available with a KU Law degree. Although not a job fair, students make connections every year that lead directly to summer and post-graduate employment.

The CSO sponsors an array of job fairs, including the Government Agencies Fair, Small & Mid-Sized Firms Fair and JD-Advantage Job Fair. These fairs give you a chance to meet and network with alumni, learning about the work they do, why they chose their career path, and how you can either follow in their footsteps or chart your own course. We host a reception after each fair, giving you a chance to forge relationships with successful attorneys and land jobs.

Flight data 19 | 3 | 45 Number of states, foreign countries and undergrad institutions represented in the 2018 entering class.

#18 Overall bar exam pass rate among all law schools in the nation.

90% or better

Equal Justice Works Conference Program

Jumpstart Networking Program

Each year we take a group of students dedicated to careers in public service to Washington, D.C., where they attend the Equal Justice Works Conference on the CSO’s dime. The program allows you not only to learn about careers in public interest law, but to interview with over 240 employers from across the nation.

We also host a reception to connect you with KU lawyers in the region, making this an unparalleled opportunity to launch a career focused on service over self.

This is a chance for you to sit down with an alum over pizza at a local watering hole and learn what it was really like for them in school, landing their first gig and over the first few years of practice. Young alumni return to KU Law for these informal roundtable discussions.

Importantly, we limit these sessions to no more than eight students, ensuring you connect with the alum and get in-depth answers about how they succeeded.

Overall employment + full-time grad school for KU Law graduates over the last 4 years.

730+ Number of on-campus interviews conducted at KU by 65+ law firms, government agencies and other employers during 2017-2018.

Top 25 Among public law schools on Business Insider’s list of the 50 Best Law Schools in America.

law.ku.edu/careerservices  19

KU

DESTINATIONS

JAYHAWK FLIGH Go anywhere 104 9 46 25 12 42 39

Madhu Singh, L’09

Chief legal officer Foundry Law Group | Seattle “Getting a law degree at KU has turned out to be one of the best decisions I made for myself.

Graduating with little to no debt due to the reasonable tuition along with a wide network of KU law alumni helped me transition to another city to practice law with ease. Look for those alumni connections while in school and set yourself up for the future.”

The KU Law Career Services Office helps students and alumni develop and execute career strategy.

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360

247

158

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HT PATTERNS Wherever you land, the Jayhawk lawyer network will be there to welcome and support you. More than 7,800 KU Law alumni live and work in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, three U.S. territories and 24 foreign countries.

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64

5 32

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69 35

61

50

138

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4,170

99

680

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5 RI

27 NJ

161

8 DE 63 DC 64 MD13

57

28 22

20 5

363

20

30 MA

40 35 2

8

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More than 250 KU Law alumni live and work in the D.C. metro area.

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GLOBAL REACH

100+ alumni

25-49 alumni

50-99 alumni

1-24 alumni

Australia Belgium Brazil Canada China

Ethiopia Germany Hong Kong Italy Japan

Korea Malawi Mexico New Zealand Qatar

Saudi Arabia Singapore Spain Switzerland Taiwan

Thailand Turkey United Arab Emirates United Kingdom 21

KU

DESTINATIONS

CAPITAL CONNECTION 6th Semester in D.C. Program

KU Law and our alumni have deep connections to the Washington, D.C. region. More than 250 of the school’s graduates live and work there, many of them drawn by a deep dedication to public service. Building on that strong tradition, the 6th Semester in D.C. Program invests in students who are committed to serving the public. Through this program, you can:

Work in D.C. in a field placement with an agency, nonprofit or other qualifying entity during your final law school semester.

Attend courses taught in D.C. by KU Law faculty members on topics that are essential to the unique challenges of public sector practice.

Develop a network of contacts in the D.C. region critical to launching your career, then rise to become a leader in public service.

Adrienn Clark, L’17 6th Semester in D.C.

“D.C. is such an exciting place to study law and gain hands-on experience because of how much history happened here. I’ve met so many great people while applying the concepts I learned in my classes in Lawrence.”

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In the D.C. program, you may earn up to 9 hours of credit through field placements at approved organizations.

Students have secured placements at organizations such as the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, National Association of Attorneys General and U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.

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September

January

Sept. 1 // Application available law.ku.edu/apply

TBD // Winter Open House in KC law.ku.edu/admissions

Sept. 8 // Good luck on the LSAT! Have your scores submitted to KU Law. lsac.org

Jan. 26 // Good luck on the LSAT!

October

Feb. 15 // Priority application deadline for scholarship consideration.

Oct. 1 // Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) available. fafsa.gov

February

March

Ongoing // Check Admissions Events to see if a KU Law rep will be visiting your area. law.ku.edu/admissions

March 1 // Priority date to file the FAFSA. File earlier if you can.

November

If you’ve been admitted, register for Admitted Students Weekend.

Nov. 7 // KU Law Fall Open House Visit Green Hall, sit in on a first-year class and learn why KU Law is a great launching pad for your legal career. law.ku.edu/openhouse

March 15 // Seat deposit due (summer starters).

Nov. 17 // Good luck on the LSAT!

FLIGHT CHECKLIST Important dates & deadlines

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April

June/July

April 1 // Priority application deadline.

Schedule a visit. law.ku.edu/visit

April 15 // First seat deposit due (fall starters).

May Summer starters attend orientation and start classes.

Start looking for housing. law.ku.edu/housing

August Attend orientation and start classes.

June June 15 // Second seat deposit due (fall starters).

law.ku.edu/apply ď §

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Green Hall 1535 W. 15th St. Lawrence, KS 66045

OFFICE OF ADMISSIONS 866-220-3654 admitlaw@ku.edu law.ku.edu/admissions

The University of Kansas prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, national origin, age, ancestry, disability, status as a veteran, sexual orientation, marital status, parental status, gender identity, gender expression and genetic information in the University’s programs and activities. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies: Director of the Office of Institutional Opportunity and Access, IOA@ku.edu, 1246 W. Campus Road, Room 153A, Lawrence, KS, 66045, 785-864-6414, 711 TTY.