KU LAWYERS:
Ready to work
Graduates of KU Law enter the legal profession with the ideal balance of intellectual depth, practical knowledge, and real-world experience.
They learn under the guidance of top faculty with leading
national reputations; they develop the craft of the working lawyer through deposition, expert witness and other skills courses; and then they bring those talents to bear in the real world through our nationally ranked clinical programs.
Simply put: When KU Lawyers join your organization, they are ready to think, act and work as lawyers from day one.
Professor Quinton Lucas teaching Administrative Law.
INTERESTS Federal Indian Law Tribal Law Environmental Law
ACADEMICS
18 36
class hours per week
study hours per week
PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE
GREAT PLAINS & COAST TO COAST:
Rebecca Howlett, L’14
Tribal Judicial Support Clinic Kansas Law Review Mentor Law Group PLLC (Seattle) Kanji & Katzen PLLC (Seattle) Kansas Native American Affairs Office (Topeka)
SCHOOL & WORK
“The more challenging a class is, the more worthwhile it is for me in the end. Professor Warner’s Federal Indian Law course was one of my favorites. She wants to hear your opinion. She wants you to question the status quo. That class forces you to look beyond what you’ve learned and truly grapple with how you will approach the field in practice. That kind of real-world preparation has been invaluable to me.” Summer internship: Kanji & Katzen PLLC, Seattle, WA
Kansas | England | Washington
SERVICE Dean’s Fellow (mentor) Environmental Law Society Native American Law Students Association Women in Law
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Intellectual depth When you hire a KU Lawyer, you hire a professional with the intellectual depth necessary to solve complex legal, business, organizational and social problems.
KU Lawyers are taught by professors who are leaders in their
fields, with more than one-third authoring leading casebooks used at law schools nationwide. Faculty also remain active with the bench and bar, continuing to argue cases before state and federal courts, and shaping the creation of new law.
With first-year small sections and half of upper-level classes of fewer
than 25 students, KU Lawyers undergo an intense academic experience. Small classes allow lectures to students to become conversations with students, where ideas are explored and conclusions are challenged.
KU Lawyers bring highly developed research and writing skills
to their first day of practice. Their training begins with a year-long course in Lawyering Skills, where they learn the fundamentals of legal research and writing. Over the next two years, they refine these skills through upper-level writing courses and service on the Kansas Law Review and the Kansas Journal of Law & Public Policy.
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NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED FACULTY DISTINGUISHED PROFESSOR MARTIN DICKINSON, a nationally known authority on tax law, authors a casebook on estate and gift taxation. Members of the Kansas Legislature often consult him for guidance on tax law and policy, and he has served on numerous state-level advisory committees relating to taxes and trusts. His “2012 Kansas Tax Law” CLE educated lawyers across the state about new laws that would impact their practices.
Routinely called upon for her expertise in federal Indian law and tribal law, PROFESSOR ELIZABETH KRONK WARNER co-authored the first textbook to address impacts of climate change on indigenous peoples. She serves as chief judge for the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians Court of Appeals and directs KU’s Tribal Law & Government Center, which hosts an annual conference providing a broad picture of evolving law and policy in the field.
Having continued pro bono service to the courts since joining the faculty, PROFESSOR LOU MULLIGAN brings relevant perspective from the courtroom to the classroom. He directs KU Law’s Advocacy Program, teaching simulation courses in tandem with working attorneys. He co-authors a Kansas civil procedure treatise, and his scholarship has been cited by the U.S. Court of Appeals and in briefing to federal courts.
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Practical know-how When you hire a KU Lawyer, you hire a professional who has translated academic coursework into practical know-how, giving her the skills to depose witnesses, manage clients, negotiate deals and argue before judges.
KU Lawyers understand the art of the
deal. Through courses such as Corporate Transactions and Taxation of Mergers and Acquisitions, students come to appreciate the complexities of negotiation and the challenges of drafting agreements. They also learn how the foregoing can create
JUDGE MARY MURGUIA, L’85 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, Phoenix, AZ “I continue to be impressed
tax liabilities and impact the bottom line.
by the caliber of the clerks KU
Law produces. It is evident
In the courtroom, the best advocates
know how to win a case long before trial. Through the Shook, Hardy & Bacon Center for Excellence in Advocacy, students take
that the faculty focus on teaching their students the
depositions, examine experts and select
fundamental skills that are
jurors under the trained eyes of top
critical to success in any legal
litigators. They develop skills every lawyer
environment. I look forward
needs, saving you significant training, time and expense. In courses like Practice in Kansas, students cultivate practical pleading
to working with KU Law graduates because I know
and discovery skills essential to successful
they will produce careful,
practice in domestic relations, landlord-
top-quality work.”
tenant law, debt collection, probate, criminal law and general civil law.
KU Lawyers possess the ability to communicate with clarity and
economy. Through a successful moot court program, they hone research, writing and oral advocacy skills of value in the courtroom and the board room.
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Aubrey Wilson, L’14, top oral advocate in KU’s 2013 In-House Moot Court Competition.
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#
International Moot Court Competition in Information Technology & Privacy Law champions (2011)
2
x
International finalists in both the Jessup International & European Law Students’ Assn. WTO moot courts (2013)
1
#
Best briefs in both Wechsler National Criminal Law & Mardi Gras Sports Law moot courts (2012)
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PRIVATE & PUBLIC:
Xavier Andrews, L’14 INTERESTS
Public Law / Litigation
MOOT COURT Among top finishers, In-House Moot Court l
Set to compete in 2014 Thurgood A. Marshall Memorial Moot Court l
ACADEMICS & WORK
20 12 20 20
study hours per week class hours per week moot court hours/week work hours per week
4
hours per week devoted to Black Law Students Association presidency
27%
study time
27%
internship
4% other 13%
law journal
16%
13%
class time
moot court
“I want to end up in a smaller community where I can get to know people, build strong relationships and be a leader. Beyond conducting research and drafting documents, my time at a small firm in Salina, Kansas has allowed me to learn the business of running a law practice. I know these skills will be invaluable assets in my career.” Summer internship: Brown & Vogel Chartered, Salina, KS
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“I take seriously the discretion and responsibility that I have as a prosecutor in training. Our main goal is to seek justice, and putting somebody in jail is not always justice. Sometimes that might be getting someone into a rehabilitation center or enrolling them in an anger management class. I have a broader obligation as a prosecutor to serve the public good.” Summer internship: Johnson County DA, Olathe, KS
COMMUNITIES LARGE & SMALL:
Nick Puckett, L’15 FAMILY
ACADEMICS
50 18
SCHOOL & WORK
study hours per week class hours per week
SERVICE U.S. Army & National Guard Federalist Society Vice President Little League Baseball Coach
Oklahoma | Florida Hawaii | Iraq | Kansas
12
cups of coffee per day
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Real-world experience When you hire a KU Lawyer, you hire a professional with real-world experience, acquired through a nationally ranked clinical program, internships with firms and agencies, and judicial clerkships at the trial and appellate levels of federal and state courts.
KU Lawyers participate in one of the
largest clinical programs in the country. They
19
national ranking for # of clinical opportunities available to students
12
distinct clinics and externships offered
252
clinical/externship positions filled by students (2012-13 academic year)
40
students obtained limited admission to the bar to practice in Kansas
work alongside state and national legislators to craft our laws. Under limited admission to the bar, they represent real clients in real matters, managing extensive dockets and arguing before trial and appellate courts throughout Kansas. They assist with cases before the Board of Immigration Appeals, aiding those who seek asylum from despotic regimes around the world. They work alongside medical students, helping patients with a variety of legal issues that may impact their health and access to health care.
Through clerkships at corporations and
firms, students learn how to practice in the private sector. They come to understand the importance of helping their clients achieve their goals efficiently and economically.
A KU Lawyer’s intellectual depth and
practical know-how are tested and refined in these real-world experiences. Equipped with this intense training, KU Lawyers offer immediate value to you and your clients.
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FAMILY
JD - MBA SCHOLARSHIP
10 2
hours/week KS Law Review
SOLO TO THE NLJ250:
Anna Kimbrell, L’14
published articles
CERTIFICATE Business & Commercial Law
SCHOOL & WORK
“Last summer I traveled to New York City with a team of attorneys to close a wind energy deal valued in the hundreds of millions. We spent a week in a conference room working the deal with only a few hours of sleep each night. I was able to sit in on negotiations between
Kansas | Washington, D.C.
the heads of two multi-national, multi-billion dollar companies, as well as representatives from JP Morgan and other major banks. It was amazing to get that experience as a first-year summer associate.” Summer internship: Husch Blackwell LLP, Kansas City, MO
15
%
35%
study time
class time
20%
30%
law review, family time other
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The KU Law difference: one-to-one matching For employers, the difference begins with our focus on one-to-one matching of potential candidates to you. Because hiring is expensive, time-consuming and risky, our goal is to help you identify the ideal KU Lawyer, not just hand you a stack of resumes. We come to your office, learn about your business and future plans and develop STEVE BROWN, L’79 Partner, Brown & Vogel Chartered, Salina, KS
an understanding of your organization’s culture.
With this knowledge, we go beyond arranging
on-campus interviews, posting jobs and hosting the
“KU Law provides us
occasional social event. We help you focus your search,
exceptional service in
identifying students who are not only a good match on
our search for the right
paper, but who will also prosper as a part of your team.
candidates by promoting
our opportunity, identifying top candidates, and arranging interviews. They make it easy.”
For students, the difference starts with intense
individual attention. With student meetings averaging one hour, we are able to meaningfully address immediate needs, explore interests and assess progress. We teach students how to network, assigning homework requiring them to develop and execute a detailed outreach plan.
As with employers, this focused attention allows us
to understand students individually, helping them develop into the best possible candidates for you. You can be sure that the KU Lawyer you hire possesses the critical client management and business development skills that only come from real-world experience.
One-to-one matching: the KU Law difference.
ARTURO THOMPSON, L’06 Assistant Dean for Career Services
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WORKING WITH KU LAW IS EASY We view you as a customer. It is our job to make it easy for you to work with us. We will come to you, anywhere in the country, to better understand and serve you. We help organizations like yours do everything from post jobs and plan events to develop long-term hiring strategies and succession plans.
Across the country — from small towns to big cities, large firms
to solo shops, and private companies to government agencies — we look forward to serving you. Career Services Office programs include:
RURAL & SOLO PROGRAM
ROAD TO SUCCESS
LUNCH PRESENTATIONS
Exposing students to
Bringing small groups
Hosting you at KU Law
the great opportunities
of 3 to 8 self-selected
for a lunch program on
to practice in smaller
students to your office
any topic of relevance,
communities and
to meet with a top
from interviewing and
across the country, and
practitioner in your
resume preparation
developing skills of
organization, saving
to your practice and
value in any small firm,
you and your firm
how to be a successful
from metropolis to
significant travel time
associate.
Main Street.
and cost.
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KU Law at a glance
37 28 56 51
Ranking for # of graduates making partner at NLJ250 law firms
23
Conviction reversals by students in KU’s Project for Innocence since 2009
U.S. News reputational ranking among hiring partners and judges
National ranking of 2012 graduates in JD-required and JD-advantage positions
National ranking among public law schools “When Lawyers Do the Grading”
WHERE OUR GRADUATES GO KU Law graduates from just the past five years practice in more than 30 states and seven countries. They live and work on both coasts, in the South and throughout the Midwest.
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ANDREW HALABY, L’96 Partner, Snell & Wilmer LLP, Phoenix, AZ
“We travel to KU for fall on-campus interviews, and the trip always pays off. We have a long track record of finding great lawyers from KU Law, beginning with Frank Snell himself.”
WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?
Contact us to hire a KU Lawyer. Arturo Thompson Assistant Dean for Career Services 784-864-9257 | arturot@ku.edu Leah Terranova Director of Career Services 784-864-4357 | leaht@ku.edu LaVerta Logan Assistant Director, Career Services 784-864-4377 | laverta@ku.edu
Green Hall 1535 W. 15th Street Lawrence, KS 66045-7608
www.law.ku.edu KELLI LIEURANCE Partner, Baird Holm LLP, Omaha, NE
“Baird Holm has nothing but the greatest success with its attorneys from KU Law. Not only are KU Law students and graduates intelligent, but they are armed with those intangible skills that are essential for client communication, business development, and internal leadership. In brief, KU grads just ‘get it.’”
Photography by Daniel Berman, Jason Dailey, and KU Marketing Communications. On the cover: David Barclay, finalist in the 2013 In-House Moot Court Competition, and Cassie Dickerson, intern at Kansas Athletics Inc. Office of General Counsel and Division 1 soccer player during law school. 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.