2010 Viewbook | William Mitchell College of Law

for a degree in

PRACTICAL WISDOM

william mitchell college of Law

See for yourself See Why William Mitchell College of Law is Right for You The best way to learn more about William Mitchell is to visit us.

Students say that the personal touch and individual attention provided by the staff is one of the best aspects of Mitchell’s admissions process.

Schedule a visit at your convenience or come to one of our open houses.

For a list of this year’s open houses, go to wmitchell.edu.

William Mitchell College of Law

875 Summit Avenue St. Paul, MN 55105

www.wmitchell.edu 651-290-6476 1-888-962-5529 admissions@wmitchell.edu

Personal Visits Schedule a meeting with an admissions representative, tour the campus, sit in on a class, or talk with faculty or students. Informational interviews with admissions representatives are encouraged.

Open Houses We offer several open houses throughout the year. Each open house includes discussion with current students, alumni, and faculty. In addition, Mitchell staff explains the admissions process; career and professional development opportunities; how financial aid is offered; and an overview of our academic program. You’ll also take a tour of our facilities, including the Warren E. Burger Library.

Apply Online Submitting your application online is the fastest, most efficient way to apply.

You can complete our online application at wmitchell.edu/admissions. To learn more about the application process, please turn to page 19.

Contact Us Have questions? Call 1-888-962-5529 or 651-290-6476. You can also email us at admissions@wmitchell.edu.

apply online at www.wmitchell.edu

email us at admissions@wmitchell.edu

We serve the law. We teach it, study it, practice it, and work to make it just. This is our mission.

Welcome to

On behalf of our faculty and staff, I am pleased to introduce you to William Mitchell, a law school renowned nationally for providing the analytical and practical skills necessary to practice the law.

In addition to reviewing this book and our website, I encourage you to make a personal visit to campus to experience the intellectually rigorous, supportive atmosphere firsthand. Many who visit decide Mitchell has a lot to offer them, and they apply. I hope you will, too.

I’ve been a professor here for more than 24 years, and I am passionate about our brand of legal education, our students, and the impact our school has on the legal landscape locally and nationally.

Our alumni network is more than 11,000 strong. You’ll find our alumni in leadership positions in the region’s top law firms, in general counsel offices of Fortune 500 companies, in public service, and in government agencies. In fact, William Mitchell has more alumni serving in the Minnesota judiciary than any other law school.

We know that when it comes to landing that first job, experience matters. We’ve designed our curriculum and clinical program so that you develop the practical skills you need. As I hear from employers over and over again, “Mitchell graduates are able to hit the ground running.” That’s why we have earned a reputation for the practical wisdom we instill in our students and the label: “the lawyer’s law school.”

Like our building and campus, our reputation, culture, and mission, have all been built incrementally—brick by brick, course by course, year by year—by people who believe in and value the difference Mitchell has made and will continue to make in the legal community and in your life.

I welcome you to our campus and encourage you to speak with faculty, students, and alumni about their experiences here and their careers. I hope you come and see for yourself the advantage Mitchell offers.

Best regards,

Eric S. Janus President and Dean

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If not for the part-time evening tradition at William Mitchell, many successful lawyers practicing today would not have been able to pursue their law school dreams.

Why William Mitchell?

Practical Education

You’ll gain experience, and by the time you graduate you’ll have done many of the things you’ll do as a lawyer: counsel clients, research cases, negotiate deals, write legal briefs, and appear before judges.

Practical Education Attend Full Time or Part Time Strong Alumni Network The Mitchell Mix Engaged and Accessible Faculty Great Location

From our nationally recognized writing and trial advocacy programs to our clinical program, our curriculum combines practical skills training with ethics and legal theory, preparing you to be a powerful advocate and counselor for your clients. You’ll gain experience, and by the time you graduate you’ll have done many of the things you’ll do as a lawyer: counsel clients, research cases, negotiate deals, write legal briefs, and appear before judges.

The Mitchell Mix Mitchell students say they value the diversity of ages, careers, and life experiences found in the classroom. It’s common to have a classroom with students just out of college as well as students who have established careers in other professions.

The diversity of experience found in our student body leads to lawyers with broad perspectives and strong experience. That’s what we call the Mitchell Mix.

Attend Full Time or Part Time William Mitchell was started as a night law school by working attorneys more than a century ago to provide legal training for people of modest means. Today, it’s still the only law school in this region with a night school program. Students can attend Mitchell part time or full time, and take classes during the day or in the evening. Our evening, part-time schedule distinguishes Mitchell from other schools because students can continue to work full time in order to pay for school and gain work experience. If not for the part-time evening tradition at Mitchell, many successful lawyers practicing today would not have been able to pursue their law school dreams. Mitchell allows students to change their enrollment status as often as each semester after they complete their first year.

Strong Alumni Network More than 11,000 strong, Mitchell alumni occupy prestigious legal, business, and public service positions locally, regionally, and nationally. It’s a broad network, which our students use to gather advice, meet attorneys, and learn about job opportunities.

Engaged and Accessible Faculty Mitchell professors are rooted in the real world of legal, judicial, and legislative practice. They’ve served on the bench as well as had careers at firms of all sizes and in public service, government, and corporations. They are pioneers in areas such as elder law, family law, and intellectual property.

But what we hear most about our faculty is that they care about students. You’ll find faculty having lunch with students and meeting with students after class. They view students as their future colleagues.

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Students can easily find a social life, recreation, entertainment, or volunteer opportunities outside the classroom.

A Great Place to Live, Work, and Learn William Mitchell is centrally located in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area, a short drive from the state Capitol, and between both downtowns—St. Paul and Minneapolis. The college’s campus is located on Summit Avenue in a historic St. Paul neighborhood with plenty of residential housing, restaurants, and shopping within walking distance.

Minneapolis-St. Paul is a thriving business center for finance, industry, trade, and transportation.

Approximately 20 Fortune 500 companies are

headquartered here, so there are many business opportunities for students and graduates.

Students have myriad of recreational opportunities outside the classroom, because our region is nationally known for theaters, arts, cultural offerings, teams representing all professional sports, and volunteerism.

The area is also home to many new Americans, who add to the rich cultural offerings of the area and keep the region vibrant.

When I get out into the real world and begin to practice law I would like to have that practical experience that William Mitchell offers through its curriculum. I heard many alums, professors, and administrators discuss how William Mitchell students “hit the ground running” due to the Writing & Representation: Advice & Persuasion class, clinics, and other opportunities. I knew that I would get the opportunity to have some hands-on experience by attending William Mitchell.

Sara Lohrman, 3L, full time

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of Mitchell’s 2009 graduates volunteered 50 hours or more to help real people with real legal issues.

Real Cases. Real Clients.

RealÐLife Experience.

Clinics offer upper-level students the opportunity to represent clients, small businesses, and nonprofit organizations that otherwise could not afford an attorney. Our clinics are designed to encourage public service and guarantee learning through experience.

Mitchell’s clinical program, ranked nationally, was one of the first established at a U.S. law school more than 30 years ago.

CLINICS Business Law Clinic Civil Advocacy Clinic Community Development Clinic

When you enroll in a clinic, you meet and advise a client, prepare documents, negotiate with an opposing attorney, or possibly argue the case in court. You might set up a nonprofit corporation for someone making products for people with

disabilities in our Tax Planning Clinic, represent someone facing deportation in our Immigration Law Clinic, or help a senior citizen who’s a victim of consumer fraud in our Civil Advocacy Clinic.

Whatever your area of interest, the experience you’ll gain from our clinical program will help you develop professional judgment, confidence in your advocacy and counseling skills, and an understanding of the critical role justice plays in our democracy.

Criminal Appeals Clinic Criminal Justice Clinic Immigration Law Clinic Intellectual Property Law Clinic Law and Psychiatry Clinic Legal Assistance to Minnesota Prisoners (LAMP) Clinic Misdemeanor Clinic Reentry Clinic for Women Tax Planning Clinic

One of my clinic students was walking out of housing court after winning a motion, and people were flocking to her from the back of the courtroom.

They assumed she was a practicing attorney, and they were all asking her if she could represent them. That doesn’t happen all the time, but I think it happens earlier at William Mitchell than elsewhere.

Ann E. Juergens Co-Director, Clinics, and Professor of Law

Minnesota Justice Foundation To facilitate pro bono work, the Minnesota Justice Foundation (MJF) matches interested law students with volunteer opportunities. MJF is a membership-run, nonprofit organization that promotes social justice and improves legal services to those who have been under-represented by the legal profession. Through MJF, students have the opportunity to work with lawyers in a variety of legal advice settings or to complete research projects for lawyers who have taken clients and cases on a pro-bono basis.

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Rosalie Wahl Legal Practice Center The center of William Mitchell’s clinic, externship, and skills programs, the Rosalie Wahl Legal Practice Center is a working law office where students counsel clinic clients.

“For a new lawyer, one of the most memorable courtroom experiences has to be your first appellate argument. At the Minnesota Court of Appeals, the three judges sit glowering down at you, and you are all alone at the podium. It can be very intimidating. I have had the pleasure to sit at the counsel table next to that podium when dozens of Mitchell clinic students have done their first arguments. I have been consistently impressed with the poise and skill these students have displayed.

I remember in particular one student who deftly handled an unusually pointed barrage of questions. When the argument was finished, the presiding judge told her: ‘Counsel, I want to

thank you and welcome you to the Court of Appeals. You did an excellent job.’ Another of the judges looked up and said: ‘I need to go a bit further than that. That was the best argument I’ve heard in this court in the last six months. If I hadn’t known you were a student, I would have thought you were an appellate lawyer with many years of experience.’ What a wonderful way to start your career!”

Peter B. Knapp Co-Director, Clinics, and Professor of Law Faculty advisor, William Mitchell Journal of Law & Practice Professor Knapp is pictured below left, coaching a student

Possibly the most valuable experience I had in my clinics was my interaction with clients. Clients change everything. You forget when you’re immersed in your thousand-page textbooks that each of the cases involves real people—people who may have inconvenient schedules, unreasonable demands, and unshakable opinions about the case. You forget that factual information doesn’t come in neat little packages from articulate speakers who know what the law considers relevant. And you forget that what is for you an intriguing intellectual problem may actually be an emotional minefield for those involved.Clients will forcefully remind you of these things, in a way that might not always be enjoyable, but that will certainly be educational.

Joy Reopelle Anderson ’07 Associate, Gray Plant Mooty, Minneapolis

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Real-world Education Writing & Representation: Advice & Persuasion William Mitchell has always had a mission of training lawyers—not simply legal thinkers.

That’s why our Writing & Representation: Advice & Persuasion (WRAP) course has attained a national reputation. WRAP teaches more than a mastery of legal research and writing.

“In doctrinal classes,

A first-year requirement, WRAP emphasizes client interviewing and counseling, contract negotiation, and dispute mediation in addition to pretrial litigation. WRAP also includes a mentorship component in which students meet weekly in small groups of 12 with adjunct professors who are practicing attorneys. You’ll engage in writing, analysis, interviewing and counseling clients, and negotiation exercises, including role play and simulation.

you learn law and in the WRAP program, you learn how to be a lawyer. After taking this course, I feel confident that I could go into a law firm and draft a memo. Many students at other schools cannot do that after their first year.

Programs like WRAP help Mitchell students hit the ground running. Mitchell has a strong reputation of training students to get

Professor Jay Erstling hears students’ moot court case.

the work done.”

Ochen Kaylan, 2L, part time Online producer, American Public Media/Minnesota Public Radio

So many people, attorneys as well as other professionals, have given their time to share their knowledge and experience with us. We did a mock city council presentation during which we were seeking a zoning change for our (fictitious) client. We anticipated doing the presentation in front of two adjuncts who would play the role of council members. We ended up doing the presentation in front of the two adjuncts, the mayor of New Brighton, the city manager of New Brighton, and a former New Brighton council member!

James Haarmeyer ’08 Student in the Business Practice Legal Practicum

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Professor John Sonsteng works with a group of students.

Trial Advocacy Our trial advocacy program, which was designed by renowned William Mitchell Professor John Sonsteng, is highly regarded nationally. In this required, secondyear course, you’ll learn how to collect evidence and perform mock trials and hearings using our four high-tech courtrooms. The technology in our courtrooms allows your trial arguments to be viewed and critiqued by real lawyers and judges.

faculty and tutors. In the Business Practicum, you’ll guide a fictitious client through the creation, growth, and sale of a sporting goods store.

Moot Courts and Competitions Participation in our moot courts and competitions is a popular extracurricular option to help you polish your skills and learn more about practicing in a particular area of the law.

Practicum In our legal and business practicum courses, you’ll engage in simulated learning experiences and exercises. In the Legal Practicum, you’ll practice law in two-person law firms under the supervision of

William Mitchell gave me a real handson, practical approach to the study and practice of law. Between taking clinics on mental health law, immigration law, and Legal Aid for Minnesota Prisoners, working full time at the Washington County Public Defender’s Office while going to Mitchell at night, and my regular classes, I felt like I was ready to practice law when I graduated.

Mitchell named a top public interest law school William Mitchell is the 12th-best law school in the country for public interest law, according to The National Jurist.

Mitchell was the only Minnesota school to rank in the top 35. The ranking is based in part on a law school’s curriculum, including clinical programs and pro bono requirements.

The National Jurist report places William Mitchell ahead of the pack when it comes to combining public service and professional preparation.

Jessie Nicholson ’85 CEO, Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services

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William Mitchell offers nearly 200 courses and seminars covering 25 subjects.

Innovative, In-Depth Curriculum The first year of law school is entirely devoted to required courses. Whatever your ultimate path through law school—and whether you are full time or part time—you must complete: Contracts, Torts, Civil Procedure, Property, Constitutional Law, Professional Responsibility, Writing & Representation: Advice & Persuasion (WRAP), and Advocacy, plus two statutory courses and one advanced skills course.

Typical Full-Time Curriculum

Definitions • Required courses are specifically listed in the examples.

Full-time students typically earn their degree in three years attending classes five days a week. Students spend about 14 hours a week in class.

• Bar courses – There are approximately nine or 10 subjects that are tested on most bar exams that have a corresponding William Mitchell course but that are not included in the required courses. William Mitchell students take an average of six or seven of those courses.

What to Expect

• Elective courses include: advanced courses, clinics, externships, other practical experience courses, seminar courses, or specialty courses.

• Full-time students spend about 14 hours in class each week. Part-time students spend about eight to 11 hours in class each week. The amount of study time outside class varies greatly among students and will increase or decrease throughout law school depending on the mix of courses a student is enrolled in at any given time as well as work experiences.

Required Courses Bar Courses Elective Courses

• A total of 86 credits is required for graduation.

All students must complete their degrees within six years of initial enrollment.

In the latter half of the J.D. program it is common for full-time students to take some courses in the late afternoon and evening. This structure allows students to gain practical experience in legal settings during the business day. This also allows William Mitchell to tap the expertise of practicing attorneys who serve as adjunct faculty members for many of our upperdivision courses.

• Full-time students may not work more than 20 hours a week as mandated by the American Bar Association. Part-time students do not have that restriction.

• After your first year, you can switch between full or part time, day or evening classes. A limited number of upper-level elective classes are offered on Saturday.

• As a 2L, you’ll begin to make more choices. We have a particularly broad curriculum, offering many areas of specialization. Curriculum counseling and Pathway guides will allow you to proceed confidently on a schedule that’s right for you.

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SAMPLE Full-time Three-Year Schedule First Year

FALL Contracts Torts I WRAP Civil Procedure Property I

CREDITS

3 2 3 3 3

Second Year

SPRING Contracts Torts II WRAP Civil Procedure Property II

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3 3 3 2 3

Total for Semester Total for Semester

Total for Semester

SPRING Bar Courses and Electives

14–15

SPRING Constitutional Law—Liberties Elective or Evidence Advocacy

Professional Responsibility or Elective Bar Course or Elective

CREDITS

FALL Bar Courses and Electives

FALL Constitutional Law—Powers 2 Evidence or Elective 3 Professional Responsibility or Elective 3 Bar Courses or Electives 6–7 Total for Semester

Total for Semester

Third Year

CREDITS

Total for Semester

14–15 14–15

14–15 14–15

3 3 3 3 3

Minimum of 86 credits Maximum of 89 credits

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Note: The above examples are for illustration purposes only. They are general in nature and do not provide all of the details of the program’s requirements.

Mitchell’s flexible schedule afforded me the opportunity to balance a family, career, and community involvement while earning a quality education in law. By choosing the part-time option, I have continued to work as an interpreter for the courts, as an advocate under state grant funding, provide presentations and trainings, attend board meetings on the weekends, cook dinner, attend T-ball games, and volunteer for my 4-year-old’s Sunday school class. I appreciate that the homework load is not so overwhelming that all other life activities go to the wayside, and that I can continue to build relationships and a career.

Heather Ortiz, 2L, part time

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SAMPLE Part-time Schedule While students can create virtually any concentration in the law they want, following are popular areas of study at Mitchell: • Alternative Dispute Resolution

Part-time students typically earn their degree in four years by attending classes four to five evenings a week. Students spend eight to 11 hours a week in class. Part-time students may work as many hours as they desire, which allows many students to pay for school as they go, reducing debt upon graduation. The general four-

year course schedule below is the most common part-time option, but students may also choose to enroll in as few as eight credits, the minimum students can take each semester.

• Business law • Commercial law • Construction law • Criminal law • Employment law • Estate planning • Family law • Government • Immigration law • Intellectual property law • International and comparative law • Personal injury and torts • Public interest law • Real estate law • Taxation

Typical Part-Time Curriculum First Year

CREDITS

FALL Contracts Torts I

WRAP Civil Procedure

3 2 3 3

Total for Semester

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SPRING Contracts Torts II WRAP Civil Procedure

3 3 3 2

Total for Semester

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• Trial advocacy

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For specific course listings and descriptions, go to wmitchell.edu.

Second Year

CREDITS

FALL Constitutional Law—Power Property I Professional Responsibility or Elective Bar Course or Elective

2 3 3 3

Total for Semester

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SPRING Constitutional Law—Liberties Property II Evidence or Elective Bar Course or Elective

3 3 3 2

Total for Semester

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Third Year

CREDITS

FALL Advocacy Elective or Evidence Bar Courses or Electives Total for Semester

SPRING Bar Courses and Electives Total for Semester

3 3 4–5 10–11

10–11 10–11

Fourth Year

CREDITS

FALL Bar Courses and Electives

10–11

Total for Semester

10–11

SPRING Bar Courses and Electives

10–11

Total for Semester

10–11

Minimum of 86 credits Maximum of 89 credits

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Extensive study abroad programs allow students to earn three to six credits while enjoying exciting crosscultural learning experiences.

Choose Full-time or Part-time Classes

I don’t know if I could have gone to law school without the opportunity to do it at night. What I didn’t realize when I chose Mitchell was that a night program not only let me work full time during the day, but would give me a chance to learn about the real world of the law while I worked.

Most Mitchell students complete law school in three or four years.

After your first year, you have multiple scheduling options, including morning, late afternoon, and evening courses.

All students study with full-time and adjunct professors, take classes with both full- and part-time students, and meet the same rigorous academic expectations.

Part-time students tell us they welcome the opportunity to work as much as they want so they gain career experience as well as have funds to pay for school, and reduce their debt upon graduation.

Eric Magnuson ’76 Minnesota Supreme Court Chief Justice Created part-time working student scholarship

Scholarship recipient Nick Mazzocco with Chief Justices Eric Magnuson ´76 and Douglas Amdahl ´51.

As an inventor, I am at a point in my career where I need knowledge of the law. Protection of the invention is becoming as critical, if not more critical, than the invention itself. I work full time during the day at 3M and take part-time night classes at Mitchell. I participated in Mitchell’s Summer Enrichment Program, which helped ease the transition into law school by providing an orientation to classes, resources, and study skills.

Hassan Sahouani, 3L, part time Contributed 25 patents for 3M

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Dedicated to Service, Innovation, and Teaching

Warren E. Burger Library The reference desk is open seven days a week for a total of 66 hours, substantially more than many law libraries. You can talk to reference librarians in person, chat with them

William Mitchell graduates are recognized regionally as superior legal researchers and sophisticated users of legal information. As a student, you have convenient access to William Mitchell’s Warren E. Burger Library and our exceptional staff dedicated to serving your research needs, innovation, and teaching.

The library’s extensive in-house and online collection, customer service-oriented staff, and welcoming design makes it the preferred choice for alumni, legal professionals, and other college students and faculty. You’re sure to find the perfect study spot next to one of the many windows or in a quiet place off the traffic path.

Our highly qualified and experienced reference librarians are here to help you plan research strategies, locate and use legal and non-legal resources, and obtain materials from the collections of libraries worldwide. Most of our professional librarians have juris doctor degrees in addition to masters of library and information science degrees.

You’ll also find Mitchell’s librarians in the classroom, teaching the research portion of the WRAP program, Internet Legal Research, Public International Law, and Advanced Legal Research. They actively share their knowledge and expertise as advisors for student papers and Law Review submissions and offer an ongoing series of programs for students and alumni.

online during library hours, or email them questions anytime.

Students involved in select activities can reserve a library study space for the entire year.

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Go to wmitchell.edu/library or contact us at reference@wmitchell.edu or phone (651) 290-6424.

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President and Dean Eric S. Janus has taught at Mitchell for 25 years.

Making the Leap from Law Student to Lawyer Pathways to the Profession of Law Pathways to the Profession of Law is an innovative and nationally recognized web tool popular with students who want to chart classes, connect with faculty, and find resources related to their career interests. It will help you make customized choices both in and beyond the classroom.

We encourage you to see for yourself how your second and third years of law school might look. Go to wmitchell.edu/pathways and try out some of the potential Pathways™ that match your interests.

Keystone Courses In your last year of law school, Keystone courses help you bridge the gap from law school to law practice.

Keystone courses are designed for students to apply knowledge gained in class to real-world problems and challenges. You’ll do research, draft documents, and meet with clients and stakeholders. Classes are small, so each student gets considerable attention, feedback, and advice from faculty members and guest speakers.

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Go to wmitchell.edu/pathways and try out some of the potential Pathwaysª that match your interests.

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Explore Critical Areas of the Law William Mitchell has several academic centers and institutes in critical areas of the legal profession. Centers and institutes allow students to gain additional real word experience with faculty and practicing attorneys involved in these specialized areas of the law.

National Security Forum

Top-Cited William Mitchell Law Review The William Mitchell Law Review is a quarterly, studentedited journal. The Law Review publishes timely articles of regional, national, and international interest for legal practitioners, scholars, and lawmakers. The William Mitchell Law Review ranks in the top 25 in the nation for citations by judges and 57th in the nation on citations by other legal journals. Mitchell also publishes an online law journal edited by students. It can be found at lawandpractice.wordpress.com.

Founded by William Mitchell Professor Afsheen John Radsan, a former CIA assistant general counsel and former U.S. Department of Justice prosecutor, William Mitchell’s National Security Forum exists to foster an ongoing dialogue on balancing individual liberty and public safety in light of current national security issues. Past events featured candid

discussions with trial lawyers, investigators, and reporters. Guests and speakers discussed the Zacarias Moussaoui case, intelligence agency abuses, and the investigation of double agent Robert Hanssen. In addition, former Vice President Walter Mondale shared 30 years of national security and policy experience.

Professor Afsheen John Radsan moderates a panel discussing the 9/11 Moussaoui trial.

Center for Elder Justice & Policy—The center

Rosalie Wahl Legal Practice Center—The center

facilitates teaching and research about the issues of aging and the rights of society’s elderly population and serves senior citizens and their advocates.

of William Mitchell’s clinic, externship, and skills programs features a working law office complete with a study area, computer research space, interview rooms where students can counsel clients, conference rooms, and faculty offices.

Center for Negotiation & Justice—The center’s mission is to explore, develop, and advance the connection between principled negotiation and social justice advocacy. The center includes courses in negotiation for law students and the legal community.

Tobacco Law Center—Through ground-breaking research, policy development and analysis, technical assistance, and consulting, the center helps policymakers, nonprofit organizations, advocates, and health professionals address tobacco-related legal issues.

Intellectual Property Institute—The institute focuses on fostering and protecting innovation on a global scale. The IP Institute is engaged in the rigorous exploration of the balance between privately owned and publicly shared innovation.

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“Justice for all” in 36 languages adorns Mitchell’s rotunda.

The Mitchell Mix William Mitchell’s faculty and students value the variety of educational, professional, and cultural backgrounds found on campus. Students range in age from the early 20s to the 70s, and they represent 36 states and 20 countries. Recent college graduates share the classroom with established professionals who come here at mid-career after pursuing other endeavors.

Some of them plan to start a second career in the law, while others want to use their legal knowledge to strengthen existing careers or launch new businesses.

Life Outside the Classroom Barely a day goes by at Mitchell without an event at noontime, after class, or in the evening. Mitchell has hosted showings of documentary films, nationally known speakers, and discussions on current political issues. If you’re an athlete, you might want to join the running club or the Fighting Eelpout hockey team.

There are charity events, chili cook-offs, yoga classes, and many more opportunities to socialize.

As an older, returning student with a Ph.D. in political science, I really appreciate the wide variety of backgrounds and perspective my fellow students have. My good friends at William Mitchell include those who worked in the CIA, were AmeriCorps volunteers, investigative newspaper reporters, paralegals, you name it. I know I am a better student and person because I have learned tremendously from my peers at William Mitchell.

Anne F. Peterson, 3L, full time

Student Organizations

Outside the classroom, students can participate in more than 30 student groups organized around the legal profession, ethnic and religious identifications, political affiliation, sports, and fitness.

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Mitchell faculty members are available to talk to prospective students during campus visits. Admissions staff members can connect you with a professor in a subject that interests you.

Pioneering Teachers, Leading Scholars, Expert Practitioners William Mitchell professors have written many of the books used by lawyers and students throughout the country today.

• Professors Deborah Schmedemann and Christina Kunz co-authored The Process of Legal Research, now in its sixth edition.

• Professor and Vice Dean for Faculty Niels B. Schaumann has published several editions of Gilbert Law Summaries: Securities Regulation.

• Professor Eileen Roberts wrote Real Estate Law, Minnesota Practice Series Volume 25.

• Professors Michael Steenson and Peter Knapp, wrote the Minnesota Civil Jury Instruction Guides.

• Professors Roger Haydock and Knapp are known for Minnesota Methods of Practice: Civil Advocacy.

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Faculty biographies and bibliographies can be found at

Our faculty members are known for their teaching, scholarship, and practice.

Mitchell faculty members have earned degrees at some of the best-known law schools in the country, including Harvard, Yale, and the University of Chicago. They are highly regarded legal scholars actively researching and writing on today’s pressing legal issues.

In practice, for example, our professors have worked as legal aid attorneys, high-profile criminal defense attorneys, corporate counsel for Fortune 500 companies, assistant state attorneys general, assistant U.S. attorneys and counsel for state and federal legislative committees.

Meet Professor Jay Erstling Mitchell faculty member since: 2007 Teaches: Comparative and International Patent Law; Intellectual Property Licensing Professor Jay Erstling, one of four full-time faculty members in Mitchell’s Intellectual Property Institute, has a world of experience in intellectual property law. He is the former director of the Office of Patent Cooperation Treaty and advisor to the director general of the World Intellectual Property Organization in Geneva, Switzerland. He worked as a consultant for the U.S. Department of State and U.S. Agency for International Development in Jordan, Lebanon, Nigeria, Sri Lanka, Egypt, India, Israel, Turkey, Barbados, Nepal, and Saudi Arabia.

Many professors are exploring new legal ground on issues such as: cyber law and technology, intellectual property, elder law, family law, and food safety. Students have the opportunity to assist professors with research projects on these and other topical issues.

Faculty publications have been cited by courts hundreds of times. The scholarly work of our faculty is accessed through the Internet thousands of times a year by legal scholars around the nation and the world.

In media ranging from the New York Times to al Jazeera, faculty members are making a difference by informing public thought on current issues such as national security, elder law, and international trademark protection.

Intellectual property law is at the intersection of many different parts of society including technology, economic development, policy, and politics.

wmitchell.edu/faculty

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Hear more from Professor Jay Erstling in an online video interview at:

wmitchell.edu/faculty/interviews/?video=erstling

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Professor Christina Kunz is pioneering new law in e-commerce and cyberspace.

Adjunct Faculty Members Bring Real-World Experience to Class Many of our specialty elective courses are taught by adjunct faculty members, including judges, prosecutors, public defenders, and lawyers with prestigious law firms and corporations, who practice in the areas they teach. When you take a course like construction law or public health law, you’ll be learning from someone who practices it every day, including:

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Mitchell adjuncts practice at 18 of the top 25 law firms in the state.

• Judges from district courts, Minnesota Court of Appeals, Minnesota Supreme Court, and U.S. District Court.

• Attorneys working as county, state, and federal public defenders; county attorneys; assistant state attorneys general; and attorneys for the U.S. Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security.

• Corporate counsels employed at Target, 3M, and US Bancorp, which are among the 20 Fortune 500 companies located in Minnesota.

Meet Vice Dean for Academic Programs Nancy VerSteegh Full-time Mitchell faculty member since: 2002 Teaches: 44-Hour Family Mediation; Alternative Dispute Resolution; Advocacy; Family Law; Poverty Law; Professional Responsibility, Writing & Representation: Advice & Persuasion (WRAP)

I believe that legal education involves more than acquiring a body of knowledge—it also involves developing sound judgment about when and how that knowledge should be used. This sort of practical wisdom is most effectively developed through interactive and experiential opportunities.

Consequently, students at Mitchell are immersed in a rich learning environment where they engage with professors, expert practitioners, clients, and students from all walks of life.

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Mitchell Grads are Ready to Practice Law From Orientation to Graduation, William Mitchell Prepares Students for Their Careers The Office of Career and Professional Development combines extensive experience in the practice of law, career counseling, and employer relations. The staff offers students individual attention and many opportunities for networking. Students have access to counseling, coaching in job search skills, programs about the legal profession, career development materials, job postings, and connections with alumni and employers.

Strong Alumni Network More than 11,000 Mitchell graduates work throughout the country as lawyers, judges, business executives, government officials, and in many other capacities. You won’t have to look far to find

an alum who can answer a question, provide job assistance, or offer advice. As a William Mitchell student, you have access to all of the resources and benefits of our large alumni network.

Support from Mentors Your first year of law school is filled with big adjustments, and sometimes it helps to talk to someone who recently went through law school.

In the Alumni Mentor Advisors Program, all firstyear students are assigned to groups with two alumni mentor advisors. You can contact your mentor advisor as often as you like by phone or email. Events, activities, and meetings will give you a chance to learn from your mentors as well as your colleagues. If your needs change throughout the year, your mentor advisor can help you. We encourage students to take advantage of this program to build professional and personal relationships with Mitchell alumni.

My legal education prepared me well for my current summer clerk position at the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office. In addition to doing research and drafting memos, I also have the opportunity to negotiate and try misdemeanor cases and argue evidentiary hearings. If I didn’t have good writing skills, which I learned in Mitchell’s WRAP program and used extensively during my previous summer clerkship at Leonard, Street, and Deinard, they would never have let me into the courtroom. Staff at the Office of Career and Professional Development really helped me prepare for interviews and reviewed my resume. The Office of Multicultural Affairs alerted me to open houses at Hennepin County so I had already met some of the attorneys before I started.

Danny Garcia, 3L, full time Summer law clerk for the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office

17 apply online at www.wmitchell.edu

email us at admissions@wmitchell.edu

Prior to joining the Mitchell faculty, Professor Thuy Vo practiced in corporate finance and business.

97% of our students have a job within nine months of graduating.

2008

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To learn more about opportunities which prepare you to practice, including externships, apprenticeships, and job shadowing, go to wmitchell.edu/careers.

Bridgid Dowdal, director of Mitchell’s Office of Career and Professional Development, really advocated for me during my job search process. She outlined specific things that I should do, such as attend the school’s intellectual property employers’ night and have my resume reviewed at the career development office. She provided me with contacts of people she knew in the IP industry, and she personally inquired at firms about their openings and if they would accept my resume.

I contacted those people and had informational lunches with them, which proved invaluable in landing a job.

Career and Professional Development Staff Can Provide: Advice for writing resumes, cover letters, and applications Practice interviews and networking opportunities Assessments to identify strengths, interests, and values Programs on the career search process

Connections with employers and alumni

Individual counseling

Timothy Patrick Johnson ’08 Associate, mechanical practice group, Merchant & Gould, Minneapolis

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Take the Next Step More than 90% of William Mitchell students receive financial aid, which includes a combination of scholarships, loans, and employment.

Apply One of Three Easy Ways: Apply online through the Law School Admission Council (LSAC). To complete the online application, visit our Web site at wmitchell.edu/ admissions or LSAC.org.

Or download a PDF version of our application.

Complete and mail it to us. The PDF application is available at wmitchell.edu/admissions.

Or request an application booklet. Complete the form, and mail it to us. You can make your request online at wmitchell.edu/admissions or call or email us.

For step-by-step application instructions, go to: wmitchell.edu/admissions.

Questions? Contact us by phone at 651-290-6476 or 1-888-962-5529. You can also email an Admissions representative at admissions@wmitchell.edu.

We look forward to reading your application and learning about you.

Financial Aid We know attending law school is a major financial investment. Mitchell works hard to make our high-quality legal education accessible by helping students finance their education through scholarships, employment, and loans.

Prospective students should submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at fafsa.ed.gov after Jan. 1. This should be done

even if an admission decision is not yet made. Your financial aid information will be held pending your admission decision.

For more information, visit wmitchell.edu/admissions or call 651-290-6403 or 1-888-962-5529 or email finaid@wmitchell.edu.

Scholarships All first-year applicants are automatically reviewed for possible merit scholarship eligibility. Your admission application includes all of the needed information. No additional form is required. You will be notified if you qualify.

Federal loan and work-study eligibility is determined from your FAFSA.

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William Mitchell College of Law is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer and educator.

William Mitchell College of Law does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, disability, age, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, or sexual orientation.

Inquiries concerning compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Part 100 of Title 34 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Title IX of the Education Amendments and Part 106 of Title 4 of the Code of Federal Relegations, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and Part 104 of the Code of Federal Regulations, and applicable state and local laws may be directed to the Dean; the director of the Office of Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education, Washington, D.C.; or to state or local departments of human rights.

William Mitchell has been accredited by the American Bar Association since 1938. The college is a member of the Association of American Law Schools, and recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. William Mitchell College of Law is registered as a private institution with the Minnesota Office of Higher Education pursuant to sections 136A.61 to 136A.71. Registration is not an endorsement of the institution. Credits earned at the institution may not transfer to all other institutions.

875 Summit Avenue St. Paul, MN 55105

www.wmitchell.edu 651-290-6476 1-888-962-5529 admissions@wmitchell.edu

for a degree in

PRACTICAL WISDOM

875 Summit Avenue St. Paul, MN 55105 www.wmitchell.edu 651-290-6476 | 1-888-962-5529 admissions@wmitchell.edu