A R I G O RO U S , P R AC TI C E- BA S E D E XP E R I E N C E
Preparing you to serve clients and communities A challenging curriculum that gets you ready to practice. More than 20,000 alumni to help guide your path to your career. Whether you take classes full time or part time, on campus or partially online, you’ll start learning the work of a lawyer by doing it. You’ll benefit from top-ranked programs in emerging specialties. You’ll be ready to make an immediate contribution in law, business, government, community service, or whatever field you pursue. At Mitchell Hamline School of Law, we have been educating lawyers for more than 100 years but are still innovating to respond to the changing legal world. Let us help you put your dreams to work.
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E A R N A J. D. I N A WAY TH AT F ITS YO U R LI F E Mitchell Hamline prepares students from all walks of life to begin serving as lawyers and leaders as soon as they graduate. Our multiple enrollment options are designed to let you earn a J.D. without putting your other commitments in life on hold—or even relocating to the Twin Cities. In addition to full- and part-time on-campus schedules, we offer a blended option that brings you to campus a couple of times a semester and lets you spend the rest of the time completing your work online, with a schedule that you control entirely each week. Once you are enrolled, you can switch between options if you need more flexibility. Our faculty is comprised of experienced jurists and practitioners dedicated to teaching and invested in your success. We are an independent law school, which allows us to move quickly and innovatively in response to changing times. We were pioneers in teaching students a deeper understanding of the law through application to real-world situations, and we continue to lead today. We have top-ranked offerings in dispute resolution, health law, clinical training, and part-time programs.
At Mitchell Hamline, we don’t make you wait for graduation to get experience. Your immersion in experiential learning begins right away. Many 1Ls volunteer in the community through the Minnesota Justice Foundation and work as research assistants. Upper-level students can work in legal settings through externships and residencies and also represent clients—under the supervision of experienced faculty—as part of the clinical program.
legacy + innovation
Getting out of the classroom allows our students to connect with an alumni network that’s the largest in the region and passionate about helping graduates succeed. We have more than 14,000 alumni in Minnesota and more than 1,500 in the surrounding states. Our alumni are attorneys in law firms large and small, entrepreneurs and business professionals in an array of industries, and public servants on the bench, in elected office, and working in government agencies, legal aid organizations, and nonprofits. It takes more than knowing the law to be a great lawyer. It takes knowing how to put it to work to make a difference in the world.
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AC A D E M I C S
We give you a solid grounding in legal theory, in the context of professional practice. FLEXIBLE ENROLLMENT OPTIONS
THEORETICAL FOUNDATION
SKILLS-BASED CURRICULUM
Mitchell Hamline offers four enrollment options to meet the needs of students from all walks of life. All have the same admissions standards and lead to the same J.D., but the paths students take and the time required vary. Students can further customize their educational path by combining elements from various enrollment options.
Our classes teach theory, practical and problem-solving skills, and the professional attributes students need to be successful lawyers and business practitioners.
Skills-based coursework at Mitchell Hamline starts in the first year of law school with Lawyering: Advice and Persuasion. It features small-group classes designed to help students begin to master fundamental client-representation skills such as interviewing, researching, writing, negotiating, arguing, and settling.
Full time: On-campus, 4-5 classes per semester for 3 years, classes meet M-F. Part-time evening and day: On-campus, 3-4 classes per semester for 4 years, firstyear classes meet at 6 pm M-Th. Day schedule also available. Part-time blended: On-campus and online, 3-4 classes per semester for the first four semesters, increased flexibility starting in semester 5. Eight campus visits total in the first four semesters; up to four more total in semesters 5-8 depending on course selection.
Courses integrate lectures, reading, and hands-on training. They empower students with the ability to think critically, write sharply, advocate ethically, and solve problems effectively. We provide a demanding legal education so engaged with the profession that our graduates have an enduring advantage as they meet the challenges of an increasingly complex world. By the time our students earn their degree, they have the skills, knowledge, professionalism, and experience to step confidently into their career.
In addition, all Mitchell Hamline students take upper-level classes that deepen their skills in advocacy and problem-solving as well as transactions and settlements or negotiation. Students in the advocacy course, for example, participate in a mock trial, write an appellate brief, and construct an oral argument based on that brief. Students in the transactions and settlements course negotiate deals and draft supporting documents. These are the curricular cornerstones for an approach that’s at the heart of what Mitchell Hamline offers: an experiential education that provides students with the maximum possible opportunity to do what real lawyers do while still in law school.
TOP-RANKED PROGRAMS The dispute resolution program at Mitchell Hamline, built around the Dispute Resolution Institute, has been ranked in the top 5 nationally by U.S. News & World Report for 19 consecutive years. The health law, clinical, and part-time programs are all ranked highly nationally.
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options + quality
A R E A S O F S T U DY
You’ll have the opportunity at Mitchell Hamline to focus on particular areas of legal theory and practice. Among the areas in which you’ll have the chance to specialize are: ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION BUSINESS LAW CHILD WELFARE CIVIL LITIGATION CIVIL RIGHTS CONSTITUTIONAL LAW CRIMINAL LAW ELDER LAW EMPLOYMENT LAW ENVIRONMENTAL LAW ESTATE PLANNING
FAMILY LAW GOVERNMENT SERVICE HEALTH LAW INDIAN LAW INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LAW INTERNATIONAL AND COMPARATIVE LAW PUBLIC INTEREST LAW REAL ESTATE LAW REGULATORY LAW TAX LAW
“The academic program at Mitchell Hamline lays a theoretical foundation for understanding the law, but it never loses sight of how lawyers use the law in practice. The professors in our specialty areas—such as health law, dispute resolution, and Indian law—are at the cutting edge of developments in their profession, which helps them see not only what the law is today, but where it is going. We are all members of the same team, working together to help our students succeed.” PROFESSOR KATE KRUSE VICE DEAN FOR ACADEMIC AND FACULTY AFFAIRS
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theory +
E XP E R I E NTI A L LE A R N I N G
practice
At Mitchell Hamline, we’ve been doing experiential learning longer and better than anybody else. It’s fashionable these days for law schools to talk about their commitment to experiential learning. At Mitchell Hamline, it’s at the core of our approach to legal education. It pervades our curriculum, touching all students. Our students were among the first in the nation to represent real clients with real legal problems through a partnership we established with a local charity in St. Paul in 1922. A dozen years later, we became the only U.S. law school to offer a four-year course in court practice. Then came a seminar on legal writing and legal drafting in the late 1950s. The foundation of the school’s current experiential education program came in 1973, with the creation of one of the nation’s first clinical programs. That program is housed in the Rosalie Wahl Legal Practice Center. Named for one of its co-founders and a Mitchell Hamline alumna who would go on to become the first woman on the Minnesota Supreme Court, the Rosalie Wahl Legal Practice Center functions as a law office within the law school. Students represent low-income renters, prisoners, nonprofit groups, immigrants, and others. They draft contracts and file patent applications. The clinical program has been among the top-ranked in the nation. At Mitchell Hamline, we don’t just teach the law, we teach how to practice law—you will start learning how to help real clients 5 Mitchell Hamline School of Law
from the first day you set foot on campus. We teach the law in context, and we pair content with skills from the beginning. For example, in the first-year required criminal law class, called Criminal Law: Statutory Interpretation, you will not only learn criminal law but you’ll learn how to advocate, whether as a prosecutor or a defense lawyer. You will also have the opportunity to explore how criminal law fits into our system of criminal justice. You’ll have the chance, on both the prosecution and defense sides, to handle everything from bond hearings to carrying a case through trial. Your level of responsibility increases as you progress through your studies. Through our partnership with the Minnesota Justice Foundation, you can do volunteer legal service in the community as early as your first year. Clinics give you hands-on experience representing clients under the direct supervision of our faculty. Externships place you in law offices, government offices, nonprofits, and judicial chambers that are carefully selected for their educational value, and our residency program allows you a full-semester immersion in a legal practice setting. Meanwhile, your coursework will include skills training, simulations, and role-playing exercises allowing you to get feedback on your developing skills. You’ll graduate with an unmatched preparation to serve clients and community.
EXTERNSHIPS
AND
RESIDENCIES:
From summer 2018 through summer 2019, students were placed in
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RESIDENCIES
M ITC H E LL H A M LI N E C LI N I C S As part of the clinical program, students—under the supervision of full-time professors—take the lead on representing real clients who might not otherwise have access to an attorney. We offer the following clinics:
Scotty Ducharme ’19 had a case go to the Minnesota Court of Appeals in 2018 as part of his work with the Child Protection Clinic. Pictured with him are Natalie Netzel, far left, education and advocacy director of the Institute to Transform Child Protection, and Joanna Woolman, who leads the Child Protection Clinic and is executive director of the institute. Learn more about Scotty’s story at vimeo.com/mitchellhamline
BUSINESS LAW
INNOCENCE
CHILD PROTECTION
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
CIVIL ADVOCACY
LEGAL ASSISTANCE TO MINNESOTA PRISONERS
EMPLOYMENT DISCRIMINATION MEDIATION REPRESENTATION HEALTH LAW
MEDIATION REENTRY STATE PUBLIC DEFENDER POST-CONVICTION
IMMIGRATION LAW INDIAN LAW: IMPACT LITIGATION
“The law is certainly something we’ve got to think about, but it’s also something that in the end we’ve got to do. It’s great to read the DMV’s motor safety regulations, but there’s nothing like being out on the road if what you’re trying to do is learn how to drive.” PROFESSOR PETER KNAPP INTERIM PRESIDENT AND DEAN
From fall 2018 through summer 2019, 466 students logged 10,458 hours serving 3,262 clients through the Minnesota Justice Foundation. From 2016-2019, students volunteered more than 40,000 hours. Students have volunteered through MJF at locations in Minnesota: City attorney’s offices Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid Volunteer Lawyers Network Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Standpoint Services (SMRLS) LegalCORPS Public Health Law Center Council on American-Islamic Relations Public defender offices (state/federal) HOME Line Neighborhood Justice Center
Volunteer service in other states: Annunciation House (TX) Navajo Nation Dept. of Justice (AZ) Utah Legal Services Iowa Legal Aid Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services (TX) Montana Legal Services Association
LRAP Minnesota supports public interest attorneys who work in Minnesota or graduated from a Minnesota law school by providing grants to help them pay their student loans so they can focus on helping clients meet their essential needs and secure fundamental rights. LRAP-MN takes advantage of the federal loan repayment assistance programs to help Minnesota law graduates achieve full public service loan forgiveness. lrapmn.org
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HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE TO GIVE YOU A LEG UP. Lauren Durand ’18 • Was in the Blended learning program
• Clerkship with District Judge Sophia Vuelo ’98 in 2018 * Member of the Black Law Students Association at MH EXPERIENCES THAT SHAPE YOUR CAREER Lauren Durand entered Mitchell Hamline in the fall of 2015 with the goal of becoming a public defender. She began volunteering in the Self-Help Clinic as a 1L, worked as a clerk in the Ramsey County (Minnesota) Public Defender’s office as a 2L, and secured a clerkship with 2nd Judicial District Judge Sophia Vuelo, a Mitchell Hamline alum, in the spring of her 3L year. She graduated in the spring of 2018 and passed the bar exam that summer. In November 2018, she was able to fulfill the goal she set at the start of law school, taking a job as an assistant public defender with the Ramsey County Public Defender’s office.
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• Passed the Bar • Ramsey County Assistant Public Defender
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C A R E E R A N D P RO F E S S I O N A L D E VE LO P M E NT
The region’s largest alumni network, and a host of professional connections, give you the advantage in building a career. CUSTOMIZED CAREER PLANNING AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT We provide resources to assist you with every aspect of your professional development. Our J.D-credentialed counselors can help you identify your strengths, focus your career interests, and develop customized strategies for gaining valuable legal experience and pursuing a career that is meaningful to you. We offer a range of mentorship opportunities throughout your law school career. We connect you with attorneys practicing in areas you are interested in and provide guidance on how to develop those professional connections. We will help you identify employers in your geographic and professional areas of interest, develop effective resumes and other application materials, and prepare for interviews. EXTERNSHIPS AND RESIDENCIES We offer more than 200 externships with some of the most prestigious organizations around the country that allow you to earn credit outside of the law school by working with practicing attorneys in the community. Deeper, more intensive experiences at external sites are available through the residency program. Students work across a range of practice areas, including health law, business law, alternative dispute resolution, and criminal law. They also experience a variety of legal settings, working with public defenders to preserve the rights of the accused; with prosecutors to achieve just results in criminal cases; with state and county agencies to shape public policy and protect society’s most vulnerable; with federal, state, and tribal judges to ensure the judicial system is just; and with
MENTORS TO HELP SHOW YOU THE WAY Andrew Davis ’16 was paired with mentor Christopher Keyser ’08 in his first year of law school and stayed in touch. Davis calls Keyser’s influence “absolutely pivotal” in his decision to open a solo practice after he graduated. “He gave me the confidence to jump. I don’t know that I would have been confident enough to go out on my own had I not met Chris,” Davis said. Keyser said he’s happy to give back through mentoring. “There were attorneys who bridged the gap between law school and practice for me, so I’m happy to pay that experience forward.”
numerous other partners. Students in externships and residencies are supervised both by Mitchell Hamline faculty and by attorneys or judges in the field. FOUNDATIONS OF PRACTICE Through our Foundations of Practice curriculum, our faculty will help you explore the professional competencies and characteristics that lead to a satisfying and successful professional career. You will gain an understanding of the continually changing nature of the legal profession and the importance of the attorney’s role in serving clients and justice. With guidance from faculty, alumni, and practitioners, you will identify the skills, experiences, and values that you individually will bring to the profession and do the important work of defining your professional identity as a lawyer.
90% employment rate for the class of 2018 support + success
Includes alums who graduated between 9/1/17 and 8/31/18 and who were seeking and found work in all bar-passage required, J.D.-advantage, or professional positions, or who were pursuing an advanced degree full time within 10 months of their graduation.
Andrew Davis, right, and mentor Christopher Keyser
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LI F E AT M ITC H E LL H A M LI N E
ORIE NTATIO N W E E K THE CAMPUS EXPERIENCE Mitchell Hamline is located on historic Summit Avenue in the capital city of St. Paul, Minn. Summit Avenue features the longest stretch of preserved Victorian architecture in the country—perfect for strolling or biking. It’s been ranked as one of the best places in the state to view fall foliage. One street over is Grand Avenue, a destination for dining, shopping, and living. Students have the chance to participate in dozens of academic and cultural activities and groups. They form relationships and a deep feeling of community with their fellow students, regardless of which enrollment option they’re in. They can write for the law review as well as journals devoted to public policy and intellectual property law. And they can take part in more than 20 moot court and other competitions. Recent competition successes for our students include first place in Health Law Regulatory and Compliance in 2019, regional runner-up in Student Trial Advocacy in 2019, and regional winner in Student Trial Advocacy in 2018.
law + life L AW R E V I E W BAN QUE T
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LIVING IN THE TWIN CITIES Mitchell Hamline is just minutes by car or light rail from the downtowns of Minneapolis and St. Paul, which are home to state and federal government offices, top law firms, and Fortune 500 companies—all of which employ Mitchell Hamline graduates in leadership positions. Roughly 3.5 million people call the Twin Cities home, drawn to world-class attractions including professional teams in football, baseball, basketball, hockey, and soccer; an extensive network of parks, lakes, and trails; thriving nightlife; a burgeoning craft beer community; and plentiful theater offerings. St. Paul/Minneapolis was recently named the “Absolute Top” city in the country to live in, based on its multiple appearances on various “best of” lists.
MINNE A P O L IS
S T. PAUL
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W H Y D I D YOU C HOOS E TO GO TO L AW SCHOOL?
We are proud of who we are—a campus community of faculty, staff, students, and alums with the desire and drive to serve the legal profession. We come from many backgrounds, with nearly every possible back story, motivation, goal, and dream. Within our diversity of thought and opinion, we are a culture of empowerment, connection, and support. But it all begins with a choice—a decision to go to law school. So, why did our people choose to go to law school? These quotes, from an art gallery installation on the Mitchell Hamline campus, express the myriad experiences that color our Mitchell Hamline community.
What’s your story?
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A D M I S S I O N S I N F O R M ATI O N
W H Y M ITC H E LL H A M LI N E I S R I G HT F O R YO U An unmatched commitment to access that allows you to earn a law degree in a way that fits your life. Rigorous training focused on preparing you to practice law or to use your legal training in the profession of your choice. A comfortable, welcoming campus in the heart of a vibrant metropolitan area. The region’s largest network of alumni, made up of more than 20,000 graduates ready to advise, connect, and inspire you on your path to a career.
A P P LI C ATI O N C H EC KLI S T
At Mitchell Hamline, you’ll benefit from the experience we’ve gained over more than a century of educating students to be knowledgeable, skilled, confident lawyers. And you’ll grow with us as we pioneer new ways to teach the law in a changing world. You’ll get an education that’s great in theory, even better in practice.
ALL APPLICANTS
Take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) Register with the Credential Assembly Service (CAS) Official copies of your college transcripts sent to CAS
SCHEDULE A PERSONAL VISIT
CONTACT US
JOIN US AT AN INFORMATION SESSION
Letters of recommendation sent to CAS
Meet students, professors, and Admissions representatives. Tour campus. Sit in on a class. Envision yourself as a law student here.
Talk with an Admissions counselor, current student, or faculty member by phone or email to learn more about the application process and all that Mitchell Hamline has to offer.
We host several information sessions throughout the year. Come to campus or join us for an online session and learn more about how Mitchell Hamline can help you reach your goals.
NOTE: We prefer letters be less than two years old.
Complete an application for admission
Attach a personal statement
Attach a résumé
LEARN MORE ABOUT MITCHELL HAMLINE—IN PERSON, BY PHONE, OR ONLINE P : 651-290-6476 E : admissions@mitchellhamline.edu 875 S U M M IT AV E N U E , SA I NT PAU L , M N 5 5105 M ITC H E LLH A M LI N E . E D U
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Provide additional statements or addendums (as needed)
For additional information about transfer, visiting, and international applications, visit mitchellhamline.edu/admission/applying
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SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA