STRENGTH
FORWARD
HISTORY
THINKING
Since1883
For 141 years, Willamette has educated the next generation of problemsolving lawyers and leaders.
WELL ROUNDED APPROACH EDUCATION to a
SHAPING Your FUTURE
We are producing the next generation of problem solvers, community leaders, legal dealmakers, and changemakers in the most innovative region of the country. As one of the nation’s top experiential law schools, we give you a solid foundation upon which to build a career full of meaning and purpose.
Our student-centric approach manifests in the robust experiential learning opportunities we provide. Through clinics, externships, innovative simulation-based courses, and leadership in new licensure pathways, we are dedicated to preparing you for real-world legal success.
SIGNATURE
STRENGTHS
Willamette Law develops the next generation of problem-solving lawyers and leaders dedicated to serving their communities and the legal profession.
FIND YOUR FUTURE
BUSINESS LAW
We are committed to providing students with the legal, ethical and practical skills necessary to mature into problem-solving lawyers able to advise and represent businesses and organizations in an increasingly complex environment. Students have opportunities to learn from and work alongside national leaders in the fields of Business Transactions, Estate Planning & Elder Law, Intellectual Property, Labor & Employment Law, and Real Estate Transactions.
INTERNATIONAL LAW
Our graduates will make critical decisions that transcend the boundaries of a national legal system. Building on our deep and historic strengths in teaching and scholarship of international law, we instill in our students the confidence needed to help clients find clarity amid global complexity. Our focus areas include Comparative Law, Foreign Relations Law, Immigration & Refugee Law, International Business Transactions, International Criminal Law, Private International Law, and Public International Law.
ADVOCACY
With numerous leading jurists on the faculty, Willamette’s trial advocacy program is known for producing confident, courtroom-ready graduates with the ability to face litigation challenges — wherever they may arise in their careers — when the stakes are highest. Our focus areas include Family Law, Mediation & Arbitration, Personal, Injury, and Trial & Litigation.
PUBLIC SERVICE
We train servant-leaders in a state capital packed with legislators and judges, offering hundreds of externships. Our alumni have risen to serve as distinguished jurists in roles such as state bar leaders, judges, state supreme court justices, US Attorneys, governors, and members of Congress. Our focus areas include Civil Rights, Criminal Defense & Prosecution, Criminal Justice & Sentencing, Election Law, Environment Law & Justice, Government Service & Regulation, and State & Federal Constitutional Law.
HEALTH LAW
Capitalizing on our proximity to Salem Health and Oregon Health and Science University, and with our undergraduate focus in public health, we are developing healthcare industry leaders with the expertise necessary to deliver legal certainty in the complex and rapidly changing field of health law. Our focus areas include Disability Law and Public Health Law.
ENTERING Class size
AVERAGE Age of Students STATES Represented MAJORS Represented EACH
121 26 23 41 RATIO OF Students to Teachers 11:1
2023 by the NUMBERS
We select the best and the brightest from around the world, giving us the most diverse student body in the state that represents a range of languages, cultures, interests, hometowns and expertise.
STUDENT
body breakdown
152
MEDIAN LSAT
3.26
MEDIAN GPA
STUDENTS OF COLOR
THREE YEAR Employment Summary
LONG TERM
Bar passage required and JD advantage
EMPLOYMENT
Including non-legal jobs, short-term and part-time positions
CENTER LEARN at the 58
Shape the future of law - right where it’s being made. Our Salem campus is steps away from the Oregon State Capitol and Supreme Court, as well as in the heart of career-building opportunities enabling students to immerse themselves in hands-on legal practice.
In the heart of Oregon’s Willamette Valley, Salem offers vibrant culture, a thriving arts scene, and a picturesque downtown. An outdoor enthusiasts’ paradise, Salem is home to pristine parks, local biking trails, and kayaking adventures. The perfect balance of nature and culture is right outside your door.
MILES to Mount Hood
MILES to the Oregon Coast
SALEM, OREGON
1. OREGON STATE CAPITOL
4. MARION COUNTY DISTRICT COURT
OREGON SUPREME COURT, OREGON COURT OF APPEALS, DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE & OREGON TAX COURT
WILLAMETTE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF LAW
DEEPLY COMMITTED SUCCESS
BE MENTORED by THE BEST
Our faculty includes nationally recognized scholars, seasoned practitioners, and former and current judiciary members who serve as teachers and mentors. They are at the cutting edge of experiential education, infusing their courses with handson learning experiences and brining the law to life in their classrooms.
Our small class sizes ensure personalized guidance tailored to each student’s journey. Faculty bring a wealth of experience, knowledge, and an unwavering dedication to making a difference in society, placing justice, fairness, and equality at the heart of everything they do. Our exceptional faculty members embody a commitment to excellence in teaching, research, and community engagement.
EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING
JURIS DOCTOR (JD) The Juris Doctor is a three-year professional degree required for taking the bar exam and practicing law in the United States. We offer the program on both a part-time and full-time basis.
JD/MBA JOINT DEGREE Graduates receive both a JD from the College of Law and an MBA from Willamette’s Atkinson Graduate School of Management.
MASTER OF LAW (LLM) For those who have completed thier JD, Willamette offers a one-year general Master of Laws (LLM) with six concentration options.
MASTER OF LEGAL STUDIES (MLS)
Willamette’s Master of Legal Studies (MLS) Program is a one-year master’s program designed for professionals whose job involves working within a legal or regulatory framework.
6 CERTIFICATE PROGRAMS
Gain unique and comprehensive training in one of six specialty areas offered through our Certificate Programs: Law & Business, Advocacy & Dispute Resolution, Law & Government, Sustainability Law, International Law, and Health Law.
CLINICAL LAW PROGRAM
Law students have the opportunity to gain professional experience through our Clinical Law Program. The three clinics offered at Willamette Law — Criminal Defense, Immigration, and Trusts and Estates — give second- and third-year students the chance to help real clients navigate a variety of legal matters. Under the supervision of licensed professionals, students develop transferable skills and promote a more just society.
EXTERNSHIPS
Students earn academic credit while working under the supervision of a -practicing attorney. Willamette students have enjoyed externships with local, national and international hosts in a variety of legal settings that fit their interests. Willamette Law offers an immersion externship program giving third year law students the opportunity to extern across the country their final semester of law school.
GROUNDBREAKING NEW ATTORNEY LICENSURE PATHWAYS
Oregon offers a first of its kind new pathway to attorney licensure beyond the traditional bar exam. The new Supervised Practice Portfolio Examination (SPPE) enables the Oregon State Bar to admit law school graduates to practice upon successful completion of 675 hours of practice under the supervision of an experienced attorney. Students also have the unique opportunity to complete 100 of these hours during law school.
LAW JOURNALS
• Willamette Law Review
• Willamette Law Online
• Willamette Journal of International Law & Dispute Resolution
PREPARE PRACTICEto
Tour our campus, talk to faculty and students, explore our academic environment and get to know our community.
APPLY:
Willamette Law’s early deadline is December 1. Our final application deadline is August 1, but we suggest you apply early in the admissions cycle (September - April).
There is no application fee. Apply with an LSAT or GRE score.
TO APPLY PLEASE VISIT:
willamette.edu/law/admissions/apply
OFFICE: 245 Winter St SE, Salem, OR 97301
EMAIL: law-admissions@willamette.edu
CALL: 503-370-6282