University of Iowa College of Law, Iowa City, IA
[By Heather Jung] In her letter to prospective students, Carolyn Jones, Dean of the University of Iowa College of Law, states that students and graduates of the College of Law “bring their values and sources of meaning gleaned from non-legal lives. What legal education can provide in addition is a sense of professionalism, of the value of service, and of the importance of one’s inner life-the exploration of possibilities and reflection upon one’s relationships with self, family, community, and the world.” The school is a place where students can not only learn the skills necessary to become a lawyer but also hone the skills they already possess.
Each year, approximately 220 students begin their law school careers as Ls. In 2006, the average GPA of entering students was 3.62, and the average LSAT score was 6. Students represented 96 undergraduate institutions and 39 states and foreign countries. The school was ranked 24th on Unlike most law schools, the University of Iowa does not have set dual degrees. Students at the College of Law are allowed to develop their own programs with most of the other graduate In addition to the traditional law school curriculum, students at the College of Law are offered a vast array of programs that supplement their legal educations, including clinics, achievement programs, dual-degree opportunities, study-abroad opportunities, and student-run organizations and publications. The College of Law’s clinical law programs give students hands-on and out-ofclassroom experience that will prove invaluable to them in their future careers. The program allows students to enroll once they have completed at least three semesters toward their J.D. degrees. The demand for the offered programs is so high that enrollment is determined by lottery. Some of the topics offered include assistive technology, consumer rights, criminal defense, disability rights, domestic violence, immigration, and workers’ rights. The Academic Achievement Program (AAP) is designed to help students during their transitions between their undergraduate and law school careers. While it is open to everyone, the AAP is designed to most effectively help Ls capitalize on their potential. It offers programs on test taking and effective study skills, as well as panel
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discussions on various aspects and areas of law. The AAP also organizes the First Year at Iowa (FYI) Mentoring Program, through which upperclassmen volunteer as mentors to groups of eight to 0 Ls.
of France and the European Union, and Comparative Constitutional Law. The third program is held in Bucerius, Germany, during the fall semester and lets students earn as many as 5 credits from a “variety of two-credit courses taught in English specially for the exchange students, as well as a research paper option.” Students with something to say can submit their work to one of the four student-edited law reviews and journals: Iowa Law Review,
U.S. News & World Report’s list of the top law schools.
colleges and departments at the university based on their individual interests. Through the program, students are able to receive their J.D. and master’s degrees by taking approximately 2 to 24 fewer credit hours than they would be required to take if they pursued the degrees separately. According to the school’s website, the most popular programs include: • • • • • • J.D./M.B.A. (Management) J.D./M.P.H. (Public Health) J.D./M.H.A. (Health Management and Policy) J.D./M.A. or M.S. (Urban and Regional Planning) J.D./M.A. (Journalism) J.D./Ph.D. (Communication Studies)
Journal of Corporation Law, Transnational Law & Contemporary Problems, and Journal of Gender, Race & Justice. While many students choose to write for the journals during their second years, many serve on the various boards during their third years.
More than 20 organizations are available for students to participate in, as well. These student-run organizations give their participants opportunities to connect with other law students with similar points of interest. Some of the organizations available are the American Constitution Society, the Federalist Society, Law Students for Choice, the Organization for Women Law Students and Staff, and Phi Alpha Delta. On the net University of Iowa College of Law www.law.uiowa.edu Academic Achievement Program www.law.uiowa.edu/academics/academicachievement.php
The College of Law offers three study-abroad programs for students. The London Law Consortium is held in conjunction with five other law schools, with the University of Iowa serving as the program administrator. Courses offered cover the UK and European Union legal systems. The program in Arcachon, France, enables participants to study international and comparative law. Courses include Law in the Muslim World, Introduction to the Law