E. Edwin Eck, Dean
Fritz Snyder, Associate Dean
The Law School is accredited by the American Bar Association and the Association of American Law Schools, and offers the degree of Juris Doctor (J.D.). Prerequisites for admission to the Law School are a baccalaureate degree and Law School Admission Test.
For detailed information concerning the Law School=s admission criteria, application procedures, facilities, and official course descriptions, consult the Law School Catalog, which may be obtained by calling (406)243-6169 or visiting the website www.umt.edu/law.
The Law School’s administrative regulations are contained in the Law School Student Handbook, which is on the website.
Academic Year Calendar
Autumn Semester 2004
- August 23-27 (Monday-Friday) Introductory Program
- August 2 0 (Friday)Registration Finalization
- August 24 (Tuesday) Classes Begin
- September 6 (Monday) Labor Day (Holiday)
- November 2 (Tuesday) Election Day (Holiday)
- November 11 (Thursday) Veterans’ Day (Holiday)
- November 24-26 (Wednesday Friday) Thanksgiving Holiday
- Building Closed: Thursday, November 25
- December 1 (Wednesday) Last day of classes
- December 2-7 (Thursday-Thuesday) Reading period
- December 8 18 (Wednesday-Saturday) Final exams
Spring Semester 2005
- January 17 (Monday) Martin Luther King Jr. Day (Holiday)
- January 21 (Friday) Registration Finalization
- January 24 (Monday) Classes begin
- February 21 (Monday) President’s Day (Holiday)
- March 21-25 (Monday-Friday) Spring Vacation
- Building Hours: Monday-Friday, 7:00am - 5:30am
- Law Library Hours: Monday-Friday, 7:30am - 5:00am
- May 2 (Monday) Last day of classes
- May 3 8 (Tuesday Sunday) Reading period prior to exams
- May 9 20 (Monday Friday) Final exams
- May 14 (Saturday)UM Commencement
- May 21 (Saturday) Law School Hooding Ceremony
Required Curriculum
| First Year | Credits |
| 500 Civil ProcedureI | 3 |
| 501 Civil Procedure II | 2 |
| 502 Contracts I | 3 |
| 503 Contracts II | 2 |
| 504 Pretrial Advocacy I | 2 |
| 505 Pretrial Advocacy II | 1 |
| 506 Legal Research | 2 |
| 508 Legal Analysis | 1 |
| 509 Legal Writing I | 3 |
| 510 Criminal Law & Proc I | 2 |
| 511 Criminal Law & Proc II | 3 |
| 512 Torts I | 2 |
| 513 Torts II | 3 |
| Second Year | Credits |
| 550 Property I | 2 |
| 551 Property II | 3 |
| 552 Federal Tax (may be taken third year) | 3 |
| 554 Business Organizations | 3 |
| 555 Professional Responsibility | 3 |
| 556 Business Transactions | 2 |
| 557 Trial Practice | 2 |
| 558 Constitutional Law | 4 |
| 560 Evidence | 3 |
| Electives (see below) | |
| Third Year (minimum of 4 credits required) | Credits |
| 599 Clinical Training II | 1-8 |
| 600 Clinical Training III | 1 6 |
| 601 Clinical Training IV | 1 6 |
| Electives (see below) |
Elective Courses
(Elective offerings vary from year to year)
- Administrative Law (Law 665, 3 credits)
- Advanced Criminal Procedure (Law 690, 2 credits)
- Advanced Environmental Law (Law 649, 3 credits)
- Advanced Legal Research (Law 615, 2 credits)
- Advanced Legal Issues in Education (Law 686, 3 credits)
- Advanced Legislation (Law 652, 2 credits)
- Advanced Federal Indian Law (Law 617, 2 credits)
- Advanced Public Land and Resources Law (Law 619, 2 credits)
- Advanced Trial Advocacy (Law 685, 1 credit)
- Agricultural Law (Law 656, 2 credits)
- Alternative Dispute Resolution (Law 614, 3 credits)
- Appellate Advocacy (Law 616, 3 credits)
- Bankruptcy (Law 621, 2 credits)
- Child Advocacy (Law 670, 2 credits)
- Client Counseling Team (Law 638, 2 credits)
- Conflict of Laws (Law 653, 2 credits)
- Consumer Transactions (Law 645, 3 credits)
- Copyright Law (Law 682, 3 credits)
- Cyber Law (Law 676, 2 credits)
- Disability Law (Law 668, 2 credits)
- Elder Law (Law 620, 3 credits)
- Employment Law (Law 622, 3 credits)
- Estate Planning (Law 659, 3 credits)
- Family Law (Law 669, 3 credits)
- Family Law Mediation (Law 672, 2 credits)
- Federal Courts (Law 671, 2 credits)
- Federal Indian Law (Law 648, 3 credits)
- First Amendment Seminar (Law 675, 2 credits)
- Gender and the Law (Law 625, 3 credits)
- Health Care Law (Law 637, 3 credits)
- Independent Study (Law 660/1, 1 2 credits)
- Insurance Law (Law 624, 3 credits)
- International Business & Trade (Law 629, 2 credits)
- Introduction to Environmental Law (Law 650, 3 credits)
- Land Use Planning (Law 687, 3 credits)
- Law & Technology (Law 693, 2 credits)
- Law Practice (Law 631, 1 credit)
- Law Reviews I, II, III, IV (Law 564/5, Law 602/3, 1 2 credits)
- Lawyers’ Values (Law 630, 2 credits)
- Legal History (Law 626, 2 credits)
- Local Government (Law 646, 3 credits)
- Moot Courts (Law 666, 2 credits)
- Montana Constitutional Law (Law 618, 2 credits)
- Natural Resource Development (Law 633, 3 credits)
- Natural Resource Dispute Resolution (Law 613, 3 credits)
- Negotiations (Law 641, 2 credits)
- Negotiation Team (Law 642, 2 credits)
- Non-profit Organizations (Law 674, 2 credits)
- Oil & Gas Law (Law 651, 2 credits)
- Patent Law (Law 627, 2 credits)
- Philosophy of Law (Law 664, 3 credits)
- Product Liability (Law 657, 2 credits)
- Public Interest Lawyering (Law 673, 3 credits)
- Public International Law (Law 634, 3 credits)
- Public Land and Resources Law (Law 654, 3 credits)
- Public Regulation of Business (Law 632, 3 credits)
- Real Estate Transactions (Law 658, 2 credits)
- Remedies (Law 628, 3 credits)
- Sales & Leases (Law 692, 3 credits)
- Secured Transactions (Law 636, 2 credits)
- Special Topics in Criminal Law (Law 667, 2 credits)
- Taxation of Business Organizations (Law 639, 4 credits)
- Taxation of Estates & Gifts (Law 655, 3 credits)
- Taxation of Property Transactions (Law 640, 2 credits)
- Tribal Courts/Tribal Law (Law 688, 3 credits)
- Tribal/State Relations (Law 694, 2 credits)
- Water Law (Law 663, 2 credits)
- White Collar Crime (Law 644, 2 credits)
- Workers’ Compensation (Law 662, 3 credits)
Faculty
Professors
Bari R. Burke, J.D., University of California, Davis, 1979
J. Martin Burke, LL.M., New York University, 1982
Scott J. Burnham, LL.M., New York University, 1981
William J. Corbett, LL.M., Harvard University, 1971
Gardner Cromwell, S.J.D.,University of Michigan,1958
(Emeritus)
Raymond Cross, J.D., Yale University, 1973
William F. Crowley, LL.M., New York University, 1951 (Emeritus)
E. Edwin Eck II, L.L.M., Georgetown University (Dean)
Larry M. Elison, S.J.D.,University of Michigan,1962 (Emeritus)
Cynthia Ford, J.D., Cornell Law School, 1978
John L. Horwich, J.D., Cornell Law School, 1975
Mark S. Kende, J.D.,University of Chicago, 1986 (on leave)
Mary Helen McNeal, J.D., University of Maryland, 1986
Gregory S. Munro, J.D., The University of Montana, 1975
Robert G. Natelson, J.D., Cornell Law School, 1973
David J. Patterson, LL.M., University of Michigan, 1966
Lester R. Rusoff, LL.M., University of Michigan, 1952 (Emeritus)
Fritz Snyder, J.D., Washburn School of Law, 1979 (Associate Dean)
Robert E. Sullivan, J.D., Notre Dame, 1946 (Dean Emeritus)
Associate Professors
Elaine Gagliardi, LL,M., New York University, 1990
Assistant Professors
Phillip Cousineau, MLS., University of Texas, 1993
Stacey Gordon, J.D., The University of Montana, 2000
Larry Howell, J.D., M.A., The University of Montana, 1992
Maylinn Smith, J.D., The University of Montana, 1987
Margaret A. Tonon, J.D., The University of Montana, 1974
Frances L. Wells, J.D., Southern Methodist Univ., 1973 (on leave)
Adjunct Faculty
David Aronofsky, J.D., University of Texas, 1982
Kristen Juras, J.D., University of Georgia, 1982
John W. McDonald, J.D., The University of Montana, 1961
Jeffrey T. Renz, J.D., The University of Montana, 1979
Klaus Sitte, J.D., The University of Montana, 1972