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.
The Law School conforms in most instances to the calendar established for the entire University. There are some differences, however, because the Law School operates on a different (and longer) semester system than the rest of the University.
Academic Year Calendar
Autumn Semester 2007
August 22-28 (Wednesday-Tuesday) Introductory Program
August 21 (Tuesday)Registration Finalization
August 27 (Monday) Classes Begin
September 3 (Monday) Labor Day (Holiday)
November 12 (Monday) Veterans’ Day (Holiday)
November 21-23 (Wednesday-Friday) Thanksgiving Holiday
Building Closed: Thursday, November 22
November 30 (Friday) Last day of classes
December 3-6 (Monday-Thursday) Reading period
December 7-19 (Friday-Wednesday) Final exams
Spring Semester 2008
January 18 (Friday) Registration Finalization
January 21 (Monday) Martin Luther King Jr. Day (Holiday)
January 22 (Tuesday) Classes begin
February 18 (Monday) President's Day (Holiday)
March 24-28 (Monday-Friday) Spring Vacation
Building Hours: Monday-Friday, 7:00am - 5:30am
Law Library Hours: Monday-Friday, 7:30am - 5:00am
April 29 (Tuesday) Last day of classes
April 30-May 5 (Wednesday-Monday) Reading period prior to exams
May 6-16 (Tuesday-Friday) Final exams
May 10 (Saturday)UM Commencement
May 17 (Saturday) Law School Hooding Ceremony
Required Curriculum
First Year
| 500 Civil Procedure I | 3 |
| Civil Procedure II | 2 |
| Contracts I | 3 |
| Contracts II | 2 |
| Pretrial Advocacy I | 2 |
| Pretrial Advocacy II | 1 |
| Legal Research | 2 |
| Legal Analysis | 1 |
| Legal Writing I | 3 |
| Criminal Law & Proc I | 2 |
| Criminal Law & Proc II | 3 |
| Torts I | 2 |
| Torts II | 3 |
Second Year
| Property I | 2 |
| Property II | 3 |
| Federal Tax (may be taken third year) | 3 |
| Business Organizations | 3 |
| Professional Responsibility | 3 |
| Business Transactions | 2 |
| Trial Practice | 2 |
| Constitutional Law | 4 |
| Evidence | 3 |
| Electives (see below) |
Third Year
(minimum of 4 credits required)| Clinical Training II | 1-8 |
| Clinical Training III | 1-6 |
| 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)
- American Indian Natural Resources (Law 619, 2credits)
- 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)
- Environmental Law (Law 650, 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 & Literature (Law 607, 1 credit)
- 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)
- 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)
- Trademark Law (Law 693, 2 credits)
- Tribal Courts/Tribal Law (Law 688, 3 credits)
- Tribal/State Relations (Law 694, 2 credits)
- UCC Articles 203 (Law 609, 3 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
- Raymond Cross, J.D., Yale University, 1973
- William F. Crowley, LL.M., New York University, 1951 (Emeritus)
- E. Edwin Eck II, LL.M., Georgetown University (Dean)
- Larry M. Elison, S.J.D.,University of Michigan,1962 (Emeritus)
- Cynthia Ford, J.D., Cornell Law School, 1978
- Gregory S. Munro, J.D., University of Montana, 1975
- Robert G. Natelson, J.D., Cornell Law School, 1973
- David J. Patterson, LL.M., University of Michigan, 1966
- 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
- Stacey Gordon, J.D., University of Montana, 2000
- Jeffrey T. Renz, J.D., University of Montana, 1979
Assistant Professors
- Phillip Cousineau, MLS., University of Texas, 1993
- Eduardo Capulong, J.D. City University of New York Law School, 1991
- Larry Howell, J.D., M.A., The University of Montana, 1992
- Kristen Juras, J.D., University of Georgia, 1982
- Andrew King-Ries, J.D., Washington University, 1993
- Elizabeth Krunk, J.D., University of Michigan, 2001
- John W. McDonald, J.D., University of Montana, 1961
- Jeffrey T Renz, J.D.,University of Montana, 1979
- Maylinn Smith, J.D., University of Montana, 1987
- Margaret A. Tonon, J.D., University of Montana, 1974
Adjunct Faculty
- David Aronofsky, J.D., University of Texas, 1982
- Klaus Sitte, J.D., University of Montana, 1972