School of Law
Irma S. Russell, Dean
Andrew King-Ries, 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 Law School website.
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
Access the Law School Academic Calendar on the Law School calendar weg page.
Required Curriculum
| First Year | Credits |
|---|---|
| 500 Civil Procedure I | 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 | Credits |
| (minimum of 4 credits required) | |
| 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)
- 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)
- Foundations of Natural Resources Conflict Resolution (Law 613, 3 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)
- 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)
- Practicum in Natural Resources Conflict Resolution
- 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)
Stacey Gordon
Assistant Professor
Contact
- Office: Law 167
- Phone: (406) 243-6808
- Email: stacey.gordon@umontana.edu
Personal Summary
Professor Gordon is the Associate Law Librarian for Public Services in the Jameson Law Library. She teaches several courses: Legal Research, Advanced Legal Research, Environmental Law Research, International Law Research and Animal Law. During the summer session, Professor Gordon teaches Indian Law Research as part of the University’s Summer Indian Law Program. Professor Gordon is a frequent CLE presenter on the topic of electronic legal research. Her book, Online Legal Research: A Guide to Legal Research Services and Other Internet Tools, was published in 2003 by William. S. Hein & Co. She is currently researching and writing about an animal law issue involving the Montana Constitution. She is the advisor of the law school’s new chapter of the Student Animal Legal Defense Fund.
Professor Gordon is a graduate of Eastern Washington University, the University of Washington School of Library and Information Science, and The University of Montana School of Law, where she was a member of the Jessup International Moot Court team and served as business editor of the Public Lands and Resources Law Review. Before coming here, she was the Library Director at Salish Kootenai College.
In addition to her work in the law school, Professor Gordon serves on The University of Montana Faculty Senate and has served on the Executive Committee of the Senate. She serves as Vice-President of the Montana Legal Services Association Board, and Secretary of the Board of the Humane Society of Western Montana. Her pro bono and volunteer work focuses on assisting pro selitigants with family law issues and consulting on animal law issues. She is also a HOPE foster parent for the Humane Society of Western Montana and always has a house full of animals in need of permanent homes.
Courses Taught
Publications
BOOKS
Online Legal Research: A Guide to Legal Research Services and Other Internet Tools (William. S. Hein & Co. 2003).
ARTICLES
Lost Legislative Intent: What Will Montanans Do When the Meaning Isn’t Plain? 70 Mont. L. Rev. 1 (2009) (with Helia Jazayeri).
Update XXV: What’s New on Westlaw, Lexis, Hein Online and Loislaw, 28 Leg. Info. Alert 1 (Jan. 2009).
Update XXIV: Part II: What’s New on Westlaw and Hein Online, 27 Leg. Info. Alert 1 (Nov./Dec. 2007).
Update XXIV: Part I: What’s New on Lexis and Loislaw, 27 Leg. Info. Alert 1 (Oct. 2007).
Specialized Legal Research: My Experience in Developing Courses, 26 Leg. Info. Alert 1 (2007).
A Better Tradition: Why Law Reviews Should Adopt a New Citation Format, 68 Mont. L. Rev. 175 (2007).
Update XXIII: Part 2: What’s New on Lexis and Loislaw, 25 Leg. Info. Alert 1 (Nov./Dec. 2006).
Update XXIII: Part 1: What’s New on Westlaw, and Hein Online, 25 Leg. Info. Alert 1 (Oct. 2006).
Update XXII: What’s New on Lexis, Westlaw, Loislaw and Versuslaw, 24 Leg. Info. Alert 1 (Nov./Dec. 2005).
Travels with Scarlet: Continuing Education Montana Style, 24 Leg. Info. Alert 1 (Apr. 2005).
Update XXI: What’s New on Lexis, Westlaw, Loislaw and Versuslaw, 23 Leg. Info. Alert 1 (Nov./Dec. 2004).
Football and CLE, 23 Leg. Info. Alert 1 (Oct. 2004).
Update XX: What’s New on Lexis, Westlaw, Loislaw and Versuslaw, 22 Leg. Info. Alert 1 (Nov./Dec. 2003).
CALR Update: Catching Up with the Big Four, 23 Research Advisor 1 (Apr. 2003).
Update XIX: What’s New on Lexis, Westlaw, Loislaw and VersusLaw, 21 Leg. Info. Alert 1 (Nov./Dec. 2002).
Legal Citation in Montana, 28 Mont. Law. 7 (Sept. 2002).
Update XVIII: What’s New on Lexis, Westlaw, Loislaw and VersusLaw, 20 Leg. Info. Alert 1 (Nov./Dec. 2001).
Update XVII: What’s New on Lexis, Westlaw, Loislaw, and Versuslaw, 19 Leg. Info. Alert 1 (Nov./Dec. 2000) (with Fritz Snyder)
BOOK REVIEWS
Jill J. Ramsfield, Culture to Culture: A Guide to U.S. Legal Writing (Carolina Academic Press 2005) in 25 Leg. Info. Alert 12 (Sept. 2006).
The Other Side of the Dam Story: A Review of Coyote Warrior, 26 Pub. Lands & Resources L. Rev. 163 (2005).
Paul VanDevelder, Coyote Warrior (Little, Brown 2004) in 30 Mont. Law. 30 (Oct. 2004).
Legal Affairs (Lincoln Kaplan, ed.) in 22 Leg. Info. Alert 11 (Sept. 2003).
International Law and Indigenous Peoples (S. James Anaya, ed., Ashgate 2003) in 22 Leg. Info. Alert 13 (June 2003).
Stephen L. Carter, Emporer of Ocean Park (Alfred A. Knopf 2002) in 28 Mont. Law.30 (Mar. 2003).
Larry Elison & Fritz Snyder, The Montana State Constitution: A Reference Guide (Greenwood Press 2001) in 28 Mont. Law. 30 (Jan. 2003).
OTHER PUBLICATIONS
Stacey Gordon, Tribal College Journal Index: Volumes 1-8, 1989-1997 (Am. Indian Higher Educ. Consortium 1997).