MAILING ADDRESS Boyd Law Building Iowa City, IA WEBSITE

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1 RANK 27 University of Iowa College of Law MAILING ADDRESS Boyd Law Building Iowa City, IA MAIN PHONE WEBSITE REGISTRAR S PHONE ADMISSIONS PHONE CAREER SERVICES PHONE Overview 5-7 The most successful and effective lawyers are true counselors, offering clients incisive analysis, clear-eyed yet compassionate understanding, and creative problem solving. The world needs more lawyers who embrace the role of counselor, and Iowa Law offers the best possible environment for producing them. Students play a central role in the academic and professional life of Iowa Law. Seven student-run, co-curriculum programs award academic credit for a variety of professional skills training exercises. There are more than 20 recognized student organizations within the law school, many of which actively work to enhance the professional and cultural opportunities available to students and to organize volunteer projects to provide pro bono community services. Iowa Law graduates are more than advocates and attorneys; they are trusted counselors at law for their clients, colleagues, and communities. Student-Faculty Ratio 8 9.5:1 Admission Criteria 9 LSAT GPA 25th 75th Percentile Median* The above LSAT and GPA data pertain to the 2013 entering class. *Medians have been calculated by averaging the 25th- and 75th-percentile values released by the law schools and have been rounded up to the nearest whole number for LSAT scores and to the nearest one-hundredth for GPAs. 1

2 Admission Statistics 10 Approximate number of applications 792 Number accepted 412 Percentage accepted 3.59 The above admission details are based on 2013 data. Class Ranking and Grades Students are not ranked until they complete their first year of study. Thereafter, rankings are done at the end of every semester and summer session. Grades are awarded on a scale of 1.5 to 4.3. No academic credit is given for a grade below 1.8 or for a grade of Fail. A 2.1 average (the lowest C average) is required for retention and graduation. A numerical grade may be translated into a letter grade for purposes of comparison as follows: A A A B B B C C D F Faculty supervisors and instructors are required to assign a numerical grade (i.e., between 1.5 and 1.7) for Pass/Fail grades, which can apply for certain classes or writing activities. Grade Normalization (Curve) 14 Grade Distribution Policy (effective September 2006) The following grading norms apply: A %, with a norm of 2.5% A %, with a norm of 7.5% A %, with a norm of 15% B %, with a norm of 25% B %, with a norm of 25% 2

3 B %, with a norm of 15% C %, with a norm of 7.5% C, D, F 2.3 and under 0-5%, with a norm of 2.5% When awarding grades at the extremes of the scale (i.e., A+ grades or D/F grades), faculty members must exercise their own judgment concerning what performances are outstanding ( A+ ) or seriously deficient ( D, F ). To the extent a faculty member s grades at the extremes are below the distributional norms, the distribution of grades at adjacent grade levels can be adjusted to achieve the overall distributional norms of 25% of grades at the A+/A/A- level and 25% of grades at B- or below. LAWR and Upper-Level Courses For LAWR and upper-level courses with fewer than 30 students in which the final grade is based primarily on a final exam, an alternative curve is mandatory. The median grade in such courses shall be between 3.2 and 3.4 with the following distribution: A+/A/A % B % B % B-/C+/C/D/F 2.9 and below 15-35% The curve is not applicable in upper-level seminars and other upper-level classes in which a student s grade is based primarily on the student s performance on graded skills-oriented tasks (including writing) other than a final exam. Honors 15 Honor Order of the Coif Highest Distinction High Distinction Distinction Criteria top 10% of graduating class cumulative weighted average of 3.9 or more top 12.5% of graduating class top 37.5% of graduating class s 16 Name of Hancher-Finkbine Medallion Philip G. Hubbard Human Rights John F. Murray ed for/to For outstanding learning, leadership, and loyalty. For outstanding contributions to human rights and to equal opportunity. For the highest academic standing in the graduating class. 3

4 s for Outstanding Scholastic Achievement The Iowa State Bar Association Prize The Donald P. Lay Faculty Recognition The Alan I. Widiss Faculty Scholar International Academy of Trial Lawyers The Robert S. Hunt Legal History The Randy J. Holland The Antonia D.J. Miller The Michelle R. Bennett Client Representation The Russell Goldman The National Association of Women Lawyers The Iowa College of Law Appellate Advocacy The International Academy of Trial Lawyers The Iowa Academy of Trial Lawyers The Erich D. Mathias The ALI/ABA Scholarship and Leadership The ABA/BNA The American Bankruptcy Institute Medal for Excellence in Bankruptcy Studies For outstanding performance in both the academic and cocurricular programs of the College. For a student with the attitude, ability, and other qualities that indicate success as a future leader of the Iowa Bar. For the student who has made distinctive contributions to the College of Law community, the College s educational programs, or the College s cocurricular programs. For outstanding achievement in appellate advocacy. For the most outstanding and distinctive scholarly paper. For an outstanding scholarly paper in the field of legal history. For the best scholarly paper on corporate law. For outstanding contributions to the advancement of human rights in the law school community. For outstanding service in the College s clinic program. For the member of the graduating class who has the most improved academic performance after the first year. For an outstanding third-year student who has contributed to the advancement of women in society and women in the legal profession and who has attained high academic achievement. For outstanding achievement in appellate advocacy. For distinguished trial advocacy skills. For the most outstanding student advocate in the Roy L. Stephenson Trial Advocacy Competition. For commitment to attaining international social, economic, and cultural justice by a third year student. For the student who best represents a combination of scholarship and leadership and the qualities embodied by the American Bar Association and the American Law Institute. For excellence in the study of Intellectual Property Law. For excellence in bankruptcy studies. 4

5 The Willard Sandy Boyd Law Prize The Dean s Achievement The College s nomination for the Burton The ABA-Bloomberg BNA For outstanding ability and creativity in the development of written legal scholarship. For a student who, through his or her achievements, has exemplified, promoted, or contributed to cultural, racial, or ethnic diversity in the law school. For a student in recognition of a clear, concise, and comprehensive legal writing style. For excellence in the areas of Labor and Employment, Intellectual Property and Health Law. Journals 17 The Iowa Law Review analyzes developments in the law and suggests future paths for the law to follow. Since 1935, students have edited and managed the Law Review, which is published five times annually. The Law Review ranks high among the top high impact legal periodicals in the country, and its subscribers include legal practitioners and law libraries throughout the world. 18 The Journal of Corporation Law is the nation s oldest student-published legal periodical specializing in corporate law. The Journal enjoys a large and influential audience worldwide. The Journal currently is received by every accredited law school library in the United States, two-thirds of the one hundred largest law firms in the country, and approximately forty percent of the largest two hundred fifty firms. The Journal is also received by many federal agencies such as the Securities Exchange Commission, the National Labor Relations Board, and most federal courts. 19 Transnational Law & Contemporary Problems is a multi-disciplinary journal. It is student-edited and publishes two issues per year. One issue takes the form of a symposium addressing specific topics. The symposium-based issue is guest-edited by a legal scholar noted for his or her work on the symposium topic. The other yearly issue is submissions-based. TLCP addresses issues and problems that transcend national political boundaries, presenting to the international and comparative law communities matters not commonly found in other journals. 20 The Journal of Gender, Race & Justice is not for the weak of heart or the timid in spirit. The Journal focuses on feminist inquiry, critical race analysis, and new forms of analysis that reach beyond traditional conceptions of legal thought. The Journal challenges its writers and readers to question themselves and how the law defines them. Through the Journal s symposium, the Journal tests, shapes, and strengthens scholarship by bringing a myriad of experiences into the realm of legal thought. The goal is to rub ideas together, watch sparks fly, and build alliances. 21 Moot Court 22 The Moot Court Board consists of approximately 16 student judges and an executive board consisting of approximately seven members. The Moot Court Board operates under the guidance of a faculty advisor. All advocates successfully completing in moot court and in any spring appellate advocacy program (i.e., Domestic or Jessup Competition) are eligible for election to the Moot Court Executive Board. Appellate Advocacy The Appellate Advocacy program is designed to give second-year students a chance to prepare and 5

6 argue an interrelated question of law and fact in an adversarial setting. In September, advocates begin a ten-week process of researching and brief writing that culminates in oral presentations. Top advocates are eligible to participate in the spring competitions (Van Oosterhout-Baskerville and Jessup Competitions). Van Oosterhout-Baskerville Domestic Competition The Van Oosterhout-Baskerville Domestic Competition was established in honor of Richard Baskerville, a 1959 University of Iowa College of Law graduate, and Martin Van Oosterhout, a 1924 University of Iowa College of Law graduate and former Chief Justice of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. Participation in the competition is restricted to the top 32 advocates of AAI who express a desire to compete in a domestic law competition. This competition is designed to sharpen the skills of the student advocate. Each advocate writes 14 pages for his or her portion of the brief and participates in four oral arguments. Advocates argue not only the issue and side on which they write their briefs, but also the other three sides of the problem. That is, advocates argue four rounds, a different side each round: on-issue/on-brief, on-issue/off-brief, off-issue/on-brief, and off-issue/ off-brief. The top four scorers in the initial rounds are selected to argue in a final round before a respected panel of jurists. The top six advocates of the domestic competition form the National Moot Court Team in the fall semester of the following academic year. In addition, the two top advocates and the two top oralists (those with the highest oral argument scores) have the opportunity to perform oral arguments before the Iowa Supreme Court during the College of Law s annual Iowa Supreme Court Day during the fall semester. Iowa students also have the chance to participate in the Jessup International Moot Court Competition and on the National Moor Court Team. Clinical Programs 23 The College of Law s Clinical Law Programs reflect the richness and diversity of modern law practice and the College of Law s commitment to clinical education. The clinic operates like a law firm within the walls of the Boyd Law Building, offering students the opportunity to put their legal skills to use in a variety of practice areas and venues. Practice areas include consumer rights, criminal defense, disability rights and policy, domestic violence, immigration, international human rights, juvenile court matters, and workers rights. Student interns work on cases supervised by full-time faculty members, and have primary responsibility for the representation of their clients at all stages of the legal process, including interviewing and counseling, negotiation, fact investigation, depositions, drafting and briefing, and courtroom appearances. Most interns each semester have an opportunity to argue cases before various state and federal trial or appellate courts, or before administrative agencies. Students also provide basic estate planning, document-drafting, and other transactional services to clients. Some projects involve interns partnering with grassroots organizations, non-profits, businesses, and public officials to solve recurring and systemic problems that cannot be adequately addressed through litigation or traditional legal methods. Placement Facts 24 Starting Salaries (2012 Graduates Employed Full-Time) Private sector (25th-75th percentile) $50,000 - $100,000 Private sector - Median $75,000 6

7 Public service - Median $51,000 Employment Details Graduates known to be employed at graduation 56.8% Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation 77.3% Areas of Legal Practice Graduates Employed In Percentage Law Firms 43.1% Business and Industry 20.7% Government 16.7% Judicial Clerkships 12.1% Public Interest Organizations 4.6% Academia 2.9% Unknown 0.% Externships/Internships 25 Judicial Clerkships Iowa s Career Services Office helps students secure clerkships in federal and state courts, at trial and appellate courts, and at specialty courts. Student Organizations 26 Alternative Dispute Resolution Society (ADR) American Constitution Society Environmental Law Society Equal Justice Foundation Intellectual Property Law Society (IPLS) International Law Society (ILS) Iowa Campaign for Human Rights (ICHR) Law Students for Reproductive Justice Military and National Security Law Society Pro Bono Society Sports Law Society The Federalist Society Iowa Student Bar Association (Student Government) Phi Alpha Delta (PAD) Phi Delta Phi (PHIDs) Asian Pacific American Law Students Association (APALSA) Black Law Students Association (BLSA) Christian Legal Society J. Reuben Clark Law Society Jewish Law Students Association 7

8 Latino Law Students Association Middle Eastern Law Students Association (MELSA) Native American Law Students Association (NALSA) Organization for Women Law Students and Staff (OWLSS) The Outlaws (LGBT) References (page 18) (page 19, 20) (page 18, 19) (page 24, 25) (page 25, 26)