University of Montana law school ranked No. 7 nationally for best value

National Jurist’s PreLaw Magazine ranked the University of Montana’s Alexander Blewett III School of Law No. 7 in the nation on its 2021 list of Best Value Law Schools, according to a news release from the University of Montana.

The ranking uses a formula incorporating the rate of employment after graduation, bar passage rate, tuition costs, living expenses and the average debt students accrue, UM said. It recognizes schools that graduate students who excel at passing the bar and landing jobs without taking on excessive debt.

“With low tuition costs, UM’s law school brings legal education into reach for many students, helping them accumulate minimal debt while receiving a practical education for which the school is known,” UM said in the news release.

UM law students counted a first-time bar passage rate of 92% in 2020, and 30.4% of 2020 graduates placed in judicial clerkships –  which UM said also ranks No. 7 nationally, according to PreLaw Magazine.

“The program is affordable, but more importantly, the faculty engage with us and encourage us to build strong connections with each other and the legal community,” said second-year law student Stephan Licetra in a statement provided by UM. “They are building professional, practical lawyers who will serve their communities well.”

“The smaller class sizes and intentional emphasis on wellness practices has allowed me to build relationships with our amazing faculty and staff,” said Haleigh Thrall in a statement from UM; Thrall is a mom to three school-aged children who is completing her third year of law school at UM. “It has been crucial to my success both professionally and as a working parent.”

Visit https://www.nationaljurist.com/content/prelaw-magazine for more information about PreLaw Magazine. To learn more about the Blewett School of Law, go to https://www.umt.edu/law.