As one of the nation’s leaders in legal education, the University of Minnesota Law School offers students an innovative curriculum, extensive experiential learning opportunities, and the opportunity to learn from world-class faculty, renowned scholars with expertise in business law, criminal justice, international law, human rights, government ethics, and health law, among others, who challenge and prepare students to become outstanding advocates, advisors, and leaders for the region, the nation, and the world. Minnesota Law has one of the nation’s largest and most distinguished clinical education programs, as well as cutting-edge interdisciplinary and legal research centers, and extensive doctrinal and legal practice skills courses.

The University of Minnesota is located in the Twin Cities, at the heart of the University of Minnesota-TC campus. The Twin Cities are an economic, political, and cultural hub, home to 18 Fortune 500 companies, more than 125 law firms with 10 or more attorneys, 7 major sports teams, the Minnesota State Capitol, as well as federal, state, and immigration courts. As part of one of the largest research institutions in the world, Minnesota Law offers robust opportunities for interdisciplinary study throughout the university.

Minnesota Law is distinguished by a rigorous and collegial culture that emphasizes collaboration, public service, problem-solving, and leadership. The talented and diverse student body represents nearly 300 undergraduate institutions and hails from across the United States and many countries. Minnesota Law’s engaged alumni network spans every state and 70 countries around the globe.

Minnesota Law faculty have wide-ranging expertise that provides students with an academically rich and robust curriculum, integrating theory and doctrine with skills, ethics, and practice.

The University of Minnesota Law School faculty are prolific and influential scholars. Recently, members of the faculty have been awarded the American Law Institute’s Early Career Scholars Medal (awarded every other year to 1–2 outstanding law professors nationwide whose work has real world significance and the potential to reform the law), a Guggenheim Foundation fellowship, and multiple book awards. The faculty have also been asked to serve in wide-ranging national and international leadership roles, including the Administrative Conference of the United States; National Academies Committee on Science, Engineering, Medicine, and Public Policy; American Bar Association House of Delegates; the Council on Foreign Relations; and as the UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism.

In addition to their acclaimed scholarship and service, faculty members have an equally energetic passion for teaching and mentoring, which has earned them the respect and appreciation of their students. With an 8:1 student-to-faculty ratio, students have the ability to work closely alongside faculty, both inside and outside of the classroom.

Minnesota Law’s curriculum combines traditional doctrinal pedagogy with practical instruction. In the unique Law in Practice class, first-year students build on basic lawyering skills, doctrinal concepts, and ethical considerations to craft professional solutions to realistic problems. First-year students also have the opportunity to choose an elective from the rich curriculum in their second semester. Among the nation’s law schools, Minnesota has one of the smallest first-year writing section sizes (9–10 students) and is one of only a few schools with three years of required writing experiences. Upper-level students participate in a journal or competitive moot court.

Drawing on the strength of a being a part of a R1 research university, Minnesota Law offers qualified students dual or joint degrees with myriad graduate and professional schools. Especially noteworthy is the dual degree program in law, science, and technology, in which students can combine a JD with a PhD, MS, MA, MPH, MHA, or MD. Other dual-degree options include the JD/MBA and JD/MPP, although students can combine the JD with any graduate-level degree offered at the university. Students also have the opportunity to specialize their practice area by completing one of 11 concentrations, currently available in business law, civil litigation, criminal justice, environmental and energy law, family law, health law and bioethics, human rights law, immigration law, intellectual property and technology law, international law, and labor and employment law.

In addition to the JD program, the University of Minnesota Law School also offers a Master of Science in Patent Law Program and an LLM Program in Patent Law. For foreign lawyers, Minnesota Law offers LLM programs in American Law and Business Law, as well as a Doctor of Juridical Science