The Alexander Blewett III School of Law is a law school at the University of Montana in Missoula. It was established in 1911 and remains Montana's only law school., the school accepted 83 applicants. In 2009, National Jurist magazine ranked the school 6 in best value nationally, with its graduates passing the bar at a rate of 95%. The school has been praised for its innovative integration of theory and practice.HistoryThe school was established in 1911 as the first law school in Montana. It originally covered three academic years and gave special attention to the practice of court work, procedure, mining, and irrigation law in addition to the practice of law in Montana and the Western states in general. It was admitted to membership in the Association of American Law Schools in 1914 and by the American Bar Association (ABA) in 1923.StudiesThe school offers concentrations in the areas of trial advocacy and dispute resolution, Indian law, and business and tax law. As Montana is home to seven Indian Reservations, the school's Indian law courses, Indian law clinic, and Native American Law Student Association provide opportunities for students to learn about and participate in the administration of justice for Native Americans. The school publishes the Montana Law Review.Many students enroll in the natural resource and environmental law courses where the school offers a certificate program in Environmental and Natural Resource Law, natural resource clinics, and opportunities to participate on the Public Land and Resources Law Review.
