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The University of South Dakota School of Law has one of the more favorable student-faculty ratios in American legal education. While the number may change slightly each year, usually approximately 75% of USD Law's upper-level courses have 35 or fewer students. Our students derive a direct benefit from this small-sized, responsive and encouraging environment. The total enrollment in The University of South Dakota School of Law is approximately 240 students, which contributes to the quality of legal education. It also facilitates the development of close associations among the members of the Law School community and creates a setting in which individual student questions and concerns can be addressed. Students, faculty, administration, and staff become well-acquainted and develop enduring friendships with one another.
The faculty of 15 full-time professors, in addition to several adjunct instructors, are readily available to visit with students and exchange ideas, study law, and meet the rigorous challenges inherent in legal education. The Deans and library director also teach regularly. Student participation in the classroom is the norm, as is individualized professional/career development assistance.
A primary objective of the Law School curriculum is to develop analytical and other skills that are fundamental for the legal profession. The faculty employ a variety of pedagogical techniques to achieve that objective, including Socratic dialogue, the case method, lecture, and simulation. The curriculum is designed to familiarize students with basic legal doctrines and to instill the values of the legal profession and the judicial system.
Students also have the opportunity to participate in a wide variety of co-curricular activities at local, regional, and national levels. These student activities complement the formal components of the curriculum and promote the development of legal skills. Skill building activities include, but are not limited to, participation in the South Dakota Law Review, Moot Court Board, Alternative Dispute Resolution Board, and Trial Team.
The mission of the University of South Dakota School of Law is to prepare the lawyers and judges who will administer the Federal, state, and American Indian Tribal Justice systems in South Dakota and to provide a legal education to South Dakota residents, along with nonresidents who choose to attend the school, which will serve as a solid foundation for the practice of law or other professional careers anywhere in the world.
