University of North Dakota - School of Law

Law students at the University of North Dakota love that they can receive a “good education-” one replete with “personal attention,” all at a relatively “low cost.” Though the academics are “challenging,” they are “[absent of] the cutthroat environment” so often prevalent at other law schools. This can partially be attributed to the fact that “UND has largely abandoned the traditional socratic method [in favor of] giv[ing]...professors [the] freedom to teach how they best see fit.”

Regardless of their chosen methods, law professors at North Dakota seem to be universally adored. And why shouldn’t they be? After all, they “are not only passionate...about their subject matter but they are easily accessible.” Indeed, they “make an effort to be available to students to help [them] with any concerns [they] might have.” Most faculty members are even “willing to work with your schedule to accommodate a meeting time.” Just as vital, UND professors are often “very encouraging.”

Additionally, many students rush to highlight the externship program, noting that it’s “one of the best things UND has to offer.” This is largely due to the fact that the law school maintains “partnership[s] with organizations across the state.” In turn, this makes it incredibly “easy to gain real life legal experience before graduation.” Students also applaud the “wide variety of Indian Law classes” available and note that “the faculty who teach those [courses] are [well-]known in the field. However, they bemoan the fact that “electives outside of Indian Law are very limited.”

The dearth of electives is the unfortunate result of “recent budget cuts [that forced] the administration [to cut] quality programs and remov[e] adjunct professors.” As this student shares with a resounding sigh, “When I enrolled at the school there were numerous options for specialization classes, and those have since been taken away...The school reduced the amount of capped enrollment/experiential classes because of budget cuts, and are not willing to hire an adjunct, or find any alternatives for students.” Fortunately, these budget cuts don’t seem to have affected UND’s facilities. Students deem both the classrooms and the library to be “excellent.”

There’s no denying that a “strong community feel” reverberates through the halls of UND Law School. Some individuals attribute this to the simple fact that North Dakota is a “small state.” Hence, the majority of students here “will be working with [their] classmates for the rest of their lives.” Of course, no matter the reason, everyone benefits from an environment that’s both “cooperative” and exceedingly “friendly.” For example, 2Ls and 3Ls routinely “share [their] outlines” and students “are quick to offer tips and tricks on specific classes” in general.

Importantly, “there are numerous student groups” with which you can get involved. And the law school itself hosts countless “social events...that have great turnouts and provide a fun and welcoming experience for new students.” For example, lots of people enjoy participating in “the malpractice bowl [wherein the law school] plays the med school in a flag football game.” Other popular activities include the “over the hump party [hosted by 2Ls]...[the] art auction and law school prom.” A number of students also attend various “pub crawls” throughout the academic year. Finally, though Grand Forks “can take some getting used to if you are used to bigger cities,” we’ve been assured that “it still has a lot to offer.”