University of Utah - S.J. Quinney College of Law

The S.J. Quinney College of Law at the University of Utah is an innovative institution that has been around since 1913, yet the school tackles new topics and the changing areas of the law through an adaptive curriculum and its law centers. The Wallace Stegner Center for Land, Resources and the Environment is one of the country’s top environmental and natural resources law programs, and the Center for Law and Biomedical Sciences is at the forefront of its area; additionally, it is” very easy to specialize in the field that interests you.” The certificate program rewards students for finding their niche and “helps to guide them towards classes that would best help them in their desired field,” and the emphasis on practical experiences (such as the clinical programs and the moot court competitions) allow for “wonderful skill development beyond just the theoretical know-how.” Rather than coliseum-style classes where the students and professors rarely interact, classes are small enough “where the professors know every student's name by the end of the first week,” which “allows for better discourse and learning, particularly in the practical, seminar, and simulation classes.” Given the varied backgrounds of the professors and students, these diverse backgrounds, viewpoints, and ideas “are able to come to the surface” and “everyone encourages and supports each other in their pursuits.”

As far as course content goes, professors are “incredible at adapting our education and the lessons towards current events.” The level of academic instruction is “powerful and transformative,” “rigorous but accessible,” and “courses are engineered to give you as much as you want to take out of them.” The school takes pride in providing many types of experiential learning opportunities (such as the Pro Bono Initiative program), and if a student is interested in a field, “the school has access to allow you to check it out and others prior to graduation.” The school strongly encourages students to work during the summer and the school year, and “are very supportive of their students while they try to make hybrid schedules.” Professors are almost always available to meet with students, “not just regarding course work, but for professional advice as well.” The legal writing program is also “very helpful”, and if students do well, “it has a good reputation in the local legal community which leads to good clerkships and internships.”

The law school building is brand new, “gorgeous and incredibly functional,” and “the facilities are top-notch,” with “ample study room, natural light and space to engage in out-of-class discussions.” “There is even a homey feel to it,” says a student. Campus is less than ten minutes from downtown Salt Lake City and “all the biggest firms in the state, the federal and state courthouses, and the Capitol,” and the area has a “good growing legal market” and is affordable. There are “numerous options for life outside law school”; students “regularly plan events outside of school and invite large portions of the class to attend,” and “different groups and cliques get along well.” Everyone here “wants to succeed but will not seek to do so by engaging in tactics which seek to hinder another’s performance.” Most students here do commute, but the location of the school “makes for incredible skiing, hiking, and camping” and “despite being studious most students find a way to get out into nature often.”