Student Profile
A Sustainable Future
Third-year student Alycia Edgeworth Kennedy has little interest in donning a power suit and high heels before heading to a courtroom. She would much rather grab hiking boots and a clipboard on her way to a community center to meet with disenfranchised residents and educate them about their civil rights.
About the college
An Intimate Learning Environment
The College of Law offers a welcoming and nurturing community, because everybody who studies and works here is excited to be here. It is a selective and intimate school with a small enrollment and close teacher-student interaction.
Alumni
An Eminently Willamette Firm
On the surface, a condemnation case might not seem very exciting, lacking the drama of a criminal trial or custody battle. But lawyers who specialize in this area of real estate law tackle a highly emotional issue — the government’s right to appropriate a private individual’s land for public use.
About the College
A Pioneer of Legal Education
Producing great leaders is a Willamette University specialty. Providing a world-class legal education in a select, intimate learning environment is another.
Alumni
Giving Back
The setup of the law office of 2010 Oregon State Bar (OSB) President Kathleen A. Evans JD’82 reveals a lot about her. It is situated inside a white, 1911-vintage house with a blue roof and trim, on 13th Street in Salem, Ore., with a staircase leading up to a door on the right. On one side is her practice, Evans Batlan Attorneys at Law.
Student Profile
Embracing Hope
“Wanting to earn a post-graduate degree is a cultural thing,” said Tapiwa Gladmore Kapurura, an LL.M. candidate at the College of Law. “It is common among my African friends to push one another to continue our educations. Self enrichment is very important to us.”
About the college
Campus Life and Beyond
Salem is surrounded by award-winning vineyards and orchards and spectacular state parks. Oregon’s beautiful beaches are an hour’s drive to the west; the high desert is a few hours to the east, and metropolitan Portland is just 45 minutes to the north.
Faculty
Acclaimed Legal Educators
Brilliant minds make for great teachers and mentors. The College of Law faculty has been chosen for its ability to excite, instruct and inspire. In addition to their impeccable credentials and years of law practice, the Willamette law faculty shares a deep commitment to teaching.
About the college
A Pioneer of Legal Education
Willamette University College of Law is situated in the heart of Salem, Oregon’s capital, which is home to a large, active legal community that readily employs and mentors Willamette law students.
Student Profile
The Good Citizen
“An important factor in my choosing Willamette was the school’s Certificate Program in Law and Government,” said Jamie E. Carmichael, a member of the Class of 2009. “The certificate is a way for me to distinguish myself from other law graduates. It shows prospective employers that my interest is primarily focused on government service.”
About the College
An Intimate Learning Environment
Willamette has long been associated with the beginning of law and government in the Oregon Territory. Established in 1883, Willamette University College of Law helped educate many of the first leaders of the bar. More than 125 years later, we continue to uphold that proud tradition of excellence.
Student Profile
Perfecting Her Legal Performance
Willamette’s unique learning environment attracts law students with a wide range of backgrounds, including medical doctors, Olympic athletes and Eagle Scouts. Among students with more unusual skill sets is Sara Avet Cassidey, a classically trained musician with a master’s degree in oboe performance.
Alumni
Seeing the Forest
The value of a family tree takes on a new dimension when you are the third-generation CEO of a timber and paper buisness. “It has been important to me to stay connected to Willamette because of the good education I recieved from the school.”
Student Profile
A World-Class Law Student
Stop by the campus pool most days of the week and you are likely to find Mark A. Fretta swimming laps. In passing, you might mistake him for any other student getting a little exercise between classes. But then you will likely notice his form and speed and realize he’s not an average student athlete — or law student.
Faculty
A Supreme Legal Educator
“I’ve always had a consistent level of respect for the College of Law. Its relationship with state government and its location near the Capitol and state appellate courts afford students an important experience that is easily missed in other law schools,” said Assistant Professor of Law Jeffrey C. Dobbins.
Faculty
An International Perspective on Criminal Law
From 2003–04, when few members of the international community thought about the three-year Bosnian War that ended almost a decade earlier, Caroline Davidson spent her days building a case against officers of the Bosnian-Serb army for crimes against humanity, war crimes and complicity in genocide.
Student Profile
Academic Ambitions
“In my mind, there are two types of law students — those who like trial practice and moot court and those who prefer research, writing and journal work,” said Spencer N. Gheen, a member of the class of 2010. “I am a more introverted person and am drawn to academic work. I feel like I found my niche in legal scholarship.”
Faculty
Lawyering for the Greater Good
“Public interest law is an area more students should consider,” said Keith Cunningham-Parmeter, who joined the College of Law in 2006. “Students need to remember that they will have truly rewarding careers when they focus on work that nourishes them.”
Student Profile
Champion of Children’s Rights
Anyone who thinks legal practice attracts bookish milksops has never met Rachel O’Conner. Odds are that the tall, slender 3L could take you in a throwdown. “My whole family is in education and law, so I wanted to make my own way. Later on, I realized my brain is wired a certain way.”
Alumni
A Supreme Legal Educator
In November 2006, Virginia L. Linder JD’80 made history: She became the first woman in Oregon to win a contested election for an open seat on the Oregon Supreme Court. According to a bar poll, 83 percent of the state’s legal community supported Linder in the election.
Faculty
Teaching Others to Make a Difference
“We idealize the law, give it a high sense of purpose,” said Shelaswau Bushnell Crier, who joined the Willamette law faculty as an assistant professor in the fall of 2009. “We have to; we must strive for that ideal of equality and justice.”
Alumni
The View from Oregon’s Highest Court
“Law school taught me new things about myself. I realized I had a future in areas I hadn’t envisioned before. I learned the value of preparation in everything,” said Paul J. De Muniz JD’75, chief justice of the Oregon Supreme Court.
Alumni
An Advocate for Education
Ronald J. Knox JD’81 wanted to change the way educational systems provide access to diverse groups in the United States and hoped to do that through a career in education. However, he soon realized that the opportunity to bring about change in the educational system would be much broader as a lawyer than as an educational administrator.
Alumni
A Model of Good Behavior
Albert A. Menashe JD’76 is tired of bad jokes about unscrupulous lawyers. “Lawyers do a great deal of good for many segments of our society,” he said. “The image we have is not really deserved.”
About Willamette University College of Law
Established in 1883, Willamette University College of Law offers a learning environment that is distinctive among law schools. Located across the street from the state Capitol complex and the Oregon Supreme Court, the college is situated in the epicenter of state law, government and business.
The College of Law emphasizes small enrollment, excellence in teaching and a high level of faculty-student interaction. We also boast a student-faculty ratio of 15-to-1. Our select enrollment of fewer than 430 students creates an intellectual intimacy unmatched by most law schools in the United States. As a community, we are committed to the advancement of knowledge through research and scholarship, to diversity, and to public service. Willamette law students should expect to be challenged, to defend their opinions, to think and rethink their ideas, and to leave with a heightened respect for themselves and confidence in what they can do.
Degree Programs and Course Offerings
As you would expect from a school with more than 125 years of history behind it, Willamette University College of Law has a rock-solid reputation. We provide our students with a solid foundation in the basics of the law, yet allow them the flexibility to investigate interests and develop specialties through a wide range of course offerings and a law library rich with resources.The College of Law offers a full-time J.D. Program, as well as an LL.M. in Transnational Law for students who have completed the J.D. at an ABA-accredited law school. In addition, a Joint Degree Program (J.D./M.B.A.) is available for those law students interested in a more intense immersion into the study of business, government and management.
In combination with your hard work, Willamette will instill in you a comprehensive understanding of the law, along with highly refined skills in problem solving, legal research and writing. You will learn to think critically, on your own two feet, and leave the school prepared to stand toe-to-toe with some of the best legal minds in the country.
College of Law Faculty
Willamette University’s law faculty includes some of the most respected legal minds in the country. These scholars and master teachers are nationally recognized for their research, publications and contributions to the law, particularly in the areas of constitutional law, commercial and business law, international and comparative law, environmental law, and dispute resolution. Yet it is their authentic, deep dedication — both as educators and as mentors — that distinguishes Willamette professors from others.The College of Law faculty has been chosen for its ability to excite, instruct and inspire. In addition to their impeccable credentials and years of law practice, the faculty shares a deep commitment to teaching. Professors meet one on one with their students to inspire and challenge, helping students hone their analytical skills and sharpen their understanding of the law.
Hands-On Legal Training
Willamette University College of Law provides students with a wealth of hands-on legal training that give students an insider's view into the lawmaking process and invaluable experience in the actual practice of law.Willamette students gain important practical skills training through simulation-based courses, moot court competitions, intensive and semester-long trial practice programs, and targeted externship placements.
The school’s Clinical Law Program enables students to represent real clients in actual cases and transactions under the close supervision of law faculty. The program comprises six advanced legal education courses, including specialized clinics in Business Law, Trusts and Estates, Sustainability Law, Child and Family Advocacy, Law and Government, and International Human Rights.
Centers of Excellence and Specialized Legal Programs
Willamette University College of Law offers specialized certificate programs in Law and Government, Sustainability Law, Dispute Resolution, Law and Business, and International and Comparative Law underscore the strong academic foundation provided by the College of Law and help distinguish our students from other law school graduates.The college also is home to several nationally recognized centers of legal study, including the Center for Dispute Resolution, the Center for Law and Government and the Center for Religion, Law and Democracy. The school also houses the Oregon Law Commission, the preeminent law reform body in the state.
For students interested in a more global perspective, the school offers Study Abroad Programs to China, Germany and Ecuador, which provide a rich blend of coursework and practical education to help prepare students for successful careers in national and international spheres.