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College of Law welcomes Class of 2013 Dean Symeonides to Class of 2013: "Today you begin the process of joining this honorable and noble profession"

Symeonides elected honorary president Dean Symeonides receives honor from American Society of Comparative Law

Class of 1960 Honored WUCL honors members of the 50-year reunion class at commencement.

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  • Student Profile

    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

    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

    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

    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

    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

    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

    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

    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

    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

    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

    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

    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

    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

    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

    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

    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

    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

    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

    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

    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

    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

    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

    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

    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

    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

    WUCL StudentsAs 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.