5 Best Law Schools in Montana

Do you know that Law Schools in Montana are highly sought after? and, therefore, very competitive to get into. This is because Law schools in Montana have great learning and student-friendly environments.

The city of Montana, which goes by unofficial nicknames like “Big Sky Country,” “The Treasure State,” “Land of the Shining Mountains,” and “The Last Best Place,” ranks as the 30th most educated state in the US.

This means that Montana highly values education, and her universities offer some of the best education in the United States of America.

Montana is a state located in the mountainous West of the  United States.

Montana does not just prosper in the educational sector alone; they have a booming economy of agriculture, oil, gas, coal, mining, and lumber. 

There are not many law schools in Montana yet, which can be attributed to the fact that Montana is a small state in the West.

However, Montana boasts of one of the best law schools in the United States of America and worldwide.

This article lists the best law schools in Montana and explains all the requirements to be accepted to pursue a degree in law at a Montana Law school.

This article also gives a realistic statistical-based “law schools in Montana” ranking to help you make the best decision on your choice of law school.

Alright, Let’s get started.

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How Many Law Schools in Montana?

Montana has about five (5) law schools and Alexander Blewett III School of Law is the most popular one.

Established in 1911, the Alexander Blewett III School of Law is a law school at the University of Montana in Missoula. 

The Alexander Blewett III School of Law is the only law school in Montana admitted to becoming a member of the  Association of American Law Schools and the American Bar Association.

The Alexander Blewett School of Law became a member of the Association of American Law Schools in 1914. In 1923, 9 years after becoming a member of the Association of American Law Schools, it was accredited as a member of the American Association.

This proves how much consistency and hard work the Law schools in Montana put into ensuring that the education standard is better than the average attainable standard.

The Montana law school, since its inception, has risen in educational ranking within the American nation. The school was ranked 103 in the recent 2023 U.S. News and World Report law rankings. 

Also, in 2009, National Jurist magazine ranked her as number 6 in the best value in the States, with a 95% pass rate of its students in the Bar examinations. 

The university has received accolades for its creative fusion of theory and practice. The institution opened its doors in 1911 as Montana’s first law school. 

It originally spanned three academic years and paid particular emphasis to the general rule of law in Montana and the Western states and court work, procedure, mining, and irrigation law. 

It received membership approval from the American Bar Association (ABA) in 1923 and the Association of American Law Schools in 1914.

The school specializes in business and tax law, Native American law, trial advocacy, and conflict settlement. 

The school’s Native American law courses, Native American law clinic, and Native American Law Student Association allow students to learn about and get involved in administering justice for Native Americans.

This is because Montana is home to seven Indian Reservations and eight tribal nations that have received state recognition. The Montana Law Review is published by the university annually.

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Best Law Schools in Montana

Montana is home to over 8 accredited tertiary institutions with all you need to get a law degree. Here are some of the best law schools in Montana where you can get a law degree. 

1. University of Montana
2. Montana State University
3. Montana State University Billings
4. Carroll College
5. Rocky Mountain College

Here are a few things you need to know about these schools.

1. The University of Montana

University of Montana (UM) is a public research university in Missoula, Montana. The University is the leading center of the Montana University System and its second-largest campus. 

It reported 10,962 graduates and undergraduates in the fall of 2018 and was ranked among the best Medical Universities for higher Research Work in 2022.

The University of Montana is ranked 17th in the country and the fifth-largest public university in the production of Rhodes Scholars; The University boasts 11 Truman Scholars, 14 Goldwater Scholars, and 40 Udall Scholars, among others.

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2. Montana State University

The Montana State University Library (MSU Library) is an educational library of Montana State University, a world-class university in Montana, in Bozeman, Montana, United States.

 It is a library of all Montana State University Systems campuses. In 1978, the library was renamed the Roland R. Renne Library in honor of the university’s sixth president. 

The library supports research and information on the needs of Montana students, intelligence, and the Montana Extension service.

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3. Montana State University Billings

Montana State University Billings (or MSU Billings) is a public university in Billings, Montana. The third largest university in the state. Its campus is located on 110 hectares in the town of Billings. 

Formerly an Eastern Montana Normal School at its inception in 1927. The school changed its name to Eastern Montana College of Education in 1949.

It was renamed 1965 Eastern Montana College (EMC). It was merged with the Montana University System in 1994 under its current name. 

Currently, the university offers more than 100 specialized programs for certificates, associate, bachelor’s, and master’s degrees through five University colleges.

The five colleges in Montana State University Billings are Liberal Arts & Social Sciences, Business, Health Professions, and Science, Education, and City College.

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4. Carroll College

Carroll College is a private Catholic college in Helena, Montana. The college has 21 buildings on a 63-acre campus, has over 35 academic majors, participates in 15 NAIA athletic sports, and is home to All Saints Chapel.

Carroll’s college motto, in Latin, is “Non-scholae, sed vitae.” The college translates this into English: “Not for school, but for life.”

Carroll’s colors are purple and gold, and the school’s athletics teams are known as the Fighting Saints.

A prosperous life is built on much more than a successful career; college should be too. Carroll makes students lifelong as they are meant to live: challenging, scary, purposeful adventure.

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5. Rocky Mountain College

Rocky Mountain College (Rocky or RMC) is a private college in Billings, Montana. For graduate students, it offers 50 free arts and professional majors in 24 fields. In the fall of 2013, the college had 1069 enrolled students.

It is affiliated with the United Methodist Church, the Presbyterian Church (USA), and the United Church of Christ.

Rocky Mountain College traces its history to the founding of the Montana Collegiate Institute in 1878 at Deer Lodge, Montana. 

Renamed Montana College, the institution closed in 1916, and in 1923 its property was transferred to Intermountain Union College (IUC), Helena. 

The former president of the College of Montana, Lewis Eaton, founded the Billings Polytechnic Institute (BPI) in 1908 as the first postsecondary institution in Billings. 

Rocky Mountain College is located on Poly Drive, which leads to the campus from downtown Billings. 

Intermountain Union relocated to the Billings Polytechnic campus after a series of earthquakes destroyed its Helena buildings in October and November 1935. 

The IUC merged with the BPI in 1947 when students renamed their school to build Rocky Modern Mountain College.

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Enrollment Specifications for Law Schools in Montana

Numerous students sign up for the school’s environmental and natural resource law courses, where there are possibilities to engage in the Public Land and Resources Law Review.

A certificate program in environmental and natural resource law and natural resource clinics is also one of the course specializations at the University. 

The Natural Resources & Environmental Law Program (NREP) at the law school has received an “A” grade for the depth of its environmental training, which includes its certificate concentration in natural resources and environmental law.

Its curricular offerings include Public Land & Resources Law Review and national environmental law moot court competition.

Three combined degree programs are available via the institution. 

Students who also want to get a Master of Science in Environmental Studies, a Master of Business Administration, or a Master of Public Administration can do so in addition to earning a legal degree. 

In as short as three years, these programs can earn a dual degree.

Over 100,000 print volumes are housed at the William J. Jameson Law Library, a multi-format audio-visual collection, a large collection of microform materials, and several electronic research tools and databases. 

The library is more than 20,060 square feet (1,864 m2).

The school completed a $14.8 million extension and refurbishment in 2008. Better acoustics, more modern technology, audio-visual tools, accessibility features for people with disabilities, and smaller and mid-sized classrooms are all part of the extension.

Additionally, more room is made available for the school’s clinical department, including its mediation clinics, Native American law, criminal defense, and land use. 

Office space, student workrooms, and customer interview rooms are all included in this area. 

They also house a larger law library with more modern technology in the refurbished building to better serve the public and students’ requirements.

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Cost of Law Schools in Montana Cost

Below are the updated tuition prices for Montana Law School. Depending on what the management board deems fit, these values are subject to change. 

Academic Year	Resident	Non-Resident
General Tuition	$6,288	$27,818
Law School Tuition	$6,450	$6,450
Fees	$2,203	$2,275
Total Tuition & Fees*	$14,941	$36,543

Tuition and fees are fully refundable if a student completely withdraws from school before the start of classes.

Tuition is 90% refundable during the first week of classes, 75% refundable during the second week, 50% refundable during the third week, and nonrefundable following the third week of classes.

Both the $500 deposit and the $60 application fee are nonrefundable. Montana Law School also has a provision for a Financial Aid budget. 

The FAFSA is the first step for any financial aid. The deadline for submitting the FAFSA is February 15, and it becomes available on October 1.

The following is based on the cost of attendance for graduate students taking 12+ courses for the [aca_year] academic session.

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Top Ranked Law Schools in Montana

The top 103 law schools list to rate the University of Montana 103rd. Schools are ranked based on performance against generally recognized quality measures.

Due to its outstanding performance in the following legal areas, they recognize Montana Law School as the 103rd top law school in the country.

Below are some areas where law schools in Montana earn a great score. 

• Business/Corporate Law
• Clinical Training
• Constitutional Law
• Contracts/Commercial Law
• Criminal Law
• Environmental Law
• Health Care Law
• Intellectual Property Law
• International Law
• Legal Writing
• Tax Law
• Trial Advocacy

How to Get into Law Schools in Montana

Usually, applicants to law schools request two to three letters of recommendation. 

The letters from your teachers who know you well and can attest to your critical thinking, oral and written communication skills, motivation, judgment, and maturity will be given the most weight. 

It will be much simpler to complete this work and much easier for your professor to write a letter that paints a much more vivid image if you get to know them while you are an undergraduate.

Prioritize building relationships with your academic community by stopping by during office hours or getting in touch with them after school.

You should have a letter from your supervisor if you just graduated and have been employed. Both mentors and professional colleagues may act as references.

Need the letters right away? Be aware that the CAS processing time is around two weeks.

So, give yourself enough time to do this procedure without producing poorly written letters.

Do not wait until the last minute to request letters. Do not insist your professors and supervisors stop what they are doing because you are in a stressful position; instead, respect their time.

Also, maintain a grade point average of 3.5 or better while in College. This is because Law schools in Montana want to see evidence of your academic ability. Most law schools do not consider a GPA below 3.0 as competitive.

As much as possible, stay out of trouble.

You must agree to a thorough background check once you have completed law school and have applied to sit for your state bar test. 

Before allowing a candidate to practice law, each state bar evaluates their moral character and fitness. Although the criteria differ from state to state, bar examiners look at an applicant’s moral character and honesty to see if they have what it takes to represent clients and practice law morally. 

As a result, most law school applications will request information about any legal difficulties affecting your eligibility to sit for the bar. 

Legal issues like a MIP (Minor in Possession) or a DUI fall under this category. Any disciplinary measures taken against you while you were a student at a school are also included.

They must disclose any incident that can affect their character or suitability in the eyes of a law school admissions committee. 

You may usually file an amendment to give a justification. If in doubt, disclosing more information on the application is advisable. A spotless record makes it even better because you won’t need to justify anything.

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Some Law Jobs in Montana

Here are three great law jobs in Montana.

1. Legal Assistant 1 in the city Of Boseman, Montana. The Lawyer is responsible for preparing correspondence, legal documents, reports, legal pleadings, criminal files, and all other necessary juristic documents. 

The wage rate varies between $3758 to $4500 per month. 

2. Law Clerk at Polson, Montana. The lawyer must be able to research complex legal problems and questions and research the solution.

The lawyer must also be able to confer with judges regarding legal proceedings and questions.

3. Estates Legal Liaison at DA Davidson Company, Great Falls, Montana. The lawyer is expected to provide legal support to every company relationship that requires legal services. 

The pay rate is a whopping $401,000 annually. 

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Frequently Asked Questions

Summary

In summary, Law Schools in Montana are known for excellence. They have a stringent application process and will not let you get in to complete your law program if you are not qualified enough.

Americans highly sought after law schools in Montana and the Alexander Blewett III School of Law. We hope ‌this article gives you a competitive edge. 

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