Montana’s law schools are highly sought after, making admission quite tough. This is due to the fact that Montana’s law schools provide excellent learning environments. So, what are the Best Law Schools in Montana?
Montana, often known as “Big Sky Country,” “The Treasure State,” “Land of the Shining Mountains,” and “The Last Best Place,” is the US’s 30th most educated state.
This means that Montana places a high importance on education, with some of the greatest universities in the United States of America.
Montana is a state in the western United States with a hilly landscape.
Montana’s economy is thriving in agriculture, oil, gas, coal, mining, and lumber, as well as education. They currently have few law schools, which can be linked to the state’s modest size in the West.
However, Montana has one of the greatest legal schools in the United States of America and the globe.
This page highlights the best law schools in Montana and discusses what it takes to be accepted to 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.
Let’s head right in.
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How Many Law Schools in Montana?
Montana has only one law school: Alexander Blewett III School of Law.
The Alexander Blewett III School of Law at the University of Montana in Missoula was established in 1911.
This School of Law is Montana’s only law school accredited by both the Association of American Law Schools and the American Bar Association.
The Alexander Blewett School of Law joined the Association of American Law Schools in 1914. In 1923, nine years after joining the Association of American Law Schools, it was admitted to the American Association.
This demonstrates how much consistency and hard work Montana’s law schools put into ensuring that education standards are higher than the average attainable standard.
Since its beginnings, the Montana Law School has risen in educational rankings across the United States.
The school was ranked 103 in the 2023 U.S. News & World Report law school rankings.
In addition, in 2009, National Jurist magazine classified her as the sixth best value in the United States, with a 95% success record on Bar tests among its students.
The university has gained recognition for its innovative combination of theory and practice.
The institution opened its doors in 1911 as Montana’s first law school.
It originally lasted three academic years and focused on the general rule of law in Montana and the Western states, as well as court procedures, mining, and irrigation legislation.
The American Bar Association (ABA) approved its membership in 1923, and the Association of American Law Schools did the same in 1914.
The school focuses on business and tax law, Native American law, trial advocacy, and conflict resolution.
The school’s Native American law classes, Native American law clinic, and Native American Law Student Association let students study about and participate in the administration of 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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What are the 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.
- University of Montana
- Montana State University
- Montana State University Billings
- Carroll College
- Rocky Mountain College
Here are a few things you need to know about these schools.
#1. University of Montana
The University of Montana (UM) is a public research university in Missoula, Montana.
The University of Montana is the leading center of the Montana University System and its second-largest campus.
It reported a total of 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.
#3. Montana State University Billings
Montana State University Billings (or MSU Billings) is a public university located 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 in 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 the Montana State University Billings are Liberal Arts & Social Sciences, Business, Health Professions and Science, Education, and City College.
#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.
The college motto, in Latin, is “Non-scholae, sed vitae.” The college translates this into English as “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 too. Carroll makes students lifelong as they are meant to live: challenging, scary, purposeful adventure.
#5. Rocky Mountain College
Rocky Mountain College (Rocky or RMC) is a private college in Billings, Montana.
It offers 50 free arts and professional majors in 24 fields of graduate students. 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 its Helena buildings were destroyed by a series of earthquakes 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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What Are the 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, 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 result in a dual degree being earned.
Over 100,000 print volumes are housed at the William J. Jameson Law Library, which also has 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) in size.
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 more small and mid-sized classrooms are all part of the extension.
Additionally, more room is made available for the school’s clinical department, which includes its clinics for mediation, 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 requirements of both the public and students.
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How Much Do Law Schools in Montana Cost?
Below are the updated tuition prices for Montana Law School. These values are subject to change depending on what the management board deems fit.
| 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 of classes, 50% refundable during the third week of classes, 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 academic session.
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What are the Best Law Schools in Montana?
In the top 103 law schools list, they rate the University of Montana 103rd. Schools are ranked based on how well they perform against a set of generally recognized quality measures.
Due to its outstanding performance in the following legal areas, it recognizes 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 a lot 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 also insist that 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 that can affect your eligibility to sit for the bar.
Legal issues like an 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, it is advisable to disclose more information on the application.
Having a spotless record makes it even better because you won’t need to justify anything.
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What are Some Law Jobs In Montana?
Here are three great law jobs in Montana.
- 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.
- Law Clerk at Polson, Montana. The lawyer must have the ability 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.
- 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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Summary
Montana’s law schools have a reputation for distinction. They have a strict admission process and will not admit you to continue your legal program if you are not qualified.
Americans are greatly interested in Montana’s law schools, particularly the Alexander Blewett III School of Law. We hope this post helps you get a competitive edge.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is the University of Montana a good law school?
With low tuition costs, the UM Law School provides legal education to many students, helping them accumulate minimal debt while receiving the hands-on education the school is known for.
In 2020, UM law students had a 92% first-time bar pass rate.
Students also had high job prospects after graduation, with 30.4% of 2020 graduates landing judicial internships—also No. 7 nationally, according to PreLaw Magazine.
What is the Number One Best Law School in the World?
What is a good GPA to Graduate from Law School With?
How hard is it to get a 3.0 in law school?
You’ve got to be intelligent to make a 3.0 GPA
Is law school difficult?
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