Location: Iowa City, Iowa
Founded: 1865
Joined AALS: 1900
Dean: Kevin K. Washburn
Established in 1865 and a charter member school of AALS, the University of Iowa College of Law is a public institution with 141 first-year JD students. The University of Iowa College of Law is considered the oldest law school west of the Mississippi. Since its founding, it has conferred more than 13,000 law degrees. Located on a world-class university campus in one of America’s top college towns, Iowa Law is surrounded by big city amenities and the comfort of a close-knit community.
The faculty at Iowa Law is nationally recognized for their scholarly productivity and interdisciplinary interests. They bring extensive practical experience to the classroom, having clerked for federal judges, and practiced law for the public sector, businesses, and private firms. Their varied backgrounds combined with an 8:1 student-to-faculty ratio foster a collaborative approach to learning and a dynamic legal curriculum.
Iowa Law’s range of academic strengths including business and corporate law, contracts and commercial law, health care law, and constitutional law enable students to work across disciplines and custom-build a top-tier legal education. In addition, experiential learning opportunities such as the highly-ranked legal writing program, field placements, clinics, moot court, and simulation courses allow students to discover their interests while they prepare for a successful career.
“The program provides intensive, individualized instruction to deepen students’ understanding of analytical thinking and persuasive communication—skills they can apply not only to the practice of law but to a wide range of careers in government, business, and the nonprofit sector.” said Dawn Barker Anderson, professor of legal analysis, writing and research and director of the Writing and Academic Success Center.
Iowa Law is one of the few top-tier law schools to invest in full-time writing faculty. Its widely renowned Legal Writing Program provides intensive, individualized instruction to deepen students’ understanding of analytical thinking and persuasive communication—skills they can apply not only to the practice of law, but to a wide range of careers in government, business, and the nonprofit sector.
In addition to specialized coursework in legal analysis, writing & research, the Legal Writing Program gives students the flexibility to choose courses that align with their personal career goals. Students may also participate in a variety of writing and oral advocacy competitions to apply their communication skills to real-world legal problems.
“Iowa Law is a small school with big advantages: a collegial environment built around the power of teamwork, highly regarded faculty who can teach students to analyze issues from all angles, and hands-on opportunities that turn theoretical concepts into actual experience. Iowa Law is one of only two US law schools with a federal criminal defense clinic. We have four well-known law journals, a robust field placement program, and a storied legal writing program. These are just a few ways Iowa Law sets up students for success” said Kevin K. Washburn, N. William Hines Dean, and Professor of Law.
