Accreditation and Students Complaints Implicating Compliance with the ABA Standards

The School of Law is a charter member of the Association of American Law Schools. Information on the AALS may be found at their web page http://www.aals.org/.

The School of Law is fully accredited by the American Bar Association. Questions regarding ABA accreditation may be directed to the Office of the Consultant on Legal Education, American Bar Association, 321 N. Clark Street, 21st Floor, Chicago, IL 60654-7597, (312) 988-6738.

Student complaints implicating compliance with the standards imposed by the American Bar Association Section on Legal Education and Administration to the Bar shall be filed in writing with the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, or if the complaint involves the person serving in that capacity, with the Dean of the Law School. The complaint shall include the date in which the complaint is being filed; the name and address of the complainant; and a description of the complaint. The description of the complaint shall include a description of the accreditation standard which the law school’s action or inaction implicates. The Associate Dean for Academic Affairs (or the Dean of the Law School) will investigate the complaint and respond to the complainant in writing within 30 calendar days from receiving the complaint. The response will indicate whether the Law School has taken any corrective action, or if not, the reasons for not taking any action.

The complainant shall have the right to appeal this initial decision by filing an appeal with the Faculty Policy Committee. The appeal shall be filed in writing within 14 calendar days from the date in which the initial decision was issued. The appeal shall include the date in which the appeal is filed; the name and address of the complainant; a copy of the original complaint; a copy of the initial decision; and an explanation of the basis of the appeal. The Faculty Policy Committee will review the documents presented, and issue a decision in writing within 30 calendar days from receiving the appeal. The Faculty Policy Committee can sustain or reverse the initial decision. In cases where the initial decision is reversed, the Faculty Policy Committee will direct the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs on what corrective actions to take. The decision of the Faculty Policy Committee shall be considered final and subject to no further review. All complaints that are filed and the resolutions of said complaints will be kept in an active file with the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs until the next reaccreditation period has been completed. After the reaccreditation period has been completed, all complaints filed and their resolutions will be archived and maintained in an electronic file for future review.

Official Transcript Receipt Compliance

Conditional scholarships are offered to those students whose previous academic performance would suggest placement in the top 50% of the class.  If you receive a conditional scholarship, retention is based upon you maintaining standing in the top 50% of the class.

These scholarships are reviewed at the end of each academic year by the Mizzou Law Scholarship Committee. If a student falls below the top 50% of the class, they are granted the opportunity to petition the scholarship committee to explain any extenuating circumstances or issues that may have affected their performance. The Scholarship Committee takes these petitions under advisement and makes one of the three following decisions: maintenance, reduction, or revocation of the scholarship award.

Students matriculating in	# Entering with	# Reduced or Eliminated
2022-23 Academic Year	28	4
2021-22 Academic Year	22	4
2020-21 Academic Year	13	4
2019-20 Academic Year	43	0

Contact the Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admission to the Bar with questions.

General Information and Admissions Criteria

In our admissions process, the University of Missouri seeks to identify applicants who will be dedicated and successful law students—and active and engaged participants in the Mizzou Law community. We are looking for students who will work in a committed fashion to help develop, in themselves and in their classmates, each of the professional skills and values needed for the effective practice of law.

Every application is read in its entirety by each member of our Admissions Committee, which is composed of both Law School faculty members and Admissions staff. When evaluating an application, we consider many criteria, including:
• Your undergraduate institution and degree program
• Your undergraduate grade point average (both overall and within your degree program)
• Your graduate institution, degree program, and grades (if any)
• Your work history
• Your military service (if any)
• Your Law School Admission Test (LSAT) score
• Your extracurricular activities
• Your leadership positions and experience
• Your public service activities
• Your career objectives
• Your personal interests
• Information contained in your letters of recommendation
• What your personal statement indicates about your initiative, your personality, your resiliency in the face of adversity, your ability to express yourself in writing, and your capacity to contribute to the Mizzou Law community
• Your state of residence and your connection to the State of Missouri or the University of Missouri.

Consistent with our obligation to train lawyers to serve the needs of all persons within our society, Mizzou Law seeks to recruit a student body that fully reflects our society. We thus also consider whether you are among the first in your family to attend college or professional school and whether you have experienced and overcome significant personal adversity or socio-economic disadvantage.

No one of the above factors is determinative. We do place substantial weight upon an applicant’s LSAT score and undergraduate GPA, as these factors tend to correlate highly with likelihood of success on the bar examination. Law study is a significant personal and financial investment, and thus we admit only those applicants whose credentials clearly suggest that they can complete a rigorous and demanding curriculum and pass the bar examination.

Regular Admission Process

Mizzou Law uses a “rolling” admissions process. We will consider your application for admission as soon as it is complete. For an application to be complete, it must be accompanied by the required application fee (or a waiver of the fee) and must include:
• Responses to all information indicated on Mizzou Law’s application for admission
• LSAT score and academic transcripts provided through LSAC’s Credential Assembly Service
• Personal statement essays (2)
• A resume
• All required character and fitness disclosures (as discussed further below), and
• At least two letters of recommendation (up to four are permitted). [Note: Unless you completed your undergraduate work more than five (5) years prior to your application, at least one (1) of your letters of recommendation MUST come from a professor who can address your academic abilities.]

Mizzou Law does not require a personal interview for admission. We encourage you to visit Mizzou Law in person and, during any such visit, the Admissions staff will be pleased to arrange for you to meet with one or more faculty members of the Admissions Committee.
You may submit your application beginning on September 1 for the following academic year. If you want to ensure your consideration for scholarship awards, you must apply by January 15. If you are admitted through the regular admissions process, you must make a deposit to secure your place in the entering class by a specific date (typically in early April), which will be set forth in your letter of admission.

If your application is rejected, you may request in writing that the Admissions Committee reconsider your application.

Admission by Early Decision

Mizzou Law does have a process that allows you to apply for “binding early decision.” Applications for this process are due by November 15 (for round 1 consideration) or January 15 (for round 2 consideration). If you are admitted via early decision, we will notify you by either by December 15 (round 1) or January 15 (round 2). By submitting an application seeking admission by early decision, you agree that if we admit you on an early-decision basis, you will attend Mizzou Law (unless you choose not to attend any law school) and you will act promptly upon your admission to withdraw any other pending law school applications. If you apply through the early decision process, we will advise you by the date indicated above either that (a) you have been admitted, (b) your application is rejected, or (c) we will reconsider your application as part of the regular admissions process.

Character and Fitness Disclosures

Mizzou Law’s application for admission requires applicants to disclose arrests and criminal history, pending criminal charges, prior or pending university or military disciplinary actions, and any professional misconduct. This includes matters that may have occurred while the applicant was a juvenile and that were addressed through the juvenile court or juvenile justice systems. Applicants must make these disclosures without regard to whether charges were dismissed or whether a conviction was suspended or expunged.

While your application is pending, or even after you have been admitted but have not yet matriculated, if any event occurs that would render your original disclosure inaccurate (e.g., you are arrested or charged with academic or nonacademic student misconduct), you must update your application immediately. This obligation continues even after your matriculation at Mizzou Law and until your graduation.

We place high importance on the integrity, maturity, and candor of applicants. The Admissions Committee can revoke an offer of admission if the Committee determines that an applicant has engaged in behavior that casts doubt on his or her honesty, maturity, moral character, or fitness to practice law. The Committee likewise may revoke an offer of admission if it determines that the applicant has provided false, incomplete, incorrect, or misleading information during the admissions process, or if new information is required to be disclosed but is not disclosed in a timely manner. Further, applicants determined to have provided incorrect, incomplete, or misleading information in their applications may be reported to LSAC’s Committee on Misconduct or Irregularities in the Admission Process.

In addition to a bar examination, there are character, fitness, and other qualifications for admission to the bar in every U.S. jurisdiction. You should determine the requirements for any jurisdiction in which you intend to seek admission by contacting that jurisdiction. Addresses for all relevant agencies are available through the National Conference of Bar Examiners. Admission to Mizzou Law is not a representation, warranty, or guaranty of your admission to the bar, whether in Missouri or any other jurisdiction.

Policy of Non-Discrimination

The University of Missouri does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, genetic information, disability, or status as a protected veteran. Discrimination on the basis of pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions is also prohibited. The University’s nondiscrimination policy applies to all phases of its employment process, its admission and financial aid programs, and to all other aspects of its educational programs and activities. For more information, please visit the University of Missouri System Nondiscrimination Policy.

Additional Admissions Programs

Admission through the MU Law Scholars Program
The MU Law Scholars Program provides a path for students at MU or any of the other schools with which MU Law has an MU Law Scholars agreement to obtain early admission to Mizzou Law and to complete both a bachelor’s degree and J.D. degree in six years (rather than the customary seven years).

To obtain admission to Mizzou Law as an MU Law Scholar a student must:

• apply for MU Law Scholars program prior to applying to the MU Law School; and
• take the LSAT and score at or above MU Law’s current median; and
• maintain a GPA at or above MU Law’s current median; and
• complete the MU Law School application by January 15. A complete application requires receipt of ALL items on the application checklist by MU Law Office of Admissions; and
• prior to commencing study as an MU Law student, complete 90 undergraduate semester hours, completing all general education and major requirements in those 90 hours leaving only 30 elective hours (30 hours are necessary to complete the first year of law school); and
• complete other requirements stipulated by an MU Law Scholar applicant’s undergraduate institution with which MU Law has an agreement.

Admission through the Judge Ross T. Roberts Scholar Program

Mizzou Law, in cooperation with undergraduate programs at the University of Missouri, Drury University, Truman State University, Westminster College and Lincoln University, has established an honors admission program called the Judge Ross T. Roberts Scholar Program. As a Roberts Scholar, a student will be guaranteed admission to Mizzou Law in the fall semester immediately following graduating from college if the student meets the following criteria

• Graduation from high school with an ACT composite score of 32 or higher, or an SAT composite score (verbal and math) of 1450 or higher (students who did not attend MU as an undergraduate must provide an official copy of their score for verification); and
• Graduate from either MU, Drury University, Truman State University, Westminster College, or Lincoln University with a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or higher (as calculated by LSAC’s Credential Assembly Service); and
• Application to and acceptance in the Judge Ross T. Roberts Scholar Program before taking the LSAT; and
• A score at the 75th percentile or higher on the LSAT; and
• Submission of a complete application to Mizzou Law by the Judge Ross T. Roberts Scholar Program application deadline, which is typically in January.

Applicants who do not meet the criteria for admission as Roberts Scholars will still be considered for admission to Mizzou Law through the regular admission process.

Adopted by the Faculty, May 2018

Upon completing their education at the University of Missouri School of Law, graduates will be able to:

1. Demonstrate foundational knowledge and understanding of substantive and procedural law.
   Students demonstrate they have met this outcome by:
   1. Identifying and applying foundational concepts in a variety of areas of legal practice;
   2. Grasping the organization, hierarchy, and relationships of legal systems;
   3. Identifying the sources of law, the ways they relate to one another, and how the law evolves.
2. Demonstrate the ability to employ legal analysis, legal reasoning, factual development, problem-solving skills, and communication skills.
   Students demonstrate they have met this outcome by:
   1. Identifying relevant legal issues raised by clients’ legal matters;
   2. Drawing appropriate conclusions based on the facts, taking into account clients’ interests, goals, and objectives;
   3. Preparing a variety of legal documents;
   4. Writing in a clear, concise, effective, and persuasive manner;
   5. Making persuasive oral arguments and presentations.
3. Fulfill professional and ethical responsibilities to clients and the legal system.
   Students demonstrate they have met this outcome by:
   1. Identifying the goals, structures, values, and responsibilities of the legal profession;
   2. Identifying and applying rules of professional conduct for attorneys;
   3. Explaining the basis for making good strategic and ethical judgments.
4. Develop the ability to act as leaders in the profession, in our state, and in promoting justice.
   Students may demonstrate they have met this outcome in multiple ways, including by:
   1. Taking leadership and meaningful supportive roles in student organizations;
   2. Appreciating the importance of continued education on legal matters of public importance;
   3. Getting involved in public service activities and projects, both law- and non-law related;
   4. Participating in local, regional, national, and/or international legal institutions, such as bar organizations.
   5. Being able to discuss issues and legal matters of public importance with respect for colleagues and others.

Adopted by the Faculty, November 2017

The expectation under American Bar Association Standard 310 is that students will invest a minimum of 42.5 hours of time in class attendance, preparation for class, exam taking and other work for an award of one credit. This policy provides a minimum threshold. Students should expect to put in more hours than required by the policy. The following list (items a through g) illustrates how the minimum threshold will likely apply to the various courses offered at the law school. Faculty teaching a course which does not fit in any of the types of courses listed below shall seek to satisfy the minimum threshold in a manner consistent with the letter and spirit of this policy.

(a) For courses in which a final exam is given, the 42.5 hours figure translates as follows. For each credit hour, students will spend:

• 12 hours of in-class time (14 class sessions of 50 minutes each)
• 30 hours of out-of-class preparation (2 hours per week for each credit multiplied by 15 weeks)
• 50 minutes of exam taking. Instructors may reserve additional time for completion of an examination.

(b) For courses in which a final exam is not given, instructors will adjust the out-of-class time to account for the difference.

(c) For clinics, externships, practicums, other courses with the experiential (E) designation, Legal Research and Writing, Advocacy and Research, and seminars, the 42.5 hours figure could involve a different combination of in-class and out-of-class time. At a minimum, however, students should expect to devote 42.5 hours of work for each credit awarded.

(d) Students enrolled in a research course should expect to devote 42.5 hours of work for each credit awarded. Students will submit detailed timesheets to their faculty supervisor every four weeks.

(e) Students enrolled in one of the academic journals should expect to devote 42.5 hours for each credit awarded. Students will submit detailed timesheets to the editor-in-chief (or designee) of their journal, who will forward the timesheets to the journal’s faculty advisor.

(f) Students enrolled in courses taken for credit in other colleges at the University of Missouri, will need to provide a syllabus of the course and a certification from the instructor teaching the course, confirming that the amount of in-class and out-of-class time involved in such course complies with Standard 310(b).

(g) Students enrolled in courses at another ABA-approved law school must provide a certification by an official from the school offering the courses confirming that the units of credits for the courses to be transferred comply with Standard 310(b).

Information on Determining Length of Readings and Assignments

In designing class assignments that are consistent with Standard 310’s requirement of 2 hours (120 minutes) of out-of-class work for each 50 minutes of in-class work, instructors need to consider the type, complexity, and purpose of the assigned materials.

	450 Words (Paperback)	600 Words (Monograph)	750 Words (Textbook)
Survey; No New Concepts (500 wpm)	67 pages per hour	50 pages per hour	40 pages per hour
Survey; Some New Concepts (350 wpm)	47 pages per hour	35 pages per hour	28 pages per hour
Survey; Many New Concepts (250 wpm)	33 pages per hour	25 pages per hour	20 pages per hour
Understand; No New Concepts (250 wpm)	33 pages per hour	25 pages per hour	20 pages per hour
Understand; Some New Concepts (180 wpm)	24 pages per hour	18 pages per hour	14 pages per hour
Understand; Many New Concepts (130 wpm)	17 pages per hour	13 pages per hour	10 pages per hour
Engage; No New Concepts (130 wpm)	17 pages per hour	13 pages per hour	10 pages per hour
Engage; Some New Concepts (90 wpm)	12 pages per hour	9 pages per hour	7 pages per hour
Engage; Many New Concepts (65 wpm)	9 pages per hour	7 pages per hour	5 pages per hour

Source: Center for Teaching Excellence, Rice University, available at http://cte.rice.edu/workload#howcalculated.

For your information, the average law school casebook contains between 500 to 600 words per page. Thus, if you are assigning materials with many new concepts with the goal of having students engage with the material (i.e., “Reading while also working problems, drawing inferences, questioning, and evaluating”), the table indicates that the appropriate reading assignment should be about 7 pages per hour. Thus, an assignment of 14 pages will take a student about 2 hours to complete. That level will satisfy Standard 310 for one credit. For a three credits course, an assignment of about 42 pages will be consistent with the standard.

The University of Missouri School of Law aspires to be the school of choice for outstanding students, both from Missouri and other states. As a national leader in the field of dispute resolution, we seek to complement a strong traditional curriculum with an orientation toward lawyering as a problem-solving endeavor. We strive to foster a diverse faculty of nationally recognized scholars who are committed to effective teaching and to attract a student body with diverse experiences and views. We also strive to offer an intellectually rigorous and collegial environment for the study of law. Furthermore, we seek to graduate well-rounded lawyers who are sensitive to ethical issues, prepared to serve clients, and ready to be leaders in promoting justice.