News

a photo of people running in the 2024 heinsz race

Mizzou Law Raises Record $70,000 at 20th Annual Tim Heinsz 5K

Mizzou Law’s hosted the 20th annual Tim Heinsz Race on last weekend. Students, faculty, alumni and community members enjoyed clear skies, a catered meal and the usual lineup of foot and bike races all in support of student scholarships. This year’s race set a new record, raising over $70,000 across all of the events. Maura Corrigan, a 3L from St. Louis, served as a student organizer this year. She was inspired to volunteer her time by the lasting legacy of Dean Heinsz and Dean Devine, who she said made the Mizzou Law community what it is today. “I was prompted…

a photo of the front door of hulston hall

Mizzou Law receives record $10 million gift

This spring, the University of Missouri School of Law received a $10 million estate gift from a confidential donor. This gift is the largest single donation to Mizzou Law in the school’s 152-year history. The gift was giving to support the dean’s discretionary fund, which will allow Dean Paul Litton to utilize the funds to support the school’s areas of greatest need. “We cannot thank our generous alumnus enough for this incredible gift,” Dean Litton said. “Our primary mission is to educate the finest lawyers for Missouri and beyond, and this record-setting gift will significantly benefit our students and…

a logo saying next gen bar exam research law school

Mizzou Law Helping to Develop the NextGen Bar Exam

In January, Mizzou Law contributed to the development of the NextGen bar exam by participating in a national field test in conjunction with the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE). By hosting a field test, Mizzou Law joined 88 other law schools in providing data and feedback to the bar exam developers to help inform and improve the new bar exam format, which will first launch in July 2026. The Mizzou Law field test was facilitated by Kellie Early, the Director of Academic and Bar Support at Mizzou Law.

a photo of parker owens giving his business pitch during the competition with a slide of his business details behind him

Mizzou Law 3L and Entrepreneur Opens Pop-Up Shop

Parker Owens, a Mizzou Law 3L student, entrepreneur and winner of the Mizzou Entrepreneur Quest Student Accelerator competition last fall, is opening a pop-up store for his business, Parker’s Brick Builds. The store will open from 9:30 a.m.- 2 p.m. on Feb. 21 in the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation in the MU Trulaske College of Business. Owens’ business, Parker’s Brick Builds, offers custom Lego kits to retailers and online to individuals.

Mizzou Law Veterans Clinic logo

Mizzou Law Veterans Clinic Files Amicus Brief with United States Supreme Court

Attorneys in the Mizzou Law Veterans Clinic have filed an amicus brief with the United States Supreme Court in a crucial case awaiting consideration involving veterans seeking certiorari to challenge a decision made by the Federal Circuit.   The veterans in the case argue that the Federal Circuit erred in its judgment, contending that the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims (CAVC) must consult the complete agency record in every case to determine the proper application of the benefit-of-the-doubt rule. This rule, rooted in a longstanding history and codified by Congress, is a vital safeguard for veterans seeking…

a photo of walter jackson, left, and bob bailey, right

Mizzou Law Student, Assistant Dean Emeritus, Win Carnahan Awards

Walter Jackson, 3L and Assistant Dean Emeritus Bob Bailey, will be honored today, Feb. 8, with Mel Carnahan Awards. Walter Jackson is receiving the Carnahan Award for Legal Scholarship while Dean Bob Bailey is receiving the Carnahan Award for Public Service at the Governor’s Mansion in Jefferson City. The Mel Carnahan Award is an initiative of the Carnahan Policy Institute. Each year, the institute grants the award to individuals who have made outstanding contributions in education, law and public service in Missouri. The institute also provides scholarships to students attending the Truman School of Government…

a photo of Euphenie Andre competing at a track event

Mizzou Law Entrepreneurship Legal Clinic Now Offers NIL Contract Review for Student-Athletes

Beginning this January, the Mizzou Law Entrepreneurship Clinic (ELC) will begin offering Name Image and Likeness (NIL) contract review services to all student-athletes at Mizzou and across the state of Missouri. The ELC already offers legal services for entrepreneurs and new business owners free of charge — and that same service will now be available for student-athletes. “In addition to reviewing their NIL contracts and helping the student-athlete navigate the complexities of the legal terms and conditions — convert the contract language from ‘lawyer words’ to more common explanations in layman’s terms — we can assist them in protecting…

a photo of Danielle Dodd

Mizzou Law Hires New Director of Family Violence Clinic

Leaders at the University of Missouri School of Law are excited to announce that Danielle Dodd has joined the Mizzou Law faculty as the new director of the recently reopened Family Violence Clinic. Professor Dodd joins the Mizzou Law faculty as an associate clinical professor of law after serving as legal counsel for the Department of Social Services. This included litigating termination of parental rights, adult guardianships, and opposing removal-of-name-requests under the Child Abuse and Neglect Registry.  From 2018 to 2022 Professor Dodd worked at True North of Columbia, Columbia’s local domestic and sexual violence agency. “We are…

a photo of parker owens and the director of the competition holding a giant check for $15,000

Mizzou Law student wins entrepreneur competition, $15,000 in seed funding

On top of his responsibilities as a law student, parent and president of the University of Missouri Graduate Professional Council, Mizzou Law 3L Parker Owens sets aside time for one of his favorite hobbies: Lego. However, Owens does more than just play — in July, he created Parker’s Brick Builds, a business which offers custom Lego kits to retailers and online to individuals. Owens said that he has enjoyed Lego since he was a child, so making the leap to creating his own models was a natural progression. “I grew up building with Lego, so I decided to make my…

a photo of dean litton speaking with alumni at the tailgate

Classes of the 70s Show Out

An exciting upset against Tennessee wasn’t the only notable event in Columbia this Veteran’s Day weekend — Mizzou Law welcomed home alumni from the classes of the 1970s for a reunion on Friday and Saturday. The reunion featured a cocktail party, a tailgate, and walking tours of the law school’s former location, Tate Hall. Mizzou Law alumnus John Young ‘73, traveled to Columbia from Joplin, Missouri for the weekend. He said that he was excited to reconnect with classmates, especially given how long it’s been since the last reunion for his class. “It’s always fun to see people you went to…