The National Jurist names UT Law one of the ‘Best Law Schools for Practical Training’

The University of Tennessee College of Law has been named one of the best law schools nationwide for delivering on its promise to prepare students for the legal profession throughout their time in law school.

UT Law was one of 86 law schools on The National Jurist’s 2015 “Best Law Schools for Practical Training” list for the number of full-time students participating in experiential offerings, including externships, clinics, and interscholastic skills competitions. The college received a “B” grade overall.

The National Jurist calculated these rankings by collecting data from the American Bar Association and from schools themselves. Data pertaining to the percent of full-time students participating in clinics, externships, and stimulation courses, as well as interscholastic skills competitions, such as moot court tournaments, was collected and analyzed. Schools were then ranked by the percentage of students participating in these experiential offerings.

UT Law’s numerous experiential offerings ensure that graduates are fully prepared with the skills and training needed to meet the demands of the legal market upon graduation. Among these offerings are the pro bono program and alternative break opportunities. Last week, 51 UT Law students worked on 12 alternative spring break projects in Knoxville and other cities, offering legal services free of charge.

Also, for more than 65 years, the College of Law’s legal clinics have provided law students with opportunities to learn by doing—representing clients and helping resolve legal disputes. UT Law’s legal clinic is the longest-running legal clinical program in the nation and offers students the opportunity to practice in areas such as family mediation, immigration, business law, advocacy, and more.

Additionally, UT Law offers three externship programs designed to expose students to all aspects of the public legal system. The judicial, prosecutorial, and public defender externships pair students with experienced members of the state and federal court systems.

In the 2013–2014 academic year, traveling competitive moot court teams from the College of Law participated in eleven different intercollegiate competitions. Additionally, UT Law’s Moot Court Executive Board sponsors two annual intramural competitions: the Ray H. Jenkins Trial Competition and the Advocates’ Prize Moot Court Competition.

For more information, visit www.nationaljurist.com.