UT Law named to National Jurist’s ‘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.

UT Law was one of fifty-six law schools on The National Jurist’s 2016 “Best Law Schools for Practical Training” list for the number of students participating in experiential offerings, including externships, clinics, and interscholastic skills competitions.

The National Jurist calculated these rankings by collecting data from the American Bar Association and from schools themselves. Data pertaining to the percent of students participating in clinics, externships, simulation courses, and interscholastic skills competitions was analyzed. Schools were then ranked by the percentage of students participating in these practical training opportunities.

“UT Law’s broad range of experience-focused offerings helps ensure that our graduates are fully prepared to meet the demands of the legal profession,” said Melanie D. Wilson, dean of the College of Law.

The highlight of the college’s experience-focused curriculum is the Legal Clinic, which has provided law students with opportunities to learn by representing actual clients and helping resolve legal disputes, while filling unmet needs in the community for nearly seventy years. UT Law is home to the longest-running legal clinic in the nation and allows students to practice in areas such as advocacy, immigration, family mediation, business and trademark law, and more.

The college’s practical training opportunities also include UT Pro Bono, alternative fall and spring break projects, moot court competitions, and 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.

For more information, visit www.nationaljurist.com.