Many law students plan to take at least one state bar examination upon graduation so that they can apply for law licenses to practice law as attorneys. For aspiring Montana lawyers, the State Bar of Montana oversees the licensing process and requirements. Only graduates of ABA-accredited law schools can take the Montana bar exam if they wish to do so immediately after graduation as student applicants. The State Bar of Montana also allows attorney applicants to take the state bar exam, but they also must have attended ABA-approved programs. Therefore, prospective Montana lawyers should consider attending ABA-accredited law schools, whether in Montana or in another state.
According to the Law School Admission Council, the University of Montana School of Law is the only ABA-accredited law school serving the state. Located in Missoula, Montana, the University of Montana School of Law received ABA-accreditation in 1923. The school is also a member of the Association of American Law Schools.
As the University of Montana School of Law is the only ABA-accredited Juris Doctor program in the state, many in-state students may wish to apply for admission. The process may be competitive, as UM only admits 84 students each year as its entering class. The admissions averages for the entering class of 2009 was 154 on the Law School Admission Test and a 3.44 grade point average. The school does, however, review many personal factors besides an applicant's undergraduate grades and LSAT scores.
As an in-state law school, UM reserves a number of seats for Montana residents in each entering law school class by limiting out-of-state-residents to only one-third of each class. In 2009, "The National Jurist" included UM on its list of "best value" law schools where tuition remains low but post-graduation employment rates stay high. UM enjoys a positive reputation for preparing its graduates to work in Montana after graduation. The Montana State University Office of the Provost recommends the UM law school for aspiring lawyers who want to focus on gaining practical skills usable in a Montana law practice.