#3
For practical training, 2025
Who We Are
Law School Overview
Learn about the School of Law
In our first two decades, St. Thomas Law has outpaced expectations, garnering national attention for our commitment to the student experience and community impact. Our mission-driven law school is perfectly poised to take a dramatic step forward in our national visibility and global impact.
St. Thomas prepares lawyers to lead through faith and reason through service to their communities, to create a more just and equitable society and to defend swiftly against emerging threats to the rule of law. The power to change lives starts with St. Thomas Law.
St. Thomas prepares lawyers to lead through faith and reason through service to their communities, to create a more just and equitable society and to defend swiftly against emerging threats to the rule of law. The power to change lives starts with St. Thomas Law.
School of Law Overview
Get more than a career. Get a mission.
St. Thomas gives students opportunities to start making an impact from day one. They work side-by-side with their professors, while lawyers and judges mentor them through our award-winning Mentor Externship Program. Turns out, when bright, caring people put their energy toward advancing the common good, everyone wins.
A Distinctive Legal Education
Our Mission, Vision and Values
Our law school is inspired by justice, guided by faith, grounded in reason, committed to excellence and devoted to advancing the common good.
A Caring Community
Committed to Belonging
St. Thomas School of Law has a unique mission founded on the precepts of community and inclusion. We are intentional about building a law school that cultivates a strong sense of belonging and support within our school and promotes justice in our world.
#8
Best Value Private Law School, 2023
92.5%
Gold-standard employment, 2023
A National Leader in Practical Training
St. Thomas Law’s experiential courses, legal clinics and externships provide opportunities for students to represent clients, develop key competencies and expand professional relationships. The school has been a national leader for practical training since its founding and was ranked #3 in the nation for practical training in 2025.
Inspiring New Lawyers
A Mentor for Every Law Student
St. Thomas Law’s award-winning Mentor Externship Program pairs students, each year of law school, with a lawyer or judge working in their area of interest who will help them gain work experience, develop relationships and navigate the legal field.
Centers and Institutes
The University of St. Thomas School of Law is home to centers and institutes that focus on research, programming and scholarship. The centers and institutes support innovation, facilitate legal reform, advance social justice, strengthen the connection between faith and the law, improve legal education and more.
School of Law News
Law School’s Mission Roundtable Explores Slavery, the Catholic Church and Restorative Justice
The University of St. Thomas School of Law’s spring Mission Roundtable event featured a conversation with Monique Maddox, president and chief executive officer of the Descendants Truth & Reconciliation Foundation. In 2016, Maddox, who grew up in Maringouin, Louisiana, discovered that her ancestors were enslaved by Jesuit priests when she happened to read a New… The post Law School’s Mission Roundtable Explores Slavery, the Catholic Church and Restorative Justice appeared first on Newsroom | University of St. Thomas.
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Q&A: School of Law Alumnus Adam Cox '07 J.D.
Originally from South Dakota, Adam Cox ‘07 J.D. moved from Minneapolis back to Sioux Falls in 2016 when he was invited to lead the wealth management division at First National Bank in Sioux Falls as chief wealth management officer. Over the past several years, Cox and his team have organically grown the business from $3.7… The post Q&A: School of Law Alumnus Adam Cox '07 J.D. appeared first on Newsroom | University of St. Thomas.
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School of Law Mentor Externship Recognized as Bloomberg Innovation Program
The University of St. Thomas School of Law has been recognized as one of the nation’s top schools for career resilience. Bloomberg Law named the school’s Mentor Externship Program among just 10 academic programs that are pioneering educational innovations that benefit their students, their schools and the legal field. “Bloomberg Law is pleased to recognize… The post School of Law Mentor Externship Recognized as Bloomberg Innovation Program appeared first on Newsroom | University of St. Thomas.
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Legal Clinic Students Help Clients Realize Dream of Becoming US Citizens
In October 2024, law student practitioners 2L Alissa Pollard and 3L Oksana Synetska accompanied their client, Lilian, to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) for her naturalization interview. Pollard and Synetska had worked with Lilian over the past few months to help prepare her for the day, conducting mock interviews and going over possible scenarios… The post Legal Clinic Students Help Clients Realize Dream of Becoming US Citizens appeared first on Newsroom | University of St. Thomas.
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Fulbright Reflection: Rachel Moran on Policing Differences in Chile and US
School of Law Associate Professor Rachel Moran is back at the University of St. Thomas after spending four months as a Fulbright Scholar researching protests and policing in Chile. Moran was selected to travel to South America in fall 2024 as part of the prestigious academic exchange program. Hosted by the Universidad de los Andes… The post Fulbright Reflection: Rachel Moran on Policing Differences in Chile and US appeared first on Newsroom | University of St. Thomas.