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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.
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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.

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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.

Mission, Vision and Values
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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.

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#3
For practical training, 2025
#8
Best Value Private Law School, 2023
89.9%
Gold-standard employment, 2024

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.
A student stands side-by-side with their School of Law mentor.

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.

Learn more about the Mentor Externship Program

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

Q&A With New Law Alumni Board President, Judge John Sandy  

This summer, Judge John Sandy ’07, ’10 J.D. begins his one-year term as president of the University of St. Thomas School of Law’s Alumni Board.  "I’m honored to lead the St. Thomas Law alumni board and excited to serve a community so deeply ro...

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