#2
For practical training, 2024
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 Diversity and Belonging
St. Thomas School of Law has a unique mission founded on the precepts of diversity, community and inclusiveness. We are intentional about building an inclusive and diverse law school that is oriented toward cultivating a strong sense of belonging and support within our school and promoting 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 #2 in the nation for practical training in 2024.
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
Legal Clinic Students Work to Reform Sentencing Laws for Victims of Abuse
Three University of St. Thomas School of Law students in the Community Justice Project legal clinic are part of a growing push to reform Minnesota’s sentencing laws in cases that involve victims of abuse and exploitation. Kristina Brindley, Elayna Chambers and Daphne Karofsky worked with the nonprofit Violence Free Minnesota in fall 2024 to conduct… The post Legal Clinic Students Work to Reform Sentencing Laws for Victims of Abuse appeared first on Newsroom | University of St. Thomas.
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Law Professor David Grenardo Speaks on Racism in Sports at UNESCO Forum in Barcelona
School of Law Professor David Grenardo spoke at the 2024 UNESCO Global Forum against Racism and Discrimination held in Barcelona, Spain, Dec. 10-11. The international conference brought together leaders from across the globe to share knowledge and strategies, promote collaboration and offer support for countries in crafting and implementing effective anti-racism policies. “I felt honored… The post Law Professor David Grenardo Speaks on Racism in Sports at UNESCO Forum in Barcelona appeared first on Newsroom | University of St. Thomas.
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In the News: St. Thomas Law Professor Mark Osler Recalls Encounter with Former President Jimmy Carter
University of St. Thomas School of Law Professor Mark Osler wrote a commentary in remembrance of former President Jimmy Carter that was published in the Minnesota Star Tribune. In his opinion piece titled "A letter from Jimmy Carter," Osler recounted a transformative encounter with former President Jimmy Carter in 2008, before Osler arrived at St.… The post In the News: St. Thomas Law Professor Mark Osler Recalls Encounter with Former President Jimmy Carter appeared first on Newsroom | University of St. Thomas.
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Commutations Legal Clinic Client Among Those Pardoned by President Biden
President Joe Biden announced on Dec. 12 that he had granted pardons to 39 people convicted of nonviolent crimes. Among them was Sarah Carlson, who worked with the University of St. Thomas School of Law Federal Commutations Clinic to submit her pardon application. Carlson was arrested in 2009 for a nonviolent drug offense, convicted of… The post Commutations Legal Clinic Client Among Those Pardoned by President Biden appeared first on Newsroom | University of St. Thomas.
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Law Professor Rachel Moran Speaks at Columbia Law Symposium
University of St. Thomas School of Law Professor Rachel Moran was a panelist at the Columbia Law Review’s Nov. 15 symposium, The Law of Protest. She spoke on the “Policing Protests” panel, with Amber Baylor (moderator, Columbia Law School), Jenny Carroll (Texas A&M), Sunita Patel (UCLA) and Nick Robinson (International Center for Not-for-Profit Law). Moran's paper, “Overbroad Protest… The post Law Professor Rachel Moran Speaks at Columbia Law Symposium appeared first on Newsroom | University of St. Thomas.