College of Law

102 Law Building
Klint Alexander, Dean
Phone: (307)766-6416 FAX: (307)766-6417
Web site: www.uwyo.edu/law

Professors:

KLINT ALEXANDER, B.A. Yale University 1991; Ph.D./M.Phil. Cambridge University 1997; J.D. University of Virginia 1999; Professor of Law 2015.

MELISSA ALEXANDER, B.A. Yale University 1996; J.D. University of Virginia 1999; Professor of Law 2019, 2015.

JACQUELYN BRIDGEMAN, B.A. Stanford University 1996; J.D. University of Chicago 1999; Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Professor of Law 2008, 2002.

KENNETH CHESTEK, B.A. Pennsylvania State University 1975; J.D. University of Pittsburg School of Law 1979; Professor of Law 2018, 2012.

JAMES M. DELANEY, B.A. University of Washington 1985; J.D. Gonzaga University School of Law 1992; LL.M. in Taxation, University of Florida 1997; Professor of Law 2013.

MICHAEL DUFF, B.A. West Chester University 1991; J.D. Harvard University 1995; Professor of Law 2012.

STEPHEN D. EASTON, B.A. Dickinson State University; J.D. Stanford University; Professor of Law 2009.

STEPHEN M. FELDMAN, B.A. Hamilton College 1977; J.D. University of Oregon 1982; J.S.M. Stanford University 1986; Jerry W. Housel/ Carl F. Arnold Distinguished Professor of Law 2002.

MARK GLOVER, B.A. Washington University in St. Louis 2002; J.D. Boston University School of Law 2008; LL.M. Harvard Law School 2011; Professor of Law 2019, 2015.

DARRELL D. JACKSON, B.A. College of William and Mary 1987; J.D. George Mason University School of Law 1990; Ph.D. University of Colorado School of Education 2011; Professor of Law 2018, 2013.

SAM KALEN, B.A. Clark University 1980; J.D. Washington University 1984; Professor of Law 2014, 2009.

NOAH B. NOVOGRODSKY, B.A. Swarthmore College 1992; J.D. Yale Law School 1997; Professor of Law 2013, 2009.

JASON ROBISON, B.S. University of Utah 2003; J.D. University of Oregon 2006; LL.M. Harvard Law School 2009; S.J.D. 2013; Professor of Law 2019, 2015.

ALAN ROMERO, B.A. Brigham Young University 1990; J.D. Harvard University 1993; Professor of Law 2007, 2003.

MICHAEL R. SMITH, B.S. Florida State University 1982; J.D. University of Florida 1985; Professor of Law 2006.

Associate Professors:

DANIELLE R. COVER, B.A. University of Maryland 1994; J.D. Tulane University School of Law 1997; Associate Professor of Law 2018, 2014; Director of Legal Services Clinic.

LINDSAY A. HOYT, B.A. University of Wyoming 1999; J.D. 2003; Associate Professor of Law 2018; Assistant Dean.

TARA RIGHETTI, B.A. University of Colorado Boulder 2005; J.D. 2007; Associate Professor of Law 2019, 2014.

Assistant Professors:

LAUREN MCLANE, B.S. Radford University 2002; J.D. Seattle University School of Law 2008; Assistant Professor of Law 2018; Director, Defender Aid Clinic.

TEMPLE STOELLINGER, B.S. University of Wyoming 2004; J.D. 2010; Co-Director, Center for Law and Energy Resources in the Rockies 2013; Assistant Professor of Law 2019.

Academic Professionals:

AMY K. PEARCE, B.A. Central Michigan University 1997; M.L.I.S. Wayne State University 1999; M.Ed. George Mason University 2004; Assistant Librarian 2018; Head of Public Services.

DEBORA PERSON, B.A. Arizona State University 1981; M.L.S. Rutgers University 1992; Library Associate 1993; Administrative Law Librarian 2005, 1994.

TAWNYA PLUMB, B.A. University of Wyoming 1996; M.L.I.S. University of Texas at Austin 1998; Electronic Services and Assistant Librarian 2004.

Professors Emeritus

Debra L. Donahue, Harvey Gelb, Timothy Kearley, Jerry R. Parkinson, Dee Pridgen, Joel Selig, Elaine A. Welle

The College of Law was founded in 1920. The goal of the college is to provide a sound and thorough education in the law that will prepare the student to practice law in accordance with the highest standards of professional competence and responsibility. The emphasis in instruction is on analysis and understanding of legal principles and the development of skills necessary to the practice of the profession. The course of study will prepare a graduate to practice in any jurisdiction which has adopted the Anglo-American system of law.

The curriculum of the College of Law consists of three years of study within the college. Required courses necessary to basic legal knowledge make up the first two semesters of study, while courses in the final four semesters are largely elective. Students become eligible to receive the Juris Doctor ( J.D.) degree upon successful completion of 90 semester credit hours of law courses with a grade point average of at least 2.000.

The college acts as a law center for Wyoming. It serves lawyers, judges, and government by a program of continuing legal education for attorneys and others interested in significant legal developments, by research projects aimed at improving state law, and by publishing the Wyoming Law Review.

Accreditation

The college is approved by the American Bar Association and its graduates are eligible for admission to the bar in every state. A student planning to practice in a particular state should check its rules for admission to the bar.

The college is also a member of the Association of American Law Schools. Membership is conditioned upon the maintenance of an adequate teaching staff and library, the offering of a sound educational program and adherence to prescribed standards for the admission and graduation of students.

Prelegal Curriculum

There is no prescribed or required set of courses for prelegal work. A student must usually have a B.A. or B.S. degree before beginning the professional study of law. There are no restrictions on the field in which the degree is earned.

The objective of prelegal study should be to acquire knowledge and skills useful in the study and practice of law. College study should prepare the student for law school by developing language comprehension and use, understanding of political, economic, social and cultural institutions, and the ability to think logically and creatively. Courses promoting these objectives are included in the basic requirements for most undergraduate degrees. The choice of a major should be determined by the student’s academic interest and professional objective in law.

Valuable background may be acquired through the study of English, history, philosophy, economics, political science, psychology, sociology, business administration, mathematics and the natural sciences.

For additional information, see the College of Law web site, (www.uwyo.edu/law).

Admission Requirements and Procedures

Admission to the professional curriculum in law is granted by the admissions committee of the College of Law. The College of Law restricts the number of entering students to a class size consistent with its facilities and its educational objectives. In evaluating an application, the committee considers the applicant’s undergraduate college scholastic record and score on the Law School Admission Test (LSAT).

Other criteria relevant to the probability of success in the study and practice of law will also be considered.

Prior to beginning work in the College of Law, applicants must have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university, unless they have requested and been granted following exception:
1. An applicant who needs not more than 6 semester hours of college credit to qualify for a bachelor’s degree may be admitted in exceptional cases to law school if the committee determines that the applicant has sufficient education and preparation for the study of law; has an outstanding undergraduate scholastic record; and has an approved program signed by the appropriate undergraduate official indicating that the remaining requirements for the bachelor’s degree may be met by summer school attendance or by other means that will not interfere with the study of law.
Every applicant must take the Law School Admission Test. A packet giving information about the test, the dates on which it is given, and centers at which it can be taken, sample questions and an application form, may be obtained from Law School Admission Council, Box 2000, Newtown, PA 18940, by phone at (215) 968-1001, online at www.lsac.org.
Every applicant must register with the Law School Admission Council Credential Assembly Service, CAS. Registration may be done through the LSAC website (www.lsac.org). The CAS will prepare a report that is transferred to the college.
Every applicant must complete the electronic University of Wyoming College of Law Application through LSAC between September 1 and April 30. Applications received by December 15 will be considered for early admission.
If admitted, official transcripts sent directly to the College of Law from each college attended must be on file in the Admissions Office at least 30 days before the student’s registration date.

Application Deadline

An initial entering class will be selected from completed applications on file on April 30. Students who submit an application by December 15 will be considered for early admission. An application is complete only when the college has received the LSAT score, the CAS report, and the College of Law application form. Applications completed after April 30will be considered in filling vacancies which occur in the entering class initially selected.

Admission With Advanced Standing

Transfer students are admitted only when the College of Law facilities and curriculum permit. A transfer student may transfer up to the number of credits the student could have earned had the student completed his or her first year at the University of Wyoming College of Law. Transfer credit will be given only for courses in which the student earned a grade of C or higher. Applicants admitted must satisfy the requirements for graduation established by the College of Law, including such other requirements as may be imposed as a condition of admission. Students interested in transferring should contact the College of Law for information concerning application procedures.

Academic Standing

The following requirements apply to any coursework at the College of Law. Courses that law students may complete outside of the College of Law do not count in calculation of the required College of Law grade point average (GPA).

In the first year, a student who fails to make a 1.800 GPA after the first semester, or fails to make a 1.900 cumulative GPA overall in the first year’s work, shall be excluded from the College of Law. A student who at any time fails to make a passing grade in two of the courses for which the student is registered for any semester shall be excluded from the College of Law.

A student who enters the second year with a GPA lower than 2.000 but at 1.900 or above, or who fails to maintain a 2.000 cumulative GPA after the first year, shall be placed on probation. A student on probation who does not attain an overall grade point average of 2.000 within one semester shall be excluded.

A student excluded from the College of Law may petition the faculty for reinstatement. The faculty may, in its discretion, reinstate the student upon receipt of satisfactory evidence of extenuating circumstances or marked improvement in grades and study habits. Reinstatement may be subject to conditions, including, but not limited to, the repeating of any or all courses, as the faculty may decide. If a student’s petition for reinstatement is denied, said students must wait 9-months before petitioning again for reinstatement. Also, all students are limited to two petitions for readmission. Students are strongly encouraged to include all information pertinent to the readmission decision in their initial petition. The entire faculty will automatically hear and consider a student’s initial petition. In the event of a second petition for readmission, a committee selected by the Dean will hear and consider the petition. The committee will present a report and recommendation to the faculty for adoption. Denial of a second petition is final.

Advanced Writing Requirement

As a condition of graduation, all students must complete an upper-level writing requirement consisting of a research paper of a minimum length of 5,000 words, exclusive of footnotes. All students must follow a designated standard citation form. Students must submit a detailed outline of the paper to the supervising professor, then must rewrite the paper at least once after the professor reviews the first draft. With the professor’s approval, the student can meet the advanced writing requirement in any law school elective course, including a seminar, as long as the above requirements are met. The supervising professor must certify that the writing requirement has been fulfilled.

All student articles written for law review, whether published or unpublished, must have a supervising faculty member and otherwise meet all other provisions of the College of Law Advanced Writing Requirement. A student may also fulfill the requirement through an independent study or by writing a case note or comment for the law review, under the supervision of a professor. It cannot be satisfied through participation in a clinic.

Experiential Learning Requirement

For students matriculating in the fall 2016 semester and after, as a condition of graduation, each student must successfully complete no fewer than 6.0 credit hours in experiential learning courses. An experiential learning course must be a simulation course, a law clinic, or a field placement. Simulation courses provide substantial experience not involving an actual client, that (1) is reasonably similar to the experience of a lawyer advising or representing a client or engaging in other lawyering tasks in a set of facts and circumstances devised or adopted by a faculty member; and (2) includes: direct supervision of the student’s performance by the faculty member; opportunities for performance, feedback from a faculty member, and self-evaluation; and a classroom instructional component (ABA Standard 303).

Students may fulfill the experiential learning requirement by successfully completing 6.0 credit hours in any of the following upper- class elective courses:

Advanced Appellate Advocacy (LAW 6520)
Advanced Legal Research (LAW 6990 )
Advanced Oil & Gas Law (LAW 6992 )
Advanced Persuasive Writing (LAW 6925 )
Alternative Dispute Resolution (LAW 6915 )
Business Planning (LAW 6560 )
Civil Pretrial Practice (LAW 6565 )
Clinic: Civil Legal Services (LAW 6930  or LAW 6931 )
Clinic: Defender Aid (LAW 6932  or LAW 6930 )
Clinic: Energy, Environ. & Natural Resources (LAW 6933  or LAW 6930 )
Clinic: Family & Child Advocacy (LAW 6930  or LAW 6934 )
Clinic: International Human Rights (LAW 6930 )
Clinic: Prosecution Assistance (LAW 6930  or LAW 6936 )
Contract Drafting (LAW 6935 )
Estate Planning (LAW 6670 )
Estate Planning Practicum (LAW 6937  or LAW 6930  or LAW 6915 )
Externships (LAW 6960 )
Interviewing, Counseling & Negotiation (LAW 6166  or LAW 6915 )
Summer Trial Institute (LAW 6850 )
Trial Practice (LAW 6850 )

Note: classes may be removed from and/or added to this list each semester.

Graduation with Honors

The degree of Juris Doctor is awarded with honors if the student achieves a grade point average of 3.400 or better on all resident credit in the College of Law.

Honor Roll

Students enrolled in a minimum of 12.0 semester hours of law courses carrying A-F grades, and who have no semester grades of incomplete (I), are eligible for the President’s Honor Roll and the Dean’s Honor Roll. Students with a semester average of 4.000 will be named to the President’s Honor Roll. First-year students with a semester average of 3.250 or better and second-year and third-year students with a semester average of 3.400 or better will be named to the Dean’s Honor Roll.

Minimum Hours

The College of Law does not permit students to attend on a part-time basis. Students are required to take the full load of required courses during their first two semesters and to carry at least 9 credit hours in each of the remaining semesters of law study. Notwithstanding, if a student has less than 9 credits remaining in their final semester of study, then said student may register for only the number of remaining credits (e.g. if a student only has 4 credits left to graduate, that student will only be required to register for 4 credits). First year students will be allowed to take less than the full load of required courses only if they present exceptional circumstances, as determined by the Dean or his/her delegate.

Transfer Credits

The College of Law admits transfer students only in the fall of their second year. A student granted transfer admission may transfer credits earned in courses taken at another ABA-accredited law school toward a degree from the UW College of Law up to the number of credits that a traditional UW student would have earned during the student’s first year at the University of Wyoming (32 credits as of the 2013-14 academic year). In addition, University of Wyoming law students who visit out for a semester or full year may also transfer credits from other ABA approved law schools, as long as 59 credits are completed at the University of Wyoming. The College of Law will also accept up to 15 hours of transfer credit from another ABA accredited school for an international student previously enrolled in an LL.M. or other post-J.D. program. To receive transfer credit from a course, a grade must be a “C” or better. Transfer credits are recorded on the JD transcript as an “S” (Satisfactory), instead of graded credits. All transfer credits must be approved by the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs in advance.

Nonprofessional Degree Students

Graduate students from other colleges of the University of Wyoming may be permitted to take one or more law courses on an S/U basis for non‑law credit when the following conditions are met: the law course taken is acceptable for their degree program and the prior written approval of the professor assigned to the course and the Associate Dean or Assistant Dean has been obtained. In order to obtain audit or visitor privileges, students must obtain prior written approval of the professor assigned to the course and the Associate Dean or Assistant Dean. For further information and requirements contact the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, College of Law, Dept. 3035, 1000 E. University Ave., Laramie, WY 82071.

Course descriptions may be obtained online at www.uwyo.edu/law.