Mission Statements

The curricular mission of the University of North Dakota School of Law is to produce well-rounded legal professionals with the necessary skill set to serve as effective, innovative, and ethical leaders. Our distinct character as one of the smaller public law schools in the nation informs our program of legal education, which is designed to produce competent and ethical lawyers with entry-level proficiency and professional self-sufficiency in any setting and reflects a cooperative and collaborative approach to teaching and learning. Our curricular goals are to facilitate each student's professional and personal development and to promote the highest professional standards, critical thinking, self- and other-awareness, creative problem-solving skills, life-long learning, and a commitment to serving society.

The unique identity and special strengths of UND School of Law inform the content and delivery of our curriculum. Our educational environment reflects the value we place on practice readiness in a variety of settings, including solo and small-firm practice; open-mindedness and intellectual receptivity; federal Indian and tribal law; international and foreign law, particularly Norwegian and Canadian law; the need to draw upon knowledge from other fields; and our curriculum's connection to real-world practice.

Consistent with our curricular mission and unque identity, we adopt the following learning outcomes:

LEARNING OUTCOME 1: Foundational Knowledge

Our curriculum will provide students with foundational knowledge. After completing our program of legal education, students will:

1. understand core substantive and procedural legal doctrines and foundational legal concepts
2. understand legal systems and institutions at the local, state, tribal, national, and international levels
3. understand the role of attorneys in society and the profession /have a holistic view of the attorney's role
4. see connections among areas of doctrinal knowledge, lawyering skills, and professional values.

LEARNING OUTCOME 2: Foundational Skills

Our curriculum will provide students with education and training in foundational skills necessary to the legal profession. After completing our program of legal education, students will have developed competencies in:

1. legal analysis
2. legal research
3. written communication
4. oral communication
5. identifying and assessing issues
6. critical thinking
7. interviewing
8. investigation
9. active listening
10. counseling
11. advocacy
12. negotiation
13. technology
14. problem solving

LEARNING OUTCOME 3: Ethics and Professionalism

Our curriculum will emphasize ethics and professionalism in legal practice and provide students with the tools to identify and resolve ethical and professional dilemmas. After completing our program of legal education, students will understand the ethical and professionalism issues and consequences concerning:

1. attorney-client relationships
2. interactions with legal tribunals and other legal professionals
3. conduct and decorum
4. law practice management
5. personal and professional wellness and stress management
6. independence and self-sufficiency as legal professionals
7. the attorney's obligations as a legal professional

LEARNING OUTCOME 4: Leadership, Collaborative, and Adaptive Skills

Our curriculum will provide students with the skills and knowledge to solve problems and function effectively in any setting. After completing our program of legal education, students will have the abilities to:

1. learn from experience
2. self-reflect and "other" -reflect
3. recognize possible pitfalls, admit mistakes, and self-correct
4. engage in innovative and creative problem analysis, including imagining and implementing solutions
5. be sympathetic and empathetic; manage self-empathy and engage in self-care
6. exercise leadership and teamwork skills
7. collaborate and cooperate in multiple roles
8. effectively work with and for diverse individuals and communities
9. identify and adapt to customs of practice

LEARNING OUTCOME 5: Service to Society

Our curriculum will emphasize an attorney's obligation to serve society. After completing our program of legal education, students will understand and be able to address:

1. the obligation of attorneys to critically examine and improve the law
2. the responsibility of attorneys to contribute to society and community
3. the responsibility of attorneys to serve justice
4. gaps in legal services, especially to impoverished and underrepresented populations

The School of Law offers certificate programs in sevearl areas. In addition to the learning outcomes listed above for the general program of legal education, students completing one of the certificate programs will be expected to meet additional learning outcomes. 

LEARNING OUTCOME: Indian & Tribal Law Certificate Program

After earning a certificate in Indian & Tribal Law, students will be able to understand and address:

1. federal Indian and Tribal law
2. what is 'Indian Country'
3. the operations and procedures of tribal legal systems and institutions
4. the unique roles of attorneys in Indian Country
5. the distribution of regulatory and adjudicatory jurisdiction between tribes, states, and the federal government
6. the special role history plays in shaping Indian law and policy
7. why some areas of the law work differenty in Indian Country than anywhere else in the United States. 

LEARNING OUTCOME: Aviation Law Certificate Program

After earning a certificate in aviation law, students will be able to understand and address:

1. federal, state, and local laws governing aviation
2. administrative policies related to aviation businesses and operations
3. the business and management challenges of operating in the aviation industry

LEARNING OUTCOME: Energy, Environment, and Natural Resources Certificate Program

After earning a certificate in energy, environment, and natural resources law, students will be able to understand and address:

As the educational program is the core of UND School of Law, the administration and staff of UND School of Law is committed to serving our curricular mission. We believe that all of the School of Law's interactions with students, whether with faculty or staff, beginning with the application to law school and continuing throughout a graduate's career, are part of the educational experience. We believe that a well-run law school is essential to a high-quality educational program. We believe that in order to produce the graduates envisioned by our curricular mission, each employee at the School of Law must strive to exemplify the values and competencies reflected in our mission. To serve our curricular mission through our roles as administrators and staff members, we adopt the following administrative objectives to guide all operations of UND School of Law:

ADMINISTRATIVE OBJECTIVE 1: Enhance the Educational Environment

All aspects of the School of Law are part of students' educational experience. To enhance the educational environment, we will ensure that our interactions with students are consistent with the School of Law's curricular mission. We will set clear expectations for students, and will hold ourselves to the same expectations. In fulfilling our duties, we will adhere to the highest professional standards, and we will engage in critical thinking, self- and other-awareness, creative problem-solving, life-long learning, and service to society.

ADMINISTRATIVE OBJECTIVE 2: Advance a Professional Workplace

As an organization within the legal profession, the School of Law is students' first intensive experience, as aspiring attorneys, in a legal institution. We will ensure that as a professional workplace, the School of Law operates effectively and efficientlly. We will unfailingly model ethical and professional conduct, as well as proficient and innovative leadership, cooperation and collaboration, and effective communication. We will treat all members of the UND School of Law community with courtesy, civility, and respect.

ADMINISTRATIVE OBJECTIVE 3: Implement Learning-Focused Student Services

Student services are integral to the School of Law's operations. We embrace our role as informal teachers, and will create opportunities to help students develop problem-solving skills and become self-sufficient professionals, rather than merely providing service to students. At the same time, we will maintain the student-centered character of the School of Law by working to facilitate the academic and professional success of each and every student.

The University of North Dakota School of Law is committed to the principle of equal opportunity in legal education for all persons. Further, the School recognizes the educational richness that results from including human experience from diverse perspectives. A law school community that welcomes, promotes, and respects diverse viewpoints enhances the quality of educational experiences for all those within that community, and enhances the legal profession and communities outside of the law school by preparing students to be more culturally respectful, professionally competent, and civically responsible leaders. The University of North Dakota School of Law is therefore committed to achieving a diverse law school community in terms of race, color, ethnicity, religion, national origin, gender (including identity and expression), sexual orientation, age, disability, marital status, and socioeconomic status. In furtherance of this commitment, the University of North Dakota School of Law has adopted a diversity policy to guide our efforts.

 

The UND School of Law adopts the following principles within the law school community, the law school curriculum, and the law school's active participation in the larger community.

I. DEVELOP AND MAINTAIN A RESPECTFUL COMMUNITY AT THE SCHOOL OF LAW THAT ENCOURAGES AND VALUES DIVERSITY

The School of Law is committed to fair and just treatment of every person at the law school. We value diversity and the individual differences that enrich the law school community. We seek to build a diverse community defined by intellectual inquiry and respect for all points of view. In accordance with these aspirations, the School of law will strive (A) to raise awareness of the value and importance of a diverse law school community, (B) to encourage the open-mindedness essential to professional development, (C) to recruit and retain a diverse student body, faculty, and staff, and (D) to expand and develop law school services, practices, and policies that support diverse members of the law school community.

II. PROVIDE A CURRICULUM THAT PROMOTES DIVERSITY AND IS CONDUCTIVE TO SUCCESSFUL TEACHING AND LEARNING OF ALL LAW STUDENTS

As a part of its commitment to building and maintaining a law school climate that is inclusive, safe, and respectful of all people, the School of Law seeks to provide a course of study inside and outside of the classroom that promotes and reflects deep respect for diversity and maximizes the educational and professional development of all students. In accordance with these aspirations, the School of Law will strive to develop and maintain inclusive learning opportunities in curricular, co-curricular, and extra-curricular contexts that nurture diversity and explore its legal, social, and professional implications.

III. DEVELOP AND REINFORCE THE LAW SCHOOL'S ROLE AS AN ACTIVE PARTICIPANT IN THE LARGER DIVERSITY COMMUNITY

The School of Law is committed to promoting diversity at the University, state, regional, national, and international levels. In accordance with these aspirations, the School of Law will strive (A) to increase faculty, student, and staff interaction with members of diverse communities beyond the law school itself and (B) to develop diversity initiatives through external collaborative relationships.