Your Life as a Michigan Law Student: A Close Community of Scholars and Practitioners

The social and intellectual climate of the University of Michigan Law School reflects not just its faculty but its student body: bright, diverse, interesting, intellectually engaged (and engaging) men and women from 49 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and 29 foreign countries. They represent almost 100 undergraduate majors from 245 institutions. One-fifth hold degrees in science, engineering, or math. More then two-thirds of entering students are a year or more removed from undergraduate work. Fifteen percent typically come to us with an advanced degree. Women comprise 46 percent of our population and students of color make up 28 percent.

Student interests and talents are expressed in an array of extracurricular activities that thrive despite the demands of legal study. Approximately 50 student groups are organized around specific interest areas within the law, as well as academic and social support groups defined by religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age, gender, professional, and personal interests. Many students participate in community service and student government. And over 400 students — roughly half of our second- and third-years — serve on the editorial staffs of the School’s six scholarly journals.

Student-organized conferences and symposia on cutting-edge topics further enhance academic life at Michigan Law. Recent symposium topics include intellegence gathering, the emergence of class in critical race theory, media regulation, indigenous peoples, copyright law in the digital domain, new sources or norms in international law, double jeopardy, and patents and diversity in innovation. Further, Michigan’s workshops on topics such as International Law, Cyber Law and Economics, Governance, Tax Policy, and Intellectual Property bring prominent legal scholars — a veritable who’s who of international jurisprudence — to the Law School to present papers, debate faculty, and discuss positions with our students.

Time pressure and class demands notwithstanding, Michigan Law students typically take advantage of many opportunities to test and develop their professional skills outside of the classroom through moot court competitions, mediation workshops, and client-counseling and negotiation competitions. A significant percentage also pursue dual degree programs — perhaps not surprising given the faculty’s remarkable interdisciplinarity and breadth of perspective, and given the administration’s encouragement.