University of New Mexico School of Law

The University of New Mexico School of Law is the law school of the University of New Mexico, located in Albuquerque. It is the only law school in the state of New Mexico. Approximately 350 students attend the school, with approximately 115 enrolled in the first-year class. By design, the school has remained this size in order to provide students more hands-on learning and individual attention from professors.^[1] Its student-to-faculty ratio of 10.0 is one of the best in the nation.^[2] It also has one of the highest student diversity indexes of any law school in the country, with Hispanics as the largest minority group.^[3] The National Jurist legal magazine ranked UNM the 6th Best Value among law schools, a ranking based on several criteria including students' average indebtedness after graduation, student employment rates, and tuition costs.^[4]

The school is currently ranked 79th by US News & World Report and boasts the 7th ranked Clinical Law program in the country.^[5] UNM Law School is one of only 80 law schools nationwide to have a chapter of the Order of the Coif.

Academics

Notable Programs

Highly regarded educational programs at the law school include clinical education, Indian law, and natural resources and environmental law. The in-house Clinical Law Program has been consistently recognized as among the country’s best. Though clinical education is optional at most law schools, participation in the clinic is required of all UNM law students.^[6] The Indian Law Program includes a specialized program of study leading to a certificate in Indian Law, the Southwest Indian Law Clinic, and the faculty-edited Tribal Law Journal. The Natural Resources and Environmental Law Program includes a specialized program of study leading to a certificate in the field and the faculty-edited Natural Resources Journal.

The School of Law has a unique relationship with the state government. Under the terms of the Constitution, the Dean of the School of Law has the responsibility of chairing the state's judicial selection process. The Dean also has the statutory responsibility of chairing the state's Judicial Compensation Commission and serving on numerous other boards, committees and commissions. Moreover, the School of Law has the primary responsibility for all judicial education within the state.

Exchange and Study Abroad Programs

Study abroad opportunities are available with special UNM exchange programs in Mexico, Canada, and Tasmania. The law school also has an exchange program with the Franklin Pierce Law Center, which allows UNM students to study patent and intellectual property law at that New Hampshire school.^[7]

Joint Degrees

The school offers the following joint degrees:

• J.D./Master of Public Administration,
• J.D./M.B.A.,
• J.D./M.A. in Latin American Studies, and
• J.D./M.A. in Water Resources.

Students may seek other dual programs with permission of the relevant graduate or professional school at the University of New Mexico and the law school.^[8]

Admissions

The School of Law describes its admissions process as follows: A five-member Admissions Committee reviews all applications and makes final decisions on acceptance for admission into the next fall’s entering class. The Committee is three full-time faculty members, the Assistant Dean for Admissions, and one third-year law student elected by the student body. The Committee begins reviewing files near the end of the Fall semester; however, in many instances, a final decision is not made until late April. The Admissions Committee considers quantifiable factors (LSAT and grade point average) and non-quantifiable factors (letters of recommendation, personal statement, and extracurricular activities) in making decisions. A substantial preference is given to New Mexico residents. The Committee also recognizes that special pre-law programs for minority and disadvantaged applicants provide valuable information about an applicant’s ability to succeed in law school, and participation in such programs is taken into account. Applicants will receive email notification when their applications have been received and again when they are complete and ready for review. Applicants will receive decision letters by mail.^[9]

Centers and Institutes

• American Indian Law Center, Inc.: an independent center based at the law school that is the oldest existing Indian-controlled and operated legal and public policy organization in the country
• Guanajuato Summer Law Institute:
• UNM Mediation Training:
• UNM Institute of Public Law: a think tank devoted to the development of informed public policy and law for the state of New Mexico.
• The Utton Transboundary Resources Center: a center specializing in transboundary resource disputes
• Pre-law Summer Institute: an intensive two-month program run by the AILC at the law school, which prepares American Indian and Alaska Native individuals for the rigors of law school by essentially replicating the first semester of law school.

Publications

• Natural Resources Journal
• New Mexico Law Review
• Tribal Law Journal

Competitions and Moot Courts

Students may participate in the following competitions and moot courts at the law school:

• ABA Negotiation Competition
• American Intellectual Property Moot Court Competition
• Animal Law Moot Court Competition
• Environmental Moot Court Competition
• Health Law Moot Court Competition
• Hispanic National Bar Association Moot Court Competition
• Jessup International Moot Court Competition
• National Mock Trial Competition
• National Moot Court Competition
• National Native American Moot Court Competition ^[10]

Campus

In 1971, the law school moved into its current building, designed by the architect Antoine Predock while he was working for George Wright & Associates.^[11] In 2002, the law school opened the Fred Hart wing, designed by architect Edward Mazria.^{[12] [13]} The New Mexico Court of Appeals is located on campus, next door to the School of Law. The Court of Appeals and the School of Law have a symbiotic relationship with the judges using the law school's library and the students using the Court of Appeal's formal courtroom. Indeed, the Court of Appeals was designed for this use, with classrooms for law students adjacent to the formal courtroom.^[14]

Notable alumni

• Judges
  • M. Christina Armijo (Class of 1975), Judge, USDC-NM 2001–present
  • Robert C. Brack (Class of 1978), Judge, USDC-NM 2003–present
  • Juan Guerrero Burciaga (Class of 1963), Judge, USDC-NM 1979-1995, Chief Judge 1989-94
  • Santiago E. Campos (Class of 1953), Judge, USDC-NM 1978-2001, Chief Judge 1987-89
  • Edward L. Chavez, Justice, New Mexico Supreme Court
  • Charles W. Daniels, Chief Justice, New Mexico Supreme Court (also former faculty member)
  • Curtis LeRoy Hansen (Class of 1961), Judge, USDC-NM 1992–present
  • Petra Jimenez Maes, Justice, New Mexico Supreme Court
  • Celia Foy Castillo, Chief Judge, New Mexico Court of Appeals

• Politicians and Government Officials
  • Paul Bloom (1939–2009), lawyer who recovered $6 billion for the United States Department of Energy.^[15]
  • Brian Colon, (Class of 2001)
  • Hector Balderas, New Mexico State Auditor and former State Representative. (Class of 2001)
  • Kevin Gover, (Class of 1981), Director of the National Museum of the American Indian^[16]
  • David Iglesias (attorney), (Class of 1984)
  • Kathleen Kennedy Townsend (Class of 1978)
  • Gary King (politician) (Class of 1984)
  • Thomas J. Mabry, Governor of New Mexico, also Chief Judge NM State Supreme Court
  • Steven Schiff (Class of 1972)
  • Tom Udall (Class of 1977)
  • John Wertheim (Class of 1995)

Notable faculty

• Dean
  • Kevin K. Washburn

• Current Faculty
  • Norman Bay
  • Reed Benson
  • Barbara Bergman
  • Michael Browde
  • Sherri Burr
  • Camille Carey
  • Jim Ellis
  • Christian G. Fritz
  • Eileen Gauna
  • Laura Gomez
  • Frederick Hart
  • Antoinette Sedillo Lopez
  • Nathalie Martin
  • Max Minzner
  • Margaret Montoya
  • Leo M. Romero
  • Rob Schwartz
  • Dawinder S. Sidhu
  • Carol M. Suzuki
  • Peter A. Winograd
  • Christine Zuni Cruz

• Former Faculty
  • Anne Bingaman
  • Suedeen G. Kelly
  • Pamela Minzner
  • Cruz Reynoso

References

External links

• University of New Mexico School of Law
• UNM Clinical Law Programs