The University of Montana's Alexander Blewett III School of Law in Missoula is the state's only law school. Its small, full-time JD emphasizes environmental and natural resources law, American Indian law, and required clinical training.
This guide walks you through how to get into Montana Law.
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1. Montana Law Admissions Numbers and Statistics
Montana Law Class of 2028:
- LSAT: 75th: 159 | Median: 156 | 25th: 153
- GPA: 75th: 3.80 | Median: 3.64 | 25th: 3.33
Montana Law Class of 2027:
- LSAT: 75th: 160 | Median: 156 | 25th: 153
- GPA: 75th: 3.75 | Median: 3.52 | 25th: 3.21
The fall 2025 class enrolled 95 full-time students, compared with 93 in fall 2024. The LSAT median held at 156, while the GPA median rose by 0.12. The lower GPA quartile increased by the same amount, although the upper LSAT quartile declined one point. Enrollment grew again to 98 first-year students in fall 2026.
Aim to be at or above at least one median to be competitive. Above both puts you in a stronger position. Below both medians, this is a prayer, not a reach.
For context on how medians affect your strategy, see How to Build a Smart Law School List.
2. Montana Law Application Essays
Personal Statement (required)
The school's instructions:
“The personal statement should provide information about yourself that you consider significant to our evaluation of your file. We are interested in learning about the qualities that you would bring to the legal profession, the law school classroom, and the community. For example, you may wish to describe service you provided to your community, contributions you made to causes that are important to you, or describe a significant experience in your life. Alternatively, you may wish to discuss your interest in or motivation for attending law school. Your statement will be evaluated for writing ability as well as the content. Do not treat your personal statement as a narrative of your resume.”
“Your personal statement must be no more than 2-3 pages, double-spaced, with normal margins, and no smaller than a 10-point font.”
For more on how to write a personal statement, see my Personal Statement Examples and Personal Statement Guide.
Statement of Interest
The school's instructions:
“You may submit a brief statement of interest explaining why you wish to attend the University of Montana School of Law. This statement is required for out of state students and optional for in-state students.”
For more on how to write a Why X essay, see my Why X Essay Guide.
For more on making all of these essays work together, see my Cohesive Narrative Guide.
Background and Other Addenda (optional)
The school's instructions:
“You have the option of including an additional statement to explain any other factors you wish the admissions committee to consider that relate to your likelihood of success in law school. You may offer an Addendum in explanation of your undergraduate GPA and/or LSAT. You may choose to describe economic, cultural, or social factors that have presented obstacles you have had to overcome that you wish the Admissions Committee to consider in evaluating your application.”
“Addendums should be no longer than 3 pages and should not address topics discussed in your personal statement.”
For more on how to write a diversity or perspective statement, see my Diversity Statement Examples and Diversity Statement Guide.
The school's instructions:
“You will be required to include an additional statement to explain any affirmative response to our Character and Fitness questions. You must provide an explanation for any incident you disclose pertaining to crimes (even if dismissed) workplace discipline, academic discipline, and traffic violations involving alcohol or drugs.”
I'll be publishing a guide to addenda and character and fitness.
3. Montana Law Resume Requirements
A current resume is required. More than one page is acceptable when your experience warrants it. Use consistent, reverse-chronological formatting without an objective statement. Give responsibilities and accomplishments enough detail to be meaningful.
For more on preparing your resume, see my Resume Examples and Resume Guide.
4. Montana Law Letters of Recommendation
Regular applicants submit two letters of recommendation, with a maximum of four. Academic recommendations are preferred, especially for recent graduates; experienced applicants may use professional supervisors. Send letters through CAS, not directly to the school. The Expedited Admissions Program instead requires one academic letter.
For more on recommendations, see my LOR Guide (Applicants) and LOR Guide (Writers).
5. Montana Law Interview Process
Montana does not conduct formal admissions interviews as part of the standard application process.
6. Montana Law Deadlines and Decision Options
Testing Policy
Regular applicants may submit the LSAT or GRE. GRE applicants must report all valid scores from the preceding five years, along with any valid LSAT scores. Montana does not consider GRE scores when an LSAT score is on file.
If you're considering the GRE, read my LSAT vs. GRE guide before deciding.
Application Dates and Fees
Montana's regular admissions calendar runs from September 1 through July 15:
- Regular application deadline: July 15
- 3+3 application deadline: February 1
- Expedited Admissions priority deadline: March 15
- Regular application fee: $75, without a school-issued waiver
Review is rolling. September and October applicants can receive decisions beginning in mid-November; later decisions typically arrive three to six weeks after a file enters review. The JD is a three-year, full-time, residential program.
The Expedited Admissions Program serves qualifying University of Montana graduates completing their bachelor's degree in the academic year before law school. Eligibility includes an ACT or SAT score at the national 85th percentile or higher and a top-10% undergraduate class rank after at least six semesters. This route does not require the LSAT or GRE, uses a separate application, and waives the school application fee, not CAS charges.
7. Montana Law Scholarships and Financial Aid
Merit Scholarships
All admitted applicants receive automatic consideration for incoming merit scholarships. Renewal requires at least a 2.5 GPA. Additional named awards are available by application in the second and third years; strong law-school grades do not ordinarily increase the initial merit award.
In the 2025 ABA report, 89% of students received grants, with a median award of $10,000. None of the 64 students who entered with conditional scholarships in 2024-2025 had them reduced or eliminated during the reported period.
For 2026-2027, the law school's 30-credit tuition-and-fee schedule lists $28,018 for Montana residents and $55,610 for nonresidents. The university's separate full-time, off-campus cost-of-attendance budgets are $56,509 and $85,325, respectively, including living allowances and health insurance. Insurance can be waived with qualifying coverage.
Nonresidents generally cannot establish resident tuition simply by completing their first year in Montana. Compare the full three-year commitment and the scholarship's GPA condition, not just the first-year award.
For more on scholarship strategy, see How to Negotiate Law School Scholarships.
8. Montana Law Dual Degree Programs
Montana offers five graduate combinations:
- JD/MBA: The College of Business partnership can be completed in three years.
- JD/Master of Environmental Studies: Combines legal study with interdisciplinary environmental work in as little as four years.
- JD/Master of Public Administration: A four-year route through the university's public administration and policy program.
- JD/Master of Social Work: A four-year combination for work connecting legal systems and social services.
- JD/MS in Resource Conservation: Typically takes three and a half to four years.
Students must meet each program's admission and degree requirements. The first year is devoted to law, with joint coursework afterward. Notify the law school's Registrar and Associate Dean of Academic Affairs by the beginning of the second year.
9. Montana Law Employment Outcomes (Class of 2025)
Montana Class of 2025 employment outcomes (reported to the ABA, measured 10 months after graduation):
- Full-time, long-term bar-passage-required employment (ABA): 80.2%
- BigLaw (firms with 101+ attorneys): 3.5%
- Federal clerkships: 5.8%
- Public service (including government): 31.4%
Montana is the dominant employment market, with a smaller number of graduates working in Idaho. Government, public-interest organizations, smaller firms, and judicial clerkships are meaningful parts of the employment picture. This is a more natural choice for Montana practice and regional public service than for a large-firm career strategy.
10. Montana Law Areas of Study and Specializations
Natural Resources and Environmental Law: The certificate combines specialized coursework, advanced writing, and clinical study. Field-based learning connects legal questions with public lands, watersheds, and restoration projects. Students can also pursue interdisciplinary work through Environmental Studies or Resource Conservation dual degrees.
American Indian Law: Coursework addresses federal Indian law, tribal governments and courts, natural resources, and economic development. The certificate connects that study with approved clinical work and advanced writing. The Summer Indian Law Program adds another focused academic opportunity.
Natural Resources Conflict Resolution: This interdisciplinary graduate certificate develops negotiation, collaborative problem-solving, and consensus-building skills. Work through the Center for Natural Resources and Environmental Policy connects law with environmental science and public decision-making, particularly where competing interests must resolve shared resource questions.
Practical Lawyering and Advocacy: The first-year Law Firm Program uses small-group work to develop research, writing, and professional skills. Required upper-level work includes Evidence, Pretrial Litigation, and Professional Responsibility. Advanced writing and oral advocacy opportunities extend that foundation before the clinical experience.
11. Montana Law Clinics and Experiential Learning
The JD curriculum includes four clinical credits, generally completed during the third year or the preceding summer. In-house clinics include:
- Land Use and Natural Resources Clinic: Works with public agencies and nonprofits on land, water, and wildlife matters. It does not represent nonprofit clients in litigation.
- Margery Hunter Brown Indian Law Clinic: Assists tribal governments with legal research, governmental projects, and the development of codes and ordinances.
- Veterans Advocacy Clinic: Represents veterans in benefits claims, appeals, and military discharge-upgrade matters.
Pro Bono and Experiential Learning
External clinical placements include:
- Federal Defenders of Montana: Criminal defense research, investigation, and written advocacy.
- Montana Legal Services Association: Work involving housing, family, consumer, and public-benefits issues for low-income clients.
- Montana Innocence Project: Screening and investigation of potential wrongful-conviction cases.
- Judicial Clinics: Research and writing for courts, including the Montana Supreme Court and federal courts.
- Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks: Agency work involving contracts, regulation, and litigation.
These placements offer different kinds of responsibility. A judicial placement develops research and judicial writing, while a client-service placement adds interviewing and case preparation.
The separate Pro Bono Program recognizes 50 hours of qualifying volunteer service on the transcript and 150 hours with honors recognition. These are voluntary service benchmarks, not the required clinical credits.
12. Montana Law Notable Faculty and Journals
Faculty
- Sandi Zellmer: Professor of Law. Studies water, wildlife, and public lands. She coauthored the seventh edition of a leading water-resources law casebook, published in 2025.
- Kekek Stark: Davis-Johnston Professor of Law. Directs the Indian Law Program and Margery Hunter Brown Indian Law Clinic. His work includes tribal governance and research on lay advocates' role in access to justice.
- Michelle Bryan: Professor of Law. Works in land use, natural resources, and environmental law. Her scholarship addresses land-use authority in Indian Country, connecting regional practice questions with tribal and local governance.
- Anna Conley: Associate Professor and Cliff Edwards Professor of Excellence in Trial Advocacy. Writes about litigation, jurisdiction, and comparative constitutional interpretation. Her 2025 scholarship examined personal jurisdiction and comparative originalism.
Journals
- Montana Law Review, the flagship, publishes twice annually and selects student members through its writing process. It publishes articles and student writing on Montana law.
- Public Land & Resources Law Review covers environmental, public-land, and related American Indian law issues. Its students also organize the Public Land Law Conference.
13. Montana Law Culture and Student Life
Montana offers a small law-school community within a public university campus. The required clinical experience and frequent contact with practicing lawyers connect student life with the state's legal profession. Missoula is the setting, but the school's professional relationships extend beyond the city through courts, agencies, tribal governments, and service organizations.
The Student Bar Association, Environmental Law Group, Native American Law Students Association, and Veteran Law Group provide different ways to participate. University housing options include University Villages and Lewis and Clark Village. The program's full-time, in-person structure makes day-to-day participation in this community a substantial part of the experience.
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Related Reading
→ How to Build a Smart Law School List
→ Should You Apply Early Decision to Law School?
→ How to Negotiate Law School Scholarships
→ 6 Proven Steps to Get Off a Law School Waitlist
→ How to Get Into Law School Below Both Medians
→ What Holistic Law School Admissions Really Means
→ Blog Directory
Note: While I try to keep this guide up to date, always verify deadlines, requirements, and policies at the Montana Law website before applying.
Think you spotted an outdated requirement or something that doesn't look right? Email moshe@sharperstatements.com with the school and a link to the current information.
