University of Connecticut - School of Law

The University of Connecticut School of Law is located in Hartford, the state’s capital. The institution boasts all of “the resources of a large, public institution with the feel of a small, private school.” The low in-state tuition is great for Connecticut residents looking for a deal.
The program has cultivated a “strong relationship with pretty much every firm/agency/government office in the state,” though most students warn other law school applicants who are looking to practice outside of the state upon graduation to do their research. Career Services at UConn Law has a reputation of being “Connecticut-oriented” and “most of the recruitment is self-selecting/self-motivating,” says a 3L.
The administration here is “excellent, very accessible, and very responsive to student needs and concerns.” With the exception of the required curriculum, most students find professors to be “approachable” as well, says a 1L.
Once students reach the higher-level courses and specialties, they engage with teachers who possess valuable field experience and provide more practice-oriented instruction to prepare students for their career ahead. “I really get the sense that no one wants me to fail,” says a 1L. “Many of the professors have been in the state for a number of years, and many of the lawyers and judges in Hartford, and Connecticut more generally, are alumni, which make opportunities for internships/clerkships very accessible,” says a 2L. Overall, many students feel that they have the faculty’s full support.
“The University of Connecticut offers a unique program, which allows students to spend a semester working at a federal agency in Washington, D.C. While participating in the program, my fellow classmates and I had exclusive access to the White House, Pentagon, and other various high profile Washingtonian landmarks,” says a 3L.
Some students yearn for more evening classes while others just wish for “more classes” overall. In contrast students see the program’s opportunities for specialization as its “greatest strength.” One student sees this manifested in “the ability to conduct your own research project, as well as [to] compete in trial and appellate competitions across the country and conferences around the world.”
However, one aspect of the school that students can agree upon is their love of the clinics offered on campus. “With a little work on your part it is relatively easy to get an externship experience that looks fantastic on a résumé. Attorneys that I talk to look to see experiential learning and UConn gives you that opportunity,” says a 3L.
The recent renovation of the school’s library has done much to enhance the productivity and esthetic of the UConn Law campus. “The library is absolutely beautiful and we have access to every resource imaginable. The library staff is very friendly and knowledgeable. The classrooms were recently updated and the courtrooms are impressive,” informs a 3L.
Students gush about the school’s “historic look, with a modern interior.” Buildings have “state-of-the-art research capabilities and plenty of private study areas with full Internet access at every desk.” “In my last seminar class, the flat screen television started ringing and we began a satellite conference call with someone in England,” says a student.

Students at UConn Law value the school’s small size despite the fact that it’s a public institution. The campus “really fosters a sense of community among students.” “The community of students at UConn Law are some of the most diverse and friendly people I have met,” says one 3L. “Every student is incredibly bright, but except for a couple students, each student supports his/her classmates. That is, the environment highly fosters friendship and support for one another's achievements. It also enhances the learning environment.” The “student body [is] deeply involved in student organization [and is] deeply involved in the greater Hartford area,” says a 1L.
The city of Hartford is academically rich and is home to both UConn and Trinity College. The school has worked to improve the safety of its students on and around the school area.
On campus there is plenty to do in one’s spare time despite the large number of commuter and part-time students. “Many activities [are] both structured and informal, in which the younger, full-time students make time to participate.”
UConn Law also makes a concerted effort to be “very welcoming to LGBT students,” displaying diversity in its student body as well as in its faculty. This, students say, enhances classes and “makes for very lively and interesting discussions.”