Dean's Welcome
Welcome to the William S. Boyd School of Law website, where you can learn more about our fine law school and dynamic community. I'm sure that you will be impressed with what you find.
Ours is a close-knit community dedicated to educational excellence. Our students are active and supportive of one another, whether they demonstrate that support through our many student organizations or one-on-one, studying for class. Our faculty is productive and accomplished, which means that you will learn from people who are leaders in their respective fields. Our staff is committed to helping students excel during their law school experience (and afterwards, when our students become our alumni). Together we're developing conscientious, skilled, engaged lawyers who can tackle the multifaceted issues that affect people, businesses, and communities.
The Boyd faculty has integrated a strong instruction in skills and professionalism into its rigorous legal education program. Various parts of our educational program--the Lawyering Process progression of courses, the Saltman Center for Conflict Resolution, our Thomas & Mack Legal Clinic, and our externship, simulation, service learning, and community service opportunities--help our students make the important transition between understanding pure legal theory and applying that theory to solve their clients' problems. We want our students to understand legal practice as a unique combination of theory, analytical ability, common sense, judgment, creativity, and ethics. We know that lawyers have great responsibility, as professionals with a privileged position in the community and as officers of the courts, to work to improve their communities.
We're glad that you're considering us as a place to start your legal career. Ours is an exciting environment for legal education in a vibrant city that has embraced the law school. At Boyd, you'll find a supportive environment where your success matters to the faculty, staff, your classmates, and the community.
Nancy B. Rapoport
Interim Dean and Gordon Silver Professor of Law
