Leading the Way
In closing the justice gap.
University of Arizona Law has more than a century of firsts to our name – starting with being the first and by far the oldest law school in Arizona. As legal education and the legal profession undergo dramatic shifts, Arizona Law consistently innovates to stay ahead of changes, creating new opportunities for our college and our students. This applies to industry-changing efforts like accepting the GRE for JD admissions and the creation of the first-in-the-US BA in Law, down to day-to-day improvements we push for in order to support student success.
Highlights include:
Legal Paraprofessional Program
Working closely with the Arizona Supreme Court, University of Arizona Law has developed two first-of-their-kind educational pathways to qualify for Legal Paraprofessional (LP) licensure through our BA in Law and Master of Legal Studies programs. Students completing their BA or MLS have the opportunity to choose LP track required courses designed to provide the necessary coursework to qualify for licensure. Currently University of Arizona Law has the only MLS concentration and approved BA program in the state providing the educational pathway to become an LP, with additional programs in development to include both a graduate and undergraduate LP certificate.
Innovation for Justice
Innovation for Justice, the nation’s first and only cross-discipline, cross-institution, and cross-jurisdiction legal innovation lab housed at University of Arizona Law and the University of Utah. The lab designs, builds, and tests disruptive solutions to the justice gap including their recent Medical Debt Policy Scorecard which allows policymakers to see exactly where their states excel —or fall short—in addressing medical debt, their Licensed Legal Advocate pilot program which trains non-lawyers to provide limited-scope legal advice in the non-profit setting and their Cost of Eviction Calculator, a free, online tool designed to help users estimate the community cost of some of the major downstream effects of eviction-related homelessness.
Foreign Diplomat Training Program
A joint venture developed by University of Arizona Law in partnership with the Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores of Mexico, the Foreign Diplomat Training program trains diplomats and diplomatic staff on the foundations of U.S. law, enabling them to better advise their citizens living, traveling, and conducting business in the United States. Since its launch in 2018, more than 200 professionals have successfully graduated from the program, including consuls general, directors of protection, consular support specialists, and a wide range of ministry officials in the areas of consular affairs, trade, and North American relations.