Welcome to The University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law.

We are Arizona’s first law school, and for nearly a century have transcended borders and disciplinary boundaries to address the world’s most pressing problems—from the environment, to domestic and international human rights, to intergovernment conflicts, to criminal law and policy, to indigenous peoples’ law and policy, to the legal parameters of business and technology.  Our defining characteristics are exceptional academic quality, collegiality, and an extraordinary tradition of public leadership. 

If all the trees in the law school forest are starting to look the same, consider the “cactus ivy” alternative here at Arizona Law—that is, ivy quality education delivered in a community where each student can craft an individual experience in close collaboration with professors and classmates and with a full array of leadership opportunities. 

First and foremost, Arizona Law offers an outstanding academic program, taught by nationally and internationally recognized scholars who are gifted teachers.  The Arizona faculty includes nationally and internationally known authors of leading treatises, widely adopted casebooks, and influential articles in their respective areas.  It also includes lawyers who regularly argue cases in domestic and international courts.  Recent hires have included nationally known professors from Yale, Emory, Minnesota, and other leading institutions.  All are committed to excellence and innovation in teaching, and to preserving what the New York Times has called The University of Arizona’s “cactus ivy” tradition.  Here are the elements of that tradition:

Arizona Law values rigorous intellectual exchange in an individual-centered environment.  Our nationally ranked College has been committed for decades to achieving excellence through an educational model of small classes, with attention given to each student’s success.  The College student body includes only 500 (J.D./LL.M.) students, who are drawn from the most academically talented applicants, from a wide range of educational and cultural backgrounds, and from over 100 undergraduate institutions.  We thus have one of the smallest student bodies among the nation’s top law schools, and produce an environment that fosters genuine community and intellectual exchange.  All of our first year students participate in one course of no more than 30 students in their first semester, and have numerous subsequent opportunities to take small enrollment classes throughout their upper class years.  And unlike many other schools, Arizona Law maintains the small size of its entering classes throughout their 2L and 3L years.  This allows our students to work closely with their classmates and professors all three years of their time here.  These lifelong professional connections begin on the first day of law school, and endure throughout their entire professional lives. 

Arizona Law offers every student who seeks a clinical experience the chance to pursue one.  We offer four-in house legal clinics (Child Advocacy, Domestic Violence, Immigration, and Tribal Law), and several external clinics (e.g., Criminal Prosecution), a unique Trial Practice Program supervised by the nation’s leading author in trial practice, Tom Mauet, and externships with government agencies, the United States Congress, and the judiciary.

Arizona Law brings multiple disciplines to bear on legal problems, through joint degree and specialty programs in environmental law, criminal justice, child and family welfare, immigration, business, economics, philosophy, psychology, women’s studies, and Latin American studies.  The University of Arizona Rogers Program on Law in Society includes distinguished University faculty in philosophy, psychology, sociology, and anthropology.  University faculty teach at the College, participate in law school colloquia, and help students and faculty examine law and social policy through multidisciplinary lenses.  We are one of the leaders in such interdisciplinary programs across the West. 

Arizona Law and our William H. Rehnquist Center on Constitutional Structures of Government host world renowned jurists, policymakers, scholars, and leaders, including United States Supreme Court Justices, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, the Arizona Supreme Court, Nobel Laureates, and many others.  Justice Sandra Day O’Connor has served as a Distinguished Visiting Jurist since 2006.  In 2007-2008, we hosted a member of the South African Constitutional Court, and a member of the International Criminal Court.  In 2008, Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer will lecture at the College; and in 2009, Chief Justice John Roberts will make his first appearance at the College. 

Arizona Law fields internationally acclaimed LL.M. programs in international trade and indigenous peoples law and policy.  The University of Arizona is a global leader in issues involving Mexico-U.S. relations, and the multiple policy and legal aspects of indigenous peoples’ cultures.  No other law program in the country—indeed, in the world—offers a similar program of advanced study of both the international and the domestic implications of the rapid economic and legal changes confronting indigenous peoples, or involving the multiple legal dimensions of free trade expansion between the U.S. and Latin, Central and South America. 

Arizona Law serves diverse communities—at home and globally.  In an increasingly multicultural society, lawyers must be prepared to work with clients from all walks of life.  We begin that training here with a sincere and abiding commitment to equal opportunity for all, in service to our paramount goal of providing equal justice for all.  We achieve diversity in all parts of our educational programs, and are very proud that our talented student body ranks in the top tier of all American law schools in terms of diversity.  The College consistently has ranked in the top 10 of all law schools by Hispanic Magazine for its hospitable climate for diverse students.  Our clinical and specialty programs include the Indigenous Peoples Law and Policy Program, a leading center for local to global outreach to indigenous peoples.  Our award winning College Community Service Board is comprised of students, faculty, and administrators who work closely with local organizations to connect our students with the wider community and to facilitate public service. 

Arizona Law is committed to accessibility.  Our tuition level is one of the most affordable, for the greatest educational benefit, among our national, top tier peers.  We offer competitive scholarship and loans to enable worthy students to pursue their professional dreams here. 

Arizona Law boasts a robust professional network that spans the United States and beyond.  We are located in the American West, which offers one of the fastest growing and rapidly changing economies in the nation.  Tucson is located just sixty miles north of the U.S.-Mexican border, in a state that embraces 25 Native tribes.  Globalization issues, sensitive immigration and environmental issues, and the growing significance of international law, international trade, and contrasting cultural and legal traditions are naturally entwined into our daily experience, as well as our University’s research and outreach.  Arizona graduates not only join the rapidly growing legal community in the West, but also are represented in all of the major economic hubs throughout the nation—Los Angeles, San Diego, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Chicago, New York City, Seattle, Atlanta, Denver, Dallas, and beyond. 

Arizona also excels in terms of placement in public and private sector internships and post-graduation clerkships, success on the Arizona bar exam.  Nineteen percent of our recent graduates received offers of judicial clerkships in recent years, placing us in the top tier of all law schools in securing these prestigious post-J.D. opportunities. 

Finally, we offer the Arizona Law Ambassadors program, a national network of distinguished Arizona Law alumni who assist Arizona Law students seeking professional opportunities across the country. 

Arizona Law’s alumni have established a long tradition of public leadership.  Our alumni are prominent leaders of the legal profession, and hold high offices in state and national public government and businesses across the country.  Our graduates include former United States Congressman and Presidential candidate Morris K. Udall, former U.S. Secretary of the Interior Stewart Udall, former Governor and U.S. Ambassador Raul Castro, former Governor Sam Goddard, former United States Senator Dennis DeConcini, former Congressman Jim McNulty, and many other prominent public officials.  Current Untied States Senator Jon Kyl and Congressman John Shadegg are Arizona alumni.  Arizona Law leads the state in terms of graduates who have become state and federal judges—including members of the Arizona, Nevada, and California courts—presidents of the State Bar Board of Governors, successful entrepreneurs, and respected leaders in local, regional and national politics. 

To top it off, Arizona Law is located in a region of unparalleled natural beauty, with distinctive and enriching cultural and legal complexities that enhance the educational experience.  Tucson’s desert rains, ocotillo, stunning sunsets, and saguaro cacti provide a truly unique backdrop to educational pursuits.  The city is surrounded by several mountain ranges and national park lands, where students and faculty hike, bicycle, bird watch, and otherwise enjoy the desert landscape while pursuing their academic pursuits.  The challenges of the world surround us, and the beauty of the world inspires us.  Our location thus is a perfect setting to study the globe’s future, and to work to protect those who will live after us. 

Wherever you choose to pursue your legal studies, I hope you will serve our profession and your community with distinction.  If you choose Arizona, we will expect you to do both, and we will do everything possible to prepare you for these vitally important roles. 

Toni M. Massaro

Dean and Regents’ Professor,
Milton O. Riepe Chair in Constitutional Law