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MSU College of Law

NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 3, 2012

CONTACT: Kent Love, director of communications, 517-432-6959; kent.love@law.msu.edu

MSU Law Welcomes Incoming Class Selected from Largest Applicant Pool in Institution’s History

East Lansing, MI — Michigan State University College of Law welcomes to campus the incoming Class of 2012. This year’s impressive class was selected from 3,820 applicants—the largest applicant pool in Law College history, despite a reported 15 percent decline in the national law school applicant pool.

This year’s first-year class includes more than 300 students. More than half are from out-of-state, with students arriving from 33 states outside Michigan and six foreign countries (Australia, Canada, China, the Dominican Republic, Poland, and South Korea). The class represents more than 50 undergraduate majors. Racial and ethnic minorities comprise 20 percent of the 1L class, and 40 percent of incoming students are female. The class includes 75 full-tuition scholarship recipients.

Burt Skiba, a mechanical engineer and father of four, is relocating from South Carolina with his family to study patent law at MSU Law. “I was looking for a school that not only is in the top 100, but also has a good family-friendly environment,” said Skiba. “MSU has the big school name with the big school benefits.”

Seven students from China who already earned Master of Laws (LL.M.) degrees at MSU Law will begin pursuing their Juris Doctor degrees this semester. Two students from the University of Ottawa Faculty of Law also will join us on campus this fall to continue their progress in the U.S.-Canadian dual J.D. program.

Students will arrive at MSU Law for Immersion Week on August 20, 2012. Immersion Week is designed to provide an introduction to law school life and the ethical responsibilities of the profession. The week includes a Foundations of Law class that teaches students how to read a legal opinion and how to brief a case. The week also includes several three-hour service projects at various community and non-profit organizations throughout the greater Lansing area. Students and faculty involved in the service projects then return to the Law College for a barbecue reception. The service project is coordinated by the MSU Law Office of Student Engagement as part of its mission to create and develop community connections by organizing outreach efforts for students throughout the year.

Michigan State University College of Law, a leading institution of legal education with a long history of educating practice-ready attorneys, prepares future lawyers to use ethics, ambition, and intellect to solve the world’s problems. As one of only a few private law schools affiliated with a major research university, MSU Law offers comprehensive interdisciplinary opportunities combined with a personalized legal education. After 100 years as a private and independent institution, the affiliation with MSU has put the Law College on an upward trajectory of national and international reputation and reach. MSU Law professors are gifted teachers and distinguished scholars, its curriculum is rigorous and challenging, and its facility is equipped with the latest resources—all affirming MSU Law’s commitment to educating 21st-century lawyers.

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Law College Building
648 N. Shaw Lane, Room 320
East Lansing, MI 48824
www.law.msu.edu

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