National Jurist - November 2007 - (Page 20)

If you build it, they will come The University of St. Thomas School of Law is reaching milestone achievements by incorporating faith-based education and community involvement, giving students an overall ‘quality of life’ experience. uring his first week of classes at the University of St. Thomas School of Law, Oscar Klaas, now a third-year, got some surprising news — his wife was pregnant with their first child. Having just left their family and friends in Idaho, Klaas and his wife faced new challenges when his wife went into labor during finals in the spring. But soon enough, the St. Thomas community in St. Paul, Minn., stepped up and provided Klaas with support during a happy and stressful time in his life — becoming a new by Michelle Weyenberg father and studying for exams. His legal writing professor provided him with a list of pediatricians in the area. His entire section chipped in to buy presents for the baby. More than one classmate offered to give him course outlines as his first-year stretched out a few weeks longer than the rest of his classmates’ year. It’s just one example of how St. Thomas faculty and students choose an overall ‘quality of life’ law school experience, which has been recognized two years in a row by The Princeton Review in the Best Quality of Life ranking. In only seven years, St. Thomas has achieved what most law schools struggle to achieve in their lifetime. At the top spot in 2006 and 2007, Dean Thomas Mengler said it’s been a pleasant surprise, though this year they fell to No. 2 in the listing. The list is based on student assessment of whether there is a strong sense of community at the school, how aesthetically pleasing the law school is, the location of the law school, the quality of the social life, classroom facilities, and the library staff. “We’re doing some things here that we believe are very distinctive,” he said. The Catholic law school combines a handful of programs with their mission to focus on student development. The focus is not only on knowledge and skills to become competent lawyers, but how to be contributing adults in society, Mengler said. Michael Lawyer, a 2L, said the school’s mission attracts a student body that has interests and passions beyond simply doing well in school and landing a job. “The school does an excellent job of facilitating connections between our passions, our coursework, and our sense of purpose in life,” he said. “Having a sense of purpose and feeling like you are working toward it is fundamental to a high quality life.” Mengler, who is in his sixth year as dean after the school opened in 2000, said the students have really created the environment for themselves. Dean Thomas Mengler, who is in his sixth year as dean, said they are clearly recruiting students who want a ‘quality of life’ experience. 20 THE NATIONAL JURIST November 2007

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of National Jurist - November 2007

National Jurist - November 2007 Contents Disturbing the Peace For the Record Blogs: The Death-knell for Law Reviews? Chemerinsky Heads UC-Irvine Ave Maria Dispute Raises ABA Inquiry John Marshall Establishes Veterans Clinic The Firm Report The Paper Chase Chronicles Law School Rankings at Math's Mercy Academic Freedom Called into Question St. Thomas Students Choose ‘Quality of Life’ Experience The Hidden Debt Crisis The Global Frontier International Education has to be a Part of Any Legal Education Employment Defender Career Hotline Off the Bench

National Jurist - November 2007

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