Sturm College of Law

At the University of Denver Sturm College of Law, students don’t just study law, they experience it. As the only law school in the nation with three practical skills programs ranked in the Top 10 by U.S. News & World Report (clinics, legal writing, and trial advocacy), we are a national leader in experiential legal training. Our nine in‐house clinics, multiple simulation-based classes, and extensive externship program provide students with abundant opportunities to develop their legal skills and to chart their professional futures.  

Faculty at the Sturm College of Law are national leaders in fields such as animal law, corporate governance, energy law, free speech, governmental transparency, health law, and immigration law. Within our full-time juris doctor (JD) program and part-time JD program, students can pursue certificates in six specialty fields:  constitutional rights and remedies; corporate and commercial law; environmental and natural resources law; international legal studies; intellectual property law; and workplace law. We also offer an extensive range of master’s degrees, including leading programs in environmental law and tax.

Since opening our doors in 1892, innovation has defined our culture. In 1904, we launched the nation’s first law clinic. In the 1960s, we helped found the Law and Society Movement, combining the study of law with cutting-edge perspectives from the social sciences. In 2003, we constructed the nation’s first LEED Gold-certified “green” law building. And, in 2018, we launched our #10-ranked Professional Part-Time JD Program, taught on alternating weekends and up to one-third online – a program that allows working professionals to advance their careers on their own schedules and from virtually any location in the nation.

Throughout our history, the Sturm College of Law has been committed to diversity, equity and inclusion, and we continue to be recognized as a top law school for diversity by preLaw magazine. Our Associate Dean of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Office of Student Affairs, nationally recognized mentoring program, student affinity groups, and Alumni Council work together to forge a culture of respect and belonging and to prepare members of our community to practice in an increasingly diverse and globalized workplace.