Diversity at the University of Idaho College of Law

College of Law Diversity Statement The University of Idaho College of Law recognizes and supports the value of diversity within the law school community and the legal profession.  The law school learning environment is an inclusive, measured, and respectful forum for the discussion of legal principles, concepts, and practical skills.  As a preparatory ground for the future practitioners of the legal profession, we adhere to the standards of legal professionalism within our classrooms, our offices, our hallways, our student organizations, our gathering places, and our activities.  The calling to law is an important one with significant impacts on society and as a law school we take that significance to the core of our purpose.  Diversity in race, gender, ethnicity, culture, religion, life experience, sexual orientation, philosophy, citizenship, and opinion are welcome components of the University of Idaho College of Law and require legal professionalism from all sectors of our community to provide an appropriately respectful learning environment.

The University of Idaho has held the value of diversity in high regard since its founding in 1889 and the College of Law is no different. The College of Law’s history of embracing and welcoming diversity is long and includes graduates like Rei Kihara Osaki, who became the first Japanese-American and the fourth woman to graduate from the College of Law. During a time when anti-Japanese sentiment ran deep, and Ms. Osaki’s own parents were confined to an internment camp, Ms. Osaki was a valued member of the College of Law Class of 1943.

Today our commitment to inclusiveness and diversity is even stronger, as we strive to foster a community of mutual respect among our students, staff, and faculty. We know that our differences of ethnicity, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender, family status, religion, and language make us a stronger and more vibrant community of scholars, lawyers, and professionals.

Diversity at the University of Idaho is not just a buzzword to keep up with the times. It is a way of life. The values of a well-rounded curriculum represented by diverse faculty and staff members has helped shape learning in the lives of over 4,000 graduates from the College of Law. With students from over 20 states and several foreign countries, our teaching/learning community engages students in the candid and respectful examination of ideas and perspectives.  

“Students entering the University of Idaho College of Law have always been welcomed into a distinctively collegial community. Today, this collegiality embraces diversity in all its forms, including a wide-open appreciation for multiple perspectives and backgrounds. Idahoans can be proud that their law school links excellence with diversity, providing a complete education and genuine opportunity for all.” Don Burnett Dean, University of Idaho College of Law

Faculty, Staff and Students Support SODA with a "Day Against Hate" Message  SODA Peace Project: "Remember, Remember the 5th of November" was a day of remembrance, contemplating the historical hate against and violence perpetrated upon LGBT members, specifically stemming from Nazi Germany internment camps [where gay individuals were marked with inverted pink triangles, and lesbians marked as "anti-social" with inverted black triangles] to present day. The shirts bore an individual personal thought, peace quote from a historical figure, personal experiences, or "proxy" story of an LGBT member who was the victim of a hate crime. For many, the day also served a progressive, "looking" forward" function: demonstrating a peaceful resistance to anti-gay legislation, and activism for those who support equal treatment of LGBT individuals under the law.   [Side note concerning the poster: The "V" stands for the Roman numeral 5, for the 5th day and the 5 participating groups, 5 months of equal rights/same sex marriage in California, and forming the base of the upside down (Nazi) "triangle," the violet color emanating from the top, demonstrating that the community's voice will not be contained: a peaceful progression in unity for those who refuse to silently give up fundamental rights by mandate of the majority.]

Our commitment to diversity goes beyond gender and ethnicity. We actively support our LGBT students, with SODA (the Sexual Orientation Diversity Alliance) being one of the most active student groups. We cooperate with both students and the University’s Disability Support Services office to create a supportive environment for students with physical and learning disabilities. We create a supportive environment for students with families, especially single parents. And we have a long history of supporting veterans and non-traditional students. Our emphasis on divirsity begins even before the first day of classes.  Our Early Welcome Program brings together a cross-section of the incoming 1L class for an immersion into academic skills the week before New Student Orientation. Our Academic Support Office offers academic counseling and advising, workshops, peer advising, and bar preparation services to help students maximize their law school and bar exam success. An ever-increasing number of courses, such as Critical Studies and Native American Natural Resources, focus on the legal status, experiences, and rights of diverse populations. The College recently launched the crit, an online critical studies journal.

Third-year students represent economically disadvantaged clients in the Legal Aid Clinic, including our Immigration Clinic which represents foreign nationals living in the U.S. in proceedings before Immigration Judges, the Board of Immigrant Appeals, and federal courts. Our pro bono program (requiring all students perform at least 40 hours of law related public service) helps instill in students a commitment to assisting the underserved and disadvantaged. The Career Development Office is committed to expanding career opportunities for women and minority students.

MUCH HAS CHANGED: DIVERSITY AND OPPORTUNITY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF IDAHO COLLEGE OF LAW Article originally published in the Idaho State Bar magazine, The Advocate, February 2008

Despite the relatively small size of our student body, the College of Law
has a variety of student groups that highlight and promote diversity.
The Multi-Cultural Law Caucus promotes cultural, ethnic, religious, and
linguistic diversity within the College with many different programs and
activities. In addition to hosting speakers and sponsoring diversity
programming, it has cosponsored a panel on religious diversity with the J.
Reuben Clark Law Society, an organization dedicated to appreciation
of public service and appreciation for the religious dimensions of life. The  Sexual Orientation Diversity Alliance supports LGBT students, family, friends, and allies and works to educate community members about LGBT issues.

The Non-Traditional StudentGroup serves to support older  students and those with families. SALSA (Student Advocates for Hispanic / Latino Support and Awareness) works with local lawyers and the College’s Legal Aid Clinic to prepare future attorneys to represent Latino clients and communities. Other student organizations support public service and represent the broad range of interests of our students.

The College of Law has been making strides in creating a more diverse student body. Since the beginning of the decade the College of Law has seen an increase of over 20% in female students. In 2007 the percentage of female students in the entering class at the College of Law was 49.5%. Likewise, the representation of racial minority students has increased. In just 8 years the percentage of minority students in the entering class rose from 8% to 18%. These changes have occurred while also increasing the overall average accepted LSAT scores.

The University of Idaho is home to one of the nation’s longest running Women’s Centers, helping the Moscow community since 1974. Recently, the University created the position of Director of Diversity and Community as well as a new Student Diversity Center and a Native American Student Center. But diversity is not only an effort of faculty, staff, and administration on campus. Our students are helping lead the way at the University of Idaho College of Law in shaping the future of law in the world. Student organizations take what’s being taught in the school and put it into action. One-third of the existing student organizations take aim at fulfilling the value of diversity at the University of Idaho College of Law. Take a Look:

Idaho Law student featured in Lewiston Tribune Jana Gomez '09, is trying to bring attention to the plight of "pineros", H2B visa workers who are brought to the United States to labor in our national forests.

American Civil Liberties Union	Native American Law Student Association	Sexual Orientation Diversity Alliance (SODA)
Multi-Cultural Law Caucus	Non-Traditional Student (NTS) Group	Student Advocates for Hispanic/Latino Support Awareness (SALSA)
The National Lawyers Guild	Public Interest Law Group	Women’s Law Caucus

If you would like to learn more about the University of Idaho and its plan for creating a welcoming and diverse community please take a look at our Diversity Plan.  You may also be interested in what the Idaho legal community is to enhance diversity.  Please visit www.idahodiversitylaw.com for more information.

We welcome your suggestions and input.  You may direct your comments to Professor Michael Satz, Diversity Committee Chair, at msatz@uidaho.edu.