Education attorney Elizabeth Kaleva has held her juris doctor degree for more than 20 years. Elizabeth Kaleva earned her juris doctor from the University of Montana, graduating in 1995.
The University of Montana's Alexander Blewett III School of Law offers a juris doctor program with a solid foundation of theory coupled with practical experience. Students take required coursework on topics like evidence, constitutional law, procedure, and torts, in addition to simulation courses that introduce core elements of actual practice. Students supplement the coursework with voluntary pro bono service as well as participation in competition teams.
The first year's simulation courses introduce core practice elements such as legal writing, research, and oral argumentation. Students develop the skills they will eventually use in the office and the courtroom.
In the second year, real-world applications of these skills are introduced. In the program's Business Transactions course, students conduct a simulated business deal in detail, and in the Trial Practice course, they manage the argumentation of a courtroom trial.
In the final year of the program, students work with actual clients. This can be conducted through an in-house clinic or a field placement.
