Top students are drawn to the UW Law School because of its tradition of excellence, but it is the law-in-action philosophy and interdisciplinary opportunities that make Wisconsin one of the most intellectually exciting law schools in the country. The UW Law School's law-in-action tradition also differentiates it from other law schools.
The UW Law School, established in 1868, pioneered the belief that law must be studied in action as it relates to society, and not in isolation. Our legal tradition is a strong part of who we are. The Law School focuses on helping its students understand how law both affects and is affected by every other institutional force in society. Students at the UW Law School have many opportunities to experience law in action. An extensive curriculum places an emphasis on the dynamics of the law -- how the law relates to social change and to society as a whole -- while at the same time emphasizing skills' development. The Law School does this in its classrooms, in its many clinical programs, and in its numerous collaborations among departments and colleges at one of the world's leading research universities.