Welcome to Richmond Law
We welcome you to the University of Richmond School of Law and invite you to learn more about this truly exceptional law school. Richmond has a proud history and a bright future. Our motto, "To Live Greatly in the Law: Integrating Theory, Practice and Service," is more than just words. At the University of Richmond, we are proud to embrace the noble mission that rests at the heart of the great system of legal education in America. We cherish the enduring importance of this enterprise. It speaks to the heart of the American promise, to the central role of the legal profession in the stewardship of our most basic values as a nation: the preservation of human liberty within a constitutional democracy governed by the rule of law.

Richmond is fortunate to have a wonderful faculty, a diverse group of superb lawyer-educators who pursue with genuine zeal their multi-faceted roles as teachers, researchers and civic servants. Our mission at Richmond is far more ambitious than the graduation of students able to pass a bar exam. Our mission is to instill in students the values that will help them lead good and meaningful lives and to inspire students to live lives guided by the highest traditions and aspirations of our profession.

These are exciting times in the history of the University of Richmond School of Law, as we move energetically to strengthen our many traditional programs and launch ambitious new efforts in areas such as intellectual property, environmental law and family law. Our strong lawyering skills programs, our new dedication to pro-bono opportunities for students and our interdisciplinary programs with other academic units on campus—such as the Robins School of Business and Jepson School of Leadership Studies—provide our law students with an eclectic array of interesting educational opportunities.

The University of Richmond features a stunningly beautiful campus in a vibrant and prospering metropolitan area. People, however, are the real appeal of this school. Law students are at the center of our existence, and we are proud of our tradition of student-centered legal education. We also are proud of the many fine faculty members, administrative staff and alumni who work together to help foster an educational environment in which we strive to develop "the full lawyer," individuals dedicated to excellence in all aspects of professional life.

At this law school, we frequently use the word "community" in describing our character and ethos. We are indeed a community, one that extends across lines of generations, geography, politics and fields of practice. We have a strong tradition of collegial interaction among our students, faculty, alumni and the surrounding legal community. Our students are engaged in the larger life of the law and of our community. The law school is an exciting place today with an exuberant explosion of law journals, advocacy teams, competitions, political activism, pro bono service, charitable drives, student-organized conferences and symposia—a vibrant parade of activity in which students are engaged in the rich life of the law.

We hope you will take an opportunity to learn more about the University of Richmond School of Law from this Web site and that you will visit us to learn more about our vibrant community.