Introduction
The University of Iowa College of Law, founded in 1865, is the oldest law school in continuous operation west of the Mississippi River. Boyd Law Building opened in 1986. The magnificently sculptured Rodin figure, Jean de Fiennes, stands at the main entrance to the Boyd Law Building. The following is a suggested tour of the building, describing places and topics that are of interest to prospective students, alumni, and College of Law friends.
Second Floor
Law Library (area 200) Pass through the lobby and enter the Law Library. Just inside the Library entrance you will find a common area. At the help desk, a research librarian is on call throughout the day to answer students’ research questions. Head to the left to take the elevator or stairwell to descend to the first level of the Library. On this level you can see examples of the numerous student carrels located throughout the Law Library that are assigned at the beginning of the school year. Also on the first level is a Computer Lab (room 174), a printing room (room 126), and the technical services room (room 130). Students have access to Lexis, Westlaw, and Bloomberg, the best-known legal databases, and the phenomenal library collection. As one of the top academic law libraries in the country students can typically find the volumes they need.
Levitt Auditorium (room 295) Heading out of the Law Library and back to the lobby, Levitt Auditorium is just down the hall from the main entrance. One of the many uses for the Auditorium is the orientation program for first-year students. Also held within Levitt Auditorium are the College’s annual Iowa Supreme Court Day, moot court and trial advocacy competitions, and other special events. Every semester the College of Law welcomes many distinguished speakers to present major lectures of interest to the legal and world community. Guests to the campus frequently include federal judges, well-known legal scholars, and famous legal activists.
Administrative Suite (room 280) Continue down the hallway with the classrooms, away from the main entrance, and you will reach the Dean’s Suite. Located within the Suite are the offices of the Dean, Registrar, Career Services, Student Services, Admissions, and Financial Aid, among others. Students can easily access the support and advising services they need through professional development programs and individual meetings.
Career Services The Career Services Office provides career planning and job search assistance to law students and alumni and is devoted to helping students find the job that best fits them. Iowa’s distinctive brand of legal education attracts a large number of recruiters to campus. Law students can connect with many more employers through written inquiries and off-campus interviews. Iowa’s graduates traditionally have excellent success in passing bar exams and finding employment; around 95 percent are employed within a few months of graduation. Typically about 60 percent of graduates practice outside the state of Iowa.
Admissions The Admission Committee admits applicants it deems able to help the College fulfill its primary mission of preparing students to serve as counselors and leaders in their professional and civic communities.
Financial Aid The College of Law helps students finance their legal education in many ways. All admitted students must participate in a scholarship interview to be considered for a merit scholarship. Loans and grants are generally available to cover the cost of tuition, fees, and attendance beyond any merit scholarship amount a student may receive. The College of Law’s Research Assistantship program qualifies nonresident students with in-state tuition, helping keep the cost of legal education at Iowa relatively low. RA positions are available for 2L and 3L students.
Bookstore (room 218) Head down the hallway back towards the lobby and continue past the Law Library to the other side of the floor, to the hallway with the bulletin boards. The bookstore carries all of the assigned texts and materials for law classes, as well as a variety of study aids, office supplies, and Iowa Law gear.
Study Abroad The College of Law offers a winter program in London and a summer program in France. Students can also study abroad through exchange programs at several world-renowned universities in various foreign countries. Pictures of the program are in the glass cases past the bookstore, heading towards the Classrooms.
Classrooms (rooms 225, 235, 245, 275, and 285) The main instructional classrooms are on the second floor. Rooms 225, 235, and 245 hold larger and mid-size classes. Rooms 275 and 285 hold smaller classes.
First Floor
Moot Court (room 105) Take the elevator or central stairwell down one level to the first floor. Walk to the left all the way down to the end of the hallway with the class composites. There you will find the Moot Court office. The Appellate Advocacy Program seeks to familiarize students with brief writing and citation form, further develop research skills, and strengthen the students’ persuasive ability in oral argument. Students in Appellate Advocacy I, an upper-level elective, write an appellate brief and argue the case before a panel of judges. The advocates with the highest scores are invited to participate in Appellate Advocacy II and moot court competitions.
Courtroom Classrooms (rooms 115 and 125) Heading back to the central area you will walk by classrooms 115 and 125, the courtroom classrooms. These classrooms are used for litigation, advocacy, and alternative dispute resolution practices, as well as smaller classes and seminars. Take a moment to view the photographs of prior law graduates.
Student Commons (central area) The Student Commons comprises the central area and consists of the café, kitchen items and vending machines; various seating and study areas, including an outdoor portico; conference and seminar rooms; and a locker room. The remodeled Student Commons opened in January 2017.
Journal Offices (rooms 190, 188, 187 and 185) On the other side of the floor are the journal offices. There are four student-edited scholarly journals published at the College of Law: Iowa Law Review (room 190); Journal of Corporation Law (room 188); Transnational Law and Contemporary Problems (room 185); and Journal of Gender, Race and Justice (room 187). Acceptance to and membership on any of the scholarly journals is based entirely on a write-on competition. Approximately 60 percent of the student body write for one of the law journals.
Citizen Lawyer Program (room 186) The Citizen Lawyer Program promotes civic engagement among law students. The CLP administers pro bono projects that even 1Ls can participate in, providing a unique opportunity to learn about the practice of law even as a first-year student. They also help students locate volunteer opportunities in the community, assist with recognizing students who have completed certain amounts of service for awards, and host programs about professional skills and community issues.
Third Floor
Legal Clinic (rooms 368-398) Take the elevator or central staircase up two floors to the third floor. To the right is the Legal Clinic. The Clinic operates as a law firm within Boyd Law Building, providing students with the opportunity to put their legal skills to use in a variety of practice areas under the supervision of clinical faculty members. Students have primary responsibility for the representation of their clients at all stages of the legal process. Most students have the opportunity to go to court frequently, counsel clients, and draft different kinds of legal documents. Through the Field Placement Program, administered separately, students can work in law offices outside of the Boyd Law Building, around Iowa and the country, assisting in all phases of the legal process, and gain credit for their work.
Fourth Floor
Faculty Take the elevator or central stairwell to head up to the fourth floor. The Faculty Lounge will be in front of you. The offices of the faculty are located on this level in every nook and corner. Professors have an open access policy and strongly encourage their students to connect with them. There are many leading scholars at the College of Law – and they frequently gather at lunch in the Faculty Lounge to discuss new research and law school business – but it should be noted that most professors are here because they are focused on teaching and mentoring students, and there is very strong student-faculty interaction. The faculty are highly committed to producing spirited leaders who will be trusted advisers, strong advocates, and innovative scholars.
Writing and Academic Resource Center (room 480) Turn right down the hallway facing the Faculty Lounge. Towards the end of the hall you will find the Writing and Academic Resource Center. The first writing center in the country established specifically for a law school community, the Writing and Academic Resource Center is dedicated to the College of Law’s aim of strengthening law students’ command of the writing skills that are central to the study and practice of law. The Writing and Academic Resource Center supports and builds upon classroom writing and research instruction by providing individual assistance with writing projects as well as group resource presentations. The Writing and Academic Resource Center and the writing program as a whole exemplify the personalized attention and dedication to individual learning for which the College of Law is known.
Student Lounge (area 494) At the end of the hall is the Student Lounge. The lounge is available for studying, meeting in small groups, luncheons, relaxation, etc. The Lounge and its deck have a great view of the campus, the river, and the downtown area.
This completes your self-guided tour. Please feel free to explore any of the other features of the Boyd Law Building, and do not hesitate to reach out to the Admissions office with any questions that you might have.