The mission of the University of Kansas School of Law is to further the knowledge and understanding of law and the legal system through a balanced and integrated program of teaching, research and service. As a unit of the University of Kansas, a state university and a major research institution, the School of Law serves its students, the legal profession, the state, and the broader university and academic community by developing and sharing expertise on a wide variety of legal topics, with the ultimate aim of making a significant contribution to the administration of justice in the state, the region, the nation, and the international community.
The primary component of the School of Law's mission is to teach about the law and its role in society. The faculty of the School of Law is committed to excellence in teaching and seeks to prepare students to be outstanding members of the legal profession or to use their legal education to make important contributions to law and public policy in other fields of endeavor, such as government service, business, and education. To this end, the School of Law offers a broad curriculum and complementary extracurricular activities designed to teach students both the general principles of law and the basic skills needed for a successful practice in a changing legal environment. The faculty employs both traditional and innovative methods of classroom instruction, provides skills training in a variety of clinical and simulated settings, and serves as advisors and mentors to students and student groups outside of the classroom. Throughout the educational process, the faculty strives to establish a climate of professionalism and open inquiry and to instill in its students a pride in legal craftsmanship, a sound sense of ethics and professionalism, an appreciation for the role of law and of the practice of law in society, and a commitment to public service. The School of Law also extends its teaching mission to other audiences by providing continuing legal education programs for the bench and bar, lending legal expertise to legislators and other government policy makers, contributing to academic discussions at other law schools or in other disciplines, and helping the general public to gain a better understanding of law and legal institutions.
The second major component of the School of Law's mission is to develop and disseminate legal knowledge through research activities that report, explain, interpret, and critically analyze the development of the law. As a center for the study of law and legal institutions, the School of Law's research mission encompasses matters ranging from practical legal issues confronting the state to interdisciplinary study of law and its role in society. Members of the School of Law's faculty engage in research and publication to develop their knowledge. and expertise, enrich and inform their teaching, and advance the understanding of the law. The School of Law seeks to foster research of the highest quality in a number of different forms directed to a variety of audiences, and to encourage appreciation of, and respect for, diverse forms of scholarship. The scholarly mission of the School of Law includes the production of doctrinal, theoretical, and interdisciplinary publications in traditional academic journals or scholarly presses; pragmatic scholarship designed to assist the legal profession by reporting on important developments, gathering and organizing diverse materials that bear on a given subject, and clarifying complex areas of the law; instructional scholarship such as textbooks, instructional materials, or student-oriented reference works designed to improve the education of students at the School of Law and elsewhere; and legal materials for submission to courts, legislators, and other policy makers in the state and nation In addition to its own research, the faculty supports student research activities and endeavors to impart sound principles of legal scholarship in its students.
A final major component of the School of Law's mission is to provide valuable service to the legal profession, the university, the city and state, the nation, and the international community. The School of Law provides legal or other services in the public interest directly through clinical and extra-curricular programs that represent needy clients or assist judges, prosecutors and legislators in the performance of their duties. The faculty, staff, and students offer their time and expertise to perform public service in a variety of other ways, such as offering educational programs for the profession and the general public, assisting with law reform efforts, advising public bodies, providing pro bono public service legal representation, and serving on university and professional committees. The library of School of Law serves the state, the region, and the profession by making its extensive collection of legal materials and other research facilities available to the public. More broadly, the School of Law supports the public service activities of its faculty, staff, and students, and encourages them to explore the opportunities that are available for them to contribute to their profession and to society.
Teaching, research, and service are interdependent and mutually reinforcing components of the School of Law's broader mission to further the knowledge and understanding of law and legal institutions, and thereby contribute to the improvement of the legal system. The research and service activities of faculty, staff, and students are an integral part of a broader learning environment that seeks to convey not only knowledge of the law and legal processes, but also the highest values of the legal profession and the pursuit ofjustice. By educating its students to be outstanding members of the legal profession and developing and disseminating legal knowledge through research, the School of Law serves the legal system, the university community, the city and state, and the public at large. In pursuing its mission, the School of Law draws on the diverse and complementary efforts of individuals member of the law school community, seeking to blend the unique talents of each to achieve a goal common to all.
