It makes sense to reach out for advice about course choices and with questions about all the opportunities Denver Law offers. Where do you go and with whom do you speak?
We believe everyone in this building has information that can assist you in charting your JD Journey. We are here to help you. So throw a wide net—collect information from a variety of sources and get lots of advice. Then think about everything yourself. Put it all together and use course choices to chart your law school pathways. Be informed, be intentional, be intelligent.
Allison Peters is the Director of Advising and Academic Initiatives and can be a consistent resource for charting your JD journey during your time at the Sturm College of Law. Make an appointment with her to talk about specific coursework, degree planning, course scheduling, and general advice about law school.
Professors are the go-to experts for advice about particular courses and about how to put courses together to gain expertise in areas of the law. Faculty offices are on the third and fourth floors. There are several ways to identify which professors to talk with for academic advice about specific courses and pathways:
- Look at current and past Class Schedules to see who teaches courses in areas you are interested in.
- Consult with faculty members listed in the Pathways descriptions (see "Certificates and Pathways" link on this page)
- Go to the Faculty Directory. Click on the "Filter" button. Then open the "Specialization" tab. A drop-down menu lists many areas of law; select the one you are interested in. Then click on "Apply" to learn the names of faculty members who teach and write in the selected area of law.
- Ask a professor you know or the academic advisors identified below to direct you to the appropriate professor for the course or area of law that interests you.
The Student Affairs Office offers many services to students. See Jessica Boynton (Assistant Dean for Student Affairs) for academic advising as well as for counseling on personal matters, for example, managing stress, crisis intervention, disability services and accommodations. The Student Affairs Office is in Suite 115, just inside the law school’s front door. Email Student Affairs here. Call the office at 303-871-6108.
The Career Development and Opportunities Office helps students formulate career plans. Assistant Dean Eric Bono and his staff of career consultants have a great sense of what is available in this building to help you build an impressive record and put you on the path to meaningful employment. Drop into the CDO Office, in Suite 223 on the second floor. Or contact them here.
The Registrar’s Office maintains all student academic records and is the authority for determining when JD requirements are met. Visit the office outside the elevators on the second floor. You are able to assess progress toward completing degree requirements by doing an online degree audit here. You can email the Registrar’s Office here.
The Office of Public Interest Initiatives, part of the Externship Office, supports students interested in using their law degree to work on behalf of the public good. The Office also administers the Public Good Distinction and the Public Service Requirement. Contact Associate Dean of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Director of Externships and Social Justice Initiatives Alexi Freeman here.
The Peer Mentoring Program provides first year students an opportunity to connect with a second or third year student to talk about all aspects of life and learning at Denver Law. Peer Mentors also act as a sounding board for times when law school becomes particularly hectic. Peer mentors and students are assigned at the end of Orientation Week.
As you continue along the path that leads to your JD, you will learn that practicing members of the profession are valuable sources of advice when it comes to choosing courses and getting the most out of your law school experience. The Professional Mentoring Program offers law students the opportunity to develop a professional relationship with a practicing lawyer or judge. Students and mentors are matched by interest areas, and they participate in a series of practice-oriented discussions.
The Academic Achievement Program, directed by Professor Diane Kraft, provides assistance to students to enable them to master legal study skills necessary for success in law school, on the bar exam, and in legal practice. The AAP Resource Center in Room 457 is available to all law school students, offering study aids and one-on-one advice regarding academic skills needed during law school.
The Postgraduate DU Bar Success Program provides instruction, guidance and feedback to students preparing to take the bar exam. Professor Scott Johns directs the program. In their final semester before graduation, students are encouraged to enroll in Legal Analysis Strategies, a 3-credit course focusing on skills necessary for bar exam passage. Graduates then enroll, for free, in the two-month Bar Success Program, to be taken alongside a commercial bar review course in the period leading up to the bar exam.
The Office of Student Financial Management provides advice regarding educational costs and the financing options available to students. If you have any questions about the costs of or financing options for any of programs you are considering – summer internship, study abroad, dual degree, etc. – please make an appointment with Roger Lane, Director of Student Financial Management, or stop by Suite 115.
The Denver Law Student Handbook has answers to many questions that may arise during your law school career.
You are entering a profession. Your fellow professionals are valuable resources as you think through your JD Journey. Speak with and listen to your fellow students and to attorneys you meet and with whom you are working.
Remember: you can cull valuable information and advice from multiple sources. The choices you make are yours. Everyone’s journey is different.
