FROM THE DEAN

Dear UMKC Law alumni and friends,

Greetings from the UMKC campus. We have so much news to share in this edition of Res Ipsa.

I trust you have heard that UMKC Law stands as a top-100 law school in 2025, as ranked by U.S. News and World Report. Over the past two years, the law school jumped 39 spots in the rankings to obtain a number 99 ranking this year. I can say with full confidence, that it is you, our alumni and friends, who are instrumental in this success.

Just this last year, our alumni and supporters donated new scholarship resources, launched an endowment to support the bar-prep program, funded the renovation of the student lounge, taught scores of classes as adjunct faculty and served as mentors and role models for our students. When you add it all up, our donors contributed more than $4.8 million to UMKC Law last fiscal year, setting an all-time fundraising record. Thank you for your investment in our law school. Your rich engagement ensures that our students and faculty excel.

And, let me tell you, excel they did in this past year:

UMKC School of Law had a 96.8% employment rate for the Class of 2024 at the ABA reporting period.
In 2024, UMKC School of Law hit an 84% first-time bar passage rate, up seven points from 2023, and 100% of first-time takers passed the February 2025 Kansas and Missouri bar exams.
UMKC School of Law faculty came in as number 32 among all public law schools for most downloaded scholarly articles.
Our faculty earned awards of all stripes this past year, including the Thomas Jefferson Award (the most prestigious faculty recognition for the entire University of Missouri System), won by Nancy Levit, Curators' Professor and Edward D. Ellison Professor of Law.

These are just a few of last year’s accolades. Importantly, the positive momentum continues. In the fall of 2025, UMKC Law welcomed the most strongly credentialed 1L class in our history.

It’s my honor to serve as your dean. Thank you all, so very much, for all that you do to make UMKC School of Law the premier best-value urban law school.

Wishing you all the best,

Lou Mulligan Dean and Professor of Law UMKC School of Law