Drake Law School earns the sixth-place ranking in preLaw Magazine’s 2024 list of “Best Law Schools for Practical Training” with an impressive grade of A+. Law schools are graded based on key offerings such as clinics, externships, simulation courses, and moot court participation. The annual rankings were featured in the Spring 2024 issue of the magazine.
“Drake Law graduates not only know what the law is, but how to use it in the real world to serve their clients and their communities,” said Drake Law Dean Jerry Anderson. “Our mission is to create ‘complete professionals.’ This has been true since 1875 when the Law School’s founder moved Drake Law to Des Moines to take advantage of the opportunities it provided as the center of government, business, and law in the state. The classroom truly extends beyond our campus to the city’s courts, agencies, legislature, and law firms.”
Drake Law School provides numerous experiential learning opportunities to students, beginning in their first year with two intra-school moot court competitions and the unique First-Year Trial Practicum. Drake is the only law school in the country where all first-year classes shift to a campus courtroom for a week, enabling students to view an actual state or federal trial. The Trial Practicum dissects every phase of a trial, from jury selection to verdict. Not only do students witness a trial, but they also have opportunities to discuss the proceedings with the presiding judge, lawyers, and jurors.
Drake’s legal clinics give students the opportunity to build valuable professional experience by working with clients in real-world situations. Our Legislative Practice Center engages students in the legislative process by combining coursework with legislative internships where students draft bills, lobby legislators, and attend subcommittee meetings. And through our wide variety of internships and externships, students have tried and won felony jury trials, clerked for the Iowa Supreme Court, worked for government agencies and nonprofits, and more.
Drake Law students also develop essential practical skills in interschool competitions at the regional and national levels. The Law School sponsors nine Moot Court, Mock Trial, and skills teams, which annually are among the best in the nation.