Welcome from the Interim Dean

Welcome to the University of Pittsburgh School of Law!

For more than 120 years, we have prepared the next generation of legal professionals and leaders. Today, we continue this proud history by training students for the new and emerging opportunities in legal practice in the United States and around the world.

Pitt Law strives to be on the cutting-edge of modern legal education. We offer students a wide array of courses and experiential learning programs designed to develop and hone their problem-solving and communication skills, preparing them for their future careers. This broad range of opportunities reflects our core mission: Our duty is to our students, first and foremost, and our collective embrace of the principles of justice, intellectual rigor, professionalism, and equity and inclusive excellence.

We are committed to both traditional classroom and innovative experiential instruction, including seven clinics, all of which provide students with a solid foundation for their future practice. Students may also select from many co-curricular opportunities that prepare them to be the attorneys of the future—from enrolling in one of seven certificate programs, to participating in externships, including our semester in D.C. program, to competing on one of the many winning Pitt Law teams in national and international competitions, to editing and producing one of our law publications. And if that’s not enough, Pitt Law students may also serve as editors of our award-winning website, JURIST, the world’s only web-based, student-powered legal news source, with 20,000 viewers per week.

We host centers and institutes that focus on various traditional and emerging areas of practice, from the Center of International Legal Education, to the Future Law Project, to the Center for Bioethics and Health Law. And we are part of the greater University of Pittsburgh, one of world’s premier research universities. We embrace interdisciplinary opportunities both within Pitt and with other Universities in the city. Many of our classes are taught or co-taught with faculty from outside of our law school. We also offer eight joint degree programs, including three partnerships with Carnegie Mellon University, that permit students to craft discipline-bridging courses of study in public health, information security policy, business administration, and international affairs, among others.

We work with each student to chart a path for success through law school and beyond by offering a world-class legal education and experience from a renowned faculty and staff. Our talented team offers critical academic support and student wellness resources; our outstanding Professional Development Office provides support and guidance to develop and advance careers. We are also home to an expansive and welcoming library, as well as extensive research and technology resources. And our faculty of distinguished teachers-scholars deeply engage with and are part of the dialogue shaping the biggest issues facing our society, both in and out of the classroom.

All this happens in today’s Pittsburgh, a city of rolling hills that offers a wide variety of social, cultural, and athletic amenities and continues to earn top honors as one of the best cities in which to live. Pittsburgh is also home to a well-regarded and experienced practicing bar, many of whom are passionate Pitt Law alumni active with the school and our students.

We warmly invite you to visit and learn more about us and the many things that make Pitt Law a special place. We would love to see you here!

Mary Crossley
Interim Dean and Professor of Law