The University of St. Thomas

Alumni Benefits

Alumni Benefits:

Career and Professional Development

UST Law graduates represent the many ways in which lawyers can use a law degree, and serve different communities and populations. Some graduates serve under-represented populations as public defenders or public interest lawyers, while others further the School of Law mission in private sector work. Some graduates work as clerks in the federal and state courts, and an impressive number have hung out a shingle and have opened their own law firms.

The Office of Career and Professional Development remains committed to providing professional development services to all graduates. You can meet with a counselor to review your resume, formulate a job search strategy, participate in a mock interview or evaluate a change in your career path. 

We invite you to use our on-line job center, The Career Center powered by Symplicity, to upload resumes, submit application materials to employers, update your employment status under the graduate employment survey, review judicial clerkship opportunities and read job postings. Often, we have more job postings for graduates than for current students. Visit https://law-stthomas-csm.symplicity.com/students/.

Career Services for Employers

Support the UST Law community and post employment opportunities with the Office of Career and Professional Development. You can also create an account in Symplicity so you or your employer can participate in on-campus interviewing, receive resume books of UST Law students and post job opportunities. To receive these services, visit https://law-stthomas-csm.symplicity.com/employers/. 

Alumni Employment Information

Accurate and complete employment information for all law alumni is critical to the success of the School of Law. UST is required to report employment information to a number of external groups and organizations. The American Bar Association requests the information in updated accreditation reports, the National Association of Legal Professionals publishes the information in a national report available to the public, and US News and World Report uses the information as part of its ranking process. Internally, reports are provided to President Dennis Dease and the School of Law Board of Governors. You can update your employment information through The Career Center at https://law-stthomas-csm.symplicity.com/students/.

Come Back to Campus

There are many reasons to come back to the School of Law campus. Alumni are always welcome to visit with professors, mentors and future St. Thomas School of Law alumni. Other ways to get involved include:

  • Mass is celebrated in the St. Thomas More Chapel in the School of Law at Noon. Monday through Friday.
  • Students are welcome to participate in the Law School Choir that meets on Mondays at 12:30 p.m. in the St. Thomas More Chapel in the School of Law.

Communications and Publications:

The Office of Communications for the School of Law plays an important role in keeping alumni connected. Chato Hazelbaker, Director of Communications, provides excellent service, through print and electronic communications to law alumni. Chato can be reached at cbhazelbaker@stthomas.edu or (651) 962-4888. 

 

As an alumni you are eligible to receive publications that keep you in touch with the profession, your fellow alumni, and events at the University of St. Thomas.

Alumni e-Newsletter
All School of Law alumni receive an electronic quarterly newsletter designed to keep graduates updated on School of Law events and recent developments. To provide general information for the newsletter, please email lawalumni@stthomas.edu. To view past alumni newsletters, visit www.stthomas.edu/law/directory/. To provide personal updates, email your Class Update Editors:

School of Law Magazine:  St. Thomas Lawyer

In 2008, the School of Law will publish its first magazine, the St. Thomas Lawyer. The publications’ mission is to engage alumni and other constituents about people and programs of the School of Law, emphasizing the vitality of our mission, the excellence of our students, faculty and staff, the breadth and depth of our intellectual activity and the school’s enduring ties to the legal profession and judiciary.

To provide general information for the magazine, please contact Chato Hazelbaker, Director of Communications at cbhazelbaker@stthomas.edu or (651) 962-4888.

St. Thomas Magazine
As members of a broader UST alumni family, all School of Law graduates receive the award-winning St. Thomas magazine. This magazine, published three times a year, gives you insight to the entire St. Thomas community. 

Connections
In addition, you will also receive Connections, the Alumni Association’s events and programs newsletter.

Life-Long Learning Opportunities

As members of an intellectually challenging and demanding profession, your journey of life-long learning and intellectual growth is critical to long-term success. The School of Law can assist you as you expand your knowledge base and explore new avenues of practical and scholarly development.

Bar Examination Assistance

The School of Law is committed to a 100 percent bar exam pass rate for all its graduates. Both before and after graduation, the Office of Academic Achievement will provide one-to-one support for bar preparation. Bar preparation assistance is available to each graduate at any time during his or her professional career, and for any bar examination in the United States.

Law School Classes for Audit
UST Law alumni can audit any law school course on a space available basis with faculty permission. The cost of auditing is one credit hour per course, regardless of the course credit offered.

Scott Swanson, Director of Academic Achievement, can help with both the bar exam preparation for any state, and auditing a law school class.  Scott can be reached at sgswanson@stthomas.edu or (651) 962-4857 

Continuing Legal Education
Each year, the School of Law hosts forums at which national and local scholars, teachers, practitioners and judges present on wide variety of topics including the practice of law, the administration of justice, an exploration of our mission, and the professions. Many of these presentations qualify for continuing legal education credits, and many are offered at a significantly reduced rate or at no cost.  Alumni are always invited and are always welcome to attend. 

For information about alumni events contact: Angela Dzik, Special Events Coordinator
amdzik@stthomas.edu
(651) 962-4873
   
Faculty Connections
Both new and veteran lawyers often seek the assistance and counsel of lawyers who excel in a specific legal niche. Each School of Law faculty member is committed to sharing knowledge related to his or her specialty with law school graduates. If you have a question or inquiry related to a specific area of the law, consider calling on an expert within the St. Thomas law community. For a complete list of faculty and specialty areas, visit www.stthomas.edu/law/directory/.

Lifetime Email Address

The University of St. Thomas School of Law provides graduates with a free, permanent and easy to remember email address. Alumni email allows law graduates to stay connected to each other and to the School of Law community. UST email will be the primary way the School of Law will communicate with alumni. You can use your alumni email as your primary email account, or you can forward it to any other email address you own. 

Facilities

Since the completion of the School of Law building in 2003, the facilities have been used to build community, offer services and host events for both the School of Law and the bench and bar.

Law Library

The School of Law Library offers many benefits to UST Law alumni, including:
• Access to the library during normal business hours when the circulation desk is open 
• Checkout of up to six circulating St. Thomas-owned books at a time, for a loan period of six weeks plus a four-week renewal, if needed
• Reference help, subject to staff time and availability

Due to the library’s educational contracts and consortium agreements, the School of Law is not able to offer alumni interlibrary loan privileges or access to licensed electronic databases, including Lexis and Westlaw.

Atrium, Classroom and Conference Space

The School of Law encourages alumni to consider its facilities when planning meetings, conferences and other professional gatherings. The building offers state-of-the-art technology, and catering services are available. Open classrooms and conference rooms are available at no cost to alumni. For Schulze Grand Atrium use, alumni pay only for set-up, clean-up and basic technology. 

For information regarding the use of facilities contact:
Angela Dzik, Special Events Coordinator
amdzik@stthomas.edu
(651) 962-4873

Financial Planning

Loan Repayment Assistance Program
The School of Law’s Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP) provides up to $6,000 in annual assistance for up to 10 years for qualifying applicants. In general, graduates who provide legal services to the poor and under-served will be eligible to receive loan assistance for loans taken out to pay for law school tuition. The State of Minnesota offers a second LRAP program for which you may qualify as well.

For more information, visit http://www.stthomas.edu/law/financing/lrap.asp
or contact:  Nora Fitzpatrick, Assistant Dean for Administration at nbfitzpatrick@stthomas.edu 
(651) 962-4884

http://www.lrapmn.org/
Loan Repayment Assistance Program of Minnesota, Inc.
600 Nicollet Mall, Suite 380
Minneapolis, MN 55402
(612) 278-6315

Student Loan Consolidation
Student loan consolidation has the potential to provide significant savings for students. You can consider this possibility after you graduate or are no longer enrolled. As of July 2006, students can no longer consolidate while they are in school. You should work directly with your lender(s) to take advantage of the program.
For basic information, please visit http://www.stthomas.edu/financialservices/graduate/loans/consolidation/default.html. Specific questions should be referred directly to your lender(s).

Registrar

Transcripts: Alumni can order official university transcripts by downloading, completing and mailing the form found at www.stthomas.edu/registrar/transcript/default.html.

Diplomas: Replacement diplomas are available for all alumni.  You can access the “replacement diploma” form online at http://www.stthomas.edu/registrar/student/forms/replacediploma.html. 

University Alumni Relations:

The St. Thomas Office of Alumni and Constituent Relations works to build community for all UST alumni, regardless of graduate program or degree. The University understands that while degrees may identify different groups of people, we are all members of a broader community, uniquely positioned to help and support each other.