Our Vision, Mission, and Values
Vision
William & Mary Law School educates lawyers, advocates, and leaders who are ready for the challenges of an ever-changing profession. Our commitment to an inclusive environment, where academic excellence is celebrated and important ideas are generated, remains constant. Together, we cultivate personal and professional lives of purpose, serving our communities and the world.
Mission
William & Mary Law School provides an exceptional education for tomorrow’s lawyers. As the nation’s first law school, we maintain an enduring tradition of intellectual and professional excellence. We improve legal systems here and abroad through a commitment to the classroom, influential scholarship, and service to the public. Our students become highly skilled advocates, ready to serve their clients and their communities with thoughtful engagement and unwavering integrity. We recognize the challenges of our history and our responsibility to pursue the realization of justice through the rule of law. Above all, we strive to be a diverse and close-knit community, inclusive in the broadest sense and defined by a shared commitment to the rigorous and open-minded study of the law.
Values
We embrace William & Mary’s core values — belonging, curiosity, excellence, flourishing, integrity, respect, and service — as well as these additional values that make the Law School a place where all can feel a sense of pride and achievement:
- Leadership. We serve our communities by leading as passionate, tireless, and ethical advocates who understand the immense responsibilities of the profession and the law’s ability to affect society.
- Insight. We promote intellectual and professional excellence, academic freedom, and the pursuit of ideas and understanding.
- Inclusion. We strive to be an inclusive and supportive law school that welcomes and respects the diverse perspectives, experiences, and contributions of each member of our community.
- Community. We create a culture that fosters lifelong connections, promotes giving back to the Law School, and inspires our graduates to make positive contributions to their communities throughout their professional lives.
- Progress. We continue to be a leader in legal education by delivering a forward-thinking curriculum and producing meaningful research, constantly seeking to move beyond the status quo to improve our communities, the law, and the world.