In 2008, the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law had the highest bar passage rate in the state, 98.3 percent. The school attributes this success to its Inns system, which gives the school a close learning environment akin to a liberal arts college. Based on English Inns of Court, the Inns at UMKC Law are small student sections led by local bar members and faculty members that meet regularly throughout the year. The Inns act as an academic support system; students are assigned to one their first year and remain with the Inn for the rest of their time at UMKC.

The school's academic strengths lie in estate planning and tax law, as well as child and family law. After completing their first-year requirements, students can choose to specialize in child and family law, urban development, land use and environmental law, litigation or business law. UMKC Law also offers joint JD/MBA and JD/MPH degrees, as well as a JD/LLM in tax/estate planning.

UMKC Law is largely regarded as a practitioner's school, appealing to big local firms. The alumni network is strong throughout the state, but most students practice in or around Kansas City. According to Vault's surveys, the campus and neighboring area are beautiful, but the facilities are somewhat outdated. The UMKC campus is near the Country Club Plaza area, a city hotspot and the locus of many law school social activities.