The Thurgood Marshall School of Law at Texas Southern University

Law School Admissions

Application

Director of admissions Edward Rene
Application deadline April 1
Full-time program application fee $55
Part-time program application fee $0
Besides the fall semester, can enter in N/A

The Thurgood Marshall School of Law at Texas Southern University

Admissions & Enrollment (Overall)

Acceptance rate 35.4% – Medium
Median undergraduate GPA for all program entrants 3.07
Median LSAT score for all program entrants 147

Admissions & Enrollment (Full-time)

Acceptance rate 35.4%
LSAT scores (25th-75th percentile) 144-149
Undergraduate GPA (25th-75th percentile) 2.76-3.37
Median undergraduate GPA for full-time program entrants 3.07
Median LSAT score for full-time program entrants 147

Admissions & Enrollment (Part-time)

Acceptance rate N/A
LSAT scores (25th-75th percentile) N/A
Undergraduate GPA (25th-75th percentile) N/A
Median undergraduate GPA for part-time program entrants N/A
Median LSAT score for part-time program entrants N/A

Law School Academics

Academic Program Details

Academic calendar Semester
Joint degrees offered
M.P.A.
M.B.A.
Special programs offered to J.D. students (as provided by the school)
The law school is proud of its wide array of special programs offered to the student body. The school offers criminal and civil clinics, and awards mediation certification. The Institute for International and Immigration Law, The Earl Carl Institute for Legal and Social Policy, and the Center for Government Law provide certifications and several internship and externship programs.
Programs/courses offered in
appellate advocacy intellectual property law
clinical training international law
dispute resolution tax law
environmental law trial advocacy
health care law

Curricular Offerings (Overall)

Classroom course titles, beyond the first-year curriculum, offered last year 75
Seminars 26
Positions available in seminars 650
Positions available in simulation courses 200
Positions available in faculty-supervised clinical courses 237
Student activities (as provided by the school)
The law school provides students the opportunity to participate in several extracurricular activities that provide for a well-balanced and exciting educational experience. The Thurgood Marshall Law Review, The James M. Douglas Board of Advocates (moot court and mock trial organization), and over 20 active student organizations are registered on campus.

Curricular Offerings (Full-time)

Typical first-year full-time section size taught by full-time faculty (excludes small sections) 55
Is there typically a full-time “small section” of the first-year class taught by full-time faculty (excluding Legal Writing)? No
Typical size of first-year “small section” 0
Positions filled in full-time program seminars 427
Positions filled in full-time program simulation courses 179
Positions filled in faculty-supervised full-time program clinical courses 237
Full-time students involved in field placements 71
Full-time students involved in law journals 12
Full-time students involved in advanced moot court or trial competitions 16
Full-time students enrolled in independent study 69

Curricular Offerings (Part-time)

Typical first-year part-time section size taught by full-time faculty (excludes small sections) 0
Is there typically a part-time “small section” of the first-year class taught by full-time faculty (excluding Legal Writing)? No
Positions filled in part-time program seminars 0
Positions filled in part-time program simulation courses 0
Positions filled in faculty-supervised part-time program clinical courses 0
Part-time students involved in field placements 0
Part-time students involved in law journals 0
Part-time students involved in advanced moot court or trial competitions 0
Part-time students enrolled in independent study 0

Faculty Profile (Fall 2011)

Student-faculty ratio 14.4:1 – Medium
Full- and part-time faculty 41
Full-time minority faculty 84.8%
Part-time minority faculty 62.5%
Total faculty 55
Total faculty (men) 47.3%
Total faculty (women) 52.7%
Total faculty (minorities) 80.0%

Class Size

Law School Ranking

Rank Not Published Best Law Schools

Law Ranking Scores

Score N/A
Peer assessment score (out of 5) 1.5
Assessment score by lawyers/judges (out of 5) 1.8
GPA (25th-75th percentile) 2.76-3.37
Median undergraduate GPA for all program entrants 3.07
LSAT scores (25th-75th percentile) 144-149
Median LSAT score for all program entrants 147
Acceptance rate 35.4% – Medium
Student-faculty ratio 14.4:1 – Medium
Graduates known to be employed at graduation N/A
Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation 76.1% – Low
Bar passage rate (first-time test takers) 72.7% – Low
State where the greatest number of first-time test takers took the bar TX
Statewide bar passage rate (first-time test takers) 82.5%

Law School Student Body

Student Body (Overall)

Total Enrolled 573

Student Body (Full-time)

Enrollment (full-time) 573

Student Body (Part-time)

Enrollment (part-time) N/A
Gender distribution (part-time) N/A

Attrition Rates for Full- and Part-time Students (2010-2011)

First-year students discontinuing law school 14.2%
Second-year students discontinuing law school 3.2%
Third-year students discontinuing law school N/A
Fourth-year students discontinuing law school N/A
Male students discontinuing law school 7.9%
Female students discontinuing law school 4.9%

Law School Cost

Financial Aid Contact Information

Financial aid director Karen Percival
Financial aid phone (713) 313-7243
Financial aid application deadline April 1

Expenses

Tuition and fees
Full-time: $16,262 per year (in-state)
Full-time: $21,212 per year (out-of-state)
Room and board $12,530
Books $1,941
Miscellaneous expenses $4,497
Is the tuition the same for first-, second-, and third-year students? Yes
Does the university offer housing restricted to law students? No
Does the university offer graduate student housing for which law students are eligible? No
Does the university offer a public-interest scholarship program to current J.D. students? No

Grants (Full-time students)

Students receiving grants of less than one-half tuition 37.3%
Students receiving grants of one-half tuition or more but less than full 5.2%
Students receiving grants of full tuition 9.4%
Students receiving grants of more than full tuition 0.0%
Median grant amount $8,174
Grant range (25th–75th percentile) $6,235–$13,430
Full-time students receiving grants 52.0%

Grants (Part-time students)

Students receiving grants of less than one-half tuition N/A
Students receiving grants of one-half tuition or more but less than full N/A
Students receiving grants of full tuition N/A
Students receiving grants of more than full tuition N/A
Median grant amount $0
Grant range (25th–75th percentile) $0–$0
Part-time students receiving grants N/A

Indebtedness

Average indebtedness of 2011 graduates who incurred law school debt $32,449
Proportion who borrowed 100.0%
Does the school offer a loan repayment assistance program for 2011 J.D. graduates? No

Law School Library

Library Information Resources

Print titles (excluding nonbook titles) 130,399
Microform titles 68,121
Electronic titles 304
Other non-book titles 2,440
Total titles 201,264
Volumes (excluding microforms) 300,368
Volume equivalent microforms 398,679
Total volumes and volume equivalents 699,047
Number of volumes in the collection that are stored off site and are systematically retrievable 0
Library’s online catalog or website includes links to electronic titles or databases made available by another campus library or consortia Yes

Library Schedule of Operation

Number of hours per week library is open on a regular schedule 108
Number of hours per week professional staff are on duty on a regular schedule 86
Number of hours per week only full-time support staff are on duty on a regular schedule 22
Number of hours per week only students or other part-time staff are on duty on a regular schedule 0
Number of hours of reference service provided per week on a regular schedule 80
Number of weeks per year library operates on an abbreviated schedule 5
Number of hours per week library is open on an abbreviated schedule 108
Number of hours per week professional staff are on duty are on an abbreviated schedule 67
Number of hours per week only full-time support staff are on duty on an abbreviated schedule 41
Number of hours per week only students or other part-time staff are on duty on an abbreviated schedule 0
Number of hours of reference service provided per week on an abbreviated schedule 67
Number of weeks per year library operates on expanded schedule 4

Information Technology

Department(s) responsible for the law school information technology operations law school information technology department, university information technology department
Approximate number of full-time-equivalent information technology staff (excluding hourly students and other temporary staff) 4
Number of open, wired network connections available to students in the law library (excluding computer labs) 300
Number of open, wired network connections available to students in classrooms 560
Number of open, wired network connections available to students in computer labs 65
Number of open, wired network connections available to students elsewhere in the law school 30
Does the law school have a wireless network? Yes
Wireless network is available in the law library, in classrooms, in computer labs, in administrative/faculty offices and work areas, elsewhere in the law school
Does the school require entering students to own a computer? No

Physical Library Facilities

Net square feet of space assigned for library purposes 53,500
Total seats available for library users 378
Details about the library and other facilities (as provided by the school) The law school students have access to a learning facility which has been designed to feature state-of-the-art classrooms and a cutting-edge library. The building is equipped with both wired and wireless access in the classrooms, library space and common areas of the school. The law library ranked 31 of the 198 law libraries in the nation for resources, service, and space.

Law School Careers

Bar Statistics (Winter and Summer 2010 administrations)

State where the greatest number of first-time test takers took the bar TX
Bar passage rate (first-time test takers) 72.7% – Low
Statewide bar passage rate (first-time test takers) 82.5%

Class of 2010 Graduates

Total graduates 142
Graduates known to be employed at graduation N/A
Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation 76.1%

Class of 2010 Graduates-Class Breakdown at Graduation

Graduates whose employment status is unknown N/A
Graduates whose employment status is known N/A
Graduates known to be employed at graduation N/A
Graduates known to be enrolled in a full-time degree program N/A
Graduates known to be unemployed and seeking work N/A
Graduates known to be unemployed and not seeking work N/A

Class of 2010 Graduates-Class Breakdown at Nine Months

Graduates whose employment status is unknown 4.2%
Graduates whose employment status is known 95.8%
Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation 76.1%
Graduates known to be enrolled in a full-time degree program 2.8%
Graduates known to be unemployed and seeking work 4.9%
Graduates known to be unemployed and not seeking work 12.0%

Starting Salaries of Graduates Employed Full-time (Class of 2010)

25th percentile private sector starting salary $55,000
Median private sector starting salary $67,500
75th percentile private sector starting salary $70,000
Percent in the private sector who reported salary information 24%
Median public service starting salary $55,000

Areas of Legal Practice (Class of 2010)

Percent employed in academia 3.7%
Percent employed in business and industry 20.6%
Percent employed in government 9.3%
Percent employed in all judicial clerkships 2.8%
Percent employed in law firms 58.9%
Percent employed in public interest 3.7%
Percent employed in an unknown field 0.9%

Employment Location (Class of 2010)

Graduates employed in-state 78%
Graduates employed out-of-state 12.0%
Graduates employed in foreign countries 2%
Number of states where graduates are employed 7
New England (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT) 1.0%
Middle Atlantic (NY, NJ, PA) 5.0%
East North Central (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI) 0.0%
West North Central (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD) 0.0%
South Atlantic (DE, DC, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV) 3.0%
East South Central (AL, KY, MS, TN) 0.0%
West South Central (AR, LA, OK, TX) 78.0%
Pacific (AK, CA, HI, OR, WA) 3.0%
Mountain (AZ, CO, ID, MT, NV, NM, UT, WY) 0.0%
Employment location unknown 8.0%

Career Services

(Data appear as originally submitted by this school)

Career services operations The Career Services Office is responsible for the organization and administration of on-campus interviews, off-camps recruitment programs, legal employment searches, career counseling and assistance in preparing resumes, cover letters and interviewing techniques. The office aims to expose students to a broad selection of exciting career opportunities in the legal community and private industry.

Job Type

Bar admission required/anticipated (e.g., attorney and corporate counsel positions, law clerks, judicial clerks) 67.6%
Bar admission required/anticipated – percent employed in full-time positions 100.0%
J.D. preferred, law degree enhances position (e.g., corporate contracts administrator, alternative dispute resolution specialist, government regulatory analyst, FBI special agent) 6.6%
J.D. preferred – percent employed in full-time positions 100.0%
Professional other (jobs that require professional skills or training but for which a J.D. is neither preferred nor particularly applicable; e.g., accountant, teacher, business manager, nurse) 4.4%
Professional other – percent employed in full-time positions 100.0%
Non-professional other (job that does not require any professional skills or training or is taken on a temporary basis and not viewed as part of a career path) 0.0%
Non-professional other – percent employed in full-time positions N/A