Thomas Jefferson School of Law

Law School Admissions

Application

Director of admissions Beth Kransberger
Application deadline March 3
Full-time program application fee $35
Part-time program application fee $35
Besides the fall semester, can enter in winter/spring

Thomas Jefferson School of Law

Admissions & Enrollment (Overall)

Acceptance rate 54.8% – High
Median undergraduate GPA for all program entrants 3.01
Median LSAT score for all program entrants 151

Admissions & Enrollment (Full-time)

Acceptance rate 55.1%
LSAT scores (25th-75th percentile) 149-153
Undergraduate GPA (25th-75th percentile) 2.77-3.25
Median undergraduate GPA for full-time program entrants 3.00
Median LSAT score for full-time program entrants 151

Admissions & Enrollment (Part-time)

Acceptance rate 52.7%
LSAT scores (25th-75th percentile) 146-150
Undergraduate GPA (25th-75th percentile) 2.74-3.3
Median undergraduate GPA for part-time program entrants 3.02
Median LSAT score for part-time program entrants 148

Law School Academics

Academic Program Details

Academic calendar Semester
Joint degrees offered
J.D./M.B.A.
Special programs offered to J.D. students (as provided by the school)
Thomas Jefferson’s externship program recently ranked 5th nationally for the number of full-time students placed in credit-earning internships. The School houses four vibrant and active academic centers: Sports Law & Policy; Global Legal Studies; Law & Intellectual Property; Law & Social Justice. The School also offers summer abroad programs in Nice, France and Hangzhou, China.
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 102
Seminars 17
Positions available in seminars 340
Positions available in simulation courses 695
Positions available in faculty-supervised clinical courses 24
Student activities (as provided by the school)
Students at the School actively participate in a variety of co-and extracurricular activities, including the student-edited law review, moot court, mock trial, and alternative dispute resolution teams, as well as competition teams in sports law, bankruptcy, and environmental law, among others. A full panoply of student organizations is available, numbering around 40 in any given year.

Curricular Offerings (Full-time)

Typical first-year full-time section size taught by full-time faculty (excludes small sections) 75
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 109
Positions filled in full-time program simulation courses 236
Positions filled in faculty-supervised full-time program clinical courses 19
Full-time students involved in field placements 285
Full-time students involved in law journals 65
Full-time students involved in advanced moot court or trial competitions 61
Full-time students enrolled in independent study 56

Curricular Offerings (Part-time)

Typical first-year part-time section size taught by full-time faculty (excludes small sections) 75
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 85
Positions filled in part-time program simulation courses 278
Positions filled in faculty-supervised part-time program clinical courses 5
Part-time students involved in field placements 86
Part-time students involved in law journals 21
Part-time students involved in advanced moot court or trial competitions 26
Part-time students enrolled in independent study 28

Faculty Profile (Fall 2011)

Student-faculty ratio 19.2:1 – High
Full- and part-time faculty 67
Full-time minority faculty 20.5%
Part-time minority faculty 0.0%
Total faculty 76
Total faculty (men) 59.2%
Total faculty (women) 40.8%
Total faculty (minorities) 11.8%

Class Size

Law School Ranking

Rank Not Published Best Law Schools

(2) Ranking by Specialties

#127 in Law Firms Rank Schools
RNP in Part-time Law

Law Ranking Scores

Score N/A
Peer assessment score (out of 5) 1.5
Assessment score by lawyers/judges (out of 5) 2.3
GPA (25th-75th percentile) 2.76-3.26
Median undergraduate GPA for all program entrants 3.01
LSAT scores (25th-75th percentile) 148-153
Median LSAT score for all program entrants 151
Acceptance rate 54.8% – High
Student-faculty ratio 19.2:1 – High
Graduates known to be employed at graduation 28.1% – Low
Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation 68.3% – Low
Bar passage rate (first-time test takers) 55.9% – Low
State where the greatest number of first-time test takers took the bar CA
Statewide bar passage rate (first-time test takers) 64.8%

Law School Student Body

Student Body (Overall)

Total Enrolled 1066

Student Body (Full-time)

Enrollment (full-time) 759

Student Body (Part-time)

Enrollment (part-time) 307

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

First-year students discontinuing law school 20.1%
Second-year students discontinuing law school 4.1%
Third-year students discontinuing law school 0.6%
Fourth-year students discontinuing law school N/A
Male students discontinuing law school 12.7%
Female students discontinuing law school 3.5%

Law School Cost

Financial Aid Contact Information

Financial aid director Marc Berman
Financial aid phone (619) 297-9700
Financial aid application deadline May 1

Expenses

Tuition and fees
Full-time: $41,000 per year
Part-time: $30,000 per year
Room and board N/A
Books N/A
Miscellaneous expenses N/A
Is the tuition the same for first-, second-, and third-year students? Yes
Does the university offer housing restricted to law students? Yes
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 35.0%
Students receiving grants of one-half tuition or more but less than full 8.3%
Students receiving grants of full tuition 0.0%
Students receiving grants of more than full tuition 0.0%
Median grant amount $14,000
Grant range (25th–75th percentile) $10,000–$18,000
Full-time students receiving grants 43.3%

Grants (Part-time students)

Students receiving grants of less than one-half tuition 25.4%
Students receiving grants of one-half tuition or more but less than full 14.7%
Students receiving grants of full tuition 0.3%
Students receiving grants of more than full tuition 0.3%
Median grant amount $12,000
Grant range (25th–75th percentile) $8,000–$15,000
Part-time students receiving grants 40.7%

Indebtedness

Average indebtedness of 2011 graduates who incurred law school debt $153,006
Proportion who borrowed 93.6%
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) 29,862
Microform titles 95,329
Electronic titles 78,021
Other non-book titles 438
Total titles 203,650
Volumes (excluding microforms) 128,536
Volume equivalent microforms 130,878
Total volumes and volume equivalents 259,414
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 No

Library Schedule of Operation

Number of hours per week library is open on a regular schedule 119
Number of hours per week professional staff are on duty on a regular schedule 84
Number of hours per week only full-time support staff are on duty on a regular schedule 0
Number of hours per week only students or other part-time staff are on duty on a regular schedule 35
Number of hours of reference service provided per week on a regular schedule 84
Number of weeks per year library operates on an abbreviated schedule 1
Number of hours per week library is open on an abbreviated schedule 119
Number of hours per week professional staff are on duty are on an abbreviated schedule 84
Number of hours per week only full-time support staff are on duty on an abbreviated schedule 0
Number of hours per week only students or other part-time staff are on duty on an abbreviated schedule 35
Number of hours of reference service provided per week on an abbreviated schedule 84
Number of weeks per year library operates on expanded schedule 3

Information Technology

Department(s) responsible for the law school information technology operations law school information technology department
Approximate number of full-time-equivalent information technology staff (excluding hourly students and other temporary staff) 9
Number of open, wired network connections available to students in the law library (excluding computer labs) 25
Number of open, wired network connections available to students in classrooms 0
Number of open, wired network connections available to students in computer labs 0
Number of open, wired network connections available to students elsewhere in the law school 0
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? Yes

Physical Library Facilities

Net square feet of space assigned for library purposes 32,500
Total seats available for library users 372
Details about the library and other facilities (as provided by the school) The library consists of 32,500 sq ft and contains 26,724 linear feet of shelf space divided between open shelving and compact shelving. There are 372 available seats and 15 group study rooms in the library. In addition, the library houses two high tech interactive learning centers.

Law School Careers

Bar Statistics (Winter and Summer 2010 administrations)

State where the greatest number of first-time test takers took the bar CA
Bar passage rate (first-time test takers) 55.9% – Low
Statewide bar passage rate (first-time test takers) 64.8%

Class of 2010 Graduates

Total graduates 221
Graduates known to be employed at graduation 28.1%
Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation 68.3%

Class of 2010 Graduates-Class Breakdown at Graduation

Graduates whose employment status is unknown 71.0%
Graduates whose employment status is known 29.0%
Graduates known to be employed at graduation 28.1%
Graduates known to be enrolled in a full-time degree program 0.9%
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 19.0%
Graduates whose employment status is known 81.0%
Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation 68.3%
Graduates known to be enrolled in a full-time degree program 3.2%
Graduates known to be unemployed and seeking work 8.6%
Graduates known to be unemployed and not seeking work 0.9%

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

25th percentile private sector starting salary $45,000
Median private sector starting salary $65,000
75th percentile private sector starting salary $75,000
Percent in the private sector who reported salary information 16%
Median public service starting salary $52,000

Areas of Legal Practice (Class of 2010)

Percent employed in academia 4.6%
Percent employed in business and industry 18.5%
Percent employed in government 9.9%
Percent employed in all judicial clerkships 2.0%
Percent employed in law firms 61.6%
Percent employed in public interest 1.3%
Percent employed in an unknown field 2.0%

Employment Location (Class of 2010)

Graduates employed in-state 70%
Graduates employed out-of-state 19.2%
Graduates employed in foreign countries 1%
Number of states where graduates are employed 15
New England (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT) 0.0%
Middle Atlantic (NY, NJ, PA) 5.3%
East North Central (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI) 1.3%
West North Central (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD) 0.0%
South Atlantic (DE, DC, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV) 3.3%
East South Central (AL, KY, MS, TN) 1.3%
West South Central (AR, LA, OK, TX) 2.7%
Pacific (AK, CA, HI, OR, WA) 72.2%
Mountain (AZ, CO, ID, MT, NV, NM, UT, WY) 3.3%
Employment location unknown 9.3%

Career Services

(Data appear as originally submitted by this school)

Career services operations Career Services (CS) has four career advisors, all attorneys, and a recruiting coordinator. CS provides individual counseling, group programming, job search materials, and mock interviews for students and alumni. CS also develops job/internship and networking opportunities with all types of legal and alternative employers.

Job Type

Bar admission required/anticipated (e.g., attorney and corporate counsel positions, law clerks, judicial clerks) 48.3%
Bar admission required/anticipated – percent employed in full-time positions 94.5%
J.D. preferred, law degree enhances position (e.g., corporate contracts administrator, alternative dispute resolution specialist, government regulatory analyst, FBI special agent) 37.8%
J.D. preferred – percent employed in full-time positions 84.2%
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) 8.6%
Professional other – percent employed in full-time positions 53.8%
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) 1.3%
Non-professional other – percent employed in full-time positions 0.0%