The School of Law at University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill

Law School Admissions

Application

Director of admissions Michael States
Application deadline March 1
Full-time program application fee $75
Part-time program application fee N/A
Besides the fall semester, can enter in N/A

The School of Law at University of North Carolina--Chapel Hill

Admissions & Enrollment (Overall)

Acceptance rate 17.9% – Low
Median undergraduate GPA for all program entrants 3.51
Median LSAT score for all program entrants 163

Admissions & Enrollment (Full-time)

Acceptance rate 17.9%
LSAT scores (25th-75th percentile) 161-165
Undergraduate GPA (25th-75th percentile) 3.33-3.69
Median undergraduate GPA for full-time program entrants 3.51
Median LSAT score for full-time program entrants 163

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
J.D./M.B.A. J.D./M.S.W.
J.D./M.P.A. J.D./M.L.S.
J.D./M.P.P. J.D./M.I.S.
J.D./M.P.H. J.D./M.S.A.
J.D./M.R.P. J.D./M.M.C.
Special programs offered to J.D. students (as provided by the school)
UNC offers externship placement to over 150 students. It sponsors 4 clinical programs: Civil Litigation; Community Development Law; Immigration/Human Rights Policy; Juvenile Justice; and 5 centers:Banking & Finance; Civil Rights; Law & Government; Poverty, Work & Opportunity; Law, Environment, Adaptation & Resources, plus exchanges with 6 overseas law schools.
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 134
Seminars 29
Positions available in seminars 434
Positions available in simulation courses 1,116
Positions available in faculty-supervised clinical courses 68
Student activities (as provided by the school)
There are 50 student organizations & 5 student-edited journals: the NC Law Review; First Amendment Law Review; NC Banking Institute Journal; NC Journal of International Law & Commercial Regulation; & NC Journal of Law & Technology. Moot court & trial experiences provided by Holderness Moot Court Program; J. Braxton Craven Memorial & UK Middle Temple Moot Court Competitions & UNC Trial Academy.

Curricular Offerings (Full-time)

Typical first-year full-time section size taught by full-time faculty (excludes small sections) 85
Is there typically a full-time “small section” of the first-year class taught by full-time faculty (excluding Legal Writing)? Yes
Typical size of first-year “small section” 28
Positions filled in full-time program seminars 355
Positions filled in full-time program simulation courses 1,057
Positions filled in faculty-supervised full-time program clinical courses 68
Full-time students involved in field placements 161
Full-time students involved in law journals 226
Full-time students involved in advanced moot court or trial competitions 73
Full-time students enrolled in independent study 92

Curricular Offerings (Part-time)

Typical first-year part-time section size taught by full-time faculty (excludes small sections) N/A
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 N/A
Positions filled in part-time program simulation courses N/A
Positions filled in faculty-supervised part-time program clinical courses N/A
Part-time students involved in field placements N/A
Part-time students involved in law journals N/A
Part-time students involved in advanced moot court or trial competitions N/A
Part-time students enrolled in independent study N/A

Faculty Profile (Fall 2011)

Student-faculty ratio 14.7:1 – Medium
Full- and part-time faculty 81
Full-time minority faculty 13.6%
Part-time minority faculty 16.2%
Total faculty 96
Total faculty (men) 59.4%
Total faculty (women) 40.6%
Total faculty (minorities) 14.6%

Class Size

Law School Ranking

#38 Best Law Schools

(2) Ranking by Specialties

#17 in Healthcare Law
#25 in Law Firms Rank Schools

Law Ranking Scores

Score 62
Peer assessment score (out of 5) 3.6
Assessment score by lawyers/judges (out of 5) 4.0
GPA (25th-75th percentile) 3.33-3.69
Median undergraduate GPA for all program entrants 3.51
LSAT scores (25th-75th percentile) 161-165
Median LSAT score for all program entrants 163
Acceptance rate 17.9% – Low
Student-faculty ratio 14.7:1 – Medium
Graduates known to be employed at graduation 51.9% – Medium
Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation 84.9% – Medium
Bar passage rate (first-time test takers) 92.9% – High
State where the greatest number of first-time test takers took the bar NC
Statewide bar passage rate (first-time test takers) 77.5%

Law School Student Body

Student Body (Overall)

Total Enrolled 772

Student Body (Full-time)

Enrollment (full-time) 772

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 5.1%
Second-year students discontinuing law school N/A
Third-year students discontinuing law school N/A
Fourth-year students discontinuing law school N/A
Male students discontinuing law school 1.6%
Female students discontinuing law school 1.8%

Law School Cost

Financial Aid Contact Information

Financial aid director Shirley Ort
Financial aid phone (919) 962-8396
Financial aid application deadline March 1

Expenses

Tuition and fees
Full-time: $19,012 per year (in-state)
Full-time: $34,119 per year (out-of-state)
Room and board $14,990
Books $1,150
Miscellaneous expenses $4,178
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? Yes
Does the university offer a public-interest scholarship program to current J.D. students? Yes

Grants (Full-time students)

Students receiving grants of less than one-half tuition 73.6%
Students receiving grants of one-half tuition or more but less than full 11.4%
Students receiving grants of full tuition 0.5%
Students receiving grants of more than full tuition 1.8%
Median grant amount $1,550
Grant range (25th–75th percentile) $1,082–$7,500
Full-time students receiving grants 87.3%

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 N/A
Grant range (25th–75th percentile) N/A
Part-time students receiving grants N/A

Indebtedness

Average indebtedness of 2011 graduates who incurred law school debt $76,642
Proportion who borrowed 89.9%
Does the school offer a loan repayment assistance program for 2011 J.D. graduates? Yes

Law School Library

Library Information Resources

Print titles (excluding nonbook titles) 86,173
Microform titles 42,241
Electronic titles 51,374
Other non-book titles 2,126
Total titles 181,914
Volumes (excluding microforms) 323,912
Volume equivalent microforms 216,186
Total volumes and volume equivalents 540,098
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 109
Number of hours per week professional staff are on duty on a regular schedule 69
Number of hours per week only full-time support staff are on duty on a regular schedule 30
Number of hours per week only students or other part-time staff are on duty on a regular schedule 16
Number of hours of reference service provided per week on a regular schedule 72
Number of weeks per year library operates on an abbreviated schedule 16
Number of hours per week library is open on an abbreviated schedule 61
Number of hours per week professional staff are on duty are on an abbreviated schedule 57
Number of hours per week only full-time support staff are on duty on an abbreviated schedule 4
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 48
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, law school library, university information technology department, other
Approximate number of full-time-equivalent information technology staff (excluding hourly students and other temporary staff) 6
Number of open, wired network connections available to students in the law library (excluding computer labs) 185
Number of open, wired network connections available to students in classrooms 176
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 237
Does the law school have a wireless network? Yes
Wireless network is available in the law library, in classrooms, 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 44,863
Total seats available for library users 520
Details about the library and other facilities (as provided by the school) The library houses over 540,000 volume equivalents & provides access to a variety of electronic resources. It occupies about 45,000 square feet and employs a staff of 22, including 10 lawyer-librarians. Renovations in 2010 added high-tech group study rooms. The UNC facility consists of 166,000 square feet and houses all operations within one building built in 1968 and renovated in 1999.

Law School Careers

Bar Statistics (Winter and Summer 2010 administrations)

State where the greatest number of first-time test takers took the bar NC
Bar passage rate (first-time test takers) 92.9% – High
Statewide bar passage rate (first-time test takers) 77.5%

Class of 2010 Graduates

Total graduates 239
Graduates known to be employed at graduation 51.9%
Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation 84.9%

Class of 2010 Graduates-Class Breakdown at Graduation

Graduates whose employment status is unknown 2.5%
Graduates whose employment status is known 97.5%
Graduates known to be employed at graduation 51.9%
Graduates known to be enrolled in a full-time degree program 1.7%
Graduates known to be unemployed and seeking work 20.1%
Graduates known to be unemployed and not seeking work 23.8%

Class of 2010 Graduates-Class Breakdown at Nine Months

Graduates whose employment status is unknown 3.8%
Graduates whose employment status is known 96.2%
Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation 84.9%
Graduates known to be enrolled in a full-time degree program 1.7%
Graduates known to be unemployed and seeking work 4.6%
Graduates known to be unemployed and not seeking work 5.0%

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

25th percentile private sector starting salary $71,000
Median private sector starting salary $107,500
75th percentile private sector starting salary $141,250
Percent in the private sector who reported salary information 50%
Median public service starting salary $55,000

Areas of Legal Practice (Class of 2010)

Percent employed in academia 1.5%
Percent employed in business and industry 13.3%
Percent employed in government 10.3%
Percent employed in all judicial clerkships 15.3%
Percent employed in law firms 48.8%
Percent employed in public interest 10.3%
Percent employed in an unknown field 0.5%

Employment Location (Class of 2010)

Graduates employed in-state 54%
Graduates employed out-of-state 45.0%
Graduates employed in foreign countries 1%
Number of states where graduates are employed 23
New England (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT) 0.5%
Middle Atlantic (NY, NJ, PA) 9.5%
East North Central (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI) 2.0%
West North Central (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD) 0.5%
South Atlantic (DE, DC, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV) 77.0%
East South Central (AL, KY, MS, TN) 2.5%
West South Central (AR, LA, OK, TX) 2.5%
Pacific (AK, CA, HI, OR, WA) 2.0%
Mountain (AZ, CO, ID, MT, NV, NM, UT, WY) 2.0%
Employment location unknown 0.5%

Career Services

(Data appear as originally submitted by this school)

Career services operations Career Services provides a comprehensive program designed to assist students & alumni with a wide range of career related activity. It assists in identifying career interests & finding summer & permanent employment. CSO provides counseling, tools, programs, job skills training & other career assistance, coordinates job fairs, hosts on-campus interviews & provides other services for employers.

Job Type

Bar admission required/anticipated (e.g., attorney and corporate counsel positions, law clerks, judicial clerks) 88.5%
Bar admission required/anticipated – percent employed in full-time positions 98.3%
J.D. preferred, law degree enhances position (e.g., corporate contracts administrator, alternative dispute resolution specialist, government regulatory analyst, FBI special agent) 4.5%
J.D. preferred – percent employed in full-time positions 88.9%
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) 4.5%
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) 2.5%
Non-professional other – percent employed in full-time positions 60.0%