The School of Law at Pepperdine University

Law School Admissions

Application

Director of admissions Shannon Phillips
Application deadline April 1
Full-time program application fee $60
Part-time program application fee N/A
Besides the fall semester, can enter in N/A

The School of Law at Pepperdine University

Admissions & Enrollment (Overall)

Acceptance rate 33.8% – Medium
Median undergraduate GPA for all program entrants 3.63
Median LSAT score for all program entrants 163

Admissions & Enrollment (Full-time)

Acceptance rate 33.8%
LSAT scores (25th-75th percentile) 158-165
Undergraduate GPA (25th-75th percentile) 3.33-3.78
Median undergraduate GPA for full-time program entrants 3.63
Median LSAT score for full-time program entrants 163

Admissions & Enrollment (Part-time)

Applicants N/A
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.D.R.
J.D./M.P.P.
J.D./M.DIV.
Special programs offered to J.D. students (as provided by the school)
Summer/fall London program; a legal aid clinic at the Union Rescue Mission in L.A.; the Nootbaar Institute on Law, Religion, and Ethics; a Special Ed. Clinic; an Asylum & Refugee Law Clinic; Investor Advocacy Clinic; Global Justice Prog; the Palmer Center for Entrepreneurship and the Law; and the Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution. Exchange programs: Universities of Augsburg and Copenhagen.
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 149
Seminars 40
Positions available in seminars 864
Positions available in simulation courses 2,029
Positions available in faculty-supervised clinical courses 111
Student activities (as provided by the school)
Four journals: the Law Review, Dispute Resolution Law Journal, Journal of the National Association of Administrative Law Judges, and the Journal of Entrepreneurship and Business Law. We have extensive inter-and intra-school trial and appellate advocacy programs, and numerous and varied student organizations on campus.

Curricular Offerings (Full-time)

Typical first-year full-time section size taught by full-time faculty (excludes small sections) 68
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” N/A
Positions filled in full-time program seminars 542
Positions filled in full-time program simulation courses 1,647
Positions filled in faculty-supervised full-time program clinical courses 86
Full-time students involved in field placements 179
Full-time students involved in law journals 219
Full-time students involved in advanced moot court or trial competitions 116
Full-time students enrolled in independent study 45

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)? N/A
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 14.2:1 – Medium
Full- and part-time faculty 94
Full-time minority faculty 14.3%
Part-time minority faculty 3.4%
Total faculty 103
Total faculty (men) 73.8%
Total faculty (women) 26.2%
Total faculty (minorities) 6.8%

Class Size

Law School Ranking

#49 Best Law Schools

(2) Ranking by Specialties

#1 in Dispute Resolution
#50 in Law Firms Rank Schools

Law Ranking Scores

Score 56
Peer assessment score (out of 5) 2.6
Assessment score by lawyers/judges (out of 5) 3.3
GPA (25th-75th percentile) 3.33-3.78
Median undergraduate GPA for all program entrants 3.63
LSAT scores (25th-75th percentile) 158-165
Median LSAT score for all program entrants 163
Acceptance rate 33.8% – Medium
Student-faculty ratio 14.2:1 – Medium
Graduates known to be employed at graduation 52.5% – Medium
Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation 90.2% – Medium
Bar passage rate (first-time test takers) 87.3% – Medium
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 629

Student Body (Full-time)

Enrollment (full-time) 629

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 9.0%
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 3.2%
Female students discontinuing law school 2.8%

Law School Cost

Financial Aid Contact Information

Financial aid director Steve Chaparro
Financial aid phone (310) 506-4633
Financial aid application deadline April 1

Expenses

Tuition and fees
Full-time: $42,840 per year
Room and board $17,306
Books $980
Miscellaneous expenses $7,190
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 57.2%
Students receiving grants of one-half tuition or more but less than full 14.5%
Students receiving grants of full tuition 0.0%
Students receiving grants of more than full tuition 3.0%
Median grant amount $15,000
Grant range (25th–75th percentile) $2,000–$26,375
Full-time students receiving grants 74.7%

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 $125,423
Proportion who borrowed 83.0%
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) 38,591
Microform titles 88,450
Electronic titles 5
Other non-book titles 779
Total titles 127,825
Volumes (excluding microforms) 132,092
Volume equivalent microforms 272,958
Total volumes and volume equivalents 405,050
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 106
Number of hours per week professional staff are on duty on a regular schedule 79
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 27
Number of hours of reference service provided per week on a regular schedule 79
Number of weeks per year library operates on an abbreviated schedule 11
Number of hours per week library is open on an abbreviated schedule 86
Number of hours per week professional staff are on duty are on an abbreviated schedule 54
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 32
Number of hours of reference service provided per week on an abbreviated schedule 54
Number of weeks per year library operates on expanded schedule 8

Information Technology

Department(s) responsible for the law school information technology operations law school information technology department, law school library, university information technology department
Approximate number of full-time-equivalent information technology staff (excluding hourly students and other temporary staff) 8
Number of open, wired network connections available to students in the law library (excluding computer labs) 67
Number of open, wired network connections available to students in classrooms 13
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? No

Physical Library Facilities

Net square feet of space assigned for library purposes 39,488
Total seats available for library users 461
Details about the library and other facilities (as provided by the school) The library occupies three floors of the Odell McConnell Law Center and contains a collection of more than 400,000 volumes, reference services, and computer labs. Carrels are provided with computer connections and comfortable seating; reading areas are located throughout the library. There are conference rooms for group studies.

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) 87.3% – Medium
Statewide bar passage rate (first-time test takers) 64.8%

Class of 2010 Graduates

Total graduates 204
Graduates known to be employed at graduation 52.5%
Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation 90.2%

Class of 2010 Graduates-Class Breakdown at Graduation

Graduates whose employment status is unknown 0.0%
Graduates whose employment status is known 100.0%
Graduates known to be employed at graduation 52.5%
Graduates known to be enrolled in a full-time degree program 6.4%
Graduates known to be unemployed and seeking work 40.7%
Graduates known to be unemployed and not seeking work 0.5%

Class of 2010 Graduates-Class Breakdown at Nine Months

Graduates whose employment status is unknown 0.0%
Graduates whose employment status is known 100.0%
Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation 90.2%
Graduates known to be enrolled in a full-time degree program 4.4%
Graduates known to be unemployed and seeking work 2.0%
Graduates known to be unemployed and not seeking work 3.4%

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

25th percentile private sector starting salary $60,000
Median private sector starting salary $72,800
75th percentile private sector starting salary $100,000
Percent in the private sector who reported salary information 25%
Median public service starting salary $55,000

Areas of Legal Practice (Class of 2010)

Percent employed in academia 3.8%
Percent employed in business and industry 17.9%
Percent employed in government 7.1%
Percent employed in all judicial clerkships 3.8%
Percent employed in law firms 64.1%
Percent employed in public interest 2.7%
Percent employed in an unknown field 0.5%

Employment Location (Class of 2010)

Graduates employed in-state 80%
Graduates employed out-of-state 13.0%
Graduates employed in foreign countries 7%
Number of states where graduates are employed 19
New England (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT) 0.0%
Middle Atlantic (NY, NJ, PA) 1.1%
East North Central (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI) 0.5%
West North Central (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD) 1.6%
South Atlantic (DE, DC, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV) 2.2%
East South Central (AL, KY, MS, TN) 1.1%
West South Central (AR, LA, OK, TX) 1.1%
Pacific (AK, CA, HI, OR, WA) 82.1%
Mountain (AZ, CO, ID, MT, NV, NM, UT, WY) 3.8%
Employment location unknown 0.5%

Career Services

(Data appear as originally submitted by this school)

Career services operations Our Career Development Office is staffed by an Asst. Dean, Director, two assoc. directors, recruitment coordinator, and an admin. assistant; and contains substantial resource material for job searches. We have an on-campus interviewing program each fall and spring, and numerous workshops throughout the year. Students are required to participate in a Career Dev. Prog. as a condition of graduation.

Job Type

Bar admission required/anticipated (e.g., attorney and corporate counsel positions, law clerks, judicial clerks) 84.2%
Bar admission required/anticipated – percent employed in full-time positions 88.5%
J.D. preferred, law degree enhances position (e.g., corporate contracts administrator, alternative dispute resolution specialist, government regulatory analyst, FBI special agent) 9.3%
J.D. preferred – percent employed in full-time positions 35.3%
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) 5.5%
Professional other – percent employed in full-time positions 60.0%
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) 0.5%
Non-professional other – percent employed in full-time positions 0.0%