The Law School at Vanderbilt University
EDU
March 2, 2019
Law School Admissions
Application
| Director of admissions |
Todd Morton |
| Application deadline |
March 15 |
| Full-time program application fee |
$50 |
| Part-time program application fee |
N/A |
| Besides the fall semester, can enter in |
N/A |
Admissions & Enrollment (Overall)
| Acceptance rate |
26.4% – Low |
| Median undergraduate GPA for all program entrants |
3.73 |
| Median LSAT score for all program entrants |
169 |
Admissions & Enrollment (Full-time)
| Acceptance rate |
26.4% |
| LSAT scores (25th-75th percentile) |
165-170 |
| Undergraduate GPA (25th-75th percentile) |
3.48-3.84 |
| Median undergraduate GPA for full-time program entrants |
3.73 |
| Median LSAT score for full-time program entrants |
169 |
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./Ph.D. |
| J.D./M.T.S. |
J.D./M.D. |
| J.D./M.Div |
J.D./M.P.P. |
| J.D./M.A. |
|
| Special programs offered to J.D. students (as provided by the school) |
| Specialized programs are offered in Law & Business; Litigation & Dispute Resolution; Intellectual Property; International Law; Environmental Law; Social Justice; Law & Neuroscience; and Law & Government. Seven joint degree programs offered including a JD/PhD program in Law & Economics. Clinics, externships, international practice labs and other experiential learning courses are available. |
| 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 |
141 |
| Seminars |
16 |
| Positions available in seminars |
285 |
| Positions available in simulation courses |
702 |
| Positions available in faculty-supervised clinical courses |
80 |
| Student activities (as provided by the school) |
| The collegial atmosphere is enhanced by diverse student organizations that reflect a high level of interest in many areas of the law. Scholarly programs are sponsored by these groups in a stimulating intellectual environment. Four student-edited journals, the Moot Court Board, and the Legal Aid Society offer opportunities for students to earn credit toward their degree. |
Curricular Offerings (Full-time)
| Typical first-year full-time section size taught by full-time faculty (excludes small sections) |
96 |
| 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” |
48 |
| Positions filled in full-time program seminars |
219 |
| Positions filled in full-time program simulation courses |
647 |
| Positions filled in faculty-supervised full-time program clinical courses |
77 |
| Full-time students involved in field placements |
146 |
| Full-time students involved in law journals |
183 |
| Full-time students involved in advanced moot court or trial competitions |
11 |
| Full-time students enrolled in independent study |
12 |
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 |
13.4:1 – Medium |
| Full- and part-time faculty |
75 |
| Full-time minority faculty |
19.5% |
| Part-time minority faculty |
8.8% |
| Total faculty |
86 |
| Total faculty (men) |
62.8% |
| Total faculty (women) |
37.2% |
| Total faculty (minorities) |
12.8% |
Class Size
Law School Ranking
|
|
|
(1) Ranking by Specialties
#15 in Law Firms Rank Schools
|
Law Ranking Scores
| Score |
77 |
| Peer assessment score (out of 5) |
3.9 |
| Assessment score by lawyers/judges (out of 5) |
4.2 |
| GPA (25th-75th percentile) |
3.48-3.84 |
| Median undergraduate GPA for all program entrants |
3.73 |
| LSAT scores (25th-75th percentile) |
165-170 |
| Median LSAT score for all program entrants |
169 |
| Acceptance rate |
26.4% – Low |
| Student-faculty ratio |
13.4:1 – Medium |
| Graduates known to be employed at graduation |
89.6% – High |
| Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation |
91.6% – High |
| Bar passage rate (first-time test takers) |
90.7% – Medium |
| State where the greatest number of first-time test takers took the bar |
NY |
| Statewide bar passage rate (first-time test takers) |
76.4% |
Law School Student Body
Student Body (Overall)
Student Body (Full-time)
| Enrollment (full-time) |
586 |
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 |
2.6% |
| Second-year students discontinuing law school |
1.0% |
| Third-year students discontinuing law school |
1.0% |
| Fourth-year students discontinuing law school |
N/A |
| Male students discontinuing law school |
1.6% |
| Female students discontinuing law school |
1.5% |
Law School Cost
Financial Aid Contact Information
| Financial aid director |
Richelle Acker |
| Financial aid phone |
(615) 322-6452 |
| Financial aid application deadline |
February 15 |
Expenses
| Tuition and fees |
| Full-time: $46,148 per year |
| Room and board |
$12,952 |
| Books |
$1,788 |
| Miscellaneous expenses |
$7,116 |
| 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? |
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 |
48.0% |
| Students receiving grants of one-half tuition or more but less than full |
22.5% |
| Students receiving grants of full tuition |
0.3% |
| Students receiving grants of more than full tuition |
3.2% |
| Median grant amount |
$20,000 |
| Grant range (25th–75th percentile) |
$10,000–$24,000 |
| Full-time students receiving grants |
74.1% |
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 |
$114,248 |
| Proportion who borrowed |
74.7% |
| 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) |
144,213 |
| Microform titles |
25,680 |
| Electronic titles |
54,408 |
| Other non-book titles |
243 |
| Total titles |
224,544 |
| Volumes (excluding microforms) |
491,027 |
| Volume equivalent microforms |
129,222 |
| Total volumes and volume equivalents |
620,249 |
| Number of volumes in the collection that are stored off site and are systematically retrievable |
82,927 |
| 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 |
111 |
| Number of hours per week professional staff are on duty on a regular schedule |
50 |
| Number of hours per week only full-time support staff are on duty on a regular schedule |
55 |
| Number of hours per week only students or other part-time staff are on duty on a regular schedule |
56 |
| Number of hours of reference service provided per week on a regular schedule |
50 |
| Number of weeks per year library operates on an abbreviated schedule |
18 |
| Number of hours per week library is open on an abbreviated schedule |
50 |
| Number of hours per week professional staff are on duty are on an abbreviated schedule |
50 |
| Number of hours per week only full-time support staff are on duty on an abbreviated schedule |
50 |
| 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 |
50 |
| 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) |
5 |
| Number of open, wired network connections available to students in the law library (excluding computer labs) |
100 |
| Number of open, wired network connections available to students in classrooms |
120 |
| 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 |
50 |
| 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 |
43,287 |
| Total seats available for library users |
261 |
| Details about the library and other facilities (as provided by the school) |
Gracious spaces and state-of-the-art technology combine to provide a dynamic learning environment in the recently expanded and renovated facility. The Law Library supports the research interests of the School with a collection of over 600,000 volumes and access to hundreds of electronic databases via a wireless network. There are abundant comfortable study spaces in reading rooms and carrels. |
Law School Careers
Bar Statistics (Winter and Summer 2010 administrations)
| State where the greatest number of first-time test takers took the bar |
NY |
| Bar passage rate (first-time test takers) |
90.7% – Medium |
| Statewide bar passage rate (first-time test takers) |
76.4% |
Class of 2010 Graduates
| Total graduates |
202 |
| Graduates known to be employed at graduation |
89.6% |
| Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation |
91.6% |
Class of 2010 Graduates-Class Breakdown at Graduation
| Graduates whose employment status is unknown |
1.5% |
| Graduates whose employment status is known |
98.5% |
| Graduates known to be employed at graduation |
89.6% |
| Graduates known to be enrolled in a full-time degree program |
5.0% |
| Graduates known to be unemployed and seeking work |
1.5% |
| Graduates known to be unemployed and not seeking work |
2.5% |
Class of 2010 Graduates-Class Breakdown at Nine Months
| Graduates whose employment status is unknown |
1.5% |
| Graduates whose employment status is known |
98.5% |
| Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation |
91.6% |
| Graduates known to be enrolled in a full-time degree program |
5.0% |
| Graduates known to be unemployed and seeking work |
0.5% |
| Graduates known to be unemployed and not seeking work |
1.5% |
Starting Salaries of Graduates Employed Full-time (Class of 2010)
| 25th percentile private sector starting salary |
$105,000 |
| Median private sector starting salary |
$137,000 |
| 75th percentile private sector starting salary |
$160,000 |
| Percent in the private sector who reported salary information |
72% |
| Median public service starting salary |
$55,000 |
Areas of Legal Practice (Class of 2010)
| Percent employed in academia |
0.5% |
| Percent employed in business and industry |
6.5% |
| Percent employed in government |
14.6% |
| Percent employed in all judicial clerkships |
18.4% |
| Percent employed in law firms |
51.4% |
| Percent employed in public interest |
8.6% |
| Percent employed in an unknown field |
0.0% |
Employment Location (Class of 2010)
| Graduates employed in-state |
19% |
| Graduates employed out-of-state |
79.5% |
| Graduates employed in foreign countries |
2% |
| Number of states where graduates are employed |
34 |
| New England (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT) |
1.5% |
| Middle Atlantic (NY, NJ, PA) |
12.0% |
| East North Central (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI) |
8.0% |
| West North Central (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD) |
4.0% |
| South Atlantic (DE, DC, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV) |
29.0% |
| East South Central (AL, KY, MS, TN) |
25.0% |
| West South Central (AR, LA, OK, TX) |
7.0% |
| Pacific (AK, CA, HI, OR, WA) |
9.0% |
| Mountain (AZ, CO, ID, MT, NV, NM, UT, WY) |
3.0% |
| Employment location unknown |
0.0% |
Career Services
(Data appear as originally submitted by this school)
| Career services operations |
The Career Services Office assigns each student a career counselor. Sources of employment include our On Campus Interviewing program, which includes hundreds of employers and locations; nearly 20 job fairs; job postings from hundreds of other employers; resume booklets for interested employers; a strong alumni network all over the country and world; and individual outreach with employers. |
Job Type
| Bar admission required/anticipated (e.g., attorney and corporate counsel positions, law clerks, judicial clerks) |
91.4% |
| Bar admission required/anticipated – percent employed in full-time positions |
88.2% |
| J.D. preferred, law degree enhances position (e.g., corporate contracts administrator, alternative dispute resolution specialist, government regulatory analyst, FBI special agent) |
7.0% |
| J.D. preferred – percent employed in full-time positions |
84.6% |
| 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) |
1.0% |
| Professional other – percent employed in full-time positions |
N/A |
| 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 |
N/A |
