The Law School at University of Minnesota–Twin Cities

Law School Admissions

Application

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

The Law School at University of Minnesota--Twin Cities

Admissions & Enrollment (Overall)

Acceptance rate 24.8% – Low
Median undergraduate GPA for all program entrants 3.80
Median LSAT score for all program entrants 167

Admissions & Enrollment (Full-time)

Acceptance rate 24.8%
LSAT scores (25th-75th percentile) 157-167
Undergraduate GPA (25th-75th percentile) 3.41-3.9
Median undergraduate GPA for full-time program entrants 3.80
Median LSAT score for full-time program entrants 167

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.U.R.P. J.D./M.S.
J.D./M.P.H. J.D./M.A.
J.D./Ph.D. J.D./M.P.P.
J.D./M.D. J.D./M.H.A
J.D./M.B.A. J.D./M.S.S.T
Special programs offered to J.D. students (as provided by the school)
24 clinics; 8 institutes; 10 foreign semester exchange programs and China Summer Exchange Program. Public Service Program encourages 50 pro bono hours per student. Judicial externship program with federal and state courts. 12 joint degree 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 182
Seminars 72
Positions available in seminars 864
Positions available in simulation courses 365
Positions available in faculty-supervised clinical courses 340
Student activities (as provided by the school)
Journals: MN Law Review; Law & Inequality; J. of Theory & Practice; MN J. of Int’l Law; MN J. of Law, Science & Tech.; Crime & Justice; Const.Commentary; ABA J. of Labor & Emplm’t Law. Moot Courts: Civil R’ts, Envt’l, IP, Int’l, Nat’l, Labor & Emplm’t, M. Pirsig, and ABA. Over 50 student organizations address legal practice, politics, culture, and service.

Curricular Offerings (Full-time)

Typical first-year full-time section size taught by full-time faculty (excludes small sections) 98
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” 49
Positions filled in full-time program seminars 847
Positions filled in full-time program simulation courses 359
Positions filled in faculty-supervised full-time program clinical courses 332
Full-time students involved in field placements 145
Full-time students involved in law journals 174
Full-time students involved in advanced moot court or trial competitions 190
Full-time students enrolled in independent study 115

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 10.8:1 – Low
Full- and part-time faculty 270
Full-time minority faculty 10.6%
Part-time minority faculty 4.9%
Total faculty 278
Total faculty (men) 69.1%
Total faculty (women) 30.9%
Total faculty (minorities) 6.1%

Class Size

Law School Ranking

#19 Best Law Schools

(4) Ranking by Specialties

#22 in Environmental Law
#10 in Healthcare Law
#17 in International Law
#18 in Law Firms Rank Schools

Law Ranking Scores

Score 72
Peer assessment score (out of 5) 3.6
Assessment score by lawyers/judges (out of 5) 4.0
GPA (25th-75th percentile) 3.41-3.9
Median undergraduate GPA for all program entrants 3.80
LSAT scores (25th-75th percentile) 157-167
Median LSAT score for all program entrants 167
Acceptance rate 24.8% – Low
Student-faculty ratio 10.8:1 – Low
Graduates known to be employed at graduation 79.6% – High
Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation 91.9% – High
Bar passage rate (first-time test takers) 97.6% – High
State where the greatest number of first-time test takers took the bar MN
Statewide bar passage rate (first-time test takers) 92.2%

Law School Student Body

Student Body (Overall)

Total Enrolled 752

Student Body (Full-time)

Enrollment (full-time) 752

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 0.4%
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 N/A
Female students discontinuing law school 0.3%

Law School Cost

Financial Aid Contact Information

Financial aid director Nick Wallace
Financial aid phone (612) 625-3487
Financial aid application deadline May 1

Expenses

Tuition and fees
Full-time: $34,817 per year (in-state)
Full-time: $43,385 per year (out-of-state)
Room and board $9,828
Books $1,666
Miscellaneous expenses $2,750
Is the tuition the same for first-, second-, and third-year students? No
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 31.0%
Students receiving grants of one-half tuition or more but less than full 28.1%
Students receiving grants of full tuition 1.6%
Students receiving grants of more than full tuition 5.2%
Median grant amount $15,000
Grant range (25th–75th percentile) $8,000–$20,000
Full-time students receiving grants 65.8%

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 $94,332
Proportion who borrowed 81.6%
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) 270,955
Microform titles 58,378
Electronic titles 30,014
Other non-book titles 1,008
Total titles 360,355
Volumes (excluding microforms) 701,217
Volume equivalent microforms 383,310
Total volumes and volume equivalents 1,084,527
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 81
Number of hours per week professional staff are on duty on a regular schedule 71
Number of hours per week only full-time support staff are on duty on a regular schedule 8
Number of hours per week only students or other part-time staff are on duty on a regular schedule 4
Number of hours of reference service provided per week on a regular schedule 63
Number of weeks per year library operates on an abbreviated schedule 22
Number of hours per week library is open on an abbreviated schedule 43
Number of hours per week professional staff are on duty are on an abbreviated schedule 43
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 0
Number of hours of reference service provided per week on an abbreviated schedule 38
Number of weeks per year library operates on expanded schedule 0

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) 11
Number of open, wired network connections available to students in the law library (excluding computer labs) 0
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 1
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 100,300
Total seats available for library users 773
Details about the library and other facilities (as provided by the school) The library has over a million volumes, including rare books, Anglo-American, and international and comparative law collections. It is a depository for U.S. Federal and Minnesota documents. Worldwide events are reflected in an increase in the acquisition of materials on human rights, international trade, commercial law, computer law, national and international security, and family law.

Law School Careers

Bar Statistics (Winter and Summer 2010 administrations)

State where the greatest number of first-time test takers took the bar MN
Bar passage rate (first-time test takers) 97.6% – High
Statewide bar passage rate (first-time test takers) 92.2%

Class of 2010 Graduates

Total graduates 284
Graduates known to be employed at graduation 79.6%
Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation 91.9%

Class of 2010 Graduates-Class Breakdown at Graduation

Graduates whose employment status is unknown 6.3%
Graduates whose employment status is known 93.7%
Graduates known to be employed at graduation 79.6%
Graduates known to be enrolled in a full-time degree program 2.8%
Graduates known to be unemployed and seeking work 7.0%
Graduates known to be unemployed and not seeking work 4.2%

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 91.9%
Graduates known to be enrolled in a full-time degree program 2.8%
Graduates known to be unemployed and seeking work 1.1%
Graduates known to be unemployed and not seeking work 4.2%

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

25th percentile private sector starting salary $76,250
Median private sector starting salary $110,000
75th percentile private sector starting salary $126,250
Percent in the private sector who reported salary information 37%
Median public service starting salary $52,000

Areas of Legal Practice (Class of 2010)

Percent employed in academia 1.1%
Percent employed in business and industry 16.1%
Percent employed in government 11.1%
Percent employed in all judicial clerkships 14.9%
Percent employed in law firms 39.8%
Percent employed in public interest 10.7%
Percent employed in an unknown field 6.1%

Employment Location (Class of 2010)

Graduates employed in-state 65%
Graduates employed out-of-state 27.5%
Graduates employed in foreign countries 1%
Number of states where graduates are employed 29
New England (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT) 1.2%
Middle Atlantic (NY, NJ, PA) 6.1%
East North Central (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI) 7.6%
West North Central (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD) 66.3%
South Atlantic (DE, DC, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV) 1.9%
East South Central (AL, KY, MS, TN) 0.7%
West South Central (AR, LA, OK, TX) 1.2%
Pacific (AK, CA, HI, OR, WA) 4.2%
Mountain (AZ, CO, ID, MT, NV, NM, UT, WY) 3.1%
Employment location unknown 6.5%

Career Services

(Data appear as originally submitted by this school)

Career services operations The Career Center assists students and alumni in all aspects of career and professional development. National and regional employers participate in on/off-campus interview programs. The Career Center provides individualized counseling, sponsors/co-sponsors more than 50 career related workshops each year, maintains on-line job postings, and provides multiple networking opportunities for students.

Job Type

Bar admission required/anticipated (e.g., attorney and corporate counsel positions, law clerks, judicial clerks) 87.2%
Bar admission required/anticipated – percent employed in full-time positions 96.7%
J.D. preferred, law degree enhances position (e.g., corporate contracts administrator, alternative dispute resolution specialist, government regulatory analyst, FBI special agent) 9.5%
J.D. preferred – percent employed in full-time positions 87.0%
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) 2.5%
Professional other – percent employed in full-time positions 83.3%
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) 0.8%
Non-professional other – percent employed in full-time positions 100.0%