The Law School at Boston College

Law School Admissions

Application

Director of admissions Rita Jones
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 Law School at Boston College

Admissions & Enrollment (Overall)

Acceptance rate 24.0% – Low
Median undergraduate GPA for all program entrants 3.66
Median LSAT score for all program entrants 165

Admissions & Enrollment (Full-time)

Acceptance rate 24.0%
LSAT scores (25th-75th percentile) 162-166
Undergraduate GPA (25th-75th percentile) 3.5-3.77
Median undergraduate GPA for full-time program entrants 3.66
Median LSAT score for full-time program entrants 165

Admissions & Enrollment (Part-time)

Acceptance rate N/A
LSAT scores (25th-75th percentile) N/A
Undergraduate GPA (25th-75th percentile) 0-0
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.A. Education
Special programs offered to J.D. students (as provided by the school)
Clinic/Program subjects include: immigration, civil litigation, criminal justice, homelessness, juvenile rights, women & the law, Attorney General, International Criminal Tribunal, London semester, semester in practice, judge & community courts, judicial process. Also offered: dual degree programs, cross-registration, and studying abroad.
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 162
Seminars 79
Positions available in seminars 1,172
Positions available in simulation courses 632
Positions available in faculty-supervised clinical courses 135
Student activities (as provided by the school)
14 moot court regional/national teams, internal competitions, negotiation competition, client counseling competition, 4 law reviews, UCC Reporter-Digest, and over 35 active student organizations.

Curricular Offerings (Full-time)

Typical first-year full-time section size taught by full-time faculty (excludes small sections) 88
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” 30
Positions filled in full-time program seminars 633
Positions filled in full-time program simulation courses 501
Positions filled in faculty-supervised full-time program clinical courses 117
Full-time students involved in field placements 87
Full-time students involved in law journals 150
Full-time students involved in advanced moot court or trial competitions 47
Full-time students enrolled in independent study 129

Curricular Offerings (Part-time)

Typical first-year part-time section size taught by full-time faculty (excludes small sections) 0
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 0
Positions filled in part-time program simulation courses 0
Positions filled in faculty-supervised part-time program clinical courses 0
Part-time students involved in field placements 0
Part-time students involved in law journals 0
Part-time students involved in advanced moot court or trial competitions 0
Part-time students enrolled in independent study 0

Faculty Profile (Fall 2011)

Student-faculty ratio 12.6:1 – Medium
Full- and part-time faculty 92
Full-time minority faculty 17.3%
Part-time minority faculty 2.5%
Total faculty 105
Total faculty (men) 63.8%
Total faculty (women) 36.2%
Total faculty (minorities) 11.4%

Class Size

Law School Ranking

#29 Best Law Schools

(3) Ranking by Specialties

#32 in Clinical Training
#25 in Law Firms Rank Schools
#14 in Tax Law

Law Ranking Scores

Score 66
Peer assessment score (out of 5) 3.4
Assessment score by lawyers/judges (out of 5) 3.8
GPA (25th-75th percentile) 3.5-3.77
Median undergraduate GPA for all program entrants 3.66
LSAT scores (25th-75th percentile) 162-166
Median LSAT score for all program entrants 165
Acceptance rate 24.0% – Low
Student-faculty ratio 12.6:1 – Medium
Graduates known to be employed at graduation 75.8% – Medium
Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation 90.6% – Medium
Bar passage rate (first-time test takers) 95.9% – High
State where the greatest number of first-time test takers took the bar MA
Statewide bar passage rate (first-time test takers) 88.2%

Law School Student Body

Student Body (Overall)

Total Enrolled 782

Student Body (Full-time)

Enrollment (full-time) 782

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 5.4%
Second-year students discontinuing law school 0.4%
Third-year students discontinuing law school N/A
Fourth-year students discontinuing law school N/A
Male students discontinuing law school 2.7%
Female students discontinuing law school 1.0%

Law School Cost

Financial Aid Contact Information

Financial aid director Joan Horgan
Financial aid phone (617) 552-4243
Financial aid application deadline March 1

Expenses

Tuition and fees
Full-time: $41,818 per year
Room and board $12,785
Books $1,300
Miscellaneous expenses $5,005
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 35.2%
Students receiving grants of one-half tuition or more but less than full 17.0%
Students receiving grants of full tuition 0.9%
Students receiving grants of more than full tuition 0.3%
Median grant amount $18,000
Grant range (25th–75th percentile) $10,000–$25,000
Full-time students receiving grants 53.3%

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 $0
Grant range (25th–75th percentile) $0–$0
Part-time students receiving grants N/A

Indebtedness

Average indebtedness of 2011 graduates who incurred law school debt $100,730
Proportion who borrowed 82.1%
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) 69,431
Microform titles 8,420
Electronic titles 239,681
Other non-book titles 631
Total titles 318,163
Volumes (excluding microforms) 248,778
Volume equivalent microforms 238,099
Total volumes and volume equivalents 486,877
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 69
Number of hours per week only full-time support staff are on duty on a regular schedule 11
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 60
Number of weeks per year library operates on an abbreviated schedule 16
Number of hours per week library is open on an abbreviated schedule 40
Number of hours per week professional staff are on duty are on an abbreviated schedule 40
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 40
Number of weeks per year library operates on expanded schedule 5

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) 6
Number of open, wired network connections available to students in the law library (excluding computer labs) 272
Number of open, wired network connections available to students in classrooms 677
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 135
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 49,598
Total seats available for library users 673
Details about the library and other facilities (as provided by the school) Our multi-million dollar Library, opened in 1996, contains (in addition to exceptional research and study facilities), 9 group study rooms, 3 computer teaching labs, a computer center, 2 AV rooms, 2 student lounges, and a wireless network. It also holds an extraordinary rare book collection.

Law School Careers

Bar Statistics (Winter and Summer 2010 administrations)

State where the greatest number of first-time test takers took the bar MA
Bar passage rate (first-time test takers) 95.9% – High
Statewide bar passage rate (first-time test takers) 88.2%

Class of 2010 Graduates

Total graduates 265
Graduates known to be employed at graduation 75.8%
Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation 90.6%

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 75.8%
Graduates known to be enrolled in a full-time degree program 0.8%
Graduates known to be unemployed and seeking work 21.5%
Graduates known to be unemployed and not seeking work 1.9%

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 90.6%
Graduates known to be enrolled in a full-time degree program 1.1%
Graduates known to be unemployed and seeking work 4.5%
Graduates known to be unemployed and not seeking work 2.3%

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

25th percentile private sector starting salary $145,000
Median private sector starting salary $160,000
75th percentile private sector starting salary $160,000
Percent in the private sector who reported salary information 63%
Median public service starting salary $45,591

Areas of Legal Practice (Class of 2010)

Percent employed in academia 5.8%
Percent employed in business and industry 8.8%
Percent employed in government 10.8%
Percent employed in all judicial clerkships 15.0%
Percent employed in law firms 52.1%
Percent employed in public interest 7.5%
Percent employed in an unknown field 0.0%

Employment Location (Class of 2010)

Graduates employed in-state 42%
Graduates employed out-of-state 55.4%
Graduates employed in foreign countries 3%
Number of states where graduates are employed 25
New England (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT) 50.8%
Middle Atlantic (NY, NJ, PA) 23.3%
East North Central (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI) 3.3%
West North Central (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD) 0.4%
South Atlantic (DE, DC, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV) 8.8%
East South Central (AL, KY, MS, TN) 0.8%
West South Central (AR, LA, OK, TX) 1.3%
Pacific (AK, CA, HI, OR, WA) 6.7%
Mountain (AZ, CO, ID, MT, NV, NM, UT, WY) 2.1%
Employment location unknown 0.0%

Career Services

(Data appear as originally submitted by this school)

Career services operations Our mission is to educate and empower our students in their job searches and in their continuing career development. Our approach is through individual student counseling. Each year we run 80-95 programs and panels. In addition to on-campus recruiting, we sponsor off-campus recruiting programs in NY, LA, SF, DC, Miami, Chicago, and Philadelphia, and two Govt/Public Interest Programs.

Job Type

Bar admission required/anticipated (e.g., attorney and corporate counsel positions, law clerks, judicial clerks) 88.8%
Bar admission required/anticipated – percent employed in full-time positions 98.1%
J.D. preferred, law degree enhances position (e.g., corporate contracts administrator, alternative dispute resolution specialist, government regulatory analyst, FBI special agent) 7.5%
J.D. preferred – percent employed in full-time positions 61.1%
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) 3.3%
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) 0.4%
Non-professional other – percent employed in full-time positions 100.0%