The Law School at Wayne State University

Law School Admissions

Application

Director of admissions Ericka Matthews-Jackson
Application deadline March 15
Full-time program application fee $50
Part-time program application fee $50
Besides the fall semester, can enter in N/A

The Law School at Wayne State University

Admissions & Enrollment (Overall)

Acceptance rate 47.0% – Medium
Median undergraduate GPA for all program entrants 3.39
Median LSAT score for all program entrants 157

Admissions & Enrollment (Full-time)

Acceptance rate 48.5%
LSAT scores (25th-75th percentile) 155-160
Undergraduate GPA (25th-75th percentile) 3.12-3.65
Median undergraduate GPA for full-time program entrants 3.40
Median LSAT score for full-time program entrants 157

Admissions & Enrollment (Part-time)

Acceptance rate 31.3%
LSAT scores (25th-75th percentile) 152-159
Undergraduate GPA (25th-75th percentile) 3.1-3.64
Median undergraduate GPA for part-time program entrants 3.36
Median LSAT score for part-time program entrants 154

Law School Academics

Academic Program Details

Academic calendar Semester
Joint degrees offered
J.D./M.A. History
J.D./M.A. Political Science
J.D./M.B.A.
J.D./M.A. Dispute Resolution
J.D./M.A. Economics
Special programs offered to J.D. students (as provided by the school)
Wayne State offers five clinics (Asylum/Immigration, Criminal Appeals, Disability, Environmental, and Small Business/Nonprofit). We place 90-120 students per year in internships, and operate a summer term. The Damon J. Keith Center for Civil Rights offers programming focused on civil rights. Our Program for International Legal Studies runs a speaker series and international exchange 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 80
Seminars 17
Positions available in seminars 316
Positions available in simulation courses 357
Positions available in faculty-supervised clinical courses 120
Student activities (as provided by the school)
Our students edit the Wayne Law Review and the Journal of Law in Society. We have an extremely active moot court program (nearly 100 participants in the internal competition, and teams that travel to regional and national competitions–national champions in 2003). Our students have formed approximately 20 recognized organizations covering a range of interest areas.

Curricular Offerings (Full-time)

Typical first-year full-time section size taught by full-time faculty (excludes small sections) 78
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” 26
Positions filled in full-time program seminars 214
Positions filled in full-time program simulation courses 234
Positions filled in faculty-supervised full-time program clinical courses 77
Full-time students involved in field placements 106
Full-time students involved in law journals 93
Full-time students involved in advanced moot court or trial competitions 106
Full-time students enrolled in independent study 40

Curricular Offerings (Part-time)

Typical first-year part-time section size taught by full-time faculty (excludes small sections) 34
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 25
Positions filled in part-time program simulation courses 43
Positions filled in faculty-supervised part-time program clinical courses 5
Part-time students involved in field placements 13
Part-time students involved in law journals 6
Part-time students involved in advanced moot court or trial competitions 7
Part-time students enrolled in independent study 4

Faculty Profile (Fall 2011)

Student-faculty ratio 13.3:1 – Medium
Full- and part-time faculty 58
Full-time minority faculty 8.8%
Part-time minority faculty 8.3%
Total faculty 66
Total faculty (men) 66.7%
Total faculty (women) 33.3%
Total faculty (minorities) 9.1%

Class Size

Law School Ranking

#110 Best Law Schools

(2) Ranking by Specialties

#102 in Law Firms Rank Schools
#29 in Part-time Law

Law Ranking Scores

Score 38
Peer assessment score (out of 5) 2.2
Assessment score by lawyers/judges (out of 5) 2.4
GPA (25th-75th percentile) 3.11-3.65
Median undergraduate GPA for all program entrants 3.39
LSAT scores (25th-75th percentile) 155-159
Median LSAT score for all program entrants 157
Acceptance rate 47.0% – Medium
Student-faculty ratio 13.3:1 – Medium
Graduates known to be employed at graduation N/A
Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation 84.1% – Medium
Bar passage rate (first-time test takers) 90.5% – Medium
State where the greatest number of first-time test takers took the bar MI
Statewide bar passage rate (first-time test takers) 84.8%

Law School Student Body

Student Body (Overall)

Total Enrolled 570

Student Body (Full-time)

Enrollment (full-time) 462

Student Body (Part-time)

Enrollment (part-time) 108

Attrition Rates for Full- and Part-time Students (2010-2011)

First-year students discontinuing law school 7.8%
Second-year students discontinuing law school 4.0%
Third-year students discontinuing law school 1.0%
Fourth-year students discontinuing law school 2.6%
Male students discontinuing law school 4.4%
Female students discontinuing law school 3.7%

Law School Cost

Financial Aid Contact Information

Financial aid director Deirdre Moore
Financial aid phone (313) 577-7731
Financial aid application deadline March 1

Expenses

Tuition and fees
Full-time: $26,118 per year (in-state)
Full-time: $28,548 per year (out-of-state)
Part-time: $14,116 per year (in-state)
Part-time: $15,412 per year (out-of-state)
Room and board $12,195
Books $1,600
Miscellaneous expenses $8,775
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 23.2%
Students receiving grants of one-half tuition or more but less than full 11.3%
Students receiving grants of full tuition 6.1%
Students receiving grants of more than full tuition 10.0%
Median grant amount $12,436
Grant range (25th–75th percentile) $3,000–$23,775
Full-time students receiving grants 50.4%

Grants (Part-time students)

Students receiving grants of less than one-half tuition 3.7%
Students receiving grants of one-half tuition or more but less than full 7.4%
Students receiving grants of full tuition 9.3%
Students receiving grants of more than full tuition 4.6%
Median grant amount $10,000
Grant range (25th–75th percentile) $5,904–$16,894
Part-time students receiving grants 25.0%

Indebtedness

Average indebtedness of 2011 graduates who incurred law school debt $85,824
Proportion who borrowed 86.2%
Does the school offer a loan repayment assistance program for 2011 J.D. graduates? No

Law School Library

Library Information Resources

Print titles (excluding nonbook titles) 157,135
Microform titles 120,608
Electronic titles 332,735
Other non-book titles 1,330
Total titles 611,808
Volumes (excluding microforms) 408,620
Volume equivalent microforms 224,348
Total volumes and volume equivalents 632,968
Number of volumes in the collection that are stored off site and are systematically retrievable 1,584
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 97
Number of hours per week professional staff are on duty on a regular schedule 61
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 36
Number of hours of reference service provided per week on a regular schedule 56
Number of weeks per year library operates on an abbreviated schedule 7
Number of hours per week library is open on an abbreviated schedule 78
Number of hours per week professional staff are on duty are on an abbreviated schedule 61
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 17
Number of hours of reference service provided per week on an abbreviated schedule 56
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, university information technology department, other
Approximate number of full-time-equivalent information technology staff (excluding hourly students and other temporary staff) 2
Number of open, wired network connections available to students in the law library (excluding computer labs) 79
Number of open, wired network connections available to students in classrooms 107
Number of open, wired network connections available to students in computer labs 5
Number of open, wired network connections available to students elsewhere in the law school 25
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 28,835
Total seats available for library users 382
Details about the library and other facilities (as provided by the school) The Law School complex is made up of four buildings: the Library Building, which opened in 1966 and was renovated in 2000; the Law Building, constructed in 1999-2000 and opened in August 2000; the Classroom Building, which opened in 1966 and was updated slightly in 1998; and the Damon J. Keith Center for Civil Rights, which opened in 2011.

Law School Careers

Bar Statistics (Winter and Summer 2010 administrations)

State where the greatest number of first-time test takers took the bar MI
Bar passage rate (first-time test takers) 90.5% – Medium
Statewide bar passage rate (first-time test takers) 84.8%

Class of 2010 Graduates

Total graduates 145
Graduates known to be employed at graduation N/A
Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation 84.1%

Class of 2010 Graduates-Class Breakdown at Graduation

Graduates whose employment status is unknown N/A
Graduates whose employment status is known N/A
Graduates known to be employed at graduation N/A
Graduates known to be enrolled in a full-time degree program N/A
Graduates known to be unemployed and seeking work N/A
Graduates known to be unemployed and not seeking work N/A

Class of 2010 Graduates-Class Breakdown at Nine Months

Graduates whose employment status is unknown 2.1%
Graduates whose employment status is known 97.9%
Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation 84.1%
Graduates known to be enrolled in a full-time degree program 2.8%
Graduates known to be unemployed and seeking work 10.3%
Graduates known to be unemployed and not seeking work 0.7%

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

25th percentile private sector starting salary $45,000
Median private sector starting salary $67,500
75th percentile private sector starting salary $100,000
Percent in the private sector who reported salary information 42%
Median public service starting salary $50,000

Areas of Legal Practice (Class of 2010)

Percent employed in academia 0.0%
Percent employed in business and industry 18.0%
Percent employed in government 9.0%
Percent employed in all judicial clerkships 4.1%
Percent employed in law firms 63.1%
Percent employed in public interest 5.7%
Percent employed in an unknown field 0.0%

Employment Location (Class of 2010)

Graduates employed in-state 89%
Graduates employed out-of-state 10.7%
Graduates employed in foreign countries 0%
Number of states where graduates are employed 10
New England (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT) 0.0%
Middle Atlantic (NY, NJ, PA) 0.8%
East North Central (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI) 95.1%
West North Central (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD) 0.0%
South Atlantic (DE, DC, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV) 0.8%
East South Central (AL, KY, MS, TN) 0.8%
West South Central (AR, LA, OK, TX) 0.8%
Pacific (AK, CA, HI, OR, WA) 1.6%
Mountain (AZ, CO, ID, MT, NV, NM, UT, WY) 0.0%
Employment location unknown 0.0%

Career Services

(Data appear as originally submitted by this school)

Career services operations The Career Services Office offers comprehensive career planning and professional development assistance to students and alumni. Each of our counselors has a J.D. and has practiced law. The CSO conducts on-campus recruitment programs, hosts workshops, and offers individualized career counseling, mock interviews, and cover letter and resume review.

Job Type

Bar admission required/anticipated (e.g., attorney and corporate counsel positions, law clerks, judicial clerks) 64.8%
Bar admission required/anticipated – percent employed in full-time positions 97.8%
J.D. preferred, law degree enhances position (e.g., corporate contracts administrator, alternative dispute resolution specialist, government regulatory analyst, FBI special agent) 14.8%
J.D. preferred – percent employed in full-time positions 76.2%
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) 5.6%
Professional other – percent employed in full-time positions 87.5%
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) 0.7%
Non-professional other – percent employed in full-time positions 0.0%