The School of Law at Chapman University

Law School Admissions

Application

Director of admissions Tracy Simmons
Application deadline April 15
Full-time program application fee $75
Part-time program application fee $75
Besides the fall semester, can enter in N/A

The School of Law at Chapman University

Admissions & Enrollment (Overall)

Acceptance rate 34.4% – Medium
Median undergraduate GPA for all program entrants 3.55
Median LSAT score for all program entrants 158

Admissions & Enrollment (Full-time)

Acceptance rate 37.0%
LSAT scores (25th-75th percentile) 154-160
Undergraduate GPA (25th-75th percentile) 3.31-3.71
Median undergraduate GPA for full-time program entrants 3.55
Median LSAT score for full-time program entrants 158

Admissions & Enrollment (Part-time)

Acceptance rate 14.6%
LSAT scores (25th-75th percentile) 153-168
Undergraduate GPA (25th-75th percentile) 3.28-3.76
Median undergraduate GPA for part-time program entrants 3.44
Median LSAT score for part-time program entrants 156

Law School Academics

Academic Program Details

Academic calendar Semester
Joint degrees offered
J.D./M.B.A.
J.D./M.F.A.
Special programs offered to J.D. students (as provided by the school)
Certificate programs: Tax; Env’l, Land Use & Real Estate; ADR; Entertainment Law; Business Law; & Internat’l Law. We have joint JD/MBA & JD/MFA programs, & clinical programs in elder law, tax, constitutional litigation, domestic violence, 9th Circuit Appellate Law Clinic, Working with Filmmakers clinic, and Mediation Clinic. We co-sponsor a summer law program in England.
Programs/courses offered in
appellate advocacy intellectual property law
clinical training international law
dispute resolution tax law
environmental law trial advocacy

Curricular Offerings (Overall)

Classroom course titles, beyond the first-year curriculum, offered last year 163
Seminars 12
Positions available in seminars 203
Positions available in simulation courses 501
Positions available in faculty-supervised clinical courses 233
Student activities (as provided by the school)
We have two law journals in which students participate: The Chapman Law Review and the NeXus Law Journal. We also have active competition teams at the trial and appellate levels and in skills areas such as negotiations and client counseling. Our Student Bar Association is very active and sponsors numerous student organizations.

Curricular Offerings (Full-time)

Typical first-year full-time section size taught by full-time faculty (excludes small sections) 53
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 90
Positions filled in full-time program simulation courses 467
Positions filled in faculty-supervised full-time program clinical courses 122
Full-time students involved in field placements 141
Full-time students involved in law journals 175
Full-time students involved in advanced moot court or trial competitions 59
Full-time students enrolled in independent study 54

Curricular Offerings (Part-time)

Typical first-year part-time section size taught by full-time faculty (excludes small sections) 53
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 42
Positions filled in part-time program simulation courses 29
Positions filled in faculty-supervised part-time program clinical courses 15
Part-time students involved in field placements 5
Part-time students involved in law journals 2
Part-time students involved in advanced moot court or trial competitions 2
Part-time students enrolled in independent study 2

Faculty Profile (Fall 2011)

Student-faculty ratio 9.8:1 – Low
Full- and part-time faculty 73
Full-time minority faculty 11.4%
Part-time minority faculty 6.9%
Total faculty 78
Total faculty (men) 66.7%
Total faculty (women) 33.3%
Total faculty (minorities) 9.0%

Class Size

Law School Ranking

#110 Best Law Schools

(1) Ranking by Specialties

#40 in Part-time Law

Law Ranking Scores

Score 38
Peer assessment score (out of 5) 1.9
Assessment score by lawyers/judges (out of 5) 2.4
GPA (25th-75th percentile) 3.31-3.71
Median undergraduate GPA for all program entrants 3.55
LSAT scores (25th-75th percentile) 154-160
Median LSAT score for all program entrants 158
Acceptance rate 34.4% – Medium
Student-faculty ratio 9.8:1 – Low
Graduates known to be employed at graduation 59.6% – Medium
Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation 77.2% – Low
Bar passage rate (first-time test takers) 68.2% – Low
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 532

Student Body (Full-time)

Enrollment (full-time) 506

Student Body (Part-time)

Enrollment (part-time) 26

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

First-year students discontinuing law school 14.4%
Second-year students discontinuing law school 2.9%
Third-year students discontinuing law school N/A
Fourth-year students discontinuing law school N/A
Male students discontinuing law school 5.3%
Female students discontinuing law school 7.0%

Law School Cost

Financial Aid Contact Information

Financial aid director Kathleen Clark
Financial aid phone (714) 628-2510
Financial aid application deadline March 2

Expenses

Tuition and fees
Full-time: $41,460 per year
Part-time: $33,000 per year
Room and board $16,110
Books $1,680
Miscellaneous expenses $11,709
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 13.6%
Students receiving grants of one-half tuition or more but less than full 8.5%
Students receiving grants of full tuition 13.2%
Students receiving grants of more than full tuition 6.7%
Median grant amount $35,794
Grant range (25th–75th percentile) $27,840–$39,770
Full-time students receiving grants 42.1%

Grants (Part-time students)

Students receiving grants of less than one-half tuition 0.0%
Students receiving grants of one-half tuition or more but less than full 0.0%
Students receiving grants of full tuition 0.0%
Students receiving grants of more than full tuition 0.0%
Median grant amount $0
Grant range (25th–75th percentile) $0–$0
Part-time students receiving grants 0.0%

Indebtedness

Average indebtedness of 2011 graduates who incurred law school debt $129,732
Proportion who borrowed 90.4%
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) 34,962
Microform titles 140,505
Electronic titles 65
Other non-book titles 516
Total titles 176,048
Volumes (excluding microforms) 98,231
Volume equivalent microforms 211,560
Total volumes and volume equivalents 312,280
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 63
Number of hours per week only full-time support staff are on duty on a regular schedule 10
Number of hours per week only students or other part-time staff are on duty on a regular schedule 29
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 4
Number of hours per week library is open on an abbreviated schedule 55
Number of hours per week professional staff are on duty are on an abbreviated schedule 55
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 55
Number of weeks per year library operates on expanded schedule 48

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) 1
Number of open, wired network connections available to students in the law library (excluding computer labs) 215
Number of open, wired network connections available to students in classrooms 288
Number of open, wired network connections available to students in computer labs 30
Number of open, wired network connections available to students elsewhere in the law school 54
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 37,275
Total seats available for library users 305
Details about the library and other facilities (as provided by the school) The Law School is housed in the beautiful, state-of-the art, 130,000 square-foot Kennedy Hall, which was completed in 1999. The Rinker Law Library occupies approximately 37,000 square feet and contains more than 300,000 volumes or volume equivalents. It provides an impressive and comfortable environment for study and includes a computer laboratory and numerous study rooms for group study.

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) 68.2% – Low
Statewide bar passage rate (first-time test takers) 64.8%

Class of 2010 Graduates

Total graduates 0
Graduates known to be employed at graduation 59.6%
Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation N/A

Class of 2010 Graduates-Class Breakdown at Graduation

Graduates whose employment status is unknown 0.6%
Graduates whose employment status is known 99.4%
Graduates known to be employed at graduation 59.6%
Graduates known to be enrolled in a full-time degree program 2.3%
Graduates known to be unemployed and seeking work 30.4%
Graduates known to be unemployed and not seeking work 7.0%

Class of 2010 Graduates-Class Breakdown at Nine Months

Graduates whose employment status is unknown N/A
Graduates whose employment status is known N/A
Graduates known to be employed nine months after 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

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

25th percentile private sector starting salary $40,280
Median private sector starting salary $60,000
75th percentile private sector starting salary $80,000
Percent in the private sector who reported salary information 63%
Median public service starting salary $55,114

Areas of Legal Practice (Class of 2010)

Percent employed in academia 17.4%
Percent employed in business and industry 16.7%
Percent employed in government 1.5%
Percent employed in all judicial clerkships 2.3%
Percent employed in law firms 59.8%
Percent employed in public interest 2.3%
Percent employed in an unknown field 0.0%

Employment Location (Class of 2010)

Graduates employed in-state 96%
Graduates employed out-of-state 3.0%
Graduates employed in foreign countries 0%
Number of states where graduates are employed 5
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) 0.0%
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) 0.0%
West South Central (AR, LA, OK, TX) 0.8%
Pacific (AK, CA, HI, OR, WA) 95.5%
Mountain (AZ, CO, ID, MT, NV, NM, UT, WY) 0.8%
Employment location unknown 1.5%

Career Services

(Data appear as originally submitted by this school)

Career services operations The Career Services Office provides comprehensive job search skills training and informational sessions as well as on-campus recruitment and job-posting services. Students and graduates have found employment with a wide range of employers, including top-tier law firms and state and federal courts.

Job Type

Bar admission required/anticipated (e.g., attorney and corporate counsel positions, law clerks, judicial clerks) 58.3%
Bar admission required/anticipated – percent employed in full-time positions 83.1%
J.D. preferred, law degree enhances position (e.g., corporate contracts administrator, alternative dispute resolution specialist, government regulatory analyst, FBI special agent) 31.1%
J.D. preferred – percent employed in full-time positions 29.3%
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) 7.6%
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) 2.3%
Non-professional other – percent employed in full-time positions 33.3%