The School of Law at Duquesne University

Law School Admissions

Application

Director of admissions Joseph Campion
Application deadline April 1
Full-time program application fee $60
Part-time program application fee $60
Besides the fall semester, can enter in N/A

The School of Law at Duquesne University

Admissions & Enrollment (Overall)

Acceptance rate 55.1% – High
Median undergraduate GPA for all program entrants 3.35
Median LSAT score for all program entrants 153

Admissions & Enrollment (Full-time)

Acceptance rate 59.3%
LSAT scores (25th-75th percentile) 151-155
Undergraduate GPA (25th-75th percentile) 3.15-3.67
Median undergraduate GPA for full-time program entrants 3.36
Median LSAT score for full-time program entrants 153

Admissions & Enrollment (Part-time)

Acceptance rate 41.5%
LSAT scores (25th-75th percentile) 149-155
Undergraduate GPA (25th-75th percentile) 3.02-3.53
Median undergraduate GPA for part-time program entrants 3.27
Median LSAT score for part-time program entrants 153

Law School Academics

Academic Program Details

Academic calendar Semester
Joint degrees offered
J.D./M.B.A.
J.D./M.S.E.S.M.
J.D./M.Div.
J.D./MA Health Care
Special programs offered to J.D. students (as provided by the school)
Summer programs: China, Europe, Ireland, and Italy. Clinics: Bill of Rights, Civil Rights Litigation, Civil & Family Justice Law, Community Enterprise, Criminal Advocacy, Unemployment Compensation, and Urban Development. E-Discovery Simulation. Legal Research and Writing: ranked in the top 10 among all the law schools in the nation.
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 128
Seminars 29
Positions available in seminars 691
Positions available in simulation courses 107
Positions available in faculty-supervised clinical courses 68
Student activities (as provided by the school)
Duquesne has a tradition of excellence in trial advocacy recently hosting the National Institute of Trial Advocacy’s Tournament of Champions. It also has a new student-run Appellate Moot Court Board. Academics are enhanced by four publications: Law Review, Business Law Journal, Criminal Law Journal, and Juris magazine. A new Environmental Health Journal was recently approved.

Curricular Offerings (Full-time)

Typical first-year full-time section size taught by full-time faculty (excludes small sections) 80
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 384
Positions filled in full-time program simulation courses 72
Positions filled in faculty-supervised full-time program clinical courses 51
Full-time students involved in field placements 47
Full-time students involved in law journals 24
Full-time students involved in advanced moot court or trial competitions 19
Full-time students enrolled in independent study 63

Curricular Offerings (Part-time)

Typical first-year part-time section size taught by full-time faculty (excludes small sections) 50
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 145
Positions filled in part-time program simulation courses 35
Positions filled in faculty-supervised part-time program clinical courses 8
Part-time students involved in field placements 20
Part-time students involved in law journals 13
Part-time students involved in advanced moot court or trial competitions 1
Part-time students enrolled in independent study 36

Faculty Profile (Fall 2011)

Student-faculty ratio 20.4:1 – High
Full- and part-time faculty 68
Full-time minority faculty 13.0%
Part-time minority faculty 4.4%
Total faculty 78
Total faculty (men) 69.2%
Total faculty (women) 30.8%
Total faculty (minorities) 7.7%

Class Size

Law School Ranking

Rank Not Published Best Law Schools

(2) Ranking by Specialties

#6 in Legal Writing
#42 in Part-time Law

Law Ranking Scores

Score N/A
Peer assessment score (out of 5) 1.8
Assessment score by lawyers/judges (out of 5) 2.6
GPA (25th-75th percentile) 3.12-3.62
Median undergraduate GPA for all program entrants 3.35
LSAT scores (25th-75th percentile) 151-155
Median LSAT score for all program entrants 153
Acceptance rate 55.1% – High
Student-faculty ratio 20.4:1 – High
Graduates known to be employed at graduation 34.3% – Low
Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation 78.9% – Medium
Bar passage rate (first-time test takers) 86.4% – Medium
State where the greatest number of first-time test takers took the bar PA
Statewide bar passage rate (first-time test takers) 83.1%

Law School Student Body

Student Body (Overall)

Total Enrolled 642

Student Body (Full-time)

Enrollment (full-time) 448

Student Body (Part-time)

Enrollment (part-time) 194

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

First-year students discontinuing law school 7.4%
Second-year students discontinuing law school 1.4%
Third-year students discontinuing law school N/A
Fourth-year students discontinuing law school N/A
Male students discontinuing law school 2.2%
Female students discontinuing law school 3.4%

Law School Cost

Financial Aid Contact Information

Financial aid director Rich Esposito
Financial aid phone (412) 396-6607
Financial aid application deadline May 1

Expenses

Tuition and fees
Full-time: $33,752 per year
Part-time: $26,098 per year
Room and board $10,510
Books $1,500
Miscellaneous expenses $1,550
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 19.9%
Students receiving grants of one-half tuition or more but less than full 5.6%
Students receiving grants of full tuition 9.8%
Students receiving grants of more than full tuition 1.1%
Median grant amount $15,000
Grant range (25th–75th percentile) $8,434–$31,716
Full-time students receiving grants 36.4%

Grants (Part-time students)

Students receiving grants of less than one-half tuition 13.9%
Students receiving grants of one-half tuition or more but less than full 5.2%
Students receiving grants of full tuition 2.6%
Students receiving grants of more than full tuition 1.5%
Median grant amount $5,880
Grant range (25th–75th percentile) $2,378–$18,280
Part-time students receiving grants 23.2%

Indebtedness

Average indebtedness of 2011 graduates who incurred law school debt $97,264
Proportion who borrowed 83.7%
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) 62,001
Microform titles 26,327
Electronic titles 22,596
Other non-book titles 660
Total titles 115,564
Volumes (excluding microforms) 231,166
Volume equivalent microforms 75,219
Total volumes and volume equivalents 306,385
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 No

Library Schedule of Operation

Number of hours per week library is open on a regular schedule 102
Number of hours per week professional staff are on duty on a regular schedule 105
Number of hours per week only full-time support staff are on duty on a regular schedule 3
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 88
Number of weeks per year library operates on an abbreviated schedule 14
Number of hours per week library is open on an abbreviated schedule 68
Number of hours per week professional staff are on duty are on an abbreviated schedule 105
Number of hours per week only full-time support staff are on duty on an abbreviated schedule 3
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 78
Number of weeks per year library operates on expanded schedule 6

Information Technology

Department(s) responsible for the law school information technology operations law school library, university information technology department
Approximate number of full-time-equivalent information technology staff (excluding hourly students and other temporary staff) 4
Number of open, wired network connections available to students in the law library (excluding computer labs) 20
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 0
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 45,354
Total seats available for library users 411
Details about the library and other facilities (as provided by the school) The library continuously strives to offer the best collection, technology, furnishings, and professional staffing, in order to make it the finest and most user-friendly law library in the region.

Law School Careers

Bar Statistics (Winter and Summer 2010 administrations)

State where the greatest number of first-time test takers took the bar PA
Bar passage rate (first-time test takers) 86.4% – Medium
Statewide bar passage rate (first-time test takers) 83.1%

Class of 2010 Graduates

Total graduates 204
Graduates known to be employed at graduation 34.3%
Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation 78.9%

Class of 2010 Graduates-Class Breakdown at Graduation

Graduates whose employment status is unknown 1.0%
Graduates whose employment status is known 99.0%
Graduates known to be employed at graduation 34.3%
Graduates known to be enrolled in a full-time degree program 2.5%
Graduates known to be unemployed and seeking work 62.3%
Graduates known to be unemployed and not seeking work 0.0%

Class of 2010 Graduates-Class Breakdown at Nine Months

Graduates whose employment status is unknown 12.3%
Graduates whose employment status is known 87.7%
Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation 78.9%
Graduates known to be enrolled in a full-time degree program 2.9%
Graduates known to be unemployed and seeking work 5.4%
Graduates known to be unemployed and not seeking work 0.5%

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

25th percentile private sector starting salary $45,000
Median private sector starting salary $60,000
75th percentile private sector starting salary $79,000
Percent in the private sector who reported salary information 30%
Median public service starting salary $46,625

Areas of Legal Practice (Class of 2010)

Percent employed in academia 1.9%
Percent employed in business and industry 21.1%
Percent employed in government 9.3%
Percent employed in all judicial clerkships 8.1%
Percent employed in law firms 52.8%
Percent employed in public interest 4.3%
Percent employed in an unknown field 2.5%

Employment Location (Class of 2010)

Graduates employed in-state 85%
Graduates employed out-of-state 14.9%
Graduates employed in foreign countries 0%
Number of states where graduates are employed 12
New England (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT) 0.6%
Middle Atlantic (NY, NJ, PA) 86.3%
East North Central (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI) 3.1%
West North Central (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD) 0.6%
South Atlantic (DE, DC, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV) 7.5%
East South Central (AL, KY, MS, TN) 0.0%
West South Central (AR, LA, OK, TX) 0.6%
Pacific (AK, CA, HI, OR, WA) 0.0%
Mountain (AZ, CO, ID, MT, NV, NM, UT, WY) 1.2%
Employment location unknown 0.0%

Career Services

(Data appear as originally submitted by this school)

Career services operations Our highly professional staff provides the counseling and programming necessary to prepare our students and graduates to compete during difficult economic times. The office regularly offers programs providing networking opportunities. And our strong alumni network enhances the career services programming.

Job Type

Bar admission required/anticipated (e.g., attorney and corporate counsel positions, law clerks, judicial clerks) 73.9%
Bar admission required/anticipated – percent employed in full-time positions 79.5%
J.D. preferred, law degree enhances position (e.g., corporate contracts administrator, alternative dispute resolution specialist, government regulatory analyst, FBI special agent) 10.6%
J.D. preferred – percent employed in full-time positions 47.1%
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) 12.6%
Professional other – percent employed in full-time positions 85.0%
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) 2.9%
Non-professional other – percent employed in full-time positions 20.0%