The School of Law at Golden Gate University

Law School Admissions

Application

Director of admissions Angela Dalfen
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 Golden Gate University

Admissions & Enrollment (Overall)

Acceptance rate 59.8% – High
Median undergraduate GPA for all program entrants 3.05
Median LSAT score for all program entrants 152

Admissions & Enrollment (Full-time)

Acceptance rate 62.2%
LSAT scores (25th-75th percentile) 150-155
Undergraduate GPA (25th-75th percentile) 2.73-3.41
Median undergraduate GPA for full-time program entrants 3.10
Median LSAT score for full-time program entrants 153

Admissions & Enrollment (Part-time)

Acceptance rate 44.6%
LSAT scores (25th-75th percentile) 150-155
Undergraduate GPA (25th-75th percentile) 2.72-3.21
Median undergraduate GPA for part-time program entrants 2.93
Median LSAT score for part-time program entrants 152

Law School Academics

Academic Program Details

Academic calendar Semester
Joint degrees offered
J.D./M.B.A.
J.D./Ph.D.
Special programs offered to J.D. students (as provided by the school)
GGU Law students study a practice-oriented curriculum that enables them to understand legal theory and provide meaningful legal assistance both during and after law school. Through simulation exercises, clinics, externships, trial practice teams, specialization programs and our competitive Honors Lawyering Program, GGU students start thinking and working like lawyers from the day they arrive.
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 173
Seminars 41
Positions available in seminars 399
Positions available in simulation courses 440
Positions available in faculty-supervised clinical courses 107
Student activities (as provided by the school)
GGU Law has a diverse and enthusiastic student body. Our students have established and maintain over thirty student organizations, which reflect a variety of social and professional interests. GGU students are also members of numerous local and national specialty bar associations. GGU supports three law reviews and legal journals, several moot court competitions and an active student government.

Curricular Offerings (Full-time)

Typical first-year full-time section size taught by full-time faculty (excludes small sections) 66
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” 24
Positions filled in full-time program seminars 337
Positions filled in full-time program simulation courses 390
Positions filled in faculty-supervised full-time program clinical courses 101
Full-time students involved in field placements 190
Full-time students involved in law journals 129
Full-time students involved in advanced moot court or trial competitions 79
Full-time students enrolled in independent study 17

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)? Yes
Positions filled in part-time program seminars 30
Positions filled in part-time program simulation courses 41
Positions filled in faculty-supervised part-time program clinical courses 2
Part-time students involved in field placements 14
Part-time students involved in law journals 7
Part-time students involved in advanced moot court or trial competitions 5
Part-time students enrolled in independent study 3

Faculty Profile (Fall 2011)

Student-faculty ratio 14.1:1 – Medium
Full- and part-time faculty 109
Full-time minority faculty 25.0%
Part-time minority faculty 19.2%
Total faculty 119
Total faculty (men) 47.9%
Total faculty (women) 52.1%
Total faculty (minorities) 20.2%

Class Size

Law School Ranking

Rank Not Published Best Law Schools

(2) Ranking by Specialties

#22 in Environmental Law
#44 in Part-time Law

Law Ranking Scores

Score N/A
Peer assessment score (out of 5) 1.7
Assessment score by lawyers/judges (out of 5) 1.9
GPA (25th-75th percentile) 2.73-3.41
Median undergraduate GPA for all program entrants 3.05
LSAT scores (25th-75th percentile) 150-155
Median LSAT score for all program entrants 152
Acceptance rate 59.8% – High
Student-faculty ratio 14.1:1 – Medium
Graduates known to be employed at graduation N/A
Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation 67.2% – Low
Bar passage rate (first-time test takers) 58.0% – 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 684

Student Body (Full-time)

Enrollment (full-time) 568

Student Body (Part-time)

Enrollment (part-time) 116

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

First-year students discontinuing law school 23.2%
Second-year students discontinuing law school 6.5%
Third-year students discontinuing law school N/A
Fourth-year students discontinuing law school N/A
Male students discontinuing law school 13.8%
Female students discontinuing law school 10.1%

Law School Cost

Financial Aid Contact Information

Financial aid director Gabriela De la Vega
Financial aid phone (415) 442-6635
Financial aid application deadline N/A

Expenses

Tuition and fees
Full-time: $40,515 per year
Part-time: $31,135 per year
Room and board $14,850
Books $1,400
Miscellaneous expenses $8,391
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? No
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 30.8%
Students receiving grants of one-half tuition or more but less than full 17.4%
Students receiving grants of full tuition 4.8%
Students receiving grants of more than full tuition 0.0%
Median grant amount $15,000
Grant range (25th–75th percentile) $8,000–$25,000
Full-time students receiving grants 53.0%

Grants (Part-time students)

Students receiving grants of less than one-half tuition 20.7%
Students receiving grants of one-half tuition or more but less than full 12.1%
Students receiving grants of full tuition 3.4%
Students receiving grants of more than full tuition 0.0%
Median grant amount $10,000
Grant range (25th–75th percentile) $8,000–$15,000
Part-time students receiving grants 36.2%

Indebtedness

Average indebtedness of 2011 graduates who incurred law school debt $135,645
Proportion who borrowed 81.8%
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) 37,621
Microform titles 41,042
Electronic titles 8,051
Other non-book titles 264
Total titles 86,978
Volumes (excluding microforms) 144,923
Volume equivalent microforms 247,788
Total volumes and volume equivalents 392,711
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 95
Number of hours per week professional staff are on duty on a regular schedule 80
Number of hours per week only full-time support staff are on duty on a regular schedule 23
Number of hours per week only students or other part-time staff are on duty on a regular schedule 10
Number of hours of reference service provided per week on a regular schedule 69
Number of weeks per year library operates on an abbreviated schedule 12
Number of hours per week library is open on an abbreviated schedule 79
Number of hours per week professional staff are on duty are on an abbreviated schedule 64
Number of hours per week only full-time support staff are on duty on an abbreviated schedule 19
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 63
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 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) 145
Number of open, wired network connections available to students in classrooms 427
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 33,076
Total seats available for library users 460
Details about the library and other facilities (as provided by the school) The Law Library houses the largest legal collection in downtown San Francisco’s financial district. Primary holdings are in American law with strength in tax, environmental law, law and literature, and international law. A recent renovation of the law school’s facilities provides a state-of-the-art learning environment, expanded law library, 100-seat reading room and a new student services center.

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) 58.0% – Low
Statewide bar passage rate (first-time test takers) 64.8%

Class of 2010 Graduates

Total graduates 174
Graduates known to be employed at graduation N/A
Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation 67.2%

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 12.1%
Graduates whose employment status is known 87.9%
Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation 67.2%
Graduates known to be enrolled in a full-time degree program 5.2%
Graduates known to be unemployed and seeking work 12.1%
Graduates known to be unemployed and not seeking work 3.4%

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

25th percentile private sector starting salary $55,000
Median private sector starting salary $70,000
75th percentile private sector starting salary $79,000
Percent in the private sector who reported salary information 39%
Median public service starting salary $45,000

Areas of Legal Practice (Class of 2010)

Percent employed in academia 13.7%
Percent employed in business and industry 21.4%
Percent employed in government 17.1%
Percent employed in all judicial clerkships 0.9%
Percent employed in law firms 42.7%
Percent employed in public interest 4.3%
Percent employed in an unknown field 0.0%

Employment Location (Class of 2010)

Graduates employed in-state 92%
Graduates employed out-of-state 6.8%
Graduates employed in foreign countries 1%
Number of states where graduates are employed 8
New England (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT) 0.9%
Middle Atlantic (NY, NJ, PA) 0.9%
East North Central (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI) 0.9%
West North Central (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD) 0.0%
South Atlantic (DE, DC, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV) 0.9%
East South Central (AL, KY, MS, TN) 0.0%
West South Central (AR, LA, OK, TX) 1.7%
Pacific (AK, CA, HI, OR, WA) 93.2%
Mountain (AZ, CO, ID, MT, NV, NM, UT, WY) 0.9%
Employment location unknown 0.0%

Career Services

(Data appear as originally submitted by this school)

Career services operations Law Career Services (LCS) provides a wide variety of resources and programs to guide students and alumni in their career planning. The professional staff draws expertise from years of work in a variety of legal practice settings. GGU students are successful in finding jobs with large and small law firms, government agencies, public interest organizations, the courts, corporations and academia.

Job Type

Bar admission required/anticipated (e.g., attorney and corporate counsel positions, law clerks, judicial clerks) 45.1%
Bar admission required/anticipated – percent employed in full-time positions 78.3%
J.D. preferred, law degree enhances position (e.g., corporate contracts administrator, alternative dispute resolution specialist, government regulatory analyst, FBI special agent) 22.2%
J.D. preferred – percent employed in full-time positions 41.2%
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) 7.8%
Professional other – percent employed in full-time positions 91.7%
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) 1.3%
Non-professional other – percent employed in full-time positions 0.0%