The School of Law at Gonzaga University

Law School Admissions

Application

Director of admissions Susan Lee
Application deadline April 15
Full-time program application fee $50
Part-time program application fee N/A
Besides the fall semester, can enter in N/A

The School of Law at Gonzaga University

Admissions & Enrollment (Overall)

Acceptance rate 53.2% – High
Median undergraduate GPA for all program entrants 3.33
Median LSAT score for all program entrants 155

Admissions & Enrollment (Full-time)

Acceptance rate 53.2%
LSAT scores (25th-75th percentile) 153-157
Undergraduate GPA (25th-75th percentile) 3.15-3.51
Median undergraduate GPA for full-time program entrants 3.33
Median LSAT score for full-time program entrants 155

Admissions & Enrollment (Part-time)

Applicants N/A
Acceptance rate N/A
LSAT scores (25th-75th percentile) N/A
Undergraduate GPA (25th-75th percentile) N/A
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.C.C.
J.D./M.S.W.
Special programs offered to J.D. students (as provided by the school)
Gonzaga students receive skills training through innovative labs the first year and two years of extensive training in legal research and writing. Programs include the legal clinic where students work with practicing attorneys in one of seven focus areas (including Indian Law), a robust externship program, summer law programs in China and Florence Italy, and three joint degree 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 78
Seminars 28
Positions available in seminars 565
Positions available in simulation courses 574
Positions available in faculty-supervised clinical courses 169
Student activities (as provided by the school)
Gonzaga offers a wide variety of student organizations and publications. Gonzaga Law Review encourages development of the law through scholarly criticism and analysis. The online Gonzaga Journal of International Law offers articles on diverse international topics. Gonzaga boasts a distinguished record in interscholastic moot court competitions and runs a respected intramural advocacy competition.

Curricular Offerings (Full-time)

Typical first-year full-time section size taught by full-time faculty (excludes small sections) 85
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” 34
Positions filled in full-time program seminars 436
Positions filled in full-time program simulation courses 455
Positions filled in faculty-supervised full-time program clinical courses 138
Full-time students involved in field placements 139
Full-time students involved in law journals 107
Full-time students involved in advanced moot court or trial competitions 57
Full-time students enrolled in independent study 25

Curricular Offerings (Part-time)

Typical first-year part-time section size taught by full-time faculty (excludes small sections) N/A
Is there typically a part-time “small section” of the first-year class taught by full-time faculty (excluding Legal Writing)? N/A
Positions filled in part-time program seminars N/A
Positions filled in part-time program simulation courses N/A
Positions filled in faculty-supervised part-time program clinical courses N/A
Part-time students involved in field placements N/A
Part-time students involved in law journals N/A
Part-time students involved in advanced moot court or trial competitions N/A
Part-time students enrolled in independent study N/A

Faculty Profile (Fall 2011)

Student-faculty ratio 15.3:1 – Medium
Full- and part-time faculty 53
Full-time minority faculty 11.5%
Part-time minority faculty 0.0%
Total faculty 59
Total faculty (men) 61.0%
Total faculty (women) 39.0%
Total faculty (minorities) 6.8%

Class Size

Law School Ranking

#113 Best Law Schools

(1) Ranking by Specialties

#58 in Law Firms Rank Schools

Law Ranking Scores

Score 37
Peer assessment score (out of 5) 2.2
Assessment score by lawyers/judges (out of 5) 3.0
GPA (25th-75th percentile) 3.15-3.51
Median undergraduate GPA for all program entrants 3.33
LSAT scores (25th-75th percentile) 153-157
Median LSAT score for all program entrants 155
Acceptance rate 53.2% – High
Student-faculty ratio 15.3:1 – Medium
Graduates known to be employed at graduation N/A
Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation 82.6% – Medium
Bar passage rate (first-time test takers) 82.4% – Medium
State where the greatest number of first-time test takers took the bar WA
Statewide bar passage rate (first-time test takers) 70.3%

Law School Student Body

Student Body (Overall)

Total Enrolled 506

Student Body (Full-time)

Enrollment (full-time) 506

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 13.4%
Second-year students discontinuing law school 0.6%
Third-year students discontinuing law school N/A
Fourth-year students discontinuing law school N/A
Male students discontinuing law school 5.1%
Female students discontinuing law school 4.6%

Law School Cost

Financial Aid Contact Information

Financial aid director Joan Henning
Financial aid phone (800) 448-2138
Financial aid application deadline February 1

Expenses

Tuition and fees
Full-time: $34,105 per year
Room and board $8,775
Books $1,000
Miscellaneous expenses $4,590
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 60.9%
Students receiving grants of one-half tuition or more but less than full 4.7%
Students receiving grants of full tuition 3.6%
Students receiving grants of more than full tuition 0.0%
Median grant amount $13,500
Grant range (25th–75th percentile) $8,500–$15,500
Full-time students receiving grants 69.2%

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

Indebtedness

Average indebtedness of 2011 graduates who incurred law school debt $104,629
Proportion who borrowed 95.6%
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) 40,675
Microform titles 31,975
Electronic titles 219,490
Other non-book titles 1,189
Total titles 293,329
Volumes (excluding microforms) 168,533
Volume equivalent microforms 141,730
Total volumes and volume equivalents 310,263
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 110
Number of hours per week professional staff are on duty on a regular schedule 48
Number of hours per week only full-time support staff are on duty on a regular schedule 30
Number of hours per week only students or other part-time staff are on duty on a regular schedule 33
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 74
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 25
Number of hours per week only students or other part-time staff are on duty on an abbreviated schedule 9
Number of hours of reference service provided per week on an abbreviated schedule 38
Number of weeks per year library operates on expanded schedule 3

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) 3
Number of open, wired network connections available to students in the law library (excluding computer labs) 87
Number of open, wired network connections available to students in classrooms 18
Number of open, wired network connections available to students in computer labs 10
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 41,189
Total seats available for library users 507
Details about the library and other facilities (as provided by the school) The Chastek Library is a beautiful environment in which to work, with a variety of study spaces overlooking the Spokane River. Professional law librarians provide faculty and students with a wide range of services, and the library’s collection of over 300,000 volumes and an extensive array of electronic resources supports the research and scholarly pursuits of the law school community.

Law School Careers

Bar Statistics (Winter and Summer 2010 administrations)

State where the greatest number of first-time test takers took the bar WA
Bar passage rate (first-time test takers) 82.4% – Medium
Statewide bar passage rate (first-time test takers) 70.3%

Class of 2010 Graduates

Total graduates 178
Graduates known to be employed at graduation N/A
Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation 82.6%

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 3.9%
Graduates whose employment status is known 96.1%
Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation 82.6%
Graduates known to be enrolled in a full-time degree program 3.4%
Graduates known to be unemployed and seeking work 6.2%
Graduates known to be unemployed and not seeking work 3.9%

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

25th percentile private sector starting salary $42,000
Median private sector starting salary $52,500
75th percentile private sector starting salary $80,000
Percent in the private sector who reported salary information 12%
Median public service starting salary $46,000

Areas of Legal Practice (Class of 2010)

Percent employed in academia 3.4%
Percent employed in business and industry 17.7%
Percent employed in government 8.8%
Percent employed in all judicial clerkships 15.0%
Percent employed in law firms 47.6%
Percent employed in public interest 7.5%
Percent employed in an unknown field N/A

Employment Location (Class of 2010)

Graduates employed in-state 45%
Graduates employed out-of-state 53.1%
Graduates employed in foreign countries 0%
Number of states where graduates are employed 21
New England (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT) 0.0%
Middle Atlantic (NY, NJ, PA) 1.4%
East North Central (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI) 1.4%
West North Central (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD) 2.0%
South Atlantic (DE, DC, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV) 4.1%
East South Central (AL, KY, MS, TN) 0.0%
West South Central (AR, LA, OK, TX) 2.7%
Pacific (AK, CA, HI, OR, WA) 59.9%
Mountain (AZ, CO, ID, MT, NV, NM, UT, WY) 26.5%
Employment location unknown 2.0%

Career Services

(Data appear as originally submitted by this school)

Career services operations The Career Services Office assists students and alumni in planning careers and in finding employment. The office offers counseling, mock interviews, fairs, and a variety of seminars, in addition to on-campus interviews, interview days in Portland and Seattle, and networking contacts. The office hosts new graduate/alumni networking events in Seattle and other cities.

Job Type

Bar admission required/anticipated (e.g., attorney and corporate counsel positions, law clerks, judicial clerks) 73.5%
Bar admission required/anticipated – percent employed in full-time positions 93.5%
J.D. preferred, law degree enhances position (e.g., corporate contracts administrator, alternative dispute resolution specialist, government regulatory analyst, FBI special agent) 17.0%
J.D. preferred – percent employed in full-time positions 56.0%
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) 6.1%
Professional other – percent employed in full-time positions 33.3%
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) 3.4%
Non-professional other – percent employed in full-time positions 20.0%