The School of Law at University of California–Berkeley

Law School Admissions

Application

Director of admissions Edward G. Tom
Application deadline February 1
Full-time program application fee $75
Part-time program application fee N/A
Besides the fall semester, can enter in N/A

The School of Law at University of California--Berkeley

Admissions & Enrollment (Overall)

Acceptance rate 12.7% – Low
Median undergraduate GPA for all program entrants 3.79
Median LSAT score for all program entrants 167

Admissions & Enrollment (Full-time)

Acceptance rate 12.7%
LSAT scores (25th-75th percentile) 164-169
Undergraduate GPA (25th-75th percentile) 3.62-3.88
Median undergraduate GPA for full-time program entrants 3.79
Median LSAT score for full-time program entrants 167

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
Public Policy Social Welfare
MBA Environmental Science & Policy Mgmt
Asian Studies Public Administration
Economics International Relations
City & Regional Planning
Special programs offered to J.D. students (as provided by the school)
Berkeley offers guaranteed funding for summer public interest/public sector (PIPS) positions and short-term postgraduate fellowships for committed PIPS students, which creates a bridge to permanent work in these areas. Our clinical and skills programs equip our students with valuable, practical real-world training. Our financial aid programs, including LRAP, are among the best 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 238
Seminars 129
Positions available in seminars 2,892
Positions available in simulation courses 2,335
Positions available in faculty-supervised clinical courses 677
Student activities (as provided by the school)
Berkeley Law offers a wide range of opportunities to students outside of the classroom. In keeping with the law school’s spirit of cooperative education, journal membership is open to all students and first-year students are encouraged to participate. The wide array of unique student organizations at Berkeley Law reflects a devoted willingness to dedicate time to activities outside the classroom.

Curricular Offerings (Full-time)

Typical first-year full-time section size taught by full-time faculty (excludes small sections) 96
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” 27
Positions filled in full-time program seminars 2,039
Positions filled in full-time program simulation courses 1,078
Positions filled in faculty-supervised full-time program clinical courses 274
Full-time students involved in field placements 148
Full-time students involved in law journals 171
Full-time students involved in advanced moot court or trial competitions 69
Full-time students enrolled in independent study 448

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 10.9:1 – Low
Full- and part-time faculty 120
Full-time minority faculty 23.1%
Part-time minority faculty 12.7%
Total faculty 147
Total faculty (men) 61.9%
Total faculty (women) 38.1%
Total faculty (minorities) 15.6%

Class Size

Law School Ranking

#7 Best Law Schools

(5) Ranking by Specialties

#23 in Clinical Training
#4 in Environmental Law
#1 in Intellectual Property Law
#8 in International Law
#8 in Law Firms Rank Schools

Law Ranking Scores

Score 87
Peer assessment score (out of 5) 4.5
Assessment score by lawyers/judges (out of 5) 4.4
GPA (25th-75th percentile) 3.62-3.88
Median undergraduate GPA for all program entrants 3.79
LSAT scores (25th-75th percentile) 164-169
Median LSAT score for all program entrants 167
Acceptance rate 12.7% – Low
Student-faculty ratio 10.9:1 – Low
Graduates known to be employed at graduation 92.6% – High
Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation 93.6% – High
Bar passage rate (first-time test takers) 92.0% – High
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 869

Student Body (Full-time)

Enrollment (full-time) 869

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 0.7%
Second-year students discontinuing law school 2.5%
Third-year students discontinuing law school 0.6%
Fourth-year students discontinuing law school N/A
Male students discontinuing law school 1.4%
Female students discontinuing law school 1.2%

Law School Cost

Financial Aid Contact Information

Financial aid director Dennis Tominaga
Financial aid phone (510) 642-1563
Financial aid application deadline March 2

Expenses

Tuition and fees
Full-time: $50,163 per year (in-state)
Full-time: $54,370 per year (out-of-state)
Room and board $17,524
Books $1,496
Miscellaneous expenses $4,536
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 54.8%
Students receiving grants of one-half tuition or more but less than full 10.6%
Students receiving grants of full tuition 0.7%
Students receiving grants of more than full tuition 2.4%
Median grant amount $14,259
Grant range (25th–75th percentile) $4,094–$20,978
Full-time students receiving grants 68.5%

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 $104,198
Proportion who borrowed 87.4%
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) 309,853
Microform titles 4,692
Electronic titles 118,338
Other non-book titles 1,305
Total titles 434,188
Volumes (excluding microforms) 726,779
Volume equivalent microforms 205,255
Total volumes and volume equivalents 932,034
Number of volumes in the collection that are stored off site and are systematically retrievable 84,849
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 100
Number of hours per week professional staff are on duty on a regular schedule 65
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 30
Number of hours of reference service provided per week on a regular schedule 65
Number of weeks per year library operates on an abbreviated schedule 11
Number of hours per week library is open on an abbreviated schedule 50
Number of hours per week professional staff are on duty are on an abbreviated schedule 45
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 45
Number of weeks per year library operates on expanded schedule 4

Information Technology

Department(s) responsible for the law school information technology operations law school information technology department, law school library, university information technology department, other
Approximate number of full-time-equivalent information technology staff (excluding hourly students and other temporary staff) 24
Number of open, wired network connections available to students in the law library (excluding computer labs) 0
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 175
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 54,935
Total seats available for library users 338
Details about the library and other facilities (as provided by the school) The law library houses one of the finest collections of foreign, comparative, international and human rights law in the world and is a center for legal research and scholarship. The facility includes a spacious reading room and state of the art computer lab. The law school, which is located on the UC Berkeley campus, has newly renovated classrooms and journal offices and wireless access.

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) 92.0% – High
Statewide bar passage rate (first-time test takers) 64.8%

Class of 2010 Graduates

Total graduates 296
Graduates known to be employed at graduation 92.6%
Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation 93.6%

Class of 2010 Graduates-Class Breakdown at Graduation

Graduates whose employment status is unknown 0.0%
Graduates whose employment status is known 100.0%
Graduates known to be employed at graduation 92.6%
Graduates known to be enrolled in a full-time degree program 0.7%
Graduates known to be unemployed and seeking work 5.1%
Graduates known to be unemployed and not seeking work 1.7%

Class of 2010 Graduates-Class Breakdown at Nine Months

Graduates whose employment status is unknown 0.0%
Graduates whose employment status is known 100.0%
Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation 93.6%
Graduates known to be enrolled in a full-time degree program 0.7%
Graduates known to be unemployed and seeking work 3.7%
Graduates known to be unemployed and not seeking work 2.0%

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

25th percentile private sector starting salary $160,000
Median private sector starting salary $160,000
75th percentile private sector starting salary $160,000
Percent in the private sector who reported salary information 92%
Median public service starting salary $59,000

Areas of Legal Practice (Class of 2010)

Percent employed in academia 2.2%
Percent employed in business and industry 1.8%
Percent employed in government 8.7%
Percent employed in all judicial clerkships 9.4%
Percent employed in law firms 65.7%
Percent employed in public interest 12.3%
Percent employed in an unknown field 0.0%

Employment Location (Class of 2010)

Graduates employed in-state 61%
Graduates employed out-of-state 37.5%
Graduates employed in foreign countries 2%
Number of states where graduates are employed 24
New England (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT) 1.4%
Middle Atlantic (NY, NJ, PA) 13.4%
East North Central (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI) 3.3%
West North Central (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD) 0.7%
South Atlantic (DE, DC, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV) 13.0%
East South Central (AL, KY, MS, TN) 0.4%
West South Central (AR, LA, OK, TX) 1.8%
Pacific (AK, CA, HI, OR, WA) 61.7%
Mountain (AZ, CO, ID, MT, NV, NM, UT, WY) 2.5%
Employment location unknown 0.0%

Career Services

(Data appear as originally submitted by this school)

Career services operations Our 9 career counselors have practiced law and offer real world insights in individual sessions. We help develop/expand students’ networking contacts and help define their career goals. We maintain online job listings, guides and webcasts on a range of career exploration & job search subjects. We sponsor on campus and mock interview programs, and provide resume, cover-letter & interview advice.

Job Type

Bar admission required/anticipated (e.g., attorney and corporate counsel positions, law clerks, judicial clerks) 95.7%
Bar admission required/anticipated – percent employed in full-time positions 97.4%
J.D. preferred, law degree enhances position (e.g., corporate contracts administrator, alternative dispute resolution specialist, government regulatory analyst, FBI special agent) 3.6%
J.D. preferred – percent employed in full-time positions 70.0%
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) 0.7%
Professional other – percent employed in full-time positions 50.0%
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) 0.0%
Non-professional other – percent employed in full-time positions N/A