The School of Law at Valparaiso University

Law School Admissions

Application

Director of admissions Diann Lapin
Application deadline June 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 Valparaiso University

Admissions & Enrollment (Overall)

Acceptance rate 71.2% – High
Median undergraduate GPA for all program entrants 3.19
Median LSAT score for all program entrants 149

Admissions & Enrollment (Full-time)

Acceptance rate 72.6%
LSAT scores (25th-75th percentile) 147-152
Undergraduate GPA (25th-75th percentile) 2.96-3.48
Median undergraduate GPA for full-time program entrants 3.19
Median LSAT score for full-time program entrants 149

Admissions & Enrollment (Part-time)

Acceptance rate 47.4%
LSAT scores (25th-75th percentile) 147-148
Undergraduate GPA (25th-75th percentile) 2.59-3.29
Median undergraduate GPA for part-time program entrants 2.96
Median LSAT score for part-time program entrants 148

Law School Academics

Academic Program Details

Academic calendar Semester
Joint degrees offered
J.D./M.A. Psychology J.D./M.S.I.C.P.
J.D./M.A. C.M.H.C. J.D./M.S. Sports Administration
J.D./M.B.A. J.D./M.A. China Studies
J.D./M.A.L.S.
Special programs offered to J.D. students (as provided by the school)
The law school is home to eight clinics (Criminal, Civil, Low Income Taxpayer, Mediation, Juvenile Justice, Domestic Violence, Post Conviction, and the nation’s only Sports Law Clinic), has summer study programs in England and in Chile/Argentina, houses the Tabor Institute on Law and Ethics, and offers a wealth of judicial, governmental, law practice, non-profit, and business-related externships.
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 104
Seminars 13
Positions available in seminars 192
Positions available in simulation courses 761
Positions available in faculty-supervised clinical courses 134
Student activities (as provided by the school)
The law school is home to the Law Review, the Moot Court Society, the Mock Trial Team, and other interschool competitive teams. There is an active Student Bar Association and dozens of student organizations, including BLSA, LLSA, MLSA, affiliates of national, state and local bar associations; legal fraternities; and groups that are political, religious, sexual-orientation, and practice-related.

Curricular Offerings (Full-time)

Typical first-year full-time section size taught by full-time faculty (excludes small sections) 84
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 181
Positions filled in full-time program simulation courses 469
Positions filled in faculty-supervised full-time program clinical courses 128
Full-time students involved in field placements 170
Full-time students involved in law journals 47
Full-time students involved in advanced moot court or trial competitions 170
Full-time students enrolled in independent study 66

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)? No
Positions filled in part-time program seminars 4
Positions filled in part-time program simulation courses 19
Positions filled in faculty-supervised part-time program clinical courses N/A
Part-time students involved in field placements 5
Part-time students involved in law journals 1
Part-time students involved in advanced moot court or trial competitions N/A
Part-time students enrolled in independent study 5

Faculty Profile (Fall 2011)

Student-faculty ratio 15.6:1 – Medium
Full- and part-time faculty 54
Full-time minority faculty 18.5%
Part-time minority faculty 7.4%
Total faculty 65
Total faculty (men) 58.5%
Total faculty (women) 41.5%
Total faculty (minorities) 13.8%

Class Size

Law School Ranking

Rank Not Published Best Law Schools

(2) Ranking by Specialties

#108 in Law Firms Rank Schools
RNP in Part-time Law

Law Ranking Scores

Score N/A
Peer assessment score (out of 5) 1.9
Assessment score by lawyers/judges (out of 5) 2.7
GPA (25th-75th percentile) 2.95-3.46
Median undergraduate GPA for all program entrants 3.19
LSAT scores (25th-75th percentile) 147-151
Median LSAT score for all program entrants 149
Acceptance rate 71.2% – High
Student-faculty ratio 15.6:1 – Medium
Graduates known to be employed at graduation N/A
Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation 70.5% – Low
Bar passage rate (first-time test takers) 78.4% – Medium
State where the greatest number of first-time test takers took the bar IN
Statewide bar passage rate (first-time test takers) 80.9%

Law School Student Body

Student Body (Overall)

Total Enrolled 566

Student Body (Full-time)

Enrollment (full-time) 541

Student Body (Part-time)

Enrollment (part-time) 25

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

First-year students discontinuing law school 18.4%
Second-year students discontinuing law school 1.8%
Third-year students discontinuing law school 1.1%
Fourth-year students discontinuing law school N/A
Male students discontinuing law school 10.0%
Female students discontinuing law school 4.5%

Law School Cost

Financial Aid Contact Information

Financial aid director Ann Weitgenant
Financial aid phone (219) 465-7818
Financial aid application deadline March 1

Expenses

Tuition and fees
Full-time: $38,086 per year
Part-time: $1,460 per credit
Room and board $8,800
Books $1,200
Miscellaneous expenses $2,760
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 4.8%
Students receiving grants of one-half tuition or more but less than full 14.0%
Students receiving grants of full tuition 6.7%
Students receiving grants of more than full tuition 1.7%
Median grant amount $17,990
Grant range (25th–75th percentile) $8,995–$26,985
Full-time students receiving grants 27.2%

Grants (Part-time students)

Students receiving grants of less than one-half tuition 8.0%
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 8.0%

Indebtedness

Average indebtedness of 2011 graduates who incurred law school debt $118,487
Proportion who borrowed 89.4%
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) 78,304
Microform titles 75,331
Electronic titles 26,044
Other non-book titles 2,367
Total titles 182,046
Volumes (excluding microforms) 188,317
Volume equivalent microforms 166,980
Total volumes and volume equivalents 355,297
Number of volumes in the collection that are stored off site and are systematically retrievable 46,544
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 112
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 47
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 14
Number of hours per week library is open on an abbreviated schedule 69
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 0
Number of hours per week only students or other part-time staff are on duty on an abbreviated schedule 29
Number of hours of reference service provided per week on an abbreviated schedule 40
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, 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) 33
Number of open, wired network connections available to students in classrooms 3
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 10
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 22,456
Total seats available for library users 397
Details about the library and other facilities (as provided by the school) Wesemann Hall, the main law building, has three floors of library, classrooms, offices, and student areas. The recently constructed 21,000 square foot building, Heritage Hall, provides a highly functional home for the Lawyering Skills Center. The building also includes a technologically advanced teaching trial courtroom.

Law School Careers

Bar Statistics (Winter and Summer 2010 administrations)

State where the greatest number of first-time test takers took the bar IN
Bar passage rate (first-time test takers) 78.4% – Medium
Statewide bar passage rate (first-time test takers) 80.9%

Class of 2010 Graduates

Total graduates 176
Graduates known to be employed at graduation N/A
Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation 70.5%

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 0.0%
Graduates whose employment status is known 100.0%
Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation 70.5%
Graduates known to be enrolled in a full-time degree program 1.7%
Graduates known to be unemployed and seeking work 24.4%
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 $40,000
Median private sector starting salary $50,000
75th percentile private sector starting salary $67,500
Percent in the private sector who reported salary information 43%
Median public service starting salary $45,000

Areas of Legal Practice (Class of 2010)

Percent employed in academia 1.6%
Percent employed in business and industry 20.2%
Percent employed in government 16.9%
Percent employed in all judicial clerkships 0.0%
Percent employed in law firms 52.4%
Percent employed in public interest 4.0%
Percent employed in an unknown field 4.8%

Employment Location (Class of 2010)

Graduates employed in-state 47%
Graduates employed out-of-state 53.3%
Graduates employed in foreign countries 0%
Number of states where graduates are employed 23
New England (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT) 3.8%
Middle Atlantic (NY, NJ, PA) 3.8%
East North Central (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI) 75.2%
West North Central (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD) 1.0%
South Atlantic (DE, DC, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV) 5.7%
East South Central (AL, KY, MS, TN) 1.9%
West South Central (AR, LA, OK, TX) 1.9%
Pacific (AK, CA, HI, OR, WA) 1.0%
Mountain (AZ, CO, ID, MT, NV, NM, UT, WY) 5.7%
Employment location unknown 0.0%

Career Services

(Data appear as originally submitted by this school)

Career services operations The Career Planning Center, with six professional staff, provides extensive counseling, a wealth of programming, and on-campus interviews and other routes to job opportunities. Alumni and faculty are deeply engaged in assisting students. The Center strives to provide value to students and alumni by providing essential skills and knowledge, and access to employers locally and nationwide.

Job Type

Bar admission required/anticipated (e.g., attorney and corporate counsel positions, law clerks, judicial clerks) 69.9%
Bar admission required/anticipated – percent employed in full-time positions 87.2%
J.D. preferred, law degree enhances position (e.g., corporate contracts administrator, alternative dispute resolution specialist, government regulatory analyst, FBI special agent) 10.5%
J.D. preferred – percent employed in full-time positions 76.9%
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) 9.7%
Professional other – percent employed in full-time positions 75.0%
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) 9.7%
Non-professional other – percent employed in full-time positions 16.7%