The School of Law at Villanova University

Law School Admissions

Application

Director of admissions Maureen Carver, Acting Director of Admissions
Application deadline April 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 Villanova University

Admissions & Enrollment (Overall)

Applicants
Acceptance rate 48.8% – High
Median undergraduate GPA for all program entrants 3.57
Median LSAT score for all program entrants 160

Admissions & Enrollment (Full-time)

Acceptance rate 48.8%
LSAT scores (25th-75th percentile) 157-161
Undergraduate GPA (25th-75th percentile) 3.36-3.69
Median undergraduate GPA for full-time program entrants 3.57
Median LSAT score for full-time program entrants 160

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./Ph.D.
J.D./M.B.A.
J.D./LL.M. Taxation
J.D./LL.M International
Special programs offered to J.D. students (as provided by the school)
We offer five clinics supervised by full-time faculty, Capital Defense and Federal Defenders Practicums, and 25 externships overseen by full-time faculty. We host the PA Criminal Sentencing Institute and a Sentencing Workshop involving students, judges, and lawyers. We have joint JD/MBA and JD/LLM degrees and summer study in Rome. Students participate in national moot court and trial competitions.
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 118
Seminars 16
Positions available in seminars 236
Positions available in simulation courses 745
Positions available in faculty-supervised clinical courses 109
Student activities (as provided by the school)
There are three student-run journals and one peer-edited journal. The Moot Court Board administers an internal competition and competes nationally. Trial Team competes nationally. SBA governs the student body; special interest and affinity groups offer a broad range of activities. PIFP provides summer fellowships, sponsors the public interest auction, and oversees Public Interest Fellows grants.

Curricular Offerings (Full-time)

Typical first-year full-time section size taught by full-time faculty (excludes small sections) 79
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” 41
Positions filled in full-time program seminars 219
Positions filled in full-time program simulation courses 679
Positions filled in faculty-supervised full-time program clinical courses 109
Full-time students involved in field placements 212
Full-time students involved in law journals 124
Full-time students involved in advanced moot court or trial competitions 43
Full-time students enrolled in independent study 19

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 19.3:1 – High
Full- and part-time faculty 78
Full-time minority faculty 7.1%
Part-time minority faculty 12.0%
Total faculty 107
Total faculty (men) 61.7%
Total faculty (women) 38.3%
Total faculty (minorities) 11.2%

Class Size

Law School Ranking

#101 Best Law Schools

(2) Ranking by Specialties

#67 in Law Firms Rank Schools
#17 in Tax Law

Law Ranking Scores

Score 41
Peer assessment score (out of 5) 2.2
Assessment score by lawyers/judges (out of 5) 3.2
GPA (25th-75th percentile) 3.36-3.69
Median undergraduate GPA for all program entrants 3.57
LSAT scores (25th-75th percentile) 157-161
Median LSAT score for all program entrants 160
Acceptance rate 48.8% – High
Student-faculty ratio 19.3:1 – High
Graduates known to be employed at graduation 39.5% – Low
Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation 78.5% – Low
Bar passage rate (first-time test takers) 89.9% – 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 725

Student Body (Full-time)

Enrollment (full-time) 725

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 7.9%
Second-year students discontinuing law school 0.4%
Third-year students discontinuing law school N/A
Fourth-year students discontinuing law school N/A
Male students discontinuing law school 2.7%
Female students discontinuing law school 2.8%

Law School Cost

Financial Aid Contact Information

Financial aid director Felicia Hamilton, Acting Director
Financial aid phone (610) 519-7015
Financial aid application deadline N/A

Expenses

Tuition and fees
Full-time: $37,780 per year
Room and board $16,650
Books $1,400
Miscellaneous expenses $4,557
Is the tuition the same for first-, second-, and third-year students? No
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 17.8%
Students receiving grants of one-half tuition or more but less than full 14.2%
Students receiving grants of full tuition 4.6%
Students receiving grants of more than full tuition 0.1%
Median grant amount $20,000
Grant range (25th–75th percentile) $15,000–$25,000
Full-time students receiving grants 36.7%

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 $122,494
Proportion who borrowed 79.1%
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) 157,373
Microform titles 335
Electronic titles 0
Other non-book titles 376
Total titles 158,084
Volumes (excluding microforms) 356,359
Volume equivalent microforms 216,907
Total volumes and volume equivalents 573,266
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 168
Number of hours per week professional staff are on duty on a regular schedule 72
Number of hours per week only full-time support staff are on duty on a regular schedule 5
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 72
Number of weeks per year library operates on an abbreviated schedule 18
Number of hours per week library is open on an abbreviated schedule 110
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 9
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 40
Number of weeks per year library operates on expanded schedule 0

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) 7
Number of open, wired network connections available to students in the law library (excluding computer labs) 342
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 92
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 44,876
Total seats available for library users 453
Details about the library and other facilities (as provided by the school) Villanova opened a state-of-the-art facility in July of 2009 providing a student-centered learning experience. Library reading rooms are comfortably furnished and bathed in natural light; private carrel seating and study rooms are also available. A student lounge, a full-service cafeteria, and a coffee bar offer additional student space. Classrooms provide a high-tech learning environment.

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) 89.9% – Medium
Statewide bar passage rate (first-time test takers) 83.1%

Class of 2010 Graduates

Total graduates 233
Graduates known to be employed at graduation 39.5%
Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation 78.5%

Class of 2010 Graduates-Class Breakdown at Graduation

Graduates whose employment status is unknown 0.4%
Graduates whose employment status is known 99.6%
Graduates known to be employed at graduation 39.5%
Graduates known to be enrolled in a full-time degree program 2.6%
Graduates known to be unemployed and seeking work 57.1%
Graduates known to be unemployed and not seeking work 0.4%

Class of 2010 Graduates-Class Breakdown at Nine Months

Graduates whose employment status is unknown 2.1%
Graduates whose employment status is known 97.9%
Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation 78.5%
Graduates known to be enrolled in a full-time degree program 3.4%
Graduates known to be unemployed and seeking work 12.9%
Graduates known to be unemployed and not seeking work 3.0%

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

25th percentile private sector starting salary $65,000
Median private sector starting salary $100,000
75th percentile private sector starting salary $135,000
Percent in the private sector who reported salary information 37%
Median public service starting salary $45,000

Areas of Legal Practice (Class of 2010)

Percent employed in academia 2.7%
Percent employed in business and industry 15.3%
Percent employed in government 7.7%
Percent employed in all judicial clerkships 14.8%
Percent employed in law firms 55.7%
Percent employed in public interest 3.8%
Percent employed in an unknown field 0.0%

Employment Location (Class of 2010)

Graduates employed in-state 56%
Graduates employed out-of-state 43.7%
Graduates employed in foreign countries 1%
Number of states where graduates are employed 17
New England (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT) 4.0%
Middle Atlantic (NY, NJ, PA) 81.0%
East North Central (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI) 1.0%
West North Central (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD) 0.0%
South Atlantic (DE, DC, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV) 10.0%
East South Central (AL, KY, MS, TN) 0.0%
West South Central (AR, LA, OK, TX) 2.0%
Pacific (AK, CA, HI, OR, WA) 0.5%
Mountain (AZ, CO, ID, MT, NV, NM, UT, WY) 1.0%
Employment location unknown 0.0%

Career Services

(Data appear as originally submitted by this school)

Career services operations The Office of Career Strategy and Advancement is dedicated to coaching students and alumni to legal career success. Three attorneys, a career services professional, and an assistant (including staff members devoted to alumni advising, public service careers, and pro bono) provide counseling, workshops, recruitment programs, and networking opportunities for students and alumni.

Job Type

Bar admission required/anticipated (e.g., attorney and corporate counsel positions, law clerks, judicial clerks) 79.8%
Bar admission required/anticipated – percent employed in full-time positions 89.7%
J.D. preferred, law degree enhances position (e.g., corporate contracts administrator, alternative dispute resolution specialist, government regulatory analyst, FBI special agent) 13.1%
J.D. preferred – percent employed in full-time positions 70.8%
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) 4.4%
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) 2.7%
Non-professional other – percent employed in full-time positions 20.0%