The School of Law at Washburn University

Law School Admissions

Application

Director of admissions Karla Whitaker
Application deadline April 1
Full-time program application fee $40
Part-time program application fee $0
Besides the fall semester, can enter in winter/spring

The School of Law at Washburn University

Admissions & Enrollment (Overall)

Acceptance rate 39.9% – Medium
Median undergraduate GPA for all program entrants 3.20
Median LSAT score for all program entrants 155

Admissions & Enrollment (Full-time)

Acceptance rate 39.9%
LSAT scores (25th-75th percentile) 152-158
Undergraduate GPA (25th-75th percentile) 2.86-3.61
Median undergraduate GPA for full-time program entrants 3.20
Median LSAT score for full-time program entrants 155

Admissions & Enrollment (Part-time)

Acceptance rate N/A
LSAT scores (25th-75th percentile) N/A
Undergraduate GPA (25th-75th percentile) 0-0
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.S.W.
J.D./M.B.A.
Special programs offered to J.D. students (as provided by the school)
Clinic (criminal defense, children & family, civil litigation, tribal & state, criminal appellate, transactional); Centers (advocacy, business & transactional, children & family, law & gov’t); Certificates (advocacy, business & transactional, estate planning, family law, law & gov’t, natural resources, tax, int’l & comparative); Study Abroad (Barbados & Netherlands); Externships (various areas)
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 98
Seminars 31
Positions available in seminars 501
Positions available in simulation courses 602
Positions available in faculty-supervised clinical courses 80
Student activities (as provided by the school)
Write for & edit the Washburn Law Journal, edit the Family Law Quarterly, a publication of the ABA Family Law Section; participate in Moot Court, ADR & Trial Advocacy competitions on a regional & national level; participate in 30 active student organizations, including Phi Alpha Delta, Washburn Student Bar Association, BLSA, HALSA, AALSA, NALSA & specialized law organizations.

Curricular Offerings (Full-time)

Typical first-year full-time section size taught by full-time faculty (excludes small sections) 80
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” 32
Positions filled in full-time program seminars 389
Positions filled in full-time program simulation courses 428
Positions filled in faculty-supervised full-time program clinical courses 73
Full-time students involved in field placements 113
Full-time students involved in law journals 61
Full-time students involved in advanced moot court or trial competitions 49
Full-time students enrolled in independent study 21

Curricular Offerings (Part-time)

Typical first-year part-time section size taught by full-time faculty (excludes small sections) 0
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 0
Positions filled in part-time program simulation courses 0
Positions filled in faculty-supervised part-time program clinical courses 0
Part-time students involved in field placements 0
Part-time students involved in law journals 0
Part-time students involved in advanced moot court or trial competitions 0
Part-time students enrolled in independent study 0

Faculty Profile (Fall 2011)

Student-faculty ratio 11.9:1 – Low
Full- and part-time faculty 59
Full-time minority faculty 20.0%
Part-time minority faculty 0.0%
Total faculty 68
Total faculty (men) 61.8%
Total faculty (women) 38.2%
Total faculty (minorities) 10.3%

Class Size

Law School Ranking

#129 Best Law Schools

(1) Ranking by Specialties

#116 in Law Firms Rank Schools

Law Ranking Scores

Score 34
Peer assessment score (out of 5) 2.0
Assessment score by lawyers/judges (out of 5) 2.5
GPA (25th-75th percentile) 2.86-3.61
Median undergraduate GPA for all program entrants 3.20
LSAT scores (25th-75th percentile) 152-158
Median LSAT score for all program entrants 155
Acceptance rate 39.9% – Medium
Student-faculty ratio 11.9:1 – Low
Graduates known to be employed at graduation N/A
Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation 83.5% – Medium
Bar passage rate (first-time test takers) 88.9% – Medium
State where the greatest number of first-time test takers took the bar KS
Statewide bar passage rate (first-time test takers) 90.0%

Law School Student Body

Student Body (Overall)

Total Enrolled 413

Student Body (Full-time)

Enrollment (full-time) 413

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 15.2%
Second-year students discontinuing law school 1.4%
Third-year students discontinuing law school N/A
Fourth-year students discontinuing law school N/A
Male students discontinuing law school 5.9%
Female students discontinuing law school 6.0%

Law School Cost

Financial Aid Contact Information

Financial aid director Gail Palmer
Financial aid phone (785) 670-1151
Financial aid application deadline July 1

Expenses

Tuition and fees
Full-time: $574 per credit (in-state)
Full-time: $896 per credit (out-of-state)
Room and board $9,261
Books $2,500
Miscellaneous expenses $5,191
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? No

Grants (Full-time students)

Students receiving grants of less than one-half tuition 18.2%
Students receiving grants of one-half tuition or more but less than full 18.4%
Students receiving grants of full tuition 0.0%
Students receiving grants of more than full tuition 14.0%
Median grant amount $14,000
Grant range (25th–75th percentile) $5,000–$18,000
Full-time students receiving grants 50.6%

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 $0
Grant range (25th–75th percentile) $0–$0
Part-time students receiving grants N/A

Indebtedness

Average indebtedness of 2011 graduates who incurred law school debt $79,665
Proportion who borrowed 90.8%
Does the school offer a loan repayment assistance program for 2011 J.D. graduates? No

Law School Library

Library Information Resources

Print titles (excluding nonbook titles) 99,143
Microform titles 183,232
Electronic titles 22,791
Other non-book titles 1,639
Total titles 306,805
Volumes (excluding microforms) 189,451
Volume equivalent microforms 216,947
Total volumes and volume equivalents 406,398
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 101
Number of hours per week professional staff are on duty on a regular schedule 78
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 18
Number of hours of reference service provided per week on a regular schedule 81
Number of weeks per year library operates on an abbreviated schedule 3
Number of hours per week library is open on an abbreviated schedule 45
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 5
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 8

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) 5
Number of open, wired network connections available to students in the law library (excluding computer labs) 16
Number of open, wired network connections available to students in classrooms 6
Number of open, wired network connections available to students in computer labs 6
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 37,451
Total seats available for library users 397
Details about the library and other facilities (as provided by the school) The law library is a leader in the use of information technology. The library houses WashLaw Web, acclaimed as a comprehensive source for legal information on the Internet. Students have wireless access throughout the building and ready access to power at all desks. Classrooms are also equipped with audio, video, and computer technology. The renovated courtroom uses state-of-the-art technology.

Law School Careers

Bar Statistics (Winter and Summer 2010 administrations)

State where the greatest number of first-time test takers took the bar KS
Bar passage rate (first-time test takers) 88.9% – Medium
Statewide bar passage rate (first-time test takers) 90.0%

Class of 2010 Graduates

Total graduates 139
Graduates known to be employed at graduation N/A
Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation 83.5%

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 5.0%
Graduates whose employment status is known 95.0%
Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation 83.5%
Graduates known to be enrolled in a full-time degree program 3.6%
Graduates known to be unemployed and seeking work 7.9%
Graduates known to be unemployed and not seeking work 0.0%

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

25th percentile private sector starting salary $45,000
Median private sector starting salary $55,000
75th percentile private sector starting salary $80,000
Percent in the private sector who reported salary information 33%
Median public service starting salary $46,051

Areas of Legal Practice (Class of 2010)

Percent employed in academia 1.7%
Percent employed in business and industry 10.3%
Percent employed in government 22.4%
Percent employed in all judicial clerkships 6.0%
Percent employed in law firms 47.4%
Percent employed in public interest 11.2%
Percent employed in an unknown field 0.9%

Employment Location (Class of 2010)

Graduates employed in-state 65%
Graduates employed out-of-state 35.3%
Graduates employed in foreign countries 0%
Number of states where graduates are employed 19
New England (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT) 0.0%
Middle Atlantic (NY, NJ, PA) 0.0%
East North Central (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI) 1.7%
West North Central (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD) 78.4%
South Atlantic (DE, DC, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV) 5.2%
East South Central (AL, KY, MS, TN) 0.9%
West South Central (AR, LA, OK, TX) 5.2%
Pacific (AK, CA, HI, OR, WA) 1.7%
Mountain (AZ, CO, ID, MT, NV, NM, UT, WY) 6.9%
Employment location unknown 0.0%

Career Services

(Data appear as originally submitted by this school)

Career services operations The Professional Development Office makes available extensive resources regarding local, regional, national, and international employment in the public and private sectors, graduate and foreign study, and judicial clerkships. A Student Resource Center is available for students. Washburn Law alumni reside in every state in the nation, in the District of Columbia, and in several foreign countries.

Job Type

Bar admission required/anticipated (e.g., attorney and corporate counsel positions, law clerks, judicial clerks) 77.3%
Bar admission required/anticipated – percent employed in full-time positions 96.1%
J.D. preferred, law degree enhances position (e.g., corporate contracts administrator, alternative dispute resolution specialist, government regulatory analyst, FBI special agent) 6.1%
J.D. preferred – percent employed in full-time positions 75.0%
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) 0.8%
Professional other – percent employed in full-time positions 0.0%
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) 1.5%
Non-professional other – percent employed in full-time positions 0.0%