What type of institution will you choose to study the law? If it's the
College of Law, you'll find an environment that is both collaborative and
challenging while traditional and progressive. It's a place where you will
meet new intellectual goals and form enduring friendships for life.
You will also find a very accessible and accomplished group of faculty members.
So not only are your professors noted legal experts and authors affecting law around
the globe, but people you will enjoy getting to know-whether you're going over the
day's classroom discussion, talking about sports or movies, or debating the latest
major court case. It's a key difference: well-connected, well-published faculty
members who still care about students and teaching. You'll also discover a
wonderfully supportive administration that works to make your experience
at the College of Law the best it can be.
Your fellow students make this a special place, too. The most diverse student
body in the Midwest, they excelled as undergraduates at some of the nation's
finest colleges and universities. The 2007-2008 entering class boasted a median
grade point average of 3.60 and a median LSAT of 166. But we don't accept
applicants based on scores alone. We read each application carefully, looking
for students who will succeed at the College of Law and enrich the overall
learning environment.
Employers from all over the country come to Champaign-Urbana to interview
College of Law students every year, and there are a multitude of other job sources
available including our resume submission program, career fairs, and our electronic
job bank where thousands of positions are posted yearly. See where some of our
graduates have gone in our National Employment map.
In addition to a full array of courses,
you'll find writing and editing
responsibilities for scholarly journals, participation in
competitions — from
moot courts to trial teams to negotiation — as well as clinical offerings in
four different areas-civil litigation, employee justice, international human
rights, and transactions and community economic development.
Students pursuing the J.D. degree attend classes full time
and usually complete their degree requirements in six full semesters. Part-time students
are not allowed except under extraordinary circumstances, and then only in the second
or third years. Beginning students may enter only in the fall semester. First-year
courses, all required and prerequisite to subsequent advanced courses, are offered
only in the fall-spring sequence.
In evaluating applications, the Admissions Committee places great weight on the
undergraduate grade point average (recent classes had a median of 3.6 on a 4.0 scale)
and the Law School Admission Test score (recent classes had a median LSAT score of 166).
The committee also considers graduate work in other fields, employment experience,
and demonstrated leadership ability. Last year, the College of Law received more than
3,000 applications for approximately 180 positions in the entering class.
A thorough admissions process, including individual review of files by a faculty committee,
attempts to identify students whose grades or scores appear to underpredict their performance
in law school, as well as students whose admission would contribute to diversity at the
College of Law. Applicants are not judged on the basis of in-state residency.
