Overview

Applicants
2,655
Acceptance Rate
28%
Median Undergrad GPA
3.80
Accepted Applicants Who Attend
231

Test Scores

LSAT
25th-75th percentile
(enrolled students)
161 - 167

Deadlines

Application Deadlines
June 1

Application Process

Rolling Admissions
Yes

Application Fee
$60

CAS Service Used
Yes

Applicants accepted in terms other than fall
No

Transfer Applicants Accepted
Yes

Deferred Admission
Yes

Other Admission Factors

Academic

LSAT Score
Undergraduate GPA

Selectivity Rating

Faculty Information

Student/Faculty
8:1
Total Faculty
67

38
Female
9
Underrepresented Minorities


Students Say

The “world class” faculty of the University of Minnesota Law School are “dedicated to the students” and tend to be “very helpful, especially the professors' assistants.” Styles vary. “Some professors prefer a more Socratic style, some a more discussion based approach,” but regardless of whether they prefer lectures, discussion, or a mixture of both, “all are available to talk to students whenever.” One 1L noted that they have “always felt completely welcome to talk to all my professors, and that has continued on as a 2L.”
In part because “the professors are experts and heavily published in their fields,” the program here is “very research driven.” However, the professors having successful outside-of-school pursuits causes some students to complain that “professors care more about their research than their teaching.” By and large, however, they are “well-respected in their fields and usually great teachers to boot.” Their real-world experience means for many, “they've been very helpful in learning the nuts and bolts of the profession.” Regardless of what other distractions they have, professors are “universally welcoming and eager to work with students.”
That said, the “dated” facilities can be “gloomy and depressing.” Being educated in the basement “feels oppressive in the dead of winter,” but it’s not all bad when it comes to the facilities. “U of M takes pride in the size of the law library,” one student notes, “and I think that pride is well-earned.” The school also makes it a point to give students a sense for how their studies will apply to the real world. A mock trial competition team, for example, “is an example of how the school makes sure to promote the practical aspects of the law and integrate the scholastic elements of the education.”
Opportunities in the Twin Cities abound. From a wide range of classes to the “large number of journals” to mock courts, an “active student organization community,” and a legal community that embraces those in the U of M program, “there are more opportunities than I have time in which to partake.” Because this is a top twenty school, “there is a strong drive among students for big firm jobs.” At one time that was reflected in the curriculum, too, but these days the school “has made significant progress in recognizing and meeting the needs of students interested in public interest, government, and policy or research oriented positions.”

Career overview

Pass Rate for First-Time Bar Exam
96%
Median Starting Salary
$70,000
% of graduates who are employed within ten months of graduation
97%
% of job accepting graduates providing useable salary information
78%

Career Services

On campus summer employment recruitment for first year JD students
Yes

On campus summer employment recruitment for second year JD students
Yes

# of Employers that Recruit on Campus Each Year
130

Employers who most frequently hire graduates
Taft Stettinius & Hollister, Dorsey & Whitney, Faegre Baker Daniels, Stinson, Lathrop GPM, Winthrop and Weinstine, Hogan Lovells, Kirkland & Ellis, Husch Blackwell, Fish & Richardson, Mid Minnesota Legal Aid, Fredrikson & Byron, Jones Day, Paul Hastings, Sidley Austin, Minnesota Supreme Court, Minnesota Court of Appeals, U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. District Courts, Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota, Earthjustice, The Office of the Colorado State Public Defender, U.S Bank, SICK, Inc.

Graduates Employed by Area

45%
Private Practice
25%
Judicial Clerkships
11%
Public Interes
10%
Business/Industry
6%
Government
1%
Academic

Graduates Employed by Region

75%
MidWest
5%
Mid-Atlantic
4%
Mountain
4%
Pacific
3%
South
2%
International
2%
South West
1%
New England

Prominent Alumni

Walter F. Mondale
Former Vice President of The United States; former U.S. Senator

Keith Ellison
Attorney General of Minnesota; former U.S. Representative

Justice Natalie E. Hudson
Associate Justice MN Supreme Court

Troy Bader
President/CEO, Intl Dairy Queen Inc.

Laura Coates
Legal Analyst, CNN

Dates


Financial Aid Statistics

Average Annual Total Aid Package Awarded
$52,974

% Students Receiving Some Aid
93%

Expenses per Academic Year

In-State Tuition
$45,504
Out-Of-State Tuition
$54,696
Estimated On-Campus Room and Board
$16,616
Estimated Off-Campus Room and Board
$16,616
Estimated Cost for Books / Academic Expense
$1,700
Fees
$2,250

Student Body Profile

Total Enrollment
667
Parent Institution Enrollement
47,568

Average Age at Entry
25

% International
8%

Demographics

16.00%
% Under-represented Minorities

100% are full time
0% are part time
53% female
47% male

Campus Life

Students Say

The city of Minneapolis is “amazing,” with a bustling nightlife–the music scene is legendary, arts and culture abound, and it’s a growing Mecca for craft beer–and “many opportunities to get out there” when it comes to networking with those in the profession. “The legal community is very approachable and welcomes 1Ls (and 2L/3Ls) to many of their events,” offering “numerous opportunities to network.” If the people and city win accolades, the facilities, which are “unfortunately located in a basement,” do not. They “are clean and well-kept, but not attractive.” Still, while the “lack of natural light in most classrooms” has resulted in the facilities being nicknamed “the dungeon,” they are still “modern” and “tech-equipped,” with “comfortable seats, and plugs for everybody's laptops.”
But it is the people who win out in the end. “People are happy to be here” for a reason. The faculty and student body alike “works hard to promote an environment of collegiality, where the students work hard with each other as colleagues instead of against each other as competitors.” In fact, “given our career choice … students are not as outwardly assertive as you'd think they'd be.” Even though everyone is working hard to succeed, “nobody will flaunt their grades or job prospects.” In addition, “diversity is truly valued,” especially when it comes to student achievement. Students here “support each other as long as the effort is honest, because it all comes out in finals.”

More Information

% of Classrooms with Internet Access
100%

Admissions Office Contact

Contact
Robin Ingli
Assistant Dean of Admissions

Address
229 19th Avenue South
N130 Mondale Hall
Minneapolis, MN 55455

Phone
612-625-3487

Email
jdadmissions@umn.edu


Articles & Advice