Overview

Applicants
1,894
Acceptance Rate
44%
Median Undergrad GPA
3.57
Accepted Applicants Who Attend
205

Test Scores

LSAT
25th-75th percentile
(enrolled students)
152 - 157

Deadlines

Application Deadlines
April 1

Application Process

Rolling Admissions
Yes

Application Fee
$0

CAS Service Used
Yes

Applicants accepted in terms other than fall
No

Transfer Applicants Accepted
Yes

Deferred Admission
Yes

Other Admission Factors


Selectivity Rating

Faculty Information

Total Faculty
105

47.83
Female
18
Underrepresented Minorities


Students Say

DePaul University College of Law makes great uses of its bustling urban location, near major courthouses and law offices, and students laud their “access to the Chicago legal community, number of alumni in the judiciary, business, and private practice in the Chicagoland area.” Current students note that there are some changes afoot, reflected both administratively and academically. Faculty-wise there have been “lots of retirements and also new hires” which have “changed up the look of the faculty but the core, which was great, [has] remained.” Also, students say, “The administration, while in a transition period, still runs the school pretty smoothly.” One student sums up: “I feel that the school is still working to keep up with a changing legal atmosphere. Before, students would go through three years of school with very little writing or practical experience under their belts, with the understanding that they would be trained to do the writing and client work at whatever firm they were hired by. Today, however, firms are demanding that students come to them with those skills already in place. That meant that most law schools had to re-tool, revamp, and re-energize their legal writing programs. DePaul is no different, and puts a great deal of emphasis on the importance of legal research and writing.” Still, this student says, the writing classes at DePaul “only meet once per week, instead of twice as doctrinal classes do. Not that it is bad, but that it can be far better than it is.” This sentiment, that the legal writing program could, students admit, be “tweaked,” is echoed throughout the students we surveyed.
Regardless of these criticisms, students have found the professors here to be “generally outstanding”: “Whether they are part of the older faculty who have been specializing in their fields for a long time, part of the younger faculty who know their subjects and are passionate about becoming leaders in the administration, or the adjuncts who are practicing in their fields and can give a new perspective on their subjects, with few exceptions, the faculty have been incredibly good at teaching their subjects, and being available outside of class as well as in to contact, ask questions of, and ask for help with non-academic issues (such as letters of recommendation).” DePaul has “a strong staff, which does a good job of making sure that we are prepared outside the classroom, and tries to guide students in such a way that they are prepared to get jobs during or immediately after school.” Students feel that “the tax program is great,” and that there is a “strong family law center.” “The law school has a very strong alumni network,” with students noting that DePaul graduates “are willing to go above and beyond to help you find a job or practice in an area that they are familiar with.” Overall, “the greatest strength of the law school is the faculty, and both their skill at teaching, and willingness to try new ideas. The fact that the faculty and administration allow themselves to be in a constant state of small improvements is a welcome relief from schools which have found their one way to do things, and stick with it no matter what.”

Career overview

Pass Rate for First-Time Bar Exam
68%
Median Starting Salary
$75,000
% of graduates who are employed within ten months of graduation
86%
% of job accepting graduates providing useable salary information
56%

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
65

Employers who most frequently hire graduates
Ascend Justice Circuit Court of Cook County Cook County State's Attorney's Office Deloitte Gutnicki Law Kirkland & Ellis LLP Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith Malman Law Mayer Brown LLP PWC Sidley Austin LLP Urgo & Nugent Winston & Strawn

Graduates Employed by Area

59%
Private Practice
13%
Business/Industry
6%
Government
3%
Judicial Clerkships
3%
Public Interes
1%
Academic

Graduates Employed by Region

76%
MidWest
3%
Mid-Atlantic
3%
Pacific
2%
South
2%
Mountain
1%
South West

Prominent Alumni

Richard M. Daley
Former Mayor, City of Chicago

Chaz Ebert
President, Ebert Company Ltd.

Robert A. Clifford
Founder & Senior Partner, Clifford Law Offices

Juliana Stratton
Lieutenant Governor of Illinois

William Bauer
Senior Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals, 7th Circuit

Dates

Application Deadlines
Apr 1

Financial Aid Statistics

Average Annual Total Aid Package Awarded
$55,250

% Students Receiving Some Aid
100%

Expenses per Academic Year

Tuition
$50,636
Estimated On-Campus Room and Board
$15,752
Estimated Off-Campus Room and Board
$15,752
Estimated Cost for Books / Academic Expense
$7,766
Fees
$496

Student Body Profile

Total Enrollment
727
Parent Institution Enrollement
23,110

Average Age at Entry
25

Demographics

27.00%
% Under-represented Minorities

83% are full time
17% are part time
57% female
43% male

Campus Life

Students Say

In addition to its wonderful location in downtown Chicago, DePaul boasts a “robust and diverse set of student organizations, covering nearly any topic.” Students feel that the “overall academic experience at DePaul has been fantastic.” The tuition is “very affordable, and I feel like I’m getting a ton for my money.” One students cites access to “opportunities” as an example, “i.e. service immersion trips to two different parts of the country, study abroad programs to nine different countries, covering different fields of study, clinics to learn direct client work, massive volunteer and outreach programs to get students into the community using their legal skills, and the list goes on and on.” Some students note that “elevator service in the building is inadequate, but elevator improvements seem to be on the horizon in the near future.” One student states that “the students, myself included, often complain about the physical condition of the school and the classrooms,” although this sentiment is not necessarily universal.

More Information

% of Classrooms with Internet Access
100%

Admissions Office Contact

Contact
Amanda Noascono
Assistant Dean & Director of Law Admissions

Address
25 East Jackson Boulevard
Suite 100
Chicago, IL 60604

Phone
312-362-6831

Email
lawinfo@depaul.edu


Articles & Advice