School of Law

Academics

In addition to the J.D., the law school offers the LL.M. and S.J.D. Students may take relevant courses in other programs and apply credit toward the J.D.; a maximum of 12 credits may be applied. The following joint degrees may be earned: J.D./M.A. (Juris Doctor/Master of Arts in 9 areas), J.D./M.B.A. (Juris Doctor/Master of Business Administration), J.D./M.P.A. (Juris Doctor/Master of Public Affairs), J.D./M.P.H. (Juris Doctor/Master of Public Health), J.D./M.S. (Juris Doctor/Master in Science in accounting), and J.D./M.U.E.P. (Juris Doctor/Master of Urban and Environmental Planning).

The School of Law offers concentrations in corporate law, criminal law, environmental law, family law, intellectual property law, international law, labor law, litigation, media law, securities law, tax law, administrative law and regulations, business organizations and finance, commercial, constitutional, health, human rights and civil liberties, intellectual property, legal history, jurisprudence, and comparative law. In addition, clinical offerings include employment, human rights, patents, criminal practice, housing environment, child advocacy, and others. More than 175 seminar offerings are available each year, two-thirds taught by full-time faculty. A special program of seminars in ethical values is also offered. Students may work with local judges in the surrounding jurisdictions, in commonwealth attorneys’ offices, and with public defenders. Students may also work with individual faculty on independent research projects and may also assist faculty in research and publication projects. There are numerous special lecture series held throughout the year, including the Contemporary Legal Thought series. Study abroad programs are available at University of Auckland, New Zealand; Tel Aviv University, Israel; Bucerius Law School, Hamburg, Germany; University of Nottingham, England; and Melbourne Law School, Australia. Students may also gain experience through the University of Virginia’s Legal Assistance Society; the Post-Conviction Assistance Project; the John M. Olin Program in Law and Economics; the Center for Oceans Law and Policy; the Institute of Law Psychiatry, and Public Policy; the Center for Environmental Studies; the Center for National Security Law; and the Human Rights Study Project. The most widely taken electives are Corporations, Evidence, and Federal Income Tax I.

To earn the J.D., candidates must complete 86 total credits, of which 27 are for required courses. They must maintain a minimum GPA of 2.3 in the required courses. The following first-year courses are required of all students: Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law, Contracts, Criminal Law, Legal Research and Writing, Property, and Torts. Required upper-level courses consist of a skills instruction course, a writing requirement, and Professional Responsibility. The required orientation program for first-year students is one day, scheduled the week classes begin.

In order to graduate, candidates must have a GPA of 2.3, have completed the upper-division writing requirement, Professional responsibility, and a skills instruction course.

Admissions

In the fall 2007 first-year class, 5438 applied, 1304 were accepted, and 361 enrolled. Forty-two transfers enrolled. The median LSAT percentile of the most recent first-year class was 98; the median GPA was 3.76 on a scale of 4.0. The lowest LSAT percentile accepted was 49; the highest was 100.

Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree and take the LSAT. The admission process is highly individualized and considers a variety of factors. No specific undergraduate courses are required. Candidates are not interviewed.

The application deadline for fall entry is March 1. Applicants should submit an application form, LSAT results, transcripts, a nonrefundable application fee of $75, 2 letters of recommendation, and a personal statement. Notification of the admissions decision is by April 15. The latest acceptable LSAT test date for fall entry is February. The law school uses the LSDAS.

Financial Aid

About 91% of current law students receive some form of aid. The average annual amount of aid from all sources combined, including scholarships, loans, and work contracts, is $39,938. Awards are based on need and merit. Required financial statements are the FAFSA and institutional forms. The aid application deadline for fall entry is February 15. Special funds for minority or disadvantaged students include need-based scholarships. First-year students are notified about their financial aid application beginning in March.

Students

About 39% of the student body are women; 16%, minorities; 7%, African American; 7%, Asian American; 2%, Hispanic; and 1%, Native American. The majority of students come from Virginia (41%). The average age of entering students is 24; age range is 20 to 57. About 43% of students enter directly from undergraduate school and 10% have a graduate degree.

Students edit the Virginia Law Review; Virginia Tax Review; Virginia Environmental Law Journal; Virginia Journal of International Law, the oldest continuously published student-edited international law review in the country; Journal of Law and Politics; Virginia Journal of Social Policy and the Law; Journal of Law and Technology; Virginia Sports and Entertainment Law Journal; Virginia Law and Business Review ; and the newspaper Virginia Law Weekly. Students participate in in-house, intramural, and national competitions with more than 100 teams entered in the William Minor Lile moot court competition. Law student organizations, local chapters of national associations, and campus organizations include the Federalist Society, National Lawyers Guild, Student Bar Association, Delta Theta Phi, Phi Alpha Delta, Phi Delta Phi, Public Interest Law Association, Environmental Law Forum, and John Basset Moore.

The law school operates on a traditional semester basis. Courses for full-time students are offered days only and must be completed within a time set on a case-by-case basis. There is no part-time program. New students are admitted in the fall. There is no summer session. Transferable summer courses are not offered.

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