The Law School at University at Buffalo–SUNY
Law School Admissions
Application
| Director of admissions | Lillie Wiley-Upshaw |
| Application deadline | March 1 |
| Full-time program application fee | $75 |
| Part-time program application fee | N/A |
| Besides the fall semester, can enter in | N/A |
Admissions & Enrollment (Overall)
| Acceptance rate | 38.7% – Medium |
| Median undergraduate GPA for all program entrants | 3.57 |
| Median LSAT score for all program entrants | 157 |
Admissions & Enrollment (Full-time)
| Acceptance rate | 38.7% |
| LSAT scores (25th-75th percentile) | 154-158 |
| Undergraduate GPA (25th-75th percentile) | 3.36-3.7 |
| Median undergraduate GPA for full-time program entrants | 3.57 |
| Median LSAT score for full-time program entrants | 157 |
Admissions & Enrollment (Part-time)
| Acceptance rate | N/A |
| LSAT scores (25th-75th percentile) | N/A |
| Undergraduate GPA (25th-75th percentile) | N/A |
| 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 | N/A | |||||||||
| Special programs offered to J.D. students (as provided by the school) | ||||||||||
| A total of 9 curricular concentrations and curricular programs; 7 nationally renowned clinics (including affordable housing and family violence); numerous joint degrees (JD/MBA, JD/PharmD, JD/MPH,…); a New York City-based semester studying finance (includes projects with international banking, investment and law firms); and international bridge (winter-break) courses. | ||||||||||
| Programs/courses offered in | ||||||||||
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Curricular Offerings (Overall)
| Classroom course titles, beyond the first-year curriculum, offered last year | 195 |
| Seminars | 45 |
| Positions available in seminars | 732 |
| Positions available in simulation courses | 1,928 |
| Positions available in faculty-supervised clinical courses | 149 |
| Student activities (as provided by the school) | |
| Many scholarly journals (Buffalo Law Review, ABA Affordable Housing Journal, Environmental Law Journal, Women’s Law Journal, etc.); moot court and mock trial teams win honors throughout the U.S.; over 35 student groups (such as Buffalo Public Interest Law Program, Entertainment and Sports Law Society, Environmental Law Society, and Parent Law Student Association); 1L Mentoring Program | |
Curricular Offerings (Full-time)
| Typical first-year full-time section size taught by full-time faculty (excludes small sections) | 60 |
| Is there typically a full-time “small section” of the first-year class taught by full-time faculty (excluding Legal Writing)? | No |
| Typical size of first-year “small section” | N/A |
| Positions filled in full-time program seminars | 496 |
| Positions filled in full-time program simulation courses | 1,494 |
| Positions filled in faculty-supervised full-time program clinical courses | 114 |
| Full-time students involved in field placements | 166 |
| Full-time students involved in law journals | 323 |
| Full-time students involved in advanced moot court or trial competitions | 86 |
| Full-time students enrolled in independent study | 33 |
Curricular Offerings (Part-time)
| Typical first-year part-time section size taught by full-time faculty (excludes small sections) | N/A |
| Is there typically a part-time “small section” of the first-year class taught by full-time faculty (excluding Legal Writing)? | N/A |
| Positions filled in part-time program seminars | N/A |
| Positions filled in part-time program simulation courses | N/A |
| Positions filled in faculty-supervised part-time program clinical courses | N/A |
| Part-time students involved in field placements | N/A |
| Part-time students involved in law journals | N/A |
| Part-time students involved in advanced moot court or trial competitions | N/A |
| Part-time students enrolled in independent study | N/A |
Faculty Profile (Fall 2011)
| Student-faculty ratio | 12.5:1 – Medium |
| Full- and part-time faculty | 81 |
| Full-time minority faculty | 6.7% |
| Part-time minority faculty | 11.1% |
| Total faculty | 99 |
| Total faculty (men) | 56.6% |
| Total faculty (women) | 43.4% |
| Total faculty (minorities) | 8.1% |
Class Size
Law School Ranking
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Law Ranking Scores
| Score | 45 |
| Peer assessment score (out of 5) | 2.3 |
| Assessment score by lawyers/judges (out of 5) | 2.7 |
| GPA (25th-75th percentile) | 3.36-3.7 |
| Median undergraduate GPA for all program entrants | 3.57 |
| LSAT scores (25th-75th percentile) | 154-158 |
| Median LSAT score for all program entrants | 157 |
| Acceptance rate | 38.7% – Medium |
| Student-faculty ratio | 12.5:1 – Medium |
| Graduates known to be employed at graduation | 47.2% – Medium |
| Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation | 86.8% – Medium |
| Bar passage rate (first-time test takers) | 83.7% – Medium |
| State where the greatest number of first-time test takers took the bar | NY |
| Statewide bar passage rate (first-time test takers) | 76.4% |
Law School Student Body
Student Body (Overall)
| Total Enrolled | 641 |
Student Body (Full-time)
| Enrollment (full-time) | 637 |
Student Body (Part-time)
| Enrollment (part-time) | 4 |
Attrition Rates for Full- and Part-time Students (2010-2011)
| First-year students discontinuing law school | N/A |
| Second-year students discontinuing law school | 5.6% |
| Third-year students discontinuing law school | 0.4% |
| Fourth-year students discontinuing law school | N/A |
| Male students discontinuing law school | 2.2% |
| Female students discontinuing law school | 1.8% |
Law School Cost
Financial Aid Contact Information
| Financial aid director | Brezetta Steverson |
| Financial aid phone | (716) 645-7324 |
| Financial aid application deadline | March 1 |
Expenses
| Tuition and fees | |
| Full-time: $20,718 per year (in-state) Full-time: $33,718 per year (out-of-state) |
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| Room and board | $12,304 |
| Books | $1,161 |
| Miscellaneous expenses | $4,749 |
| Is the tuition the same for first-, second-, and third-year students? | Yes |
| Does the university offer housing restricted to law students? | Yes |
| 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 | 42.5% |
| Students receiving grants of one-half tuition or more but less than full | 0.0% |
| Students receiving grants of full tuition | 3.5% |
| Students receiving grants of more than full tuition | 0.6% |
| Median grant amount | $5,000 |
| Grant range (25th–75th percentile) | $4,000–$5,000 |
| Full-time students receiving grants | 46.6% |
Grants (Part-time students)
| Students receiving grants of less than one-half tuition | 0.0% |
| Students receiving grants of one-half tuition or more but less than full | 0.0% |
| Students receiving grants of full tuition | 0.0% |
| Students receiving grants of more than full tuition | 0.0% |
| Median grant amount | $0 |
| Grant range (25th–75th percentile) | $0–$0 |
| Part-time students receiving grants | 0.0% |
Indebtedness
| Average indebtedness of 2011 graduates who incurred law school debt | $52,447 |
| Proportion who borrowed | 86.9% |
| 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) | 88,940 |
| Microform titles | 17,909 |
| Electronic titles | 21,873 |
| Other non-book titles | 3,127 |
| Total titles | 131,849 |
| Volumes (excluding microforms) | 299,106 |
| Volume equivalent microforms | 295,016 |
| Total volumes and volume equivalents | 594,122 |
| Number of volumes in the collection that are stored off site and are systematically retrievable | 63,810 |
| 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 | 103 |
| Number of hours per week professional staff are on duty on a regular schedule | 76 |
| Number of hours per week only full-time support staff are on duty on a regular schedule | 21 |
| Number of hours per week only students or other part-time staff are on duty on a regular schedule | 21 |
| Number of hours of reference service provided per week on a regular schedule | 69 |
| Number of weeks per year library operates on an abbreviated schedule | 17 |
| Number of hours per week library is open on an abbreviated schedule | 40 |
| Number of hours per week professional staff are on duty are on an abbreviated schedule | 38 |
| Number of hours per week only full-time support staff are on duty on an abbreviated schedule | 0 |
| 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 | 40 |
| Number of weeks per year library operates on expanded schedule | 35 |
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) | 2 |
| Number of open, wired network connections available to students in the law library (excluding computer labs) | 11 |
| Number of open, wired network connections available to students in classrooms | 18 |
| Number of open, wired network connections available to students in computer labs | 19 |
| 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 | 74,014 |
| Total seats available for library users | 590 |
| Details about the library and other facilities (as provided by the school) | A working courtroom located inside the school hosts trials, hearings, and appellate proceedings from numerous federal and state courts; our beautiful library occupies six floors in the center of the School and was recently recognized by the AALS for Best Use of Technology; the entire Law School is wireless; the Law School Village offers spacious apartments within walking distance. |
Law School Careers
Bar Statistics (Winter and Summer 2010 administrations)
| State where the greatest number of first-time test takers took the bar | NY |
| Bar passage rate (first-time test takers) | 83.7% – Medium |
| Statewide bar passage rate (first-time test takers) | 76.4% |
Class of 2010 Graduates
| Total graduates | 265 |
| Graduates known to be employed at graduation | 47.2% |
| Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation | 86.8% |
Class of 2010 Graduates-Class Breakdown at Graduation
| Graduates whose employment status is unknown | 9.8% |
| Graduates whose employment status is known | 90.2% |
| Graduates known to be employed at graduation | 47.2% |
| Graduates known to be enrolled in a full-time degree program | 6.4% |
| Graduates known to be unemployed and seeking work | 19.2% |
| Graduates known to be unemployed and not seeking work | 17.4% |
Class of 2010 Graduates-Class Breakdown at Nine Months
| Graduates whose employment status is unknown | 2.3% |
| Graduates whose employment status is known | 97.7% |
| Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation | 86.8% |
| Graduates known to be enrolled in a full-time degree program | 6.4% |
| Graduates known to be unemployed and seeking work | 3.8% |
| Graduates known to be unemployed and not seeking work | 0.8% |
Starting Salaries of Graduates Employed Full-time (Class of 2010)
| 25th percentile private sector starting salary | $46,000 |
| Median private sector starting salary | $59,000 |
| 75th percentile private sector starting salary | $85,000 |
| Percent in the private sector who reported salary information | 40% |
| Median public service starting salary | $46,000 |
Areas of Legal Practice (Class of 2010)
| Percent employed in academia | 5.2% |
| Percent employed in business and industry | 15.2% |
| Percent employed in government | 15.7% |
| Percent employed in all judicial clerkships | 1.7% |
| Percent employed in law firms | 55.2% |
| Percent employed in public interest | 7.0% |
| Percent employed in an unknown field | 0.0% |
Employment Location (Class of 2010)
| Graduates employed in-state | 79% |
| Graduates employed out-of-state | 18.0% |
| Graduates employed in foreign countries | 1% |
| Number of states where graduates are employed | 19 |
| New England (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT) | 2.0% |
| Middle Atlantic (NY, NJ, PA) | 79.0% |
| East North Central (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI) | 11.0% |
| West North Central (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD) | 0.0% |
| South Atlantic (DE, DC, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV) | 1.0% |
| East South Central (AL, KY, MS, TN) | 1.0% |
| West South Central (AR, LA, OK, TX) | 1.0% |
| Pacific (AK, CA, HI, OR, WA) | 1.0% |
| Mountain (AZ, CO, ID, MT, NV, NM, UT, WY) | 1.0% |
| Employment location unknown | 2.0% |
Career Services
(Data appear as originally submitted by this school)
| Career services operations | Extensive individual counseling; on-campus, NYC and Washington recruiting programs; over 1,200 national and international jobs posted annually; national career network alumni program; summer public interest fellowships; first-rate career panels and training sessions (interviewing, networking, resume, etc.); judicial clerkship program; outstanding career library and on-line resources. |
Job Type
| Bar admission required/anticipated (e.g., attorney and corporate counsel positions, law clerks, judicial clerks) | 74.0% |
| Bar admission required/anticipated – percent employed in full-time positions | 95.2% |
| J.D. preferred, law degree enhances position (e.g., corporate contracts administrator, alternative dispute resolution specialist, government regulatory analyst, FBI special agent) | 17.0% |
| J.D. preferred – percent employed in full-time positions | 82.5% |
| 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) | 8.0% |
| Professional other – percent employed in full-time positions | 94.1% |
| 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) | 1.0% |
| Non-professional other – percent employed in full-time positions | 66.7% |