Law School Admissions
Application
| Director of admissions | Gail N. Ellis |
| Application deadline | March 1 |
| Full-time program application fee | $60 |
| Part-time program application fee | $60 |
| Besides the fall semester, can enter in | N/A |
Admissions & Enrollment (Overall)
| Acceptance rate | 69.5% – High |
| Median undergraduate GPA for all program entrants | 3.26 |
| Median LSAT score for all program entrants | 154 |
Admissions & Enrollment (Full-time)
| Acceptance rate | 70.0% |
| LSAT scores (25th-75th percentile) | 152-157 |
| Undergraduate GPA (25th-75th percentile) | 2.92-3.47 |
| Median undergraduate GPA for full-time program entrants | 3.26 |
| Median LSAT score for full-time program entrants | 155 |
Admissions & Enrollment (Part-time)
| Acceptance rate | 67.2% |
| LSAT scores (25th-75th percentile) | 150-155 |
| Undergraduate GPA (25th-75th percentile) | 2.97-3.55 |
| Median undergraduate GPA for part-time program entrants | 3.26 |
| Median LSAT score for part-time program entrants | 152 |
Law School Academics
Academic Program Details
| Academic calendar | Semester | |||||||||
| Joint degrees offered | ||||||||||
|
||||||||||
| Special programs offered to J.D. students (as provided by the school) | ||||||||||
| Law students may concentrate in Intellectual Property, Civil Litigation, Health and Biomedical Law, International Law, and Business and Financial Services. They may enroll in a broad array of clinical and internship programs, including public and private international internships . The Rappaport Center for Law and Public Service offers opportunities in public policy and public service work. | ||||||||||
| Programs/courses offered in | ||||||||||
|
||||||||||
Curricular Offerings (Overall)
| Classroom course titles, beyond the first-year curriculum, offered last year | 329 |
| Seminars | 58 |
| Positions available in seminars | 1,027 |
| Positions available in simulation courses | 1,135 |
| Positions available in faculty-supervised clinical courses | 109 |
| Student activities (as provided by the school) | |
| Five Honor Boards (Law Review, Transnational Law Review, Moot Court Board, Journal of High Technology Law, and Journal of Health and Biomedical Law). Over 30 cultural and practice-area focused student organizations operate under the Student Bar Association. Students also have the opportunity to participate in many national, interscholastic, and intrascholastic moot court competitions. | |
Curricular Offerings (Full-time)
| Typical first-year full-time section size taught by full-time faculty (excludes small sections) | 90 |
| Is there typically a full-time “small section” of the first-year class taught by full-time faculty (excluding Legal Writing)? | Yes |
| Typical size of first-year “small section” | 45 |
| Positions filled in full-time program seminars | 649 |
| Positions filled in full-time program simulation courses | 725 |
| Positions filled in faculty-supervised full-time program clinical courses | 90 |
| Full-time students involved in field placements | 113 |
| Full-time students involved in law journals | 139 |
| Full-time students involved in advanced moot court or trial competitions | 135 |
| Full-time students enrolled in independent study | 19 |
Curricular Offerings (Part-time)
| Typical first-year part-time section size taught by full-time faculty (excludes small sections) | 90 |
| Is there typically a part-time “small section” of the first-year class taught by full-time faculty (excluding Legal Writing)? | No |
| Positions filled in part-time program seminars | 273 |
| Positions filled in part-time program simulation courses | 246 |
| Positions filled in faculty-supervised part-time program clinical courses | 19 |
| Part-time students involved in field placements | 18 |
| Part-time students involved in law journals | 23 |
| Part-time students involved in advanced moot court or trial competitions | 22 |
| Part-time students enrolled in independent study | 28 |
Faculty Profile (Fall 2011)
| Student-faculty ratio | 16.9:1 – High |
| Full- and part-time faculty | 129 |
| Full-time minority faculty | 15.7% |
| Part-time minority faculty | 3.4% |
| Total faculty | 151 |
| Total faculty (men) | 62.9% |
| Total faculty (women) | 37.1% |
| Total faculty (minorities) | 9.3% |
Class Size
Law School Ranking
|
|||
|
(5) Ranking by Specialties #20 in Clinical Training
#18 in Dispute Resolution
#113 in Law Firms Rank Schools
#9 in Legal Writing
#50 in Part-time Law
|
|||
Law Ranking Scores
| Score | 33 |
| Peer assessment score (out of 5) | 2.1 |
| Assessment score by lawyers/judges (out of 5) | 2.8 |
| GPA (25th-75th percentile) | 2.94-3.49 |
| Median undergraduate GPA for all program entrants | 3.26 |
| LSAT scores (25th-75th percentile) | 151-157 |
| Median LSAT score for all program entrants | 154 |
| Acceptance rate | 69.5% – High |
| Student-faculty ratio | 16.9:1 – High |
| Graduates known to be employed at graduation | 40.9% – Low |
| Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation | 80.5% – Medium |
| Bar passage rate (first-time test takers) | 92.7% – High |
| State where the greatest number of first-time test takers took the bar | MA |
| Statewide bar passage rate (first-time test takers) | 88.2% |
Law School Student Body
Student Body (Overall)
| Total Enrolled | 1681 |
Student Body (Full-time)
| Enrollment (full-time) | 1,101 |
Student Body (Part-time)
| Enrollment (part-time) | 580 |
Attrition Rates for Full- and Part-time Students (2010-2011)
| First-year students discontinuing law school | 1.5% |
| Second-year students discontinuing law school | N/A |
| Third-year students discontinuing law school | N/A |
| Fourth-year students discontinuing law school | 0.8% |
| Male students discontinuing law school | 0.4% |
| Female students discontinuing law school | 0.6% |
Law School Cost
Financial Aid Contact Information
| Financial aid director | Jana Cox |
| Financial aid phone | (617) 573-8147 |
| Financial aid application deadline | March 1 |
Expenses
| Tuition and fees | |
| Full-time: $42,660 per year Part-time: $31,994 per year |
|
| Room and board | $9,066 |
| Books | $1,000 |
| Miscellaneous expenses | $6,424 |
| Is the tuition the same for first-, second-, and third-year students? | Yes |
| Does the university offer housing restricted to law students? | No |
| Does the university offer graduate student housing for which law students are eligible? | No |
| 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 | 37.1% |
| Students receiving grants of one-half tuition or more but less than full | 11.1% |
| Students receiving grants of full tuition | 3.0% |
| Students receiving grants of more than full tuition | 0.5% |
| Median grant amount | $15,000 |
| Grant range (25th–75th percentile) | $7,500–$25,000 |
| Full-time students receiving grants | 51.7% |
Grants (Part-time students)
| Students receiving grants of less than one-half tuition | 24.1% |
| Students receiving grants of one-half tuition or more but less than full | 2.6% |
| Students receiving grants of full tuition | 0.3% |
| Students receiving grants of more than full tuition | 0.2% |
| Median grant amount | $6,500 |
| Grant range (25th–75th percentile) | $4,000–$8,500 |
| Part-time students receiving grants | 27.2% |
Indebtedness
| Average indebtedness of 2011 graduates who incurred law school debt | $119,096 |
| Proportion who borrowed | 84.4% |
| Does the school offer a loan repayment assistance program for 2011 J.D. graduates? | Yes |
Law School Library
Library Information Resources
| Print titles (excluding nonbook titles) | 59,695 |
| Microform titles | 107,698 |
| Electronic titles | 9,791 |
| Other non-book titles | 621 |
| Total titles | 177,805 |
| Volumes (excluding microforms) | 150,312 |
| Volume equivalent microforms | 205,385 |
| Total volumes and volume equivalents | 355,697 |
| Number of volumes in the collection that are stored off site and are systematically retrievable | 0 |
| 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 | 74 |
| Number of hours per week only full-time support staff are on duty on a regular schedule | 22 |
| Number of hours per week only students or other part-time staff are on duty on a regular schedule | 3 |
| Number of hours of reference service provided per week on a regular schedule | 61 |
| Number of weeks per year library operates on an abbreviated schedule | 4 |
| Number of hours per week library is open on an abbreviated schedule | 76 |
| Number of hours per week professional staff are on duty are on an abbreviated schedule | 53 |
| Number of hours per week only full-time support staff are on duty on an abbreviated schedule | 23 |
| 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 | 53 |
| Number of weeks per year library operates on expanded schedule | 8 |
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) | 10 |
| Number of open, wired network connections available to students in the law library (excluding computer labs) | 2,000 |
| Number of open, wired network connections available to students in classrooms | 1,400 |
| Number of open, wired network connections available to students in computer labs | 100 |
| Number of open, wired network connections available to students elsewhere in the law school | 250 |
| 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 | 85,811 |
| Total seats available for library users | 880 |
| Details about the library and other facilities (as provided by the school) | Sargent Hall, built in 1999, is widely recognized as one of the best law school facilities in the U.S. and as an urban gem with state-of-the-art I.T. infrastructure throughout. The 880-seat Moakley Law Library is 85,811 sq. ft over 3 floors within Sargent Hall, and is 100% wired and wireless. It contains 355,000 volumes, 22 group study rooms, a mediation/negotiation suite, and multiple labs. |
Law School Careers
Bar Statistics (Winter and Summer 2010 administrations)
| State where the greatest number of first-time test takers took the bar | MA |
| Bar passage rate (first-time test takers) | 92.7% – High |
| Statewide bar passage rate (first-time test takers) | 88.2% |
Class of 2010 Graduates
| Total graduates | 487 |
| Graduates known to be employed at graduation | 40.9% |
| Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation | 80.5% |
Class of 2010 Graduates-Class Breakdown at Graduation
| Graduates whose employment status is unknown | 7.2% |
| Graduates whose employment status is known | 92.8% |
| Graduates known to be employed at graduation | 40.9% |
| Graduates known to be enrolled in a full-time degree program | 0.4% |
| Graduates known to be unemployed and seeking work | 48.5% |
| Graduates known to be unemployed and not seeking work | 3.1% |
Class of 2010 Graduates-Class Breakdown at Nine Months
| Graduates whose employment status is unknown | 4.3% |
| Graduates whose employment status is known | 95.7% |
| Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation | 80.5% |
| Graduates known to be enrolled in a full-time degree program | 1.6% |
| Graduates known to be unemployed and seeking work | 13.1% |
| Graduates known to be unemployed and not seeking work | 0.4% |
Starting Salaries of Graduates Employed Full-time (Class of 2010)
| 25th percentile private sector starting salary | $50,000 |
| Median private sector starting salary | $72,000 |
| 75th percentile private sector starting salary | $120,000 |
| Percent in the private sector who reported salary information | 36% |
| Median public service starting salary | $48,405 |
Areas of Legal Practice (Class of 2010)
| Percent employed in academia | 5.9% |
| Percent employed in business and industry | 24.7% |
| Percent employed in government | 14.3% |
| Percent employed in all judicial clerkships | 2.6% |
| Percent employed in law firms | 48.5% |
| Percent employed in public interest | 2.8% |
| Percent employed in an unknown field | 1.3% |
Employment Location (Class of 2010)
| Graduates employed in-state | 79% |
| Graduates employed out-of-state | 15.8% |
| Graduates employed in foreign countries | 1% |
| Number of states where graduates are employed | 19 |
| New England (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT) | 83.7% |
| Middle Atlantic (NY, NJ, PA) | 4.6% |
| East North Central (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI) | 0.8% |
| West North Central (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD) | 0.8% |
| South Atlantic (DE, DC, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV) | 3.3% |
| East South Central (AL, KY, MS, TN) | 0.2% |
| West South Central (AR, LA, OK, TX) | 0.0% |
| Pacific (AK, CA, HI, OR, WA) | 1.3% |
| Mountain (AZ, CO, ID, MT, NV, NM, UT, WY) | 0.2% |
| Employment location unknown | 4.6% |
Career Services
(Data appear as originally submitted by this school)
| Career services operations | The Career Development Office is dedicated to students and alumni in their search for satisfying legal employment. The office provides self-assessment, resume and cover letter review workshops to sharpen interviewing and negotiating skills and methods to explore job opportunities. We accomplish these shared goals through information sessions and individual attention. |
Job Type
| Bar admission required/anticipated (e.g., attorney and corporate counsel positions, law clerks, judicial clerks) | 57.7% |
| Bar admission required/anticipated – percent employed in full-time positions | 92.0% |
| J.D. preferred, law degree enhances position (e.g., corporate contracts administrator, alternative dispute resolution specialist, government regulatory analyst, FBI special agent) | 21.7% |
| J.D. preferred – percent employed in full-time positions | 76.5% |
| 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) | 16.3% |
| Professional other – percent employed in full-time positions | 92.2% |
| 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) | 4.3% |
| Non-professional other – percent employed in full-time positions | 47.1% |