The School of Law at University of South Dakota

By | March 2, 2019

Law School Admissions

Application

Director of admissions Jean Henriques
Application deadline March 1
Full-time program application fee $35
Part-time program application fee $35
Besides the fall semester, can enter in N/A

The School of Law at University of South Dakota

Admissions & Enrollment (Overall)

Acceptance rate 59.0% – High
Median undergraduate GPA for all program entrants 3.27
Median LSAT score for all program entrants 150

Admissions & Enrollment (Full-time)

Acceptance rate 59.0%
LSAT scores (25th-75th percentile) 148-152
Undergraduate GPA (25th-75th percentile) 3.05-3.53
Median undergraduate GPA for full-time program entrants 3.27
Median LSAT score for full-time program entrants 150

Admissions & Enrollment (Part-time)

Applicants N/A
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
J.D./M.B.A.
J.D./MPA
J.D./MA History
Special programs offered to J.D. students (as provided by the school)
Joint-degree programs allow students to earn both JD and masters degree in one of nine disciplines in three years. Students may also broaden their education and earn up to six credit hours toward the JD through interdisciplinary study. The Extern Education Program offers students direct, personal experience working in a public or private law office while earning six credit hours in the summer.
Programs/courses offered in
appellate advocacy intellectual property law
dispute resolution international law
environmental law tax law
health care law trial advocacy

Curricular Offerings (Overall)

Classroom course titles, beyond the first-year curriculum, offered last year 47
Seminars N/A
Positions available in seminars 0
Positions available in simulation courses 146
Positions available in faculty-supervised clinical courses N/A
Student activities (as provided by the school)
SD Law Review; Moot Court; Alternative Dispute Resolution; SBA/ABA; RD Hurd Pro Bono; Innocence Project of SD; Domestic Violence; Trial Comp. Team; Society of Christian Legal Students; VITA; Women In Law; NALSA; BLSA; Am Constitution Society; Delta Theta Phi; Law School Democrats; Federalist Society.

Curricular Offerings (Full-time)

Typical first-year full-time section size taught by full-time faculty (excludes small sections) 74
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” 37
Positions filled in full-time program seminars 0
Positions filled in full-time program simulation courses 139
Positions filled in faculty-supervised full-time program clinical courses N/A
Full-time students involved in field placements 10
Full-time students involved in law journals 28
Full-time students involved in advanced moot court or trial competitions 30
Full-time students enrolled in independent study 21

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 0
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 13.6:1 – Medium
Full- and part-time faculty 17
Full-time minority faculty 0.0%
Part-time minority faculty 0.0%
Total faculty 20
Total faculty (men) 65.0%
Total faculty (women) 35.0%
Total faculty (minorities) 0.0%

Class Size

Law School Ranking

Rank Not Published Best Law Schools

Law Ranking Scores

Score N/A
Peer assessment score (out of 5) 1.9
Assessment score by lawyers/judges (out of 5) 2.7
GPA (25th-75th percentile) 3.05-3.53
Median undergraduate GPA for all program entrants 3.27
LSAT scores (25th-75th percentile) 148-152
Median LSAT score for all program entrants 150
Acceptance rate 59.0% – High
Student-faculty ratio 13.6:1 – Medium
Graduates known to be employed at graduation 41.5% – Low
Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation 78.5% – Low
Bar passage rate (first-time test takers) 91.4% – Medium
State where the greatest number of first-time test takers took the bar SD
Statewide bar passage rate (first-time test takers) 98.8%

Law School Student Body

Student Body (Overall)

Total Enrolled 237

Student Body (Full-time)

Enrollment (full-time) 236

Student Body (Part-time)

Enrollment (part-time) 1

Attrition Rates for Full- and Part-time Students (2010-2011)

First-year students discontinuing law school N/A
Second-year students discontinuing law school N/A
Third-year students discontinuing law school N/A
Fourth-year students discontinuing law school N/A
Male students discontinuing law school N/A
Female students discontinuing law school N/A

Law School Cost

Financial Aid Contact Information

Financial aid director Julie Pier
Financial aid phone (605) 677-5446
Financial aid application deadline N/A

Expenses

Tuition and fees
Full-time: $12,340 per year (in-state)
Full-time: $24,306 per year (out-of-state)
Part-time: $6,107 per year (in-state)
Part-time: $12,090 per year (out-of-state)
Room and board $7,262
Books $1,400
Miscellaneous expenses $4,974
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? 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 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
Full-time students receiving grants 0.0%

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 $58,427
Proportion who borrowed 92.7%
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) 30,197
Microform titles 12,054
Electronic titles 4
Other non-book titles 0
Total titles 42,255
Volumes (excluding microforms) 164,187
Volume equivalent microforms 47,151
Total volumes and volume equivalents 211,338
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 168
Number of hours per week professional staff are on duty on a regular schedule 40
Number of hours per week only full-time support staff are on duty on a regular schedule 0
Number of hours per week only students or other part-time staff are on duty on a regular schedule 0
Number of hours of reference service provided per week on a regular schedule 40
Number of weeks per year library operates on an abbreviated schedule 0
Number of hours per week library is open on an abbreviated schedule 168
Number of hours per week professional staff are on duty are on an abbreviated schedule 40
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 0

Information Technology

Department(s) responsible for the law school information technology operations university information technology department
Approximate number of full-time-equivalent information technology staff (excluding hourly students and other temporary staff) 1
Number of open, wired network connections available to students in the law library (excluding computer labs) 6
Number of open, wired network connections available to students in classrooms 250
Number of open, wired network connections available to students in computer labs 2
Number of open, wired network connections available to students elsewhere in the law school 10
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 23,862
Total seats available for library users 248
Details about the library and other facilities (as provided by the school) The law library is open to students 24/7 through a secure swipe-card system. It occupies almost 23,000 square feet and accommodates 236 users in 224 carrels and 12 non-carrel seats. Patrons have both wired and wireless access to the Internet.

Law School Careers

Bar Statistics (Winter and Summer 2010 administrations)

State where the greatest number of first-time test takers took the bar SD
Bar passage rate (first-time test takers) 91.4% – Medium
Statewide bar passage rate (first-time test takers) 98.8%

Class of 2010 Graduates

Total graduates 65
Graduates known to be employed at graduation 41.5%
Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation 78.5%

Class of 2010 Graduates-Class Breakdown at Graduation

Graduates whose employment status is unknown 0.0%
Graduates whose employment status is known 100.0%
Graduates known to be employed at graduation 41.5%
Graduates known to be enrolled in a full-time degree program 4.6%
Graduates known to be unemployed and seeking work 50.8%
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 0.0%
Graduates whose employment status is known 100.0%
Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation 78.5%
Graduates known to be enrolled in a full-time degree program 7.7%
Graduates known to be unemployed and seeking work 13.8%
Graduates known to be unemployed and not seeking work 0.0%

Starting Salaries of Graduates Employed Full-time (Class of 2010)

25th percentile private sector starting salary $42,500
Median private sector starting salary $42,500
75th percentile private sector starting salary $42,500
Percent in the private sector who reported salary information 8%
Median public service starting salary $42,500

Areas of Legal Practice (Class of 2010)

Percent employed in academia 5.9%
Percent employed in business and industry 7.8%
Percent employed in government 7.8%
Percent employed in all judicial clerkships 29.4%
Percent employed in law firms 41.2%
Percent employed in public interest 7.8%
Percent employed in an unknown field 0.0%

Employment Location (Class of 2010)

Graduates employed in-state 62%
Graduates employed out-of-state 7.0%
Graduates employed in foreign countries 0%
Number of states where graduates are employed 7
New England (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT) 0.0%
Middle Atlantic (NY, NJ, PA) 2.0%
East North Central (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI) 0.0%
West North Central (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD) 63.0%
South Atlantic (DE, DC, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV) 0.0%
East South Central (AL, KY, MS, TN) 0.0%
West South Central (AR, LA, OK, TX) 2.0%
Pacific (AK, CA, HI, OR, WA) 0.0%
Mountain (AZ, CO, ID, MT, NV, NM, UT, WY) 2.0%
Employment location unknown 31.0%

Career Services

(Data appear as originally submitted by this school)

Career services operations The Professional & Career Development Program provides judicial clerkship and employer OCI; career seminars, meet-the-employer event & resume review; employer & public interest panels; alumni contacts; job posting reciprocity with other schools; online and print resources; online Senior Spotlight with graduates’ pictures and resumes; Univ. career services for non-legal positions.

Job Type

Bar admission required/anticipated (e.g., attorney and corporate counsel positions, law clerks, judicial clerks) 67.0%
Bar admission required/anticipated – percent employed in full-time positions N/A
J.D. preferred, law degree enhances position (e.g., corporate contracts administrator, alternative dispute resolution specialist, government regulatory analyst, FBI special agent) 3.0%
J.D. preferred – percent employed in full-time positions N/A
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) 7.0%
Professional other – percent employed in full-time positions N/A
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) 0.0%
Non-professional other – percent employed in full-time positions N/A