The School of Law at Western New England University

By | March 2, 2019

Law School Admissions

Application

Director of admissions Karen Romano
Application deadline March 15
Full-time program application fee $50
Part-time program application fee $50
Besides the fall semester, can enter in N/A

The School of Law at Western New England University

Admissions & Enrollment (Overall)

Acceptance rate 50.4% – High
Median undergraduate GPA for all program entrants 3.17
Median LSAT score for all program entrants 153

Admissions & Enrollment (Full-time)

Acceptance rate 53.2%
LSAT scores (25th-75th percentile) 151-156
Undergraduate GPA (25th-75th percentile) 2.92-3.48
Median undergraduate GPA for full-time program entrants 3.18
Median LSAT score for full-time program entrants 153

Admissions & Enrollment (Part-time)

Acceptance rate 34.5%
LSAT scores (25th-75th percentile) 150-154
Undergraduate GPA (25th-75th percentile) 2.77-3.37
Median undergraduate GPA for part-time program entrants 3.10
Median LSAT score for part-time program entrants 152

Law School Academics

Academic Program Details

Academic calendar Semester
Joint degrees offered
J.D./M.S.W.
J.D./M.R.P.
J.D./M.B.A.
Special programs offered to J.D. students (as provided by the school)
1L classes: <50 students. Clinics: Crim.; Consumer Prot.; Legal Svcs.; Small Business; Real Estate; Int’l Human Rights. Externships: Judicial & Pub. Int. Centers: Law & Business Advancing Entrepreneurship; Legis. & Gov’t Affairs; Gender & Sexuality Studies. Skills training simulation courses. Concentrations: Criminal; Business; Estate Planning; Int’l & Comparative; Public Interest; Real Estate.
Programs/courses offered in
appellate advocacy intellectual property law
clinical training international law
dispute resolution tax law
environmental law trial advocacy
health care law

Curricular Offerings (Overall)

Classroom course titles, beyond the first-year curriculum, offered last year 137
Seminars 12
Positions available in seminars 216
Positions available in simulation courses 214
Positions available in faculty-supervised clinical courses 88
Student activities (as provided by the school)
Law Review, student newspaper, moot court teams: National, 1st Amendment, Jessup Intn’l, Frederick Douglass, ABA Nat’l Trial, ABA Tax Challenge, ABA Negotiation. Student Bar Ass’n, Multi-Cultural Law Student Ass’n, Women’s Law Ass’n, Equal Justice Works, Federalist Soc., OUTlaw (LGBT), PAD Legal Fraternity, ABA and Ski Club. Law Societies: Criminal, Environmental, International, Family, Sports.

Curricular Offerings (Full-time)

Typical first-year full-time section size taught by full-time faculty (excludes small sections) 47
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 127
Positions filled in full-time program simulation courses 86
Positions filled in faculty-supervised full-time program clinical courses 57
Full-time students involved in field placements 72
Full-time students involved in law journals 39
Full-time students involved in advanced moot court or trial competitions 49
Full-time students enrolled in independent study 35

Curricular Offerings (Part-time)

Typical first-year part-time section size taught by full-time faculty (excludes small sections) 19
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 37
Positions filled in part-time program simulation courses 22
Positions filled in faculty-supervised part-time program clinical courses 7
Part-time students involved in field placements 5
Part-time students involved in law journals 10
Part-time students involved in advanced moot court or trial competitions 9
Part-time students enrolled in independent study 6

Faculty Profile (Fall 2011)

Student-faculty ratio 13.8:1 – Medium
Full- and part-time faculty 70
Full-time minority faculty 14.8%
Part-time minority faculty 2.3%
Total faculty 78
Total faculty (men) 69.2%
Total faculty (women) 30.8%
Total faculty (minorities) 6.4%

Class Size

Law School Ranking

Rank Not Published Best Law Schools

(1) Ranking by Specialties

#64 in Part-time Law

Law Ranking Scores

Score N/A
Peer assessment score (out of 5) 1.6
Assessment score by lawyers/judges (out of 5) 1.8
GPA (25th-75th percentile) 2.85-3.42
Median undergraduate GPA for all program entrants 3.17
LSAT scores (25th-75th percentile) 151-156
Median LSAT score for all program entrants 153
Acceptance rate 50.4% – High
Student-faculty ratio 13.8:1 – Medium
Graduates known to be employed at graduation N/A
Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation 71.7% – Low
Bar passage rate (first-time test takers) 71.6% – Low
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 439

Student Body (Full-time)

Enrollment (full-time) 320

Student Body (Part-time)

Enrollment (part-time) 119

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

First-year students discontinuing law school 24.1%
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 10.0%
Female students discontinuing law school 6.0%

Law School Cost

Financial Aid Contact Information

Financial aid director Sandra A. Belanger
Financial aid phone (413) 796-2080
Financial aid application deadline April 15

Expenses

Tuition and fees
Full-time: $38,240 per year
Part-time: $28,294 per year
Room and board $13,400
Books $1,528
Miscellaneous expenses $6,645
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? Yes

Grants (Full-time students)

Students receiving grants of less than one-half tuition 53.1%
Students receiving grants of one-half tuition or more but less than full 33.4%
Students receiving grants of full tuition 1.9%
Students receiving grants of more than full tuition 0.3%
Median grant amount $15,000
Grant range (25th–75th percentile) $10,000–$21,580
Full-time students receiving grants 88.8%

Grants (Part-time students)

Students receiving grants of less than one-half tuition 37.8%
Students receiving grants of one-half tuition or more but less than full 3.4%
Students receiving grants of full tuition 0.8%
Students receiving grants of more than full tuition 0.0%
Median grant amount $6,000
Grant range (25th–75th percentile) $1,500–$10,000
Part-time students receiving grants 42.0%

Indebtedness

Average indebtedness of 2011 graduates who incurred law school debt $109,778
Proportion who borrowed 92.9%
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) 43,684
Microform titles 102,046
Electronic titles 160
Other non-book titles 837
Total titles 146,127
Volumes (excluding microforms) 138,735
Volume equivalent microforms 234,211
Total volumes and volume equivalents 372,746
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 63
Number of hours per week only full-time support staff are on duty on a regular schedule 15
Number of hours per week only students or other part-time staff are on duty on a regular schedule 22
Number of hours of reference service provided per week on a regular schedule 59
Number of weeks per year library operates on an abbreviated schedule 17
Number of hours per week library is open on an abbreviated schedule 94
Number of hours per week professional staff are on duty are on an abbreviated schedule 42
Number of hours per week only full-time support staff are on duty on an abbreviated schedule 20
Number of hours per week only students or other part-time staff are on duty on an abbreviated schedule 17
Number of hours of reference service provided per week on an abbreviated schedule 24
Number of weeks per year library operates on expanded schedule 5

Information Technology

Department(s) responsible for the law school information technology operations law school information technology department, 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) 12
Number of open, wired network connections available to students in classrooms 8
Number of open, wired network connections available to students in computer labs 33
Number of open, wired network connections available to students elsewhere in the law school 5
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 39,203
Total seats available for library users 468
Details about the library and other facilities (as provided by the school) Most tables, casual seating and carrels have power outlets, with wireless network throughout. Leisure collection of popular legal culture (DVDs and books). Two computer labs with networked printers. Catalog is 100% online. Conference or study rooms for group meetings and for collaborative work. Media viewing rooms for video materials. Excellent staff assists in legal research instruction.

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) 71.6% – Low
Statewide bar passage rate (first-time test takers) 88.2%

Class of 2010 Graduates

Total graduates 173
Graduates known to be employed at graduation N/A
Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation 71.7%

Class of 2010 Graduates-Class Breakdown at Graduation

Graduates whose employment status is unknown N/A
Graduates whose employment status is known N/A
Graduates known to be employed at graduation N/A
Graduates known to be enrolled in a full-time degree program N/A
Graduates known to be unemployed and seeking work N/A
Graduates known to be unemployed and not seeking work N/A

Class of 2010 Graduates-Class Breakdown at Nine Months

Graduates whose employment status is unknown 5.8%
Graduates whose employment status is known 94.2%
Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation 71.7%
Graduates known to be enrolled in a full-time degree program 5.2%
Graduates known to be unemployed and seeking work 16.8%
Graduates known to be unemployed and not seeking work 0.6%

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

25th percentile private sector starting salary $50,000
Median private sector starting salary $55,000
75th percentile private sector starting salary $74,000
Percent in the private sector who reported salary information 18%
Median public service starting salary $40,000

Areas of Legal Practice (Class of 2010)

Percent employed in academia 3.2%
Percent employed in business and industry 25.8%
Percent employed in government 16.1%
Percent employed in all judicial clerkships 7.3%
Percent employed in law firms 41.1%
Percent employed in public interest 6.5%
Percent employed in an unknown field 0.0%

Employment Location (Class of 2010)

Graduates employed in-state 34%
Graduates employed out-of-state 66.1%
Graduates employed in foreign countries 0%
Number of states where graduates are employed 16
New England (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT) 68.5%
Middle Atlantic (NY, NJ, PA) 21.0%
East North Central (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI) 1.6%
West North Central (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD) 0.8%
South Atlantic (DE, DC, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV) 4.8%
East South Central (AL, KY, MS, TN) 0.0%
West South Central (AR, LA, OK, TX) 0.0%
Pacific (AK, CA, HI, OR, WA) 1.6%
Mountain (AZ, CO, ID, MT, NV, NM, UT, WY) 1.6%
Employment location unknown N/A

Career Services

(Data appear as originally submitted by this school)

Career services operations Advising, workshops, resume/cover letter/statement critiques, mock interviews, career resource room, handouts, online postings (Symplicity), employer and legal information sessions, recruitment programs with regional law school consortiums, newsletter, electronic alumni job bulletin, summer off campus work study program, and public interest programming (alternative spring break, programming).

Job Type

Bar admission required/anticipated (e.g., attorney and corporate counsel positions, law clerks, judicial clerks) 40.5%
Bar admission required/anticipated – percent employed in full-time positions 78.8%
J.D. preferred, law degree enhances position (e.g., corporate contracts administrator, alternative dispute resolution specialist, government regulatory analyst, FBI special agent) 14.1%
J.D. preferred – percent employed in full-time positions 69.6%
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) 14.7%
Professional other – percent employed in full-time positions 62.5%
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) 6.7%
Non-professional other – percent employed in full-time positions 9.1%