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Home » Law Schools » Rankings and Profiles » University of North Carolina School of Law (Chapel Hill)Introduction The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (or UNC for short) is the premiere public university in the state of North Carolina. Founded in 1795, the school holds the distinction of being the nation’s first state university. The school has been consistently been rated as one of the top public schools in the country, with fantastic programs in medicine, business, English, and, of course, law. The school’s public nature is demonstrated through its commitment to public service; for instance, the school offers students the chance to work with its Center for Civil Rights, as well as its Center for Poverty, Work, and Opportunity. With nearby Wake Forest and Duke being the only real competition for jobs in the immediate area, graduates enjoy stellar employment prospects throughout North Carolina and surrounding states. Combine all of these factors with wonderful weather and an absolutely gorgeous campus, and you have a remarkable school that should appeal to many applicants – especially those interested in practicing law in North Carolina. Admissions Tuition and Fees For in-state students, tuition is quite cheap at $16,014. Out-of-state students have to pay slightly nearly doubt the in-state rate ($29,332), but this figure is still much more manageable than most private law schools. Because each entering class at UNC Law is “usually comprised of 70-75 percent in-state students and 25-30 percent out-of-state students,” it is in your best interest to obtain residency if at all possible. That being said, getting accepted for residency is not terribly easy in North Carolina. If you have lived for longer than three years in the state of North Carolina, you can fill out the two-page “short form” and send it to UNC to be considered for residency. If you do not meet these qualifications, you need to send in the four-page “long form.” The requirements for residency are quite steep; for instance, one must “intend to make North Carolina a permanent home indefinitely, rather than being in North Carolina solely to attend college.” To find out more about obtaining residency, click here. When taking into account living expenses, books, travel, and other miscellaneous fees, UNC estimates that in-state students will spend $34,946, and out-of-state students will spend $48,264. However, there is merit and need-based aid available. In the last data reported to the ABA, a whopping 78.4% of students received financial aid grants. The majority of these students (approximately 66%) received less than half tuition, but UNC does give out a number of larger grants, including some that pay for full tuition and provide an additional stipend. According to data collected in the fall of 2008, 89 students (or 12.7% of the student body) were lucky enough to receive this generous package. The median grant amount was $2,700. It is an unfortunate reality that most students will have to borrow money to obtain a legal education. However, UNC’s modest tuition and its job opportunities throughout North Carolina and bordering states make it a great choice for those seeking an affordable law school – especially those who qualify as North Carolina residents. One student writes:
The Numbers As with most other top law schools, the undergraduate GPA and LSAT requirements for admission to UNC continue to climb. The school only accepted 18.9% of applicants for its incoming class in the fall of 2008. The school received 3,063 applications, and made only 579 offers. Of those offers, 255 students decided to matriculate. As stated above, each entering class is comprised roughly of 70-75% in-state students and 25-30% out-of-state students. Thus, getting accepted if you’re out-of-state is considerably harder. For the class of 2011, UNC’s LSAT median was 161, with its 75th percentile and 25th percentile being 163 and 157 respectively. The school’s undergraduate GPA requirements were similarly rigorous, with a median of 3.6, a 75th percentile of 3.77, and a 25th percentile of 3.4. The application fee is $70. Beyond the Numbers Of course, your LSAT and UGPA aren’t the only parts to your application. UNC is quick to emphasize that many other factors are important to students’ admission. Some of these include your undergraduate major, your activities and hobbies, work experience, and any graduate work you have completed, but there are many other components that can make a difference. Thus, make sure that every part of your application shines; a weak personal statement or subpar letters of recommendation could doom your application to the waitlist or rejection pile. For a more thorough listing of what UNC is interested in, click here. Personal Statements UNC has its own set of questions that applicants have to answer for their personal statement(s). In essence, there are four different topics given on the application. Applicants are required to answer both Topic One and Topic Two, and Topics Three and Four are optional. The combined length of Topics One and Two should not exceed three to four pages, and the combined length of Topics Three and Four should not exceed one to two pages. The school also states that applicants should double space their essays and use a font size equal to or greater than 10 point. The questions given on the application are the following:
Although having four separate topics for students to answer is slightly unusual, the questions themselves are often used in law school admissions. For instance, the first question is a basic “Why Law?” personal statement, the second question is a “Why North Carolina?” supplementary essay, and the third topic is a diversity statement. For the first question, it is important to avoid sounding trite. Applicants should be prepared to spend a considerable amount of time brainstorming, writing, and revising their personal statement if they want the full consideration of the admissions committee. Make sure to write your essay in a professional format (no iambic pentameter!). Finally, double check that you don’t include another school’s name in your essay; telling UNC how much you’d love to attend Duke isn’t going to win you any brownie points! For the second topic, make sure that you do a considerable amount of research before you attempt to answer the question. A cursory discussion of a program that you’re interested in at UNC probably won’t convince them that you’re set on attending. This is the part of your application where you can let UNC know why they’re a perfect fit for you, so make it count! Although the third topic is optional, just about anyone can submit a diversity statement. If you truly can’t think of anything interesting in your upbringing or collection of cultural experiences, then don’t force it, but this essay is a great way of showing how you differ from the pack. Finally, the fourth question functions as an addendum – a way for students to explain any marks on their record or academic troubles. As long as you have a legitimate excuse (family illness, for instance) for your academic discrepancy, then an explanation can go a long way in helping your application. As a side note, you don’t need to write an addendum if you took the LSAT multiple times, as the school only takes the applicant’s highest LSAT score into consideration when making its admissions decisions. Last but not least, Ken DeLeon, the creator of Top-Law-Schools.com, wrote a fantastic guide to personal statements which can be found here for free: http://www.top-law-schools.com/guide-to-personal-statements.html. When to Apply Unfortunately, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill doesn’t offer an Early Decision (ED) or Early Action (EA) option. However, applying early is still beneficial! Applications generally open up on October 15th and close on March 1st, but don’t wait until February to start preparing your application! This past year, on the data-collecting site www.lawschoolnumbers.com, UNC Law applicants have received news as early as December. In addition, in order for applicants to be considered for the prestigious Chancellors’ Scholarships, they must apply by December 31st. There are more spots open earlier on in the admissions cycle, so if you want to give yourself the best possible chance, apply early! Letters of Recommendation UNC requires at least two (but no more than three) letters of recommendation with your application. As always, letters from professors that know you well are ideal. You can also always supplement academic recommendations with a recommendation from your employer, especially if you’ve been out of school for a few years. Transfer Students Getting into UNC as a transfer student is very difficult. First, the school will usually not accept “transfer applications from students currently enrolled at law schools in North Carolina -- even from students who are academically qualified -- unless they present a compelling case for enrollment at UNC.” The website goes on to clarify that, “Better job opportunities, better course selection, or lower tuition are not viewed as compelling reasons.” When looking at transfer applicants, the school first considers “academically qualified residents of N.C. attending law schools outside of N.C. who present compelling reason(s) for attending UNC.” For example, a compelling reason might be a “desire to follow a spouse who has been transferred to North Carolina by the military or a business.” After considering this pool of applicants, the school “will offer any remaining opportunities to qualifed [sic] residents and nonresidents attending law schools outside of the state of N.C., who present compelling reasons for wanting to attend the UNC School of Law.” In evaluating each individual application, the school states the following:
To read more about the transfer process at UNC, click here. Final Words about Admissions Getting accepted to UNC is difficult, especially for out-of-state applicants. Students should make sure that their essays are strong and that their letters of recommendation are compelling in order to give themselves the best possible chance of obtaining admission. Make sure that UNC understands how you will contribute to the diversity and academic vitality of the student body, and you might just get accepted into the Tar Heel family! Law School Culture Having attended UNC for my undergraduate studies, I cannot emphasize enough how friendly and inviting the UNC community is. Both students and professors are always eager to help others; one student writes, “My classmates are all friendly. People want to be successful but that doesn't prohibit them from being nice and helpful.” Another student explains at length:
Apart from the collegial student body, the social life at UNC is incredible. There are many different restaurants and bars to visit in Chapel Hill and nearby Carrboro, and different venues in the area put on music of all kinds. Catching a show at the Cat’s Cradle and eating at the Top of the Hill are virtually requisites while attending UNC, and there are plenty of other opportunities to pursue as well. Athletics are another big part of life at Chapel Hill; the UNC-Duke basketball rivalry is one of the most celebrated in American sports, and UNC’s other sports teams are top notch. The law school has a number of intramural teams in sports like basketball, softball, and volleyball, and students can be found playing casually on most nights. One student writes:
Another student raves about the quality of life in Chapel Hill:
The student body tends to be liberal-leaning (one student described the towns of Chapel Hill and Carrboro as “among the most liberal/progressive in the South”), but there are organizations available for students who are more conservative as well. Finally, students who are interested in more outdoors-esque activities can rest assured that they have plenty of options; one student writes:
In terms of housing, law students generally experience few problems, as affordable and suitable apartments are available near the law school campus and throughout Chapel Hill and nearby Durham. One student explains:
Finally, on the subject of safety, the school tries its hardest to make sure that students remain out of harm’s way. There are a number of “campus call boxes” located around campus, where students can lift a telephone receiver to alert the police of an emergency. The school also offers a “P2P service” where students can telephone a bus to come pick them up and transport them to another location near campus at any time of the day. Finally, the UNC Police Department offers a women’s self defense class named RAD. The official website explains:
Diversity and the Student Body As mentioned previously, UNC is dedicated to putting together a diverse student body. According to the last data reported to the ABA, the student body is divided evenly between females and males (50.2% and 49.8%, respectively). Students of color make up 21.1% of the student body, with 6.1% of students being African American, 6.5% of students being Asian American, and 5.4% of students being Hispanic. Facilities The academic facilities at the UNC School of Law could be improved. One student explains at length:
There are several gyms on campus that are quite near the law school, and they provide up-to-date equipment for both cardiovascular work and weightlifting. The facilities tend to get quite busy during peak hours, but you can usually find a free treadmill or bench if you wait around for a few minutes. There are also fields and an outdoor track available for students to exercise on. Finally, if all else fails, you can always go for a run around the gorgeous Carolina campus! Extracurriculars Like other top law schools, there are plenty of different activities and organizations for students to get involved with at UNC. As mentioned previously, students enjoy playing on intramural sports teams. There are also clubs like Parents as Law Students (PALS), the Christian Legal Society, and the UNC Law Music Club. At the beginning of each year, there is an event called “Fall Fest,” where all of the various clubs and organizations set up booths on South Road to look for new members. This is an exciting way to start off the new academic year and to get involved on campus. That being said, make sure that you don’t bite off more than you can chew; the first year of law school is extremely busy, so you won’t have a great deal of time for extracurricular activities. To find out more about student groups at the law school, click here. For a more general search of organizations at UNC, click here. Journals Students at UNC can choose to participate in five different journals. The school’s website explains:
The five journals include the First Amendment Law Review, the North Carolina Banking Journal, the North Carolina Journal of International Law and Commercial Regulation, the North Carolina Journal of Law and Technology, and the North Carolina Law Review. To find out more about journals at Carolina, click here. Academics Your academic life at Carolina will be a rigorous one, but it won’t be unmanageable. One student writes:
First year students take the standard law school fare of Torts, Contracts, Constitutional Law, etc. This schedule tends to be fixed, so first year students don’t get a lot of choice on what classes they get to take. However, in their second and third years, students get to choose from a wide variety of different courses such as Law and Literature and Copyright Law. A schedule of all the 1L classes and their times can be found here, and a thorough listing of all available upper level courses can be found here. The grading curve at Carolina is fair and like most other law schools’ curves. For first year classes, the professor is required to give out 35% A/A-, 55% B+/B/B-, and 10% C+/C, with a deviation of 4% allowed in each grading category. The class grade mean is 3.25 (with an allowable deviation of 0.05). Upper-level courses have more of a “target band” for classes; generally, professors aim to have a mean GPA of 3.2-3.3 for courses and a mean GPA of 3.4-3.6 for WEs (Writing Experiences) and RWEs (Rigorous Writing Experiences). To find out more about the curve at Carolina, click here. The school offers many different joint degree programs. These include degrees like a Master of Business Administration (MBA), Master of Public Administration (MPA), and a Master of Science in Library Science (MSLS) or Master of Science in Information Science (MSIS). In particular, students can capitalize on UNC’s top 20 business program. Students interested in securities and finance law find that the University of North Carolina is an ideal place to study, as nearby Charlotte is the second largest financial and banking center in America after Wall Street. To see a full listing of joint degrees at UNC, click here. Finally, the school has a number of centers and initiatives that promote specific areas of law. For instance, the Center for Banking & Finance aspires “to take a leadership role in the continual evolution of the financial services industry.” It hopes to achieve this through:
Other programs of interest include the Intellectual Property Initiative and the Director Diversity Initiative. To find out more about these programs, click here. Public Interest Perhaps foremost, UNC is known for its commitment to public service and social responsibility. First, the school’s pro bono program is designed to reward students who dedicate their time to the public good. Students who complete 50 hours of pro bono service receive a “Letter of Recognition” from the dean of the law school, as well as a notation on their transcripts. Those who complete 75 hours of pro bono service “receive a certificate from the North Carolina Bar Association and the law school acknowledging their service at the end of their third year.” Finally, those who complete 100 hours of pro bono service receive “a special recognition at graduation.” Many different organizations participate in the pro bono program; for instance, one could partner up with the Center for Death Penalty Litigation, the U.S. Marine Corps, or N. C. Prisoner Legal Services. The school also has a number of clinics that help students get real-world experience in the public interest arena. For instance, the Juvenile Justice clinic allows students to “represent children accused of crimes.” Other clinics include the Civil Legal Assistance Clinic, the Community Development Law Clinic, and the Immigration / Human Rights Policy Clinic, which gives students “an opportunity to represent clients in immigration cases and work on legal projects addressing human rights initiative.” Likewise, some of the externship programs the school offers allow students to work with public interest groups to get hands-on experience with public interest work. Students who want to participate in the clinical and externship programs can usually find a spot; one student remarks:
Finally, as mentioned previously, students can get involved with a number of centers on campus for public interest and environmental work. The Center for Civil Rights allows students to work on issues related to “education, housing and community development, economic justice and voting rights.” Students can obtain fellowships and summer internships in civil rights work, bolstering their resume and learning valuable skills. Other centers based in Chapel Hill include the Center on Poverty, Work & Opportunity and the Center for Law, Environment, Adaptation & Resources. To learn more about the different centers at UNC, click here. Professors Unsurprisingly, most students love their professors at UNC. One student writes, “Most of the professors I've had have been excellent and a few of them have been down right [sic] inspiring.” Another student commented, “I will say that overall I've been very pleased with my professors.” That being said, it is likely that you won’t love all of your professors; everyone has their likes and dislikes, and your first year schedule has little wiggle room to drop classes or avoid professors. One student writes, “You won't have any choice your first year, and in all honesty people tend to be so different about teaching styles that they prefer that it's hard to say who is better.” Another student emphasizes the same point, commenting, “As a first year, you have minimal control over your schedule. So by the time you get a chance to actively avoid professors, you'll have had a chance to talk with second and third year students about which profs they liked and which ones they didn't.” Employment As with most top law schools, when students come to UNC, they tend to stay for the entire three years. In UNC’s last ABA report, it states that the 1L attrition rate was only 3.3%. That number bottoms out quickly for 2Ls (0%) and 3Ls (0%). In addition, more students transfer into UNC than transfer out. Last year, seven students transferred into UNC, while only two transferred out. The majority of UNC law students pass the North Carolinian bar the first time they take it. With most students reporting (71.10%), the average school passing rate was 86.45%, versus the average state passing rate of 75.81%. This is a sizable difference of 10.64%! In these troubled economic times, obtaining a job via OCI (on-campus interviews) is never a sure thing. With 99.2% (or 234/236) of its most recent graduates reporting, UNC reports that 94% (or 220/234) were employed after nine months, with 62.7% (or 138/220) working for law firms. Other areas of employment include academia (7 or 3.2%), clerkships (17 or 7.7%), and public interest (13 or 5.9%). The majority of all of these graduates were employed in-state (134 or 60.9%). Students seem to be generally optimistic about their job opportunities coming out of Carolina. One writes: “I think in general they are decent coming out of UNC. You do very well in state and depending on your grades/pedigree you're competitive in D.C., Atlanta, New York, and most of the rest of the southeast.” Another writes (in April of 2009) about UNC’s portability at length:
However, at the same time, students have to be realistic about their job chances, which have taken a plunge due to the struggling economy. One student comments: “OCI was rough this year. The number of firms that came was much smaller than normal. Things should be better by the time the class of 2013 hits OCI, but there are obviously no guarantees.” This same student explains that, for Raleigh and Charlotte biglaw firms, “you needed to be at a minimum in the top third and probably higher depending on your other credentials. In years past I think it dipped closer to top half, but I’m not sure.” Those who are set on living in North Carolina after graduation should be reassured that UNC’s alumni network is extensive. One student writes: “UNC law -- perhaps obviously -- has the biggest alumni network in the state and the alumni are extremely supportive of fellow Tar Heels. That's a major factor in its favor.” Students are also positive about the school’s Career Services office. One student reports that, “Career services is much improved from a few years ago,” and another student remarks: “I'm a 1L so no job yet but I have… found the people in career services to be very helpful. They have already helped me with my resume and networking. I was even able to get help over the Christmas break.” Public interest students can take advantage of the office’s Peer Mentor Program, which “matches first year students interested in public interest work with like-minded second and third year students.” To find out more about the Career Services office, click here. Conclusion For students interested in working in North Carolina (or even the south in general), UNC just might be the perfect school. It offers opportunities in every major area of law and allows students to give back to the community through several different public interest initiatives. Overall, the school provides its students with one of the best college-town environments in the United States. There are a plethora of restaurants, bars, and music venues to visit in the area, and the Tar Heels have some of the best teams in college sports. As a Carolina undergraduate alumnus, I can’t think of a better place to spend three years. Contact Information for University of North Carolina School of Law: Van Hecke - Wettach Hall Quick Reference: U.S. News Ranking: 30th |
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I was actually surprised that there wasn't more reading, but I had heard horror stories of having to do like 50+ pages per class per night, which is definitely not the case. I would say that you probably have 15-20 pages per class per night, but you can get ahead or focus on one class and it's not too bad. [It’s hard to] estimate on [the] amount of time spent reading because some people are faster than others, but I will say that if you actually bear down during the day rather than goofing off online (like I'm doing now) the majority of the time you'll be able to get your work done, studying and classes, from 8-5. [You] might have to do a little more or a little less depending on the professor's pace, but it's not back breaking. The difficulty comes later on in the semester when you're supposed to keep up in the class and then start preparing for finals. That can get tough.