Colorado Law

Colorado School of Law

Located at the base of the Rocky Mountains in beautiful Boulder, the University of Colorado School of Law is considered by many to be the best law school in the Mountain West region, and offers a nationally ranked environmental law program. Especially for applicants who hope to land employment in Colorado and its neighboring states, the University of Colorado Law School is a promising option. Residents of the state of Colorado should also consider the school seriously, as its public standing allows the school to offer residents a lower tuition rate.

History

Colorado School of Law

The University of Colorado Law School has a long and rich history, dating back to 1892. The first woman graduated from law school in 1894, and the first students of color entered in 1897. In 1901, the school became a charter member of the Association of American Law Schools. The law school has been on the American Bar Association's list of approved law schools since 1923. The school has seen 16 deans and has educated thousands of students who have gone on to successful legal careers. Today, Colorado Law is known as a national leader in legal education and continues to be a vibrant community of learners and scholars.

Admissions

Colorado Law is an excellent law school for students seeking a challenging and supportive academic experience. The school is professionally engaging and will provide students with everything they need to be successful in their legal careers.

Statistics

Admissions Stats
Class of:	2020-2021	2021-2022
25th - 50th - 75th percentile LSAT	158 - 163 - 164	160 - 164 - 166
25th - 50th - 75th percentile GPA	33.39 3.65 3.77	3.38 3.61 3.77
Acceptance rate	36.5%	27.7%
Applications received	2792	3748
Acceptances	1019	1038
Matriculants	2035	534

The University of Colorado—Boulder had 3,748 people apply to their law school during the 2022 application cycle. Of those, 1,038 were offered admission, and 157 ended up accepting, making the yield 15.13%. The LSAT median for the incoming class was 164, with the 25th percentile at 160 and the 75th percentile at 166. The GPA median was 3.61, with the 25th percentile at 3.38 and the 75th percentile at 3.77.

To apply to law school in Colorado, you must register for the LSAC Credential Assembly Service (CAS) and pay all appropriate fees. You will also need to take the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) and submit all official undergraduate and graduate transcripts to LSAC. In addition, you will need to submit two letters of recommendation and your application, personal statement, and resume electronically through LSAC. Finally, you must submit the In-State Tuition Classification Application to apply for in-state tuition if you qualify. Even if you are already a Colorado resident, you must submit this form to show documentation of your Colorado residency. The application fee is $65. You can check the status of your application online.

They accept applications from early October to April 1st of the following year. All applicants must apply through the Law School Admission Council. They admit students on a rolling basis, so they suggest applying as early as possible. JD Application Components:

Résumé

They recommend submitting a well-organized, easy-to-read resume as part of your electronic application. They do not require any specific formatting, but you should spend some time preparing a good resume. For advice about creating a professional law school resume, click here.

Personal Statement

The personal statement requirement allows you to present yourself to the Admissions Committee. It is to be submitted with your electronic LSAC application. The personal statement prompt is below. Your essay must be in your own words, double-spaced, and should not exceed 1,000 words. Supported file formats include doc, htm, html, txt, PDF, wp, wpd, rtf, wps, wpt and docx. For advice about creating a professional law school resume, click here.

Addenda

Attach electronically any addenda following the personal statement. Clearly label the top of the document as "Additional Information." For more information about writing addenda, click here.

LSAT

All applicants must take the Law School Admission Test. Please see LSAT FAQs for additional information.

Credential Assembly Service (CAS)

You must register for the Credential Assembly Service (CAS) as part of your LSAC application. This will allow LSAC to collect your post-high-school transcripts and send them to the law schools to which you apply. This means you won't have to submit transcripts to each school separately. The CAS will also provide us with your Law School Report, which includes your LSAT scores, letters of recommendation, a summary of your undergraduate grades by year, your cumulative GPA, and copies of all your transcripts.

Recommendation Letters

They require two letters of recommendation and will not accept more than four. They strongly recommend that one letter of recommendation come from an academic source. For additional advice on obtaining letters of recommendation, click here.

Residency

If you want to be able to pay in-state tuition prices instead of the higher out-of-state tuition prices, you need to fill out the In-State Tuition Classification Application. Even if you are already a resident of Colorado, you still need to fill out this form and provide residency documentation. For more information, check out the Residency website.

Tuition and Expenses

The cost of quality legal education is a significant investment. Still, the Office of Admissions and Financial Aid at Colorado Law is committed to helping you find resources to make it affordable. This includes scholarships, fellowships, and federal and private student loans. Colorado residents pay less than students attending the region's public or private schools. Non-residents can become residents after one year.

Cost of Attendance

The following budget examples include tuition rates for new law students beginning in the 2022-23 academic year. The Cost of Attendance (COA) estimates how much it will cost a student to live and attend school for an academic year.

Cost of Attendance 2022-2023
	Resident	Non-Resident
Rent, Utilities, and Food	$15,830	$15,830
Books and Supplies	$1,460	$1,460
Medical Insurance	$3,150	$3,150
Personal Expenses	$1,520	$1,520
Transportation	$1,494	$2,090
Loan Origination Fees	$1,060	$1,140
Tuition and Fees	$33,426 Base Tuition = $31,518 Fees = $1,908	$40,608 Base Tuition = $38,700 Fees = $1,908
Total	$57,940	$$65,798

Tuition and fees outlined above are a close estimate and are the figures used by the Office of Financial Aid in the Cost of Attendance calculation. They may differ slightly from your actual tuition and fees.

Financial Aid Basics

To get financial aid, you must fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) every year. This application becomes available each year on October 1. Their Title IV school code is (001370). The FAFSA determines your eligibility for grants, loans, work-study, and need-based scholarships. You must apply early and correctly to avoid delays in receiving your aid. In most instances, a law student will be eligible for student aid funds to cover the total cost of attendance.

Loans

The University of Colorado participates in the William D. Ford Direct Loan program, a government-funded student loan program. You are automatically considered for a Direct Loan after submitting your FAFSA. Most students will be eligible for the full Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan amount of $20,500 per academic year. You may also apply for a Direct Graduate PLUS loan, which is a loan for graduate students that covers the remaining cost of attendance each school year.

Grants and Scholarships

The Law School Admissions Office awards scholarships to both new and continuing students. New students are automatically considered for scholarships when they apply for admission, and no separate application is necessary. If you are awarded a grant or scholarship, the money will be credited to your student account at the time of billing.

Continuing students can apply for scholarships in the spring semester by viewing a list on the law school website. Scholarship awards are based on various qualifications, including merit and need. The Admissions Office sends out an email notification in late winter to all students about the scholarship awarding timeline and process.

This information is subject to change without notice. It is intended as a general overview of financial aid options and should not be construed as stating contractual terms.

Academics & Curriculum

Alongside its highly regarded environmental law program, which was recently ranked among the top 5 in the nation, the University of Colorado Law School offers students programs in various areas of the law, including tax law, intellectual property law, and international law.  For students interested in gaining hands-on legal experience and training, the school also offers ten clinics on such topics as Wrongful Convictions and American Indian Law. Study abroad programs are also available to the University of Colorado Law School students. The school offers summer programs in several of the most metropolitan European cities, including London, Paris, Barcelona, and Florence.  The program in each city tends to have a special focus, such as the focus on Art Law in Florence and International Business in London.

International Law

Colorado Law is committed to providing students with the best international legal education possible. This includes moot court competitions, student groups, and partnerships with organizations like the American Society of International Law and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. Additionally, Colorado Law hosts events and speakers open to the law school community and the public.

Technology and Intellectual Property Law

The intellectual property, technology, and telecommunication curriculum at Colorado Law prepare graduates for careers in law firms, corporations, nonprofit organizations, and government agencies. In addition to a broad-based legal education, students receive specialized training in environmental and natural resources law. This gives them the skills and knowledge necessary to work in various legal settings.

Regarding curriculum, the U. of Colorado Law School is similar to most law schools in requiring students to enroll in standard 1L courses such as Contracts, Torts, and Legal Writing. After passing these requirements, Colorado Law students are mostly free to choose from nearly 100 elective titles in rounding out their 89-credit legal educations.  Most of these upper-level courses are capped at 25 seats, ensuring that students have the opportunity to establish relatively close contact with the professors and classmates in their areas of interest.  Also, it bears mention that, according to recent graduates and current students of Colorado Law School, students are generally able to secure a seat in any particular elective at some point before graduation, thanks in part to the relatively small size of the Colorado Law student body.

Legal Writing

Colorado Law strives for excellence in legal communication. This means that effective writing is essential for lawyers to be successful. Legal writing is not an isolated skill but an integrated part of learning to think like a lawyer. The goal at Colorado Law is to not only give students essential solid writing skills but also the ability to adapt and improve these skills as they enter the legal profession.

Externships

Fall 2022 externship students are required to attend externship classes that will be scheduled over the semester. The classes will cover topics related to the area of law where the student will be placed during the semester. Students DO NOT have to register for the externship classroom component through the Law Registrar's Office. The Program Director will send all students enrolled in additional externship information about the externship class during the first week of classes each semester.

While the General Topics class is suitable for students completing an externship focusing on any area of the law, they highly recommend that students enroll in the subject-specific class for the practice area of their externship.

Legal Clinics

The Colorado Law Clinics provide free legal services to members of the community who may not be able to afford an attorney. The Clinics offer various services, such as family, criminal, and landlord-tenant law. This allows students to transition from legal theory to practical application and helps them develop the skills they need to become successful attorneys. The Clinics also promote civic engagement and social responsibility, which are essential values of Colorado Law.

Quality of Life

Given the school's spectacular location at the foot of the Rocky Mountains, and the active lifestyle generally promoted by Boulder, the quality of life at the University of Colorado Law School promises to be great.  Enthusiasts of the great outdoors would likely find Boulder, which is a prototypical college town to truly be an ideal city, as it offers countless opportunities for various mountain-related activities, including mountain biking, mountain climbing, hiking, and skiing while being situated in close proximity to the famed Rocky Mountain National Park.  Also, Colorado Law students are likely to enjoy their law school's newly completed and positively gorgeous Wolf Law Building, as well as the rest of the university's green and spacious campus. Students interested in nightlife won't be disappointed either, as Boulder offers plenty of bars and a great variety of excellent eateries, while the school hosts various social functions throughout the academic year to keep students entertained during their scarce free time. 

Employment Prospects & Bar Passage

Colorado School of Law

Throughout Colorado and the greater Rocky Mountains region, job prospects for graduates of the University of Colorado Law School are excellent.  The school is counted by many as the finest law school in the region, and many top law firms from the area annually visit Boulder to interview Colorado Law students.  Of course, students ranked near the top of their class will have greater success in these on-campus interviews, and other students will likely have to take more initiative in their job search.  Students hoping to land jobs outside of the Mountain West region will also have to put in extra legwork, as job prospects diminish outside this area, and are relatively poor on the East Coast. Of course, the school's alumni network and career offices will help students regardless of where they wish to land employment, and no area of the country is out of reach for Colorado Law graduates. That said, up to 85% of Colorado Law graduating classes typically begin their careers in the Mountain West region.

In terms of bar passage, Colorado Law graduates generally excel, Colorado law graduates make a median of $80,000 per year if they work in the private sector. If they go into the private sector, a grad can expect an average of $59,208. 38.6% of law graduates from the University of Colorado—Boulder go directly to work for law firms, while 19.0% clerk for a judge. 12.0% of graduates go into public interest. 91.4% of the University of Colorado—Boulder graduates pass the bar on their first try.

Synopsis

With its stunning location, new facilities and solid reputation in the legal field, the University of Colorado School of Law is a great place to pursue a legal education.  The school should receive special consideration from Colorado residents, who can attend at a lower rate of tuition, as well as residents of the Mountain West area in general, who can take advantage of the school's promising job prospects within the region.

Contact Information

University of Colorado Law School
Admissions Office Wolf Law Building | 401 UCB
2450 Kittredge Loop Road
Boulder, Colorado 80309
Phone: 303.492.7203
Email: law.admissions@colorado.edu
https://www.colorado.edu/law/admissions

Summary

Established	1892
Location	Boulder, Colorado
Dean	Lolita Buckner Inniss
2022 US News Ranking	49th
LSAT Median Score	164
GPA Median Score	3.61
Bar Passage Rate	91% (2022)
Employment Rate	46% (2022)
Cost	$33,426 Resident $40,608 Non-Resident
Average Debt	$104,159
Application Deadline	April 1, 2023

Forum and Discussion

Colorado Law Discussions
Law School Admissions Forums
Law Student Forums
Law School Class Forums

Reference

https://www.colorado.edu/law/
Rank #49
LSD Law
LSAC Guide
How to Learn to Do Well on a Law School Exam
Success in Law School - A Unique Perspective
The Guide to Law School Loans
Guide to Fee Waivers

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