Pennsylvania State University - Penn State Law
Penn State Law is located on Penn State's University Park campus. The law school offers all of the resources of a world-class research institution and has a student-centered academic environment. Renowned legal experts teach the curriculum at Penn State Law and offer ample clinical and experiential learning opportunities. The Career Services team at Penn State Law is available to work with students from day one to help them accomplish their professional goals. Penn State Law is one of two law schools operated by Penn State, the other being Dickinson Law in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.
Contents
History
Penn State Law provides students with a legal education that prepares them for success in the legal profession. The school is located in University Park and offers small classes taught by a faculty of prominent legal scholars and leading practitioners. Penn State Law emphasizes innovation and provides individualized mentoring and career support to help students achieve their goals.
Admissions
Statistics
| Admissions Stats | ||
| Class of: | 2020-2021 | 2021-2022 |
| 25th - 50th - 75th percentile LSAT | 155 - 160 - 162 | 155 - 162 - 163 |
| 25th - 50th - 75th percentile GPA | 3.36 - 3.72 - 3.83 | 3.4 - 3.76 - 3.9 |
| Acceptance rate | 37.6% | 13.7% |
| Applications received | 1825 | 2329 |
| Acceptances | 686 | 830 |
| Matriculants | 284 | 267 |
Penn State Law has a 1L class size of 139 and a yield of 16.39%. Of the 2,329 people who applied, only 830 were offered admission, and of those 830, 136 were accepted. This means that 16.39% of the people offered admission attended the school. Penn State Law's median LSAT is 162, the 25th percentile LSAT is 155, and the 75th percentile LSAT is 163. The median GPA is 3.76, with the 25th percentile GPA being 3.4 and the 75th percentile GPA being 3.9.
Application Process
To apply to the J.D. program at the University Beasley School of Law, you must submit an electronic application through the Law School Admission Council website. The electronic application should include the personal statement, additional statement or appendices, and your résumé or summary of work experiences and activities. Letters of recommendation must be submitted through LSAC's Letter of Recommendation Service.
To be considered for admission to the University Beasley School of Law, you must submit the following: a complete application, a $60 nonrefundable application fee or authorized fee waiver, a Law School Admission Test (LSAT) score or Graduate Record Exam (GRE) score, a law school report from the Credential Assembly Service, a personal statement, a resume or overview of your academic and professional experiences, two letters of recommendation from academic or professional contacts, and a Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score (if applicable).
Tuition and Financial Aid
Cost of Attendance
| 2022-2023 Academic Year | |
| Tuition | $54,744 |
| Fee | $600 |
| Books & Supplies | $2,000 |
| Housing | $9,344 |
| Food | $5,618 |
| Utilities | $2,600 |
| Other Miscellaneous Expenses | $3,568 |
| Transportation | $2,400 |
| Total Estimated Costs | $80,874 |
The University of Pennsylvania's Beasley School of Law has tuition and fees of $54,744 and $600, respectively, for the 2017-2018 academic year. This results in a total estimated cost of $80,874. The clothing allowance is for things such as uniforms, laundry, and dry cleaning. The medical expenses allowance helps with prescriptions and doctor's visits. The recreation allowance can be used for activities such as movies or bowling. And finally, the personal care allowance covers haircuts and shaving supplies.
Scholarships
Penn State Law offers scholarships to all of its JD applicants. These scholarships can cover the total tuition cost of attendance and are renewable for the second and third years as long as the student maintains good academic standing. Renewal is not based on law school class rank, so that all students can receive the scholarship regardless of their GPA. No separate application process is needed to be considered for scholarships; all eligible students are automatically considered when they apply.
Pennsylvania residents and Penn State alumni who are accepted to the Beasley School of Law before April 1 will receive a grant of $20,000 per year off their tuition. This grant can be stacked with other scholarships from Penn State Law to cover the cost of tuition.
Outside Scholarships
Students may also wish to pursue outside scholarships to supplement any Penn State Law awards. Penn State Law's financial aid office works to compile a list of third-party scholarships available to our students.
Need-Based Grants
Penn State Law offers need-based grants to students who demonstrate significant financial need. These grants are available to both incoming and returning students, and consideration for need-based aid is made after admission is offered. Students must submit the need-based aid application to be considered for a need-based grant. Grants are especially valuable to first-year students expected to devote more time and energy to academic efforts and are discouraged from working. The amount of a need-based grant varies depending on the student's year in school, but all students who receive a grant will be expected to borrow the maximum federal Stafford Loan amount.
Employment Prospects & Bar passage
The median salary for a JD graduate from Pennsylvania State - Penn State Law who works in the private sector is $80,000. If they enter the private sector, a grad can expect to make $55,000. 44.9% of Pennsylvania State - Penn State Law law graduates go directly to work for law firms, while 22.4% clerk for a judge. 6.1% of graduates go into public interest. 82.3% of Pennsylvania State - Penn State Law graduates pass the bar on their first try.
Academics
The J.D. program at Penn State Law is a three-year, six-semester course of study that provides a comprehensive foundation in law and reflects its faculty's broad research, teaching, and practice expertise. In the required first-year curriculum, all students take courses that form the core of knowledge in the legal profession and develop basic legal writing and communication skills. Upper-level students choose among elective courses to further their individual educational and professional goals.
During the first year, students must complete courses in Civil Procedure; Constitutional Law; Contracts; Criminal Law; Criminal Procedure; Elements of Law; Legal Analysis, Research, and Writing; Property Law; and Torts.
With its location on Penn State’s University Park campus, Penn State Law offers convenient access to joint-degree programs and opportunities for interdisciplinary study with other Penn State graduate programs, including the Smeal College of Business, the College of Education, and the School of International Affairs, which is located in the same building as the law school.
Penn State Law offers clinical and externship programs, including a Semester in Washington Program, an International Court of Justice Semester at The Hague, externships with federal and state judges and agencies, and an array of in-house legal clinics, including:
- Arts, Sports & Entertainment Law Clinic
- Center for Immigrants Rights Clinic
- Civil Rights Appellate Clinic (which in 2012 successfully petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to hear a case)
- Family Law Clinic
- International Sustainable Development Projects Clinic
- Indigent Criminal Justice Clinic
- Rural Economic Development Clinic (offering experience with the Marcellus Shale and energy issues)
The Penn State Law faculty includes nationally and internationally prominent legal scholars, accomplished jurists, and legal practitioners with knowledge of, and experience in, a wide range of traditional and emerging legal fields.
Quality of Life
Penn State Law is located on Penn State’s 13-square-mile University Park campus in State College, Pa. University Park is the largest of Penn State’s campuses and is the academic home of a diverse population of about 46,000 graduate, undergraduate, and professional students, including about 7,500 international students. In 2014, U.S. News ranked Penn State eighth among national public universities, and, in 2013, Penn State’s libraries were ranked eighth among all North American research libraries. In addition to Big Ten athletic events, Penn State students enjoy a lively music and arts community and a wide range of other entertainment. The campus is pedestrian- and bike-friendly with an eclectic mixture of historic classroom buildings, cutting-edge, modern architecture, and a beautiful urban landscape.
The law school’s LEED-certified, state-of-the-art Lewis Katz Building is adjacent to Penn State’s H.O. Smith Botanic Gardens, across the street from a recently renovated student intramural sports and fitness center and a few blocks from central campus and downtown State College.
Perhaps better known as Happy Valley, State College is a quintessential college town that offers students many of the amenities of a larger urban environment in a clean, safe, and affordable setting. Thanks to its highly educated population made up largely of Penn State faculty and staff, State College is consistently ranked among the nation’s smartest, safest, and most livable cities by a variety of organizations and publications.
State College is within a three-hour drive of Pittsburgh and Baltimore, and about four hours from New York, Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia. The University Park Airport, located 10 minutes from the law school’s Lewis Katz Building, offers direct flights to Chicago, Detroit, Philadelphia, and Washington D.C., with convenient connections to other major cities.
Contact Information
Pennsylvania State University - Penn State Law
Admissions Office
Penn State Law
Lewis Katz Building
University Park, PA 16802
Email: admissions@pennstatelaw.psu.edu
Phone: (814) 867-1251
Summary
| Established | 1834 |
| Location | University Park, PA |
| Dean | KEITH ELKIN |
| 2022 US News Ranking | 64th |
| LSAT Median Score | 162 |
| GPA Median Score | 3.76 |
| Bar Passage Rate | 82% (2022) |
| Employment Rate | 53% (2022) |
| Cost | $54,744 |
| Average Debt | $74,262 |
| Application Deadline | December 1, 2022 (Early Decision)
March 31, 2023 (Regular) |
Forum and Discussion
Pennsylvania State University - Penn State Law Discussions
Law School Admissions Forums
Law Student Forums
Law School Class Forums
Reference
https://pennstatelaw.psu.edu/
Rank #64
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
Interview: with Renee C. Post, Associate Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid at the University of Pennsylvania School of Law
Forums: https://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/viewforum.php?f=4
