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Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law
The Arizona State University College of Law enjoys the distinction of being the only ABA-accredited law school in the large Phoenix metropolitan area. This distinction enables Arizona State Law's students to benefit from close access to many of the state capital's legal and professional resources. Also, it secures their tremendous job prospects in the city's vast legal market. At the same time, the school's impressive student/faculty ratio, which ranks among the best in the nation, enables students to get the most out of their legal education through frequent interaction with Arizona State Law's reputable faculty corps. Especially for Arizona residents, who pay a low in-state rate of tuition at the school, the Arizona State University College of Law is a great place to pursue a legal education.
Contents
History
The history of the Arizona State University Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law began with G. Homer Durham, the president of ASU, from 1960 to 1969. One of his goals was establishing a law school, so in 1965 he hired Willard H. Pedrick as the first dean. The inaugural class of 117 students started classes in 1967, and 83 students graduated with their Juris doctorates in 1970. The ASU College of Law has been educating lawyers and impacting the legal profession for 50 years.
Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law has a long and storied history, detailed in Gary Stuart's book. The college was founded by a group of dedicated faculty members who saw the need for a law school to lead legal and educational reform. Over the past fifty years, the college has graduated over 8,000 students and has become a well-respected institution. Today, it is located in the Beus Center for Law & Society in downtown Phoenix, where it continues to foster collaboration among ASU, the bench and bar, and all facets of the industry. The book clarifies that no other law school like the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law exists.
Admissions
ASU Law wants diverse students to contribute to an enriching learning environment. The admissions committee looks at various factors, such as the applicant's LSAT score and grades from undergrad, their demonstrated dedication to public service, and their history of overcoming any disadvantages. They also consider the student's communication ability, foreign language proficiency, and any honors or awards they may have received. ASU Law also values service in the armed forces and any publications the applicant may have. The JD application for fall 2023 will be available on August 10, 2022, through LSAC. The priority deadline is March 1, 2023, and the regular deadline is August 1, 2023.
Statistics
| Admissions Stats | ||
| Class of: | 2020-2021 | 2021-2022 |
| 25th - 50th - 75th percentile LSAT | 156 - 165 - 166 | 158 - 166 - 167 |
| 25th - 50th - 75th percentile GPA | 3.36 - 3.83 - 3.95 | 3.36 - 3.85 - 3.94 |
| Acceptance rate | 26.2% | 20.6% |
| Applications received | 4734 | 5717 |
| Acceptances | 1240 | 1178 |
| Matriculants | 1218 | 1134 |
Acceptance Rate
Arizona State University's Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law had an application pool of 5,717 people for the 2022 cycle. Of those who applied, 1,178 were offered admission. The school has a first-year class size of 307 and a yield (the percentage of people who accept their offer of admission) of 25.72%. This means that 303 out of the 1,178 applicants offered admission ended up attending the school.
Application Fee
This year, there is no application fee to apply to the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law. To learn more about obtaining a fee waiver, click here.
Personal Statement
The personal statement should give the committee a better picture of who you are beyond your academic achievements and resume. It should be compelling, show off your writing skills, and include some discussion of why you want to go to law school. It is also an opportunity to highlight specific reasons for your interest in ASU Law. Your personal statement should be no more than two double-spaced, typed pages and in a font size no smaller than 11 points. For personal statements and application essays, check out the TLS Guide to Personal Statements.
Resume
Your resume should include details about your educational background, work history, military service, leadership roles, honor societies, scholarships, extracurricular activities, public/community service, honors and awards, publications, foreign language proficiencies, and other significant achievements. Work history includes significant employment during and post-college (including organization name, dates of employment, and hours worked). Your resume should be no more than two typed pages in a font size smaller than 11 points. For advice about creating a professional law school resume, click here.
Letters of Recommendation
ASU Law accepts up to two letters of recommendation. The recommender should submit the letter directly to LSAC. Since letters of recommendation are optional, the Admissions Office will not wait for letters to complete your file for review. For additional advice on obtaining letters of recommendation, click here.
Tuition and Financial Assistance
The cost of attending the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law at Arizona State University is lower than most other American Bar Association-accredited law schools. If you plan to attend full-time, the estimated tuition and fees for the entire academic year are below. Trying to keep your debt low while in law school is essential, so following a budget is strongly encouraged. This will help set you up for success after graduation while pursuing your chosen career path.
Cost of Attendance
| Tuition and Fees—JD Program 2022-2023 | ||||
| Resident Expenses | Resident Thrifty Budget | Non-Resident Expenses | Non-Resident Thrifty Budget | |
| Tuition & Fees | $28,364* | $28,364* | $48,570* | $48,570* |
| Books | $1,332 | $1,332 | $1,332 | $1,332 |
| Supplies | $576 | $576 | $576 | $576 |
| Room | $9,610 | $5,000 | $9,610 | $5,000 |
| Board | $3,564 | $2,116 | $3,564 | $2,116 |
| Personal | $3,993 | $2,500 | $3,993 | $2,500 |
| Transportation | $3,069 | $500 | $3,069 | $500 |
| Loan Fee | $1,110 | $1,110 | $1,110 | $1,110 |
| Total Costs | $51,618 | $41,498 | $71,824 | $61,704 |
| *Prospective students and current students are responsible for verification of tuition costs and fees prior to registration. | ||||
Loans
A student loan is money you borrow to pay for college with the condition that it be paid back over a certain period with interest. Students often use student loans when their family's contributions, scholarships, and grants do not cover the total cost of attendance. O'Connor College of Law at Arizona State University is one of the many schools offering student loans. The application process is quick and easy, and the money can be used for tuition, books, housing, and other expenses. Once you have graduated, you will have up to 10 years to repay your loan. You can choose to make monthly payments, or you can make larger payments more frequently. You can also defer your payments if you have difficulty repaying your loan. If you have any questions about student loans, please get in touch with the financial aid office at your school.
Academics & Curriculum
As is standard practice in American law schools, students at Arizona State Law enroll in required classes during their 1L year, including Criminal Law, Torts, and Property. After this first and most rigorous year, students must pass 3 more requirements and are free to choose from among up to 140 elective courses to complete their 88-credit JD degrees. The fact that about two-thirds of these upper-level electives contain less than 20 seats, combined with the school's impressive 10 to 1 student-to-faculty ratio, ensures that Arizona State Law students can establish close contact with classmates and faculty in courses specific to their areas of interest. Aside from required and elective courses, students can also pursue JD/MBA, JD/Ph.D., and JD/MD programs at Arizona State Law and are also able to partake in several clinical opportunities in various areas. In addition, the school houses the Center for the Study of Law, Science, and Technology as well as an Indian Legal Program, both of which enjoy national prominence in their respective fields. Finally, select students can participate in prestigious law journals at Arizona State Law, and those wishing to take their legal education beyond American borders can do so through the school's various study abroad programs.
Externship
ASU Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law students can pursue externships nationwide in Arizona, including popular destinations such as Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles. The ASU Law Externship Program is a valuable way to obtain practical legal experience and network with prominent judges and lawyers in a real-world setting. The Externship Program is designed to enhance the educational experience of second and third-year law students by providing an opportunity to do advanced legal work that is generally unavailable through the College of Law curriculum. Externships are typical with judicial, government, and nonprofit organizations and are done under the supervision of a U.S. attorney.
Students earn one (1) credit for every 55 hours of legal work completed through an externship, up to 12 credits of externship work while in law school. Students undertaking externships in DC or LA can also take courses from ASU Law professors. You must have a minimum of 28 credits in order to participate in any externship. All externships earn pass/fail credits, and 19 pass/fail credits may be applied toward graduation.
Clinics
The Clinical Program at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University helps students develop the legal expertise and professional judgment they need to bridge the gap between a law degree and practicing law. In the clinics, students challenge and reward legal cases for real clients. Retired U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor has cited clinical experience as one of the most important aspects of legal education. Many students find their clinical experience the high point of their law school education.
The Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law offers students a chance to get real-world experience through its ten clinics. These include the Civil Litigation, First Amendment, Immigration, Indian Legal, Patent, and Post-Conviction clinics and the four outside clinics: Innovation Advancement, Lodestar Mediation, Public Defender, and Prosecution. These clinics provide students with the invaluable experience they can carry into their legal careers.
Moot Court
Moot Court is an opportunity for law students to use the skills they have learned in the classroom in a simulated trial or advocacy environment. Judges and jurors for these competitions are often practitioners or sitting judges. Law students often work with junior high and high school students in mock trial/moot court activities. This provides them with valuable experience in oral and written advocacy.
Quality of Life
Whereas students at most law schools brace for icy winters yearly, Arizona State Law students have been known to enjoy midnight swims throughout January and February. Of course, late summer months in Phoenix are usually marked by temperatures in the triple figures, but in general, the weather of the area is considered a great draw for most Arizona State Law School students. Another draw of the Phoenix area is its variety of bars, clubs, and restaurants, which allow busy law students the opportunity to unwind after a long week of classes, usually by way of the weekly bar reviews hosted by the school's student government. Housing options in the area are plentiful and affordable, for the most part, and law students are generally able to find suitable apartments near the law school campus. Public transportation, on the other hand, is not as efficient as in other large metropolitan areas. According to many Arizona State Law students, an automobile is practically necessary for life as a law student in Phoenix. In sum, the quality of life for students at Arizona State Law promises to be high, mainly due to the great year-round weather of the Phoenix area.
Employment Prospects & Bar Passage
Overall, 89.7% of students from the class of 2021 were employed ten months after graduation. 88.1% of those graduates were employed in full-time, long-term positions that required passage of the bar exam or some other form of JD advantage. 5.6% of all graduates were unemployed and seeking employment during that time.
U.S. States of Largest Employment:
- Arizona
- California
- Colorado
Employment By Sector:
(Percentages = Total graduates in category / All employed graduates)
- Law Firms: 43.4%
- Judicial Clerkships: 27.4%
- Government: 15.0%
- Public Interest: 8.0%
- Business & Industry: 4.4%
- Education: 1.8%
For students of ASU Law School, employment prospects in Phoenix and throughout Arizona and the Southwest region are tremendous. Many top firms from this area visit the campus each year to interview students, and about 20% of ASU Law School students secure jobs through these on-campus interviews each year. Students for whom on-campus interviews are not as fruitful can look to the school's career services office and its alumni network, whose combined efforts contribute to an impressive employment rate for graduates: usually more than 90% within 9 months of graduation. Of course, employment prospects for ASU Law School students dim as one looks outside the Southwest area, and students hoping to work in such areas will likely have to put in a considerable amount of legwork in their job search. Most ASU Law School students stay in the Southwest to practice law, and very few begin their law careers in the northern states.
Synopsis
Arizona State University College of Law is a great place to pursue a legal education for residents of Arizona and applicants hoping to secure employment in the state and its surrounding region. Applicants who enroll at the school can look forward to a sunny three years of law school and can count on great job prospects in Phoenix and all of Arizona after graduation.
Contact Information
Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law
Admissions Office
MC 9520
Arizona State University
111 E. Taylor Street
Phoenix, AZ 85004-4467
Phone: 480-965-1474
Email: asulaw.admissions@asu.edu
https://law.asu.edu/contacts
Summary
| Established | 1965 |
| Location | Phoenix, AZ |
| Dean | Stacy Leeds |
| 2022 US News Ranking | 30th |
| LSAT Median Score | 166 |
| GPA Median Score | 3.85 |
| Bar Passage Rate | 85% (2022) |
| Employment Rate | 71% (2022) |
| Cost | $28,364 Annual JD Resident $28,364 Annual JD Resident (Thrifty Budget) |
| Average Debt | $96,603 |
| Application Deadline | Priority: March 1, 2023 Regular: August 1, 2023 |
Forum and Discussion
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Reference
https://law.asu.edu/
Rank #30
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