EILEEN DOYLE CRANE, J.D.
UNIVERSITY PRELAW ADVISOR
LC 402; MS 101
UTAH VALLEY UNIVERSITY
800 WEST UNIVERSITY PARKWAY
OREM, UT 84058-5999
801-863-6484
EILEEN.CRANE@UVU.EDU
WASHBURN UNIVERSITY
RESEARCHING LAW SCHOOLS
Use this form and the RSL Spreadsheet to compile answers to compare and contract law schools.
LSW= School Website (Not all law school information is on website); PH= Phone call to law school; LSAC = Law School
Admissions Council; website has links to all ABA-approved law schools at: www.lsac.org
Faculty and Students
1)
Count number of faculty who graduated from the law school in which they are teaching.
(Generally in academics, this is considered a weakness) (5)(LSW)
2)
Count the number of faculty who served as clerks to US Supreme Court justices or US Circuit Court of Appeals (9).
(LSW)
3)
What percentage of the faculty and students are: a) women and b) minority? (Women Faculty 12), (Faculty
Minority 6), (Student Women 149), (Student Minority 57%)
(LSW/LSAC)
Performance and Services
4)
Find out the first-time bar passage rate of graduates. (70.2%) What percentage of students takes the in-state bar?
(89.3%) How many take the bar in the state you want to practice in? (LSAC)
5)
How many judicial clerkships are awarded to graduates annually? (5) (LSAC)
6)
How many student-edited journals does the law school have? (2) (LSW)
7)
How many clinics in which students represents clients exist in the law school? (1) (LSW)
8)
Does law school has a pro bono requirement for graduation? If so, how many hours? (LSW) (No, but encourage),
(10 to 15 students per year do pro bono work)
Placement and Opportunities
9)
What is placement percentage nine months after graduation? (81%) (LSW/LSAC)
10)
How many firms interview on campus, not just register. (50 for Fall and Spring semesters) (PH)
11)
How many states/foreign countries do graduates work in? (50 states), (a few foreign countries) (LSAC)
12)
Do you have strong regional interests? If so, how many firms interview on campus from the region in which you want to
live? If none, how many law school graduates work in your preferred area? (LSW/PH)
13)
How many people are in the class (LSW/LSAC) and how deep in the class do most firms interview (5%, 10%, or 15%)?
(PH)
14)
How many people work in the Career Services Office? (2) (PH)
Finances
15)
What is the average debt load for the law school graduates? (In-state $17,980), (Non-Resident $28,030)
(LSW/PH)
16)
What is the median salary for the law school graduates? (Private $45,000), (Public $45,500) (LSW/LSAC)
17)
What kind of financial aid package is the school offering (loans only, grants/loans, scholarships)? (Grad plus loans),
(Stafford loans), (Scholarships)
18)
If you are being offered a scholarship, what are the terms? Is it unconditional or renewable, based on certain grades or
performance? If renewable, what is the forced grade curve and what percentage of students maintain their scholarship
in the 2L and 3L years? (PH)(All renewable) (Academic Scholarships-maintain 2.8 GPA), (Named
Scholarships-3.0 GPA)
19)
Is it necessary to factor in a cost of living adjustment when figuring the cost of a particular law school (NYC, SF, LA,
DC)? If so, decide how much. Check http://www.bestplaces.net/col/
20)
Estimate your total potential debt and monthly payments to pay it off. Check www.finaid.org
Alumni
21)
How many state/foreign countries does the law school have alumni in? (All 50 states) How extensively is the alumni
association organized and how active is the chapters? (Very active) (LSW/PH) (This will help you determine how
much the school/alumni can help you get a job throughout your career, not just at graduation.)
Personal
22)
Are there: a) social, b) extended family, c) educational opportunities, and/or d) religious entities in this area that are
important to you/your spouse/family? Check Places Rated, a manual that rates US cities. (LSW)
23)
Contact school alums who attended this school to get information about the a) city, b) law school. (LSW/PH)
10/3/12