Overview

Applicants
6,346
Acceptance Rate
21%
Median Undergrad GPA
3.75
Accepted Applicants Who Attend
431

Test Scores

LSAT
25th-75th percentile
(enrolled students)
164 - 169

Deadlines

Application Deadlines
March 15

Application Process

Rolling Admissions
Yes

Application Fee
$75

CAS Service Used
Yes

Applicants accepted in terms other than fall
No

Transfer Applicants Accepted
Yes

Deferred Admission
Yes

Other Admission Factors

Academic

Essay / Personal Statement

Selectivity Rating

Faculty Information

Student/Faculty
6:1
Total Faculty
82

46
Female
17
Underrepresented Minorities


Students Say

Fordham University's School of Law is a service-oriented institution that stresses academic excellence and “expects professionalism and collegiality from the get-go.” The school offers the option of five concentrations along with the guaranteed opportunity to participate in either an in-house clinic or externship prior to graduation, so there is a “heavy emphasis on practical skills and work experience.” With 18 clinics, including Corporate Social Responsibility, Presidential Succession, and Securities Litigation and Arbitration, students have access to seminars and realistic casework for academic credit. Externships are both plentiful and available to all, and students can either find their own placements based upon interests, or they can apply to one of the school's three Focused Externship programs, which place students in settings involving the New York City Council, Housing Litigation, or Government Civil Litigation. Situated in a locale with such strong city ties, Fordham Law “is extremely busy with events,” including “multiple journals wanting to run symposia and colloquia, a competitive mock trial team and an active trial advocacy team.” Rest assured that the school “is large enough that you can find a niche whether that be the federalist society or public interest.” As far as professional connections go, the school's 21,000-strong alumni network hold positions in top law firms, DA's offices, and corporate law departments around the country, so it's one of the school's greatest strengths: “I can't stress how much it has already helped me meet individuals that I likely would not have had an opportunity to meet prior to enrolling,” says a student.

Professors at Fordham Law are “extremely impressive and come from a wide array of backgrounds.” Additionally, “many of them wrote the casebooks” used in class, so they are “invaluable in gaining insight, advice, and [thinking] through opportunities as they come along,” including choosing between job opportunities and internship positions. With their presence on campus, the faculty ensure “there is always someone to turn to if you have a question or are anxious about school, life, or have any other issues.” Plus, they “are very accommodating to working students in the evening program.” One student shares, “I was blown away by how engaged and involved my professors have been.” The school is housed in a new state-of-the-art building which has a “productive and inviting” environment, and the school's online resources are “easy … to utilize and take advantage of.” The library “is bright with many windows and views of Lincoln Center,” and the school “is great at communicating about resources available to students with respect to academics, career counseling, [and] internship/externship opportunities.” Additionally, Student Affairs “does a great job with putting 1Ls in touch with 2 and 3Ls who have gone through the rigors of law school already and can offer advice and answer questions.”

Career overview

Pass Rate for First-Time Bar Exam
88%
Median Starting Salary
$240,000
% of graduates who are employed within ten months of graduation
95%

Career Services

On campus summer employment recruitment for first year JD students
Yes

On campus summer employment recruitment for second year JD students
Yes

# of Employers that Recruit on Campus Each Year
163

Employers who most frequently hire graduates
Cahill Gordon & Reindel Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamiton Cravath Swaine & Moore Davis Polk & Wardwell Debevoise & Plimpton Fried Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson Gibson Dunn & Crutcher Jones Day Kirkland & Ellis Latham & Watkins O?Melveny & Myers Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison Simpson Thacher & Bartlett Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom Weil Gotshal & Manges White & Case Bronx County District Attorney?s Office Queens County District Attorney?s Office New York County District Attorney?s Office New York City Law Department Legal Aid Society Kings County District Attorney?s Office Federal Judiciary

Graduates Employed by Area

70%
Private Practice
7%
Business/Industry
7%
Government
6%
Public Interes
5%
Judicial Clerkships

Prominent Alumni

Geraldine Ferraro
Politics - VP Candidate

Archibald R. Murray
Public Interest - Legal Aid, NYSBA, ABCNY

John K. Mara
President and CEO - NY Giants

Louise Firestone
General Counsel LVMH, Inc.

Dates

Financial Aid Rating
Apr 1
Application Deadlines
Dec 1

Financial Aid Statistics

% Students Receiving Some Aid
74%

Expenses per Academic Year

Tuition
$71,224
Estimated On-Campus Room and Board
$25,602
Estimated Off-Campus Room and Board
$23,602
Estimated Cost for Books / Academic Expense
$2,160
Fees
$1,058

Student Body Profile

Total Enrollment
1,257
Parent Institution Enrollement
16,000

Number of Foreign Countries Represented
15
Average Age at Entry
25

% International
4%

Demographics

29.90%
% Under-represented Minorities

86% are full time
14% are part time
56% female
44% male

Campus Life

Students Say

“There is a large pool of talented, smart, passionate, and socially intelligent people at Fordham,” all of whom “generally respect each other and are friendly regardless of gender, religion, race, or political leanings.” Since people here “genuinely care about each other and want each other to succeed,” they “all help each other out” by sharing notes and outlines. Overall, there is “a sense of mutual motivation amongst the student body.” They “bring an incredible range of professional and personal backgrounds, which makes for engaging and insightful classroom discussions.” Though some students comment on the “weak racial diversity,” the school is “a very politically conscious and active campus that fights internally and externally for social justice.” That might be thanks to the fact that “Fordham's location is excellent,” which also means you have “all the resources of New York City at your fingertips.” The central location is also a draw for commuters: It's “very easy to get to for students who commute to the City from New Jersey or the New York suburbs.” But even those who travel are sure to make good use of their time on campus, as there are “plenty of opportunities for social activities and special interest clubs.”

More Information

% of Classrooms with Internet Access
100%

Admissions Office Contact

Contact
Kathryn Espiritu
Director of Admissions

Address
150 West 62nd Street
New York, NY 10023

Phone
212-636-6810

Email
lawadmissions@fordham.edu


Articles & Advice