Overview

Applicants
1,713
Acceptance Rate
31%
Median Undergrad GPA
3.42
Accepted Applicants Who Attend
140

Test Scores

LSAT
25th-75th percentile
(enrolled students)
152 - 158

Deadlines

Application Deadlines
April 1

Application Process

Rolling Admissions
Yes

Application Fee
$65

CAS Service Used
Yes

Applicants accepted in terms other than fall
No

Transfer Applicants Accepted
Yes

Deferred Admission
Yes

Other Admission Factors

Academic

LSAT Score
Undergraduate GPA
Essay / Personal Statement

Selectivity Rating

Faculty Information

Student/Faculty
9:1
Total Faculty
102

37.25
Female
10.78
Underrepresented Minorities


Students Say

The University of Pittsburgh School of Law’s long history of turning out educated, practical attorneys dates back more than 110 years, and the school (located in the lively Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh) continues to uphold the standards of excellence set into place way back when. Those who want to focus or broaden their expertise can enroll in one of seven joint degree programs (including two partnerships with Carnegie Mellon University) or five certificate programs, which come with possibilities for international externships, skills instruction by teams of practicing litigators, or membership on an intellectual property moot court team.
Pitt Law often flies under the radar, but boasts “a surprisingly impressive faculty and staff” and an “incredible and very accessible” dean. “I often joke that I accidentally went to the best school I applied to without knowing it,” says a 1L. The “extremely high quality” professors are “fantastic,” “universally reasonable, engaged, and knowledgeable,” and are “accessible without any reservation.” Some “will even give personal phone numbers to contact in case of emergency or to arrange a meeting outside the law school.” “I've been impressed at how passionate a lot of the professors are about their subjects. If you go talk to them, you may pick up a bit of that passion, too,” says another.
The “breadth of available academic concentrations and hands-on skills courses” afforded to students are what really drive home the value of a Pitt Law degree; the health law and international law programs are “of a very high caliber” and offer “diverse opportunities and successful job placement,” and Pitt Law students can also serve as editors at JURIST, the world's only web-based, student-powered legal news source, which is based at the law school. Students can also take advantage of “the help and resources of Pitt Law's internal organizations” such as the Center for International Legal Education, which helps to organize international internships and other opportunities, and the Innovation Practice Institute, which connects law students with local start-ups.
The financial aid and admissions offices “are run more smoothly than any other school of which I know,” according to a student. Career services “has often seemed meandering in focus,” but “the new head of the career services office is more aggressive in pursuing opportunities for students.” She is “incredibly well networked and goes above and beyond to assist students in finding and landing internships and jobs.” The alumni network is also quite expansive, and most former students “seem to hold a special place in their hearts for their alma mater and a strong willingness to help current students achieve their goals.”

Career overview

Pass Rate for First-Time Bar Exam
83%
Median Starting Salary
$65,000
% of graduates who are employed within ten months of graduation
86%
% of job accepting graduates providing useable salary information
73%

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
100

Employers who most frequently hire graduates
Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney; K&L Gates; Reed Smith,; Deloitte; Morgan, Jackson Lewis; Cohen & Grigsby; Jones Day; Pepper Hamilton; Eckert Seamans; Meyer, Unkovic & Scott; and McGuireWoods.

Graduates Employed by Area

49%
Private Practice
20%
Business/Industry
7%
Judicial Clerkships
6%
Government
4%
Public Interes
1%
Academic

Graduates Employed by Region

70%
Mid-Atlantic
7%
South
4%
MidWest
2%
Pacific
1%
Mountain
1%
South West
1%
New England

Prominent Alumni

Richard Thornburgh
Former U.S. Attorney General

Orrin Hatch
Senator,Utah

Joseph Weis
Former Senior Judge for the Third Circut

Ruggerio Aldisert
Former Senior Judge for the Third Circuit

Ralph J. Cappy
Former Chief Justice of Pennsylvania

Dates

Financial Aid Rating
Mar 1

Financial Aid Statistics

Average Annual Total Aid Package Awarded
$42,666

% Students Receiving Some Aid
94%

Expenses per Academic Year

In-State Tuition
$34,112
Out-Of-State Tuition
$42,706
Estimated On-Campus Room and Board
$18,976
Estimated Off-Campus Room and Board
$18,976
Estimated Cost for Books / Academic Expense
$1,610
Fees
$1,014

Student Body Profile

Total Enrollment
408
Parent Institution Enrollement
35,000

Number of Foreign Countries Represented
5
Average Age at Entry
24

% Out-of-State
41%
% International
2%

Demographics

24.00%
% Under-represented Minorities

100% are full time
0% are part time
47% female
53% male

Campus Life

Students Say

Pittsburgh “is pretty much the perfect city for law school” (“the city as a whole is united around the sports teams”), and the school’s location is in a neighborhood known for being the city’s bustling academic and cultural center. Regrettably, the law school building is “a 1970s concrete monstrosity” (“The architecture of this place kills me every time,” says a student); the facilities inside are “well-equipped [and] sufficient for learning,” but “you will never have a classroom lit with natural light.” Pitt Law is in the middle of a remodeling project to address these aesthetic issues. The library is “outstanding,” though. The school goes out of its way to “ensure that we have access to a wide breath of electronic resources.” Also, “professional research librarians are always on duty to help whenever the library is open.”
One of the greatest boons to Pitt Law life is the “strength of the community,” in which one’s peers “can routinely be described as collaborative.” “The goal is to learn the material, not to beat each other,” says a 2L. This “hard-working yet friendly student body” creates “a community atmosphere where classmates drive each other to succeed.” Everyone “cheers each other on and shares in motivating each student to achieve everything they wish to pursue.”

More Information

% of Classrooms with Internet Access
100%

Admissions Office Contact

Contact
Charmaine C. McCall
Assistant Dean for Admissions and Financial Aid

Address
3900 Forbes Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15260

Phone
412-648-1413

Email
admitlaw@pitt.edu


Articles & Advice