Overview

Applicants
5,313
Acceptance Rate
19%
Median Undergrad GPA
3.84
Accepted Applicants Who Attend
240

Test Scores

LSAT
25th-75th percentile
(enrolled students)
164 - 170

Deadlines

Application Deadlines
February 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

LSAT Score
Undergraduate GPA
Non-Academic

Interviews
Work Experience

Selectivity Rating

Faculty Information

Student/Faculty
4:1
Total Faculty
270

36.3
Female
10.4
Underrepresented Minorities


Students Say

Located "in the heart of Chicago," on a lakefront campus, the Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law "does a tremendous job making Chicago a valuable asset to students," who say that the "opportunities for practical experiences" are among the school's greatest strengths. A "wide variety of practical courses that prepare students for work, as opposed to the classic, theoretical law school classes" means that students enjoy great "employment prospects" after graduation. "EVERYONE here who wants a Biglaw job gets one," one student claims. In addition to these great job prospects at major firms, "public interest careers have received a great deal more attention now than they used to." "I am leaving school with a community of public interest lawyers in my network and a public interest job of my dreams thanks to Northwestern Law law," one student explains. Students universally praise the Bluhm Legal Clinic, which houses more than twenty individual clinics and is "is big enough so that any student who wants to do a clinic will have an opportunity to do so at some point in their time at Northwestern."

The "faculty are absolute all-stars," representing "some of the foremost legal minds in an array of fields." Students rate "professor accessibility" as "excellent" and agree that "professors have been able to offer valuable, candid advice on academics and employment." Because Northwestern Law faculty have "long experience in their respective [fields]," they can provide students with "very realistic" perspectives about "how the legal profession works." Northwestern Law tends to admit students with a few years of post-undergraduate work experience, so "the student body is generally a bit older," consequently "students are able to bring real-world experiences into the classroom" as well as "a much broader and more interesting perspective" to classroom discussion. However, most students agree that "the administration (Student Services) could be more transparent about what resources they offer" and overall "communication to students from all of the administrative-type offices (Student Services, Academic Affairs, the Career Strategy Center) could be improved." Other elements of the administration receive praise though: "I am starting two clerkships after graduation that I never would have applied for or gotten without the awesome Northwestern Law clerkship advisor," one student tells us.

Career overview

Pass Rate for First-Time Bar Exam
92%
Median Starting Salary
$190,000
% of graduates who are employed within ten months of graduation
97%
% of job accepting graduates providing useable salary information
96%

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
450

Employers who most frequently hire graduates
Federal Judges; Kirkland & Ellis; Latham & Watkins; Sidley Austin; Mayer Brown; Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom; Jones Day; Baker McKenzie; Foley & Lardner; Katten Muchin Rosenman; Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison; Simpson Thacher & Bartlett; Weil, Gotshal & Manges; Cravath, Swaine & Moore; Davis Polk & Wardwell

Graduates Employed by Area

74%
Private Practice
10%
Judicial Clerkships
4%
Business/Industry
4%
Government
4%
Public Interes
1%
Academic

Graduates Employed by Region

46%
MidWest
21%
Mid-Atlantic
13%
Pacific
8%
South
6%
International
3%
South West
3%
New England

Prominent Alumni

John Paul Stevens
Supreme Court Justice

Ada Kepley
First American woman to obtain a law degree

Jerry Reinsdorf
Owner, Chicago Bulls and White Sox

Carter Phillips
Chair Emeritus, Sidley Austin LLP

Matt Ferguson
CEO, Careerbuilder.com

Dates

Financial Aid Rating
Mar 1

Financial Aid Statistics


Expenses per Academic Year

Tuition
$66,506
Estimated On-Campus Room and Board
$16,236
Estimated Off-Campus Room and Board
$16,236
Estimated Cost for Books / Academic Expense
$1,212
Fees
$300

Student Body Profile

Total Enrollment
664
Parent Institution Enrollement
21,000

Average Age at Entry
26

% International
9%

Demographics

31.00%
% Under-represented Minorities

100% are full time
0% are part time
51% female
49% male

Campus Life

Students Say

Within the Northwestern Law student body "supportive and friendly is the norm." "My other classmates were smart, driven, social, and just really nice people," one student says. And students agree that this camaraderie "is particularly fostered by the school." "The fact that the school doesn't publish class rankings means we all compete mostly with ourselves. As a result it is common to find peers who are "eager to share notes and insights, and people tend to be friendly." And because the student body tends to be a tad bit older, "students are generally more mature and very willing to help each other." The "horror stories [. . .] of unpleasant professors, hyper-competitive students, and a generally high level of stress" that student heard about law school before applying "were pretty much all untrue of Northwestern. It is an overall well-adjusted and collaborative community." Overall, "there is a really authentic and collegial attitude among all the students, and it makes the entire law school experience really enjoyable." Northwestern Law hosts "speaker events three to four times a week during the school year where food is provided for all attendees (diligent students can reduce their food expenditures as a result)." In addition, "Northwestern has bar reviews every week, and numerous events during the lunch hour and often in the evenings." There are enough social offerings that "if you end up missing one, there is about another fifty or so you can attend to make up the lost social time."

More Information

% of Classrooms with Internet Access
100%

Admissions Office Contact

Contact
Don Rebstock
Associate Dean of Admissions and Career Services

Address
375 East Chicago Avenue
Chicago, IL 60611

Phone
312-503-8465

Email
admissions@law.northwestern.edu