University of Pittsburgh - School of Law

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.”

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.”