Overview

Applicants
699
Acceptance Rate
61%
Median Undergrad GPA
3.53
Accepted Applicants Who Attend
149

Test Scores

LSAT
25th-75th percentile
(enrolled students)
150 - 158

Deadlines

Application Deadlines
August 1

Application Process

Rolling Admissions
Yes

Application Fee
$0

CAS Service Used
Yes

Applicants accepted in terms other than fall
No

Transfer Applicants Accepted
Yes

Deferred Admission
Yes

Other Admission Factors


Selectivity Rating

Faculty Information

Student/Faculty
9:1
Total Faculty
97

36.1
Female
15.5
Underrepresented Minorities


Students Say

The University of St. Thomas School of Law in Minneapolis couples a dedication to practical education with the school's mission of educating the whole person. The curriculum here looks beyond just legal skills to the "people skills" involved in lawyering, and there is an emphasis on practical learning, accomplished through externships, internships, clinics, mentor programs, and experiential learning requirements. The first year at St. Thomas Law is dedicated to the building blocks of law (following an introductory week of Foundations of Justice) as well as an intense (and celebrated) legal research, analysis, and writing program. In the second and third years, students take part in the unique Mentor Externship Program, which taps into the School of Law's network of lawyers and judges to provide practical experience and guidance within the legal world. All students are also required to complete fifty hours of public service in order to graduate. "From the writing classes to trial advocacy, I feel that I am equipped to enter the legal workforce with a good foundation to tackle any challenges thrown at me," says one student. The law school facility is "gorgeous, well-kept, and very conducive to both social and educational programming," and while the St. Thomas Law does not offer any concentrations or specializations outside of the compliance certificate, the "clinic programs allow for practical, legal experience that is more meaningful than classroom/curriculum learning."

The faculty, administration, and staff at St. Thomas Law are "diverse in their backgrounds, political views, educational theories, [and] religion," and "the school lives and breathes academic freedom in the best sense." There are so many excellent professors here that "when registering for classes, students don't use [the teacher] as a factor when determining what classes to take." "Rigorous intellectual debate is encouraged," and professors are "incredibly flexible in allowing each student to engage in topics that interest that student." They are "brilliant but very human" and "always available and trying to interact with students at a personal level without being intrusive." The administration, faculty, and the Academic Success advisors (through the Center for Student Achievement) all "push students to network and get out of the school to meet other lawyers." St. Thomas Law "aggressively [tries] to distinguish itself by finding us opportunities to gain practical experience."

Career overview

Pass Rate for First-Time Bar Exam
71%
Median Starting Salary
$62,556
% of graduates who are employed within ten months of graduation
92%
% of job accepting graduates providing useable salary information
53%

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
40

Employers who most frequently hire graduates
Ballard Spahr Dorsey & Whitney Fredrikson & Byron Gray Plant Mooty State of Minnesota US Bancorp Hennepin County Attorney's Office

Graduates Employed by Area

35%
Judicial Clerkships
26%
Private Practice
18%
Business/Industry
8%
Government
6%
Public Interes

Graduates Employed by Region

90%
MidWest
4%
Pacific
2%
South
1%
Mid-Atlantic
1%
Mountain
1%
New England

Prominent Alumni

Thomas Alford
Judge, United States Air Force

Mark Herzing
Minnesota District Court Judge, Seventh Judicial District

Beth Forsythe
Partner, Dorsey & Whitney LLP

Charles Dolson
Executive Director, Red Lake Band of Chippewa

Johanna Clyborne
Brigadier General, Minnesota Army National Guard

Dates

Financial Aid Rating
Jul 1
Application Deadlines
Mar 1

Financial Aid Statistics

Average Annual Total Aid Package Awarded
$46,184

% Students Receiving Some Aid
100%

Expenses per Academic Year

Tuition
$41,066
Estimated Off-Campus Room and Board
$19,336
Estimated Cost for Books / Academic Expense
$1,600
Fees
$376

Student Body Profile

Total Enrollment
434
Parent Institution Enrollement
10,035

Number of Foreign Countries Represented
16
Average Age at Entry
24

% Out-of-State
37%
% International
3%

Demographics

16.10%
% Under-represented Minorities

100% are full time
0% are part time
53% female
48% male

Campus Life

Students Say

"Student life is incredible" at St. Thomas Law, between the different student organizations and consistently occurring events ranging from "purely social to networking and professional opportunities." The campus location in downtown Minneapolis is "amazing in terms of both transportation and access to legal events/jobs," and the university is "always promoting social, networking and sports events outside the classroom." The law school is unique in that it's small enough to for students to feel that they are a part of a close-knit community, while "at the same time feels big enough to where you are constantly making new connections throughout law school." Student organizations "do an excellent job of outreach and getting students involved in clubs [and] events," and there are always "different speakers brought to campus to discuss many social taboos other schools shy away from," and "even though political difference is explicit among students and faculty, it's a family." "We can fight among ourselves but we know we are accepted and cared for in the community," says a student. The St. Thomas Law student body is "somewhat competitive, but not overly so;" students are "more than willing to help each other out to ensure that we all succeed." Those who attend the law school "will frequently recommend fellow classmates to fill open positions that they hear about" and fully recognize that if "helping out others not only boosts the class as a whole, but helps us understand the material better." They "get along very well" on all fronts, and almost all sections "interact with each other on a regular basis outside of class."

More Information

% of Classrooms with Internet Access
100%

Admissions Office Contact

Contact
Cari Haaland
Assistant Dean for Admissions and International Programs

Address
1000 LaSalle Avenue
MSL 124
Minneapolis, MN 55403

Phone
651-962-4895

Email
lawschool@stthomas.edu