Overview

Applicants
1,712
Acceptance Rate
46%
Median Undergrad GPA
3.58
Accepted Applicants Who Attend
275

Test Scores

LSAT
25th-75th percentile
(enrolled students)
158 - 164

Deadlines

Application Deadlines
April 1

Application Process

Rolling Admissions
Yes

Application Fee
$60

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

Total Faculty
116

47.4
Female
14.7
Underrepresented Minorities


Students Say

Located in the state capital of Madison, the University of Wisconsin Law School “is an incredibly well-run law school” that focuses on skill-based learning by taking a law-in-action approach to emphasizes how law relates to social change and to society as a whole. The school offers numerous dual degrees, certificates, and curricular concentrations, as well as one of the country's largest clinical programs. This abundance of options “allows students to get heavily involved with client-interfacing, substantive, and meaningful work as early as 1L summer,” working hands-on with real clients in the Federal or Criminal Appeals Projects, the Family Court Clinic, or the Neighborhood Law Clinic, among others. The school dedicates special “attention … to Wisconsin-specific law,” which is aided by the school's location. “Downtown Madison as an aspiring lawyer is great” because it creates numerous experiential learning opportunities, including placements in courts and state and federal agencies. Last year, more than 92 percent of students took a clinic or externship course. Additionally, the Lawyering Skills Program offers simulation courses that let students develop professional skills such as oral communication, negotiations, writing for practice, and client counseling within a supervised classroom setting, and “the emphasis on practical legal skills is unmatched.” The Academic Enhancement Program “is an incredible resource” that provides support services such as learning skills assessments, study groups, and study aids. Finally, the state of Wisconsin's Diploma Privilege lets students secure a license to practice law in Wisconsin without taking a bar exam right out of law school. Overall, “clinical work, externships, and internships [are] all heavily emphasized” here, and “really allow you to get first-hand experience working with real people in the community.”

Professors at UW Law “understand that law school is stressful but also expect a great deal from their students.” However, they're there to help: Faculty “from the dean to professors are accessible and want to converse … with students,” so they “encourage meeting them for office hours or otherwise approaching them with questions via email.” For example, “the dean hosts weekly office hours,” and “the administration is accessible and cares about their students.” This dedication draws many favorable comments from enrollees: “I've had several professors that, in addition to being excellent lawyers, have really spent the time to develop their curriculum using research-based methods and cater to a variety of learning styles.” Many teachers also “assign student-directed learning projects throughout the semester to enhance student research and independent studies.” Facilities-wise, “the [law] building is dated,” but the library “is beautiful and a nice place to study.” It also offers “multiple research trainings that are very useful,” and the librarians really “take time to make sure that you understand the services.” In addition to these trainings, there is “ample opportunity to learn things beyond the classroom thanks to events … where speakers come and talk about various areas of law.” The school's 14,000 alumni also regularly make appearances on campus, perhaps most notably during the Pizza with Professionals lunch panels.

Career overview

Median Starting Salary
$60,000
% of graduates who are employed within ten months of graduation
93%
% of job accepting graduates providing useable salary information
70%

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
95

Employers who most frequently hire graduates
Foley& Lardner; Quarles & Brady; Godfrey & Kahn; Reinhart Boerner; Michael Best & Friedrich; Dewitt, Ross & Stevens; Faegre Baker Daniels; Sidley & Austin; Mayer Brown; Dorsey & Whitney; Deloitte Tax; Wisconsin Public Defender; Wisconsin Supreme Court; Robins, Kaplan; PwC; Perkins Coie; Dane County District Attorney; Stafford Rosenbaum; Husch Blackwell; and Minnesota Court of Appeals.

Graduates Employed by Area

49%
Private Practice
19%
Government
11%
Business/Industry
8%
Judicial Clerkships
5%
Public Interes
1%
Academic

Graduates Employed by Region

79%
MidWest
4%
Mid-Atlantic
4%
South
3%
Pacific
2%
New England
1%
International
1%
Mountain

Prominent Alumni

Tommy Thompson '66
Former U.S secretary of health and human services, former governor of Wisconsin.

Tammy Baldwin ?89
U.S. senator, former U.S. congresswoman.

David Ruder '57
Former chairman of the SEC; emeritus professor and former dean of Northwestern Law.

John Rowe '70
Emeritus chairman of Exelon Corporation.

Bridget Brennan ?83
Special Narcotics Prosecutor for the City of New York.

Dates

Financial Aid Rating
Apr 1

Financial Aid Statistics


Expenses per Academic Year

In-State Tuition
$22,235
Out-Of-State Tuition
$40,932
Estimated On-Campus Room and Board
$12,174
Estimated Off-Campus Room and Board
$12,174
Estimated Cost for Books / Academic Expense
$2,450
Fees
$1,282

Student Body Profile

Total Enrollment
589
Parent Institution Enrollement
44,411

Number of Foreign Countries Represented
18
Average Age at Entry
25

% Out-of-State
40%
% International
2%

Demographics

96% are full time
4% are part time
46% female
54% male

Campus Life

Students Say

“Madison is a very active city with lots of options,” and the school's Bascom Hill location “is perfect if you like that Big Ten campus vibe.” Within the classroom, there is “a healthy level of respectful … participation,” but “pretty much everyone is friends or acquaintances with … other classmates.” As such, they're “willing to share notes when people miss class and … create study groups [to] meet up outside of school.” Students caution that “it can get competitive, especially around recruitment time,” but overall the “variety of different student organizations and opportunities to be involved” creates a “very welcoming” environment that fosters a “strong ‘team' attitude.”

More Information

% of Classrooms with Internet Access
100%

Admissions Office Contact

Contact
Rebecca L. Scheller
Assistant Dean for Admissions and Financial Aid

Address
975 Bascom Mall
Room 4314
Madison, WI 53706

Phone
608-262-5914

Email
admissions@law.wisc.edu