Rutgers University School of Law—Newark

Introduction

Rutgers University School of Law—Newark has been a pioneer in legal education for more than 100 years. Few law schools can match our contributions to the advancement of legal theory and practice, the diversity of our faculty and student body, the accomplishments of our public interest programs, and our reputation for outstanding academic quality and a progressive tradition. Our law professors are prominent scholars and experts in established and emerging areas of law who challenge students in an intense yet supportive environment. Our students come to us from around the world, bringing wide-ranging backgrounds and perspectives that enrich discourse in the classroom and throughout the law school community. Our clinical program offers invaluable hands-on instruction by noted litigators and teachers and the opportunity to provide service to the underserved. Our dual-degree program with several academic disciplines within the university and with the state's medical school enables students to add an interdisciplinary perspective to their study of law. The law school is located in the heart of New Jersey's largest city, which is home to leading law firms, courts, government agencies, major cultural institutions, Fortune 100 companies, entrepreneurial ventures, and public interest groups that offer numerous learning, internship, and volunteer opportunities.

The Center for Law and Justice

The law school is housed in the Center for Law and Justice, one of the finest law school buildings in the country. Highlights include a light-filled library with more than 790,000 volumes and electronic volume-equivalents and five computer labs; lecture rooms with excellent acoustics, sight lines, and power lines at every seat; an attractive courtroom complex where the Appellate Division of the Superior Court regularly hears cases; and numerous lounge and study areas. Wireless Internet access is available throughout the building and in all classrooms. The Center opens onto a pedestrian plaza and a garden terrace—favorite gathering spots for students and faculty.

Faculty

The faculty contribute to every aspect of the law school experience. Faculty members examine, shape, and resolve new and developing issues of law. Particular concentrations of academic strength lie in the fields of criminal law, constitutional law, intellectual property, legal history, and international law, with notable expertise as well in family law, race and the law, and labor and employment law. Faculty engage students through teaching styles that range from traditional Socratic method to interactive problem-solving. The faculty is diverse, ensuring the kind of intellectual inquiry that provides a rich foundation for a career in law.

Curriculum

The rigorous curriculum ensures the development of professional skills and values within a theoretical framework that promotes intellectual growth and a commitment to justice.

First-year students learn the essential conceptual, analytical, and research methods to be effective lawyers in complex environments. Upper-level students build on those skills through our extensive curriculum of over 200 class, clinic, and seminar options. The faculty review the curriculum regularly to ensure that the offerings prepare students for a rapidly changing legal environment.

An accredited semester of study abroad sends students to Leiden University in the Netherlands for an intensive program in international law, European Union law, comparative law, legal history, and law and international economics. The Rutgers Division of Global Affairs, located in our building, also serves as a nexus for students interested in the international dimension.

Joint-degree programs are available with the Rutgers Graduate Schools of Business, Planning and Public Policy, Criminal Justice, and Social Work, as well as with the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. Students are encouraged to take advantage of the rich curriculum offerings throughout the university through cross-disciplinary registration. The Foreign Lawyer Program permits persons with foreign law degrees to earn a JD in two years.

Centers, institutes, and programs integrate faculty scholarship and activity, student interests and participation, and outreach to the larger university, legal, and other communities. As one example, the Center for Law, Science, and Technology supports faculty and student interest in intellectual property law, as well as in the intersection of law and science more generally. Among other activities, the Center holds an annual conference on patent law involving leaders from the judiciary, practice, industry, and the academic community.

Clinics and Public Service

The clinical program provides students with hands-on legal experience in real cases involving underrepresented clients, communities, or causes. Guided by talented and accomplished faculty with expertise in litigation, legislation, mediation, or transactional practice, our eight clinics are noted for their diversity, breadth, and comprehensiveness of experiences, as well as for their involvement in cases and projects of social and community impact. Clinical students provide corporate, transactional, and intellectual property legal services to nonprofits and start-up, for-profit businesses; litigate important constitutional and international human rights issues; provide representation to low-income children and their families; represent immigrants seeking various forms of relief from removal; assist low-income clients on tax matters; and participate in a wide range of community education and advocacy efforts. Other opportunities include pro bono work, internships, fellowships, and summer placements. The Loan Repayment Assistance Program assists graduates pursuing careers in public service.

Students and Student Life

Rutgers enrolls students of extraordinary academic and professional promise who enrich the community with their intellectual strength and significant life and work experience. Many students have earned advanced degrees while others provide a global perspective to the classroom.

Diversity of views enlivens the classroom and creates an inclusive environment. Our Minority Student Program reflects the faculty's long-standing commitment to preserve the diversity of the law school and to advance diversity in the legal profession. Student-run organizations reflect myriad interests, political positions, and backgrounds, from the Women's Law Forum to the Entertainment and Sports Law Society. Student publications include the Rutgers Law Review, Rutgers Computer and Technology Law Journal, Women's Rights Law Reporter, Rutgers Race and the Law Review, and the online Rutgers Law Record.

Admission

The faculty believe that diverse perspectives and backgrounds are essential to a complete understanding of the law and its relation to contemporary society. The law school seeks and attracts a talented student body with a breadth of experience and provides unparalleled opportunities for those who have been historically excluded from the legal profession.

The Admissions Committee considers a broad range of factors, including, but not limited to, educational and employment experiences, community service, LSAT score, UGPA, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic background, and extraordinary family circumstances. Every applicant can choose to compete for admission with primary emphasis placed on numerical indicators (LSAT score and UGPA) or nonnumerical indicators (experiences and accomplishments).

In each entering class, 35–40 percent of our students are people of color. All regions of the country and more than two dozen foreign countries are represented.

Housing

On-campus graduate housing is located in close proximity to the law school. The recent addition of a new residence hall has increased the availability of on-campus housing for law students. Nearby suburban communities offer a variety of housing options. Public transportation is widely available.

Career Development

The Office of Career Services provides traditional and innovative services and programs, helping students and graduates develop career goals and conduct successful job searches. Individual counseling, skills training programs, panels, workshops, networking events, and on- and off-campus interview programs that attract many of the nation's leading law firms are just a few of the services offered. The office also works closely with prospective employers to maximize recruitment opportunities.

Applicant Profile

Rutgers University School of Law—Newark

	GPA
LSAT Score	3.75+	3.50–3.74	3.25–3.49	3.00–3.24	2.75–2.99	2.50–2.74	2.25–2.49	2.00–2.24	Below 2.00	No GPA
LSAT score 175–180	Good	Good	Good	Good	Good	Good	Possible	Possible	Unlikely	Unlikely
LSAT score 170–174	Good	Good	Good	Good	Good	Good	Possible	Possible	Unlikely	Unlikely
LSAT score 165–169	Good	Good	Good	Good	Good	Possible	Possible	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely
LSAT score 160–164	Good	Good	Good	Good	Possible	Possible	Possible	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely
LSAT score 157–159	Good	Good	Possible	Possible	Possible	Possible	Possible	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely
LSAT score 154–156	Possible	Possible	Possible	Possible	Possible	Possible	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely
LSAT score 150–153	Possible	Possible	Possible	Possible	Possible	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely
LSAT score 145–149	Possible	Possible	Possible	Possible	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely
LSAT score 140–144	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely
LSAT score 135–139	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely
LSAT score 130–134	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely
LSAT score 125–129	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely
LSAT score 120–124	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely

Good  = Good Possibility

Possible  = Possible

Unlikely  = Unlikely

The information contained in this grid should be used as an approximate gauge as to the likelihood of admission. The Admissions Committee gives considerable weight to individual accomplishments and other nonnumerical factors in the admissions process. LSAT and UGPA are not the sole determinants for admission.