University of San Diego School of Law

Introduction

As one of the most selective law schools in the country, the University of San Diego (USD) School of Law is a leading center of academic excellence. The school's internationally regarded faculty of scholars and expert practitioners create a demanding, yet welcoming, environment that emphasizes individualized legal education. The school is also known as a leader in creating programs and courses to prepare future lawyers to practice in a rapidly changing world marked by globalization and dramatic advancements in technology. Founded in 1954, the law school is part of the University of San Diego, a private, nonprofit, independent Roman Catholic university. The university is located on a 182-acre campus overlooking Mission Bay and the Pacific Ocean, featuring Spanish Renaissance architecture and well-maintained, garden-like grounds.

Admission

USD School of Law strives to draw talented students from all regions of the country and from different ethnic and social backgrounds. The university is committed to advancing academic excellence, expanding legal and professional knowledge, creating a diverse and inclusive community, and preparing leaders dedicated to ethical conduct and compassionate service.

Accreditation and Membership

Accredited—American Bar Association (ABA), Committee of Bar Examiners—State of California.

Membership—Association of American Law Schools (AALS), Order of the Coif.

Legal Research Center (LRC)

The Pardee Legal Research Center offers a full range of traditional printed and state-of-the-art electronic services. Computer legal research systems include those of BNA, CCH, HeinOnline, LegalTrac, LexisNexis, and Westlaw. Among all law libraries at ABA-accredited schools, USD is in the top one-third in collection size with over three quarters of a million in print and electronic titles.

Special Programs

Summer Law Study Abroad—USD School of Law, in cooperation with foreign universities, conducts summer law study programs overseas. The programs introduce American law students to foreign law and legal institutions and provide intensive study during four- to five-week sessions. Classes abroad sensitize students to the cultural differences that influence effective international dealing and expose students to the perspectives of foreign experts.

Clinical Education Program—This program is recognized as one of the most extensive and successful in the nation, including client-based clinics and placement clinics as well as an externship/internship program. In the legal clinics, which close about 620 cases each year, students represent low-income clients in nine areas of law under the supervision of a clinical professor who is a licensed attorney specializing in that area.

Research and Advocacy Institutes—Recently, the school launched two new research institutes: the Center for Corporate and Securities Law and the Center for Intellectual Property Law and Markets. Launched in 2010, the Technology Entrepreneurship Law Clinic provides students with hands-on legal experience by serving local technology start-ups. USD also houses the Center for Public Interest Law, Children's Advocacy Institute, Institute for Law and Philosophy, Center for the Study of Constitutional Originalism, Energy Policy Initiatives Center, and Center for Education Policy and Law.

Concurrent Degrees—Students desiring to concentrate in business or international relations may concurrently pursue the JD/MBA, JD/International MBA, or JD/MA in International Relations.

Legal Writing and Research—Students receive extensive training in a variety of legal skills, including first-year legal writing and research, interviewing, counseling, discovery, trial advocacy, and alternative dispute resolution.

Oral Advocacy—USD's National Moot Court and National Mock Trial teams consistently rank among the finest teams in the nation. Students participate in the Duberstein Moot Court Competition, focusing on appellate brief writing and oral arguments about a pressing issue facing the Bankruptcy Bar. A select few students are given the opportunity to brief and argue appeals through the Ninth Circuit Appellate Clinic.

Campus Highlights

The law school buildings sit directly across from the Student Life Pavilion, a 62,000-square-foot expansion of the Hahn University Center (UC), the nexus of the USD campus. The UC offers 134,000 square feet of office space for student organizations and multiuse areas, including a bakery, deli, grill, mini-grocery store, pizza parlor, and the university's main dining hall.

Student Activities

With more than 40 different groups available, student organizations not only serve the various interests of our students but also develop a sense of community among their members. The active groups promote leadership, conduct orientation programs, provide study assistance, represent group concerns, sponsor speaker programs, and promote community relations. The school's four law journals, the San Diego International Law Journal, the Journal of Contemporary Legal Issues, the San Diego Law Review, and the San Diego Journal of Climate and Energy Law, each offer opportunities to be on the inside of developing legal scholarship.

Financial Aid

The School of Law is committed to providing all possible financial assistance to eligible students whose personal resources are insufficient to meet their educational expenses. Sources of financial aid include over 450 need/merit, merit, and diversity-based scholarships; federal plans, such as work-study programs; the Perkins, Direct, and Graduate PLUS federal loan programs; and institutional loans. Private loan programs are also available to assist law students with supplemental financing.

Career Services

USD Law's Career Services office is committed to supporting all students in achieving their diverse career objectives. Throughout their law school years, students are offered opportunities to explore career options with private law firms, government agencies, and public interest organizations, and to obtain internships, fellowships, and clerkships with federal and state courts nationwide. Traditionally, more than 200 interviewers each year interview USD students on and off campus as part of an extensive recruiting process.

USD's law graduates practice in 50 states, the District of Columbia, and at least 50 foreign countries. For the graduating class of 2010, within nine months of graduation, approximately 85.5 percent were employed or enrolled in a full-time degree program. For the class of 2011, approximately 46.5 percent accepted positions with law firms and 14.4 percent began their careers in public service, including local, state, and federal government; federal courts; and public interest agencies. Others pursued careers in a range of business and corporate positions. The median salary for graduates in private practice was $87,231. The median salary for graduates working in the public sectors was $60,666.

Housing

The USD Department of Residential Life and the School of Law Office of Admissions assist in providing information and resources in locating on- and off-campus accommodations.

Applicant Profile

University of San Diego School of Law

(Note: This chart is to be used as a general guide only. Nonnumerical factors are also considered.)

	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
LSAT score 175–180	Good	Good	Good	Good	Good	Good	Possible	Unlikely	Unlikely
LSAT score 170–174	Good	Good	Good	Good	Good	Good	Possible	Unlikely	Unlikely
LSAT score 165–169	Good	Good	Good	Good	Good	Possible	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely
LSAT score 160–164	Good	Good	Good	Good	Good	Possible	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely
LSAT score 155–159	Good	Good	Possible	Possible	Possible	Possible	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely
LSAT score 150–154	Possible	Possible	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely
LSAT score 145–149	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely
LSAT score 140–144	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely
LSAT score 135–139	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely
LSAT score 130–134	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely
LSAT score 125–129	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely
LSAT score 120–124	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely

Good  = Good Possibility

Possible  = Possible

Unlikely  = Unlikely