William H. Gates Hall, Box 353020
Seattle, WA 98195-3020
Phone: 206.543.4078; Fax: 206.685.4201
E-mail: lawadm@u.washington.edu; Website: www.law.washington.edu
Founded in 1899, the University of Washington School of Law is one of the nation's top public law schools and one of the world's most respected centers for interdisciplinary legal studies. It offers the unmatched assets of a major research university located in Seattle, a thriving city that is one of the world's leading economic and cultural hubs. The School of Law has 67 full-time faculty members and 545 JD students. With the favorable student-to-faculty ratio, classes are generally small, with frequent opportunities for student-teacher contact. Each first-year student attends at least one class of 30 students or fewer in addition to a small section of Legal Analysis, Research, and Writing.
Guided by what is relevant in the 21st century, the School of Law provides students with the skills that give them a competitive edge in the changing legal profession and an awareness of their ethical and public service responsibilities. The law school prepares them to be Leaders for the Global Common Good through inspired teaching, scholarly discovery, ethical advocacy, and generous public service. The school is a member of the AALS, approved by the ABA, and holds a chapter of the Order of the Coif.
The first-year curriculum is prescribed. In the second and third years, all courses are elective except for an advanced writing requirement, a skills course requirement, and a course in professional responsibility. In addition to traditional courses and seminars, advanced students may participate in courses in Trial and Advocacy or one of 12 clinics—Innocence Project Northwest, Bankruptcy Client Representation Project, Mediation, Children and Youth Advocacy, Legislative Advocacy, Workers' Rights, Street Law, Tribal Court Public Defense, Immigration Law, Technology Law and Public Policy, Entrepreneurial Law, or Federal Tax. Students must also perform 60 hours of public service legal work.
Students are encouraged to rely on their initiative and to develop their own powers of perception. Classroom discussion, in which students participate fully, is one means used to assist this development. Independent research projects, either in the context of a seminar or through individualized study under faculty supervision, are also emphasized. Although it is a state law school, Washington's state law is not emphasized unduly. Graduates of the school are prepared to practice law anywhere in the United States or internationally.
Concentration tracks are available in Asian Law, Dispute Resolution, Environmental Law, Health Law, Intellectual Property, International and Comparative Law, and Public Service Law. Advanced degree programs include Asian Law, Global Business Law, Health Law, Intellectual Property Law and Policy, and Taxation (LLM programs), as well as a PhD in Asian and Comparative Law.
Scholarly centers and projects include the Asian Law Center; Barer Institute for Law and Global Human Services; Center for Advanced Study and Research on Intellectual Property (CASRIP); Center for Law in Science and Global Health; Center for Public Service Law; Global Health and Justice Project; Law, Business and Entrepreneurship Program; Law, Technology and Arts; Native American Law Center; Summer Institute in Transnational Law and Practice; Three Degrees Project on climate justice; and the Visiting Scholars Program.
JD students may take courses in any of the LLM programs during their second and third years of study. Additionally, JD students may enroll in graduate-level courses from other disciplines offered at the UW and may count a limited number of those credits toward their JD degree. Students may pursue the JD concurrently with any graduate degree program to which they have been admitted. The UW also offers a highly regarded Master's degree in Law Librarianship.
When selecting its entering class, the law school does not make all of its admission decisions based on predicted academic performance. Other factors include individual achievement, experiences, and diverse backgrounds, such as geographic, racial, ethnic, economic, and/or ideological diversity.
Five Gates Public Service Law (PSL) Scholars are selected annually from among the first-year students admitted to the UW School of Law JD program. Each Gates PSL Scholar award covers tuition, books, other normal fees, costs of room and board, and incidental expenses. Acceptance of a Gates PSL scholarship represents a commitment on the part of each recipient to work in public service for at least five years following graduation. More information about the program, including the application it requires, may be found at www.law.washington.edu/GatesScholar.
The Washington Law Review, Pacific Rim Law and Policy Journal, Washington Journal of Environmental Law and Policy, and the Washington Journal of Law, Technology & Arts are edited and published by students. In addition to these four academic journals, there are over 50 active student organizations, societies, forums, clubs, and community service projects.
The law school is located in Seattle, Washington, a haven for both city dwellers and outdoor enthusiasts. Renowned for its coffee shops, farmers' markets, mountain and water views, and vibrant arts scene, the city provides countless opportunities for both personal and professional growth. Some of the most prominent businesses in the area include Boeing, Microsoft, Nordstrom, Starbucks, Nintendo, Expedia, Costco, Amazon, and REI. Seattle is also an innovative center for medical, biomedical, and biotechnology research and is a living laboratory for natural resource and environmental protection efforts.
The Center for Professional and Leadership Development (CPLD) provides professional development coaching, recruiting opportunities, electronic job-search tools, and special events to students to help them advance their careers. Relationships matter in the practice of the law, and many of the events and activities are planned to create and promote new relationships among attorneys, alumni, and UW School of Law students.
The law school invites prospective students to visit a large-section, first-year class. The schedule can be found at www.law.washington.edu/admissions/Visit.
The law school moved into its $80-million facility in September 2003. The building is named for William H. Gates Sr., a 1950 graduate of the UW School of Law and father of the Microsoft cofounder. Gates Hall provides wired and wireless network connections, high-speed network printing, access to media resources for group projects, trial advocacy and class presentations, and smart-podium technology that supports audio and video podcasting. Multifunctional classrooms create a stimulating learning environment. The Marian Gould Gallagher Law Library, which houses the largest public legal collection in the Pacific Northwest, is an invaluable resource for students and practitioners alike.
This grid includes only applicants who earned 120–180 LSAT scores under standard administrations.
| GPA | ||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LSAT Score |
3.75+ Apps |
3.75+ Adm |
3.50– 3.74 Apps |
3.50– 3.74 Adm |
3.25– 3.49 Apps |
3.25– 3.49 Adm |
3.00– 3.24 Apps |
3.00– 3.24 Adm |
2.75– 2.99 Apps |
2.75– 2.99 Adm |
2.50– 2.74 Apps |
2.50– 2.74 Adm |
2.25– 2.49 Apps |
2.25– 2.49 Adm |
2.00– 2.24 Apps |
2.00– 2.24 Adm |
Below 2.00 Apps |
Below 2.00 Adm |
No GPA Apps |
No GPA Adm |
Total Apps |
Total Adm |
| LSAT score 175–180 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 13 |
| LSAT score 170–174 | 49 | 34 | 56 | 40 | 38 | 19 | 18 | 2 | 8 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 174 | 96 |
| LSAT score 165–169 | 149 | 98 | 192 | 93 | 102 | 34 | 57 | 15 | 25 | 1 | 10 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 11 | 556 | 252 |
| LSAT score 160–164 | 209 | 84 | 290 | 60 | 180 | 17 | 107 | 14 | 25 | 0 | 15 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 39 | 5 | 874 | 181 |
| LSAT score 155–159 | 118 | 15 | 169 | 12 | 128 | 1 | 72 | 2 | 35 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 554 | 31 |
| LSAT score 150–154 | 43 | 4 | 58 | 4 | 67 | 1 | 59 | 0 | 25 | 0 | 19 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 285 | 9 |
| LSAT score 145–149 | 8 | 0 | 22 | 0 | 21 | 0 | 24 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 103 | 0 |
| LSAT score 140–144 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 54 | 0 |
| LSAT score 135–139 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 0 |
| LSAT score 130–134 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| LSAT score 125–129 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| LSAT score 120–124 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 579 | 238 | 802 | 215 | 553 | 74 | 362 | 35 | 142 | 3 | 74 | 1 | 27 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 95 | 16 | 2649 | 582 |
Apps = Number of Applicants
Adm = Number Admitted
Reflects 100% of the total applicant pool; highest LSAT data reported.