Widener University School of Law

Introduction

Widener University School of Law is unique among American law schools. Widener has two campuses—one in Wilmington, Delaware, the corporate and banking center of the United States, and the other in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, the state capital and a major center of government and commerce. Each campus offers a comprehensive curriculum of basic and advanced courses complemented by one of the most extensive clinical and skills programs in the country. The Harrisburg campus features a unique admission and academic cooperative program with the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education.

The rich curriculum is taught by a faculty committed to personal attention and individual counseling so that all students will be encouraged to fulfill their potential. The full-time faculty is supplemented by a distinguished group of adjuncts, including two justices of the Delaware Supreme Court, two justices of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, US Vice President Joseph Biden, and numerous lower court judges from Pennsylvania, Delaware, and New Jersey. The school is a member of the AALS and is accredited by the ABA.

Library and Physical Facilities

The Legal Information Center houses one of the most significant legal collections in the region. The combined collections of the Delaware and Harrisburg campuses exceed 200,000 volumes. The library is a selective depository for United States government documents.

The attractive 34-acre Delaware campus is located in the heart of the beautiful Brandywine River Valley. The law building houses the Legal Information Center, state-of-the-art computer facilities, faculty offices, clinics, traditional and technologically enhanced classrooms, and three moot courtrooms. The scenic 19-acre Harrisburg campus is located in a contemporary complex within minutes of the state capital.

Special Programs and Institutes

Widener is a leader in developing a coordinated lawyering skills program. The program includes clinical practice, externship placements, and comprehensive simulations.

Clinics are designed to permit students to represent actual clients under the supervision of the clinic director before courts and administrative boards. Widener operates Environmental Law, Criminal Defense, Delaware Civil, Harrisburg Civil, and Veterans Affairs clinics. A large number of supervised externships permit students to work as lawyers-in-training with state and county government agencies and nonprofit corporations. An extensive judicial externship program places students with state and federal courts at both the trial and appellate levels in Washington, DC; Delaware; Maryland; New Jersey; Pennsylvania; and Virginia. Additional public interest service opportunities are also available.

The Public Interest Resource Center on the Delaware campus and the Public Interest Initiative on the Harrisburg campus cultivate pro bono volunteer opportunities for students in public interest agencies and government offices throughout Delaware, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey; offer counseling and guidance to students who seek careers in public interest law; and recognize students and faculty for exceptional contributions to public service.

Widener offers certificate programs for specialized study in health law, law and government, business organizations law, advocacy and technology, criminal law, and environmental law.

The Health Law Institute on the Delaware campus provides research, policy analysis, and specialty education for those seeking a career in the area of health law. The Law and Government Institute on the Harrisburg campus provides hands-on experience with the operation and structure of government as well as practice before government agencies. The Institute of Delaware Corporate and Business Law on the Delaware campus provides a fundamental knowledge of business law through the Business Organizations Law concentration, which serves as a predicate to advanced practice in business and corporate law. The Taishoff Advocacy, Technology, and Public Service Institute on the Delaware campus provides the extensive litigation skills that are essential to being a competent, professionally responsible trial advocate. The Advocacy Program on the Harrisburg campus offers specialized courses and practice opportunities, leading to a certificate, for students interested in a career in litigation. The Environmental Law Center on both campuses harnesses the expertise of seven nationally and internationally recognized environmental law faculty members to provide students with extensive opportunities to engage in environmental law through coursework, externships, and training skills. Additionally, both campuses offer a seven-day Intensive Trial Advocacy Program supervised by outstanding local trial lawyers and judges.

Widener offers five joint-degree programs. The JD/MBA is offered in conjunction with the university's School of Business Administration. The JD/PsyD is offered in conjunction with the university's Institute for Graduate Clinical Psychology. The JD/MPH is offered in conjunction with Thomas Jefferson University. The JD/MSLS is offered in conjunction with Clarion University of Pennsylvania. The JD/MMP is offered in conjunction with the University of Delaware.

Study-Abroad Opportunities

Widener students have the opportunity to study international and comparative law while living abroad. Widener offers study-abroad programs in Nairobi, Kenya; Lausanne, Switzerland; Sydney, Australia; Venice, Italy; and Chongqing, China.

Student Activities

Selected Delaware students publish the Delaware Journal of Corporate Law and the Widener Law Review. Selected Harrisburg students publish the Widener Law Journal. Delaware and Harrisburg students may also be eligible to participate in our online journal, the Widener Journal of Law, Economics and Race. Students on both campuses compete in regional and national interschool moot court and trial competitions. Student organizations provide opportunities for intrascholastic and interscholastic competitions, public service, and association with others who share the same interests.

Admission

While there are no fixed admission criteria, great weight is given to the applicant's LSAT score and undergraduate grade-point average. The Admissions Committee carefully considers an applicant's personal statement. Graduate degrees, writing samples, extracurricular activities, and community and professional service may enhance the application. The law school encourages those with diverse backgrounds to apply.

Applications for admission must be received by May 15. Admission decisions are made on a rolling basis, and applicants are encouraged to apply early.

The admission process is paperless. All applications and supporting documents must be submitted electronically via law.widener.edu or LSAC.org. All communications to applicants, including admission decisions, are provided through the applicant's account in Widener's admissions web portal at law.widener.edu/admissions.

Each summer, Widener conducts the Trial Admissions Program (TAP) for a small number of carefully selected applicants who show potential for success in law school despite a relatively low score on the LSAT or a lower undergraduate grade-point average. TAP is a conditional admittance program. Participants who successfully complete the six-week program are offered admission to the fall entering class.

Financial Aid

The Financial Aid Office is committed to assisting students throughout the financial aid process. In addition to merit-based scholarships offered at the time of admission to well-qualified applicants based upon their overall application, Widener Law awards a substantial amount of merit-based scholarships and the opportunity to borrow through our low-interest-rate Institutional Loan Program to students who academically excel in their first year of law school. Widener Law participates in all federal financial aid programs, including Federal Work-Study and the Federal Direct Loan Programs.

Career Development

The Career Development Office is strongly committed to helping students obtain the positions that best suit their individual needs and ambitions.

Widener's employment statistics are evidence of its success in helping graduates find a niche in the contemporary job market. Widener alumni have become judges in Delaware, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania; members of the legislature; partners in major regional law firms; hospital administrators; and legal educators.

Applicant Profile

Widener University School of Law

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	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
LSAT score 170–174	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	0	0	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	2
LSAT score 165–169	1	0	3	3	3	3	5	5	1	1	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	15	14
LSAT score 160–164	15	13	23	20	18	18	20	20	10	7	9	9	2	1	5	5	1	1	1	0	104	94
LSAT score 155–159	46	43	62	59	78	76	59	54	35	33	37	34	13	12	9	8	2	2	6	2	347	323
LSAT score 150–154	59	58	118	113	127	120	166	153	109	96	69	59	52	44	21	14	4	3	6	1	731	661
LSAT score 145–149	44	23	75	34	130	60	196	72	158	55	99	32	63	21	28	5	7	2	23	3	823	307
LSAT score 140–144	15	1	45	6	72	2	92	3	102	2	63	1	36	0	14	0	3	0	14	0	456	15
LSAT score 135–139	6	0	14	0	27	0	21	0	26	0	24	0	17	0	15	0	4	0	8	0	162	0
LSAT score 130–134	0	0	2	0	5	0	7	0	10	0	5	0	8	0	6	0	1	0	4	0	48	0
LSAT score 125–129	0	0	0	0	3	0	3	0	3	0	5	0	0	0	3	0	2	0	2	1	21	1
LSAT score 120–124	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	0	3	0	1	0	1	0	0	0	1	0	8	0
Total	186	138	342	235	463	279	571	308	455	194	316	137	192	78	102	32	24	8	66	8	2717	1417

Apps = Number of Applicants
Adm = Number Admitted
Reflects 98% of the total applicant pool; highest LSAT data reported.

The grid includes applicants admitted based upon successful completion of our Trial Admissions Program, rather than upon their LSAT score and undergraduate grade-point average. Additionally, nonnumerical factors are considered for all applicants.