Emory University School of Law

Introduction

Emory's location in Atlanta, a national business and legal center, gives law students the opportunity to take advanced classes from, and work with, some of the leading judges and lawyers in the United States. Atlanta also is one of America's most beautiful and culturally diverse cities.

The law school also benefits from being located on the campus of Emory University, which was founded in 1836. Emory University School of Law is accredited by the American Bar Association, is a member of the Association of American Law Schools, and has a chapter of the Order of the Coif.

Curriculum

The basic program of study involves three years of full-time study leading to the JD degree. The fall semester runs from late August to mid-December; the spring semester begins in early January and ends in mid-May.

The program of courses for the first year is generally prescribed, though beginning with the spring 2011 semester, first-year students may choose one elective. The program of courses for the second and third years primarily is elective. Students can sample a broad spectrum of courses or concentrate on a particular area of law.

All first-year courses and the basic second- and third-year courses are taught by full-time faculty members. A distinguished group of judges and practicing attorneys offer specialized courses.

Library and Physical Facilities

Emory School of Law is located in Gambrell Hall, part of Emory's 630-acre campus in Druid Hills, six miles southeast of downtown Atlanta.

Gambrell Hall contains classrooms, faculty offices, administrative offices, student-organization offices, and a 325-seat auditorium. The school provides wireless Internet access throughout its facilities. Gambrell Hall also houses a state-of-the-art courtroom with computer connections for judge, counsel, and jury; a document camera; a DVD player; videoconferencing; and a four-camera operation with feeds to remote locations.

The Hugh F. MacMillan Law Library sits adjacent to Gambrell Hall and is designed for easy student access. Students are trained on LexisNexis and Westlaw terminals and learn both the techniques of computer-assisted legal research and traditional research methods. Students also may use the library's computer labs that offer Apple and PC computers.

Special Programs

Emory Law combines a practical and disciplined approach toward the study of law with a commitment to providing students with experiential learning opportunities that engage them in the many roles the law plays in our society. Our students engage with the law through learning opportunities that create graduates who are ready to apply their knowledge to make an impact in real and significant ways, as lawyers and as citizens of the world. We teach the practice of law through our outstanding programs in trial techniques, intellectual property, child advocacy, and environmental law, as well as through expanded emphasis on transactional skills. Our centers of excellence in law and religion, world law, feminism and legal theory, and transactional law are interdisciplinary, integrative, and international in approach.

Emory's Trial Techniques Program affords our students exposure to the challenges of conducting direct and cross-examination, developing a case theory and approach, and conducting opening and closing arguments. More than half of the students participate in Emory's field placement program, where students may earn academic credit while clerking for a federal judge, researching intellectual property issues for major corporations such as the Coca-Cola Company, and representing clients on behalf of Atlanta Legal Aid.

Emory Law's Center for Transactional Law and Practice is at the forefront of educating students and professionals on topics related to business transactions. Students participate through Emory's Transactional Law Certificate Program, while the center offers a number of workshops and seminars designed specifically for practicing attorneys. The center also regularly hosts a conference for educators in the area of teaching transactional skills.

Students also may gain practical experience in intellectual property and corporate/commercial law by participating in TI:GER (Technological Innovation: Generating Economic Results), a program of technology and business law cosponsored by Emory's School of Law and Economics Department and Georgia Institute of Technology's Dupree School of Management. Students may participate in one of Emory's own clinics: the Barton Child Law and Policy Center, working to promote and protect the well-being of neglected and abused children; the Barton Juvenile Defender Clinic, representing children charged with delinquent acts; the Turner Environmental Law Clinic, offering a practical clinical education to the aspiring environmental attorney; or the International Humanitarian Law Clinic, focusing on upholding the rule of law on behalf of detainees and on educating and training officials on humanitarian law in war-torn countries.

Emory offers a comprehensive international law program and is home to the World Law Institute. Emory Law capitalizes on the presence of other strong campus programs by combining coursework and programs to create unique and synergistic programs of study. The law school offers joint-degree programs with Emory's Goizueta Business School, Candler School of Theology, School of Public Health, and the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.

Admission

The law school accepts beginning students for the fall term only. Prior to enrollment, a student must have earned a bachelor's degree from an approved institution. Applications for admission must be received by Emory no later than March 1. Early applications are encouraged. Many factors are considered in making admission decisions. Of particular importance are academic accomplishments and LSAT scores. Extracurricular activities, work experience, level of quality and difficulty of undergraduate courses, performance in graduate school, and letters of recommendation are also considered. We encourage applications from members of underrepresented groups, and such applicants should provide the Dean of Admission with specific information about their background or accomplishments that would be of particular interest. Applicants are encouraged to visit the law school. Upon acceptance, applicants are required to submit a nonrefundable $750 tuition deposit to reserve a space in the entering class.

Student Activities

A wide variety of organizations and activities are available to students. There are three law reviews at Emory—Emory Law Journal, Emory Bankruptcy Developments Journal, and Emory International Law Review—and more than 30 percent of the second- and third-year students are involved in law review research, writing, and editing.

Students also participate in moot court and mock trial. Each first-year student prepares a brief and presents an oral argument. In addition, many second- and third-year students compete in intramural and national moot court competitions.

There are approximately 40 student organizations reflecting a broad range of special interest and social groups as well as a very active Student Bar Association.

Career Services

A full-time career services office assists students in obtaining permanent, summer, and part-time employment. It arranges interviews with employers from many parts of the country and maintains extensive files on a wide variety of professional opportunities across the United States. Many Emory graduates join private law firms after graduation. Others work as judicial clerks, enter government service, or work for banks, corporations, or legal aid agencies.

The majority of Emory's students stay in the Southeast. Approximately 25 percent work in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic. Smaller percentages work in the Midwest, Southwest, and West.

The career services office provides extensive training on résumé writing, interview skills, and job-search techniques, as well as numerous opportunities to network with attorneys in a variety of practice areas and settings.

Applicant Profile

Emory University School of Law

	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	Possible	Possible	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely
LSAT score 170–174	Good	Good	Good	Possible	Possible	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely
LSAT score 165–169	Good	Good	Good	Possible	Possible	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely
LSAT score 160–164	Good	Good	Good	Possible	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely
LSAT score 155–159	Possible	Possible	Possible	Possible	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely
LSAT score 150–154	Possible	Possible	Possible	Possible	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

Note: This graph reflects admission decisions for fall 2011 and is to be used only as a general guide to determining chances for admittance.