Office of Admissions, Sydney Lewis Hall
Lexington, VA 24450
Phone: 540.458.8503; Fax: 540.458.8586
E-mail: LawAdm@wlu.edu; Website: www.law.wlu.edu
Washington and Lee University School of Law, founded in 1849, is located in Lexington, Virginia, a three-hour interstate highway drive from Washington, DC. The School of Law is fully accredited by the ABA and is a member of the AALS. Washington and Lee is known for providing its students with an academically rigorous and professionally challenging legal education in an environment characterized by a commitment to students, small classes, a very low student-to-faculty ratio, and a collegial community. The law school is among the nation's smallest law schools with approximately 400 total students. Members of the 2011–12 student body hail from 37 states, 5 foreign countries, and 203 different undergraduate institutions.
W&L Law offers an innovative curriculum in which students are engaged in distinct yet complimentary ways over the course of their three years in law school. Students encounter a linear sequence of learning experiences rooted in the basic assumption that each year of law school should build upon the lessons of its predecessor but also present new and different challenges. The third year is entirely experiential with students learning the law through a considered blend of real and simulated client-based practice experiences.
The W&L community is governed by an Honor System that is the foundation for academic and student life at the university. The Honor System is an integral part of a professional education that fosters a sensitivity to the ethical imperatives of the legal profession. The Honor System means that the library is always open; students feel comfortable leaving bags, computers, books, and any number of other valuables unattended; exams are unproctored; the exam schedule for upper-level students is flexible; and professors are free to give take-home examinations.
All first-year classes are required. During their first year of law school, students encounter a broad and diverse selection of foundational subjects, setting a solid base for their course of upper-level study. In their second year, students augment several required classes with elective courses. The third year blends classic academic and professional values with a view toward deliberately preparing students for the transition to law practice, and integrates cognitive learning, practical skills, and development of professional identity.
Each semester of the third year begins with intensive preparatory instruction. This two-week course is followed by elective offerings in the full range of traditional subject matter, as well as clinical or extern experiences. In realistic settings that simulate actual client experiences, students exercise professional judgment, work in teams, solve problems, counsel clients, negotiate solutions, and serve as advocates and counselors—the full complement of professional skills required to apply legal theory and legal doctrines to real-world issues and serve clients ethically and honorably within the highest traditions of the profession. In addition, a semester-long course on the legal profession is also required. Students can expect rigorous intellectual content, intense evaluation, thoughtful guidance, and meaningful feedback. For additional details about the third-year curriculum, visit www.law.wlu.edu/thirdyear.
Offerings in corporate and business law, international law, health law, and civil and criminal litigation are particularly strong. A wide variety of clinical programs and externships provide opportunities for hands-on experience as part of the academic program. Clinics include the Virginia Capital Case Clearinghouse, established to assist attorneys representing clients charged with or convicted of capital crimes; the Black Lung Legal Clinic, in which students represent coal miners seeking disability benefits under federal law; the Community Legal Practice Center, which provides a range of legal services to qualified area residents; the Tax Clinic, in which students represent low-income taxpayers in controversies with the Internal Revenue Service; the Public Prosecutors Program, in which students assist federal and state prosecutors with investigations, trial preparation, pretrial and trial practice, and appeals; the Criminal Justice Clinic, in which students defend area residents accused of misdemeanors; the Citizenship and Immigration program, through which students focus on resolving legal disputes related to immigration and naturalization; the Judicial Externship Program, through which students act as law clerks to trial, appellate, juvenile and domestic relations, and federal bankruptcy judges; the General Externship Program, through which students may pursue individual placements; and various Transnational offerings in which students work on live legal issues in Liberia, Cambodia, the European Court of Human Rights, and the International Criminal Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia.
JD/MHA. With Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) in Richmond, W&L Law offers a program through which students can receive a JD and a Master in Health Administration on an accelerated basis. Dual-degree candidates must be accepted for the program by both VCU and W&L; a portion of the degree requirements are taken on the campus of each university.
LLM in United States Law. W&L Law offers a one-year program in United States law to attorneys who hold a foreign law degree.
Students have four journal opportunities: the Washington and Lee Law Review, a quarterly journal for scholarly discussion of legal issues; the Journal of Civil Rights and Social Justice, focusing on legal issues having an impact on racial and ethnic minorities; the Journal of Energy, Climate, and the Environment, devoted to environmental and natural resources issues and state and federal environmental legislation and regulation; and the German Law Journal, an online journal that publishes commentary and scholarship in the fields of German, European, and international law. For more information about extracurricular writing opportunities at W&L Law, please see www.law.wlu.edu/journals. A variety of moot court and advocacy competitions allow upper-level students to hone advocacy, counseling, negotiation, and trial skills. All second- and third-year students may participate in the moot court competitions.
W&L Law students have established over 50 student groups, including the Black Law Students Association, Asian Pacific American Law Students Association, Women Law Students Organization, OUTLaw, Jewish Law Students Association, Christian Legal Society, Law Families, Federalist Society, American Constitution Society, National Lawyers Guild, and chapters of three national professional fraternities. For a complete listing of organizations, please see law.wlu.edu/directory/studentorgs.asp.
W&L Law actively seeks a diverse student body whose members are of different racial, ethnic, economic, and geographic backgrounds. The admission process is highly individualized. Students are not ranked by any numerical index, nor is there an assigned weight given to any objective or subjective factor presented in the application.
The Admissions Committee considers not only the cumulative undergraduate grade-point average, but also trends in grades, the rigor of an applicant's academic program, the quality of the school attended, the LSAT score, extracurricular activities, community service, evidence of leadership, graduate study, work experience, assessments of recommenders, and any information presented in the applicant's personal statement. Admission officers will interview applicants upon request. Applicants are encouraged to visit the school to sit in on classes, tour the facility, and talk with students and faculty. A generous scholarship endowment allows W&L Law to assist a large percentage of its students with merit-based scholarship awards.
W&L Law graduates practice in every state and throughout the world. More than 70 percent of recent graduates practice outside Virginia. The three counseling professionals in the Office of Career Planning and Professional Development (OCP) hold JD degrees and work with each student individually to develop a unique career plan. OCP provides instruction in résumé and cover letter writing, networking, and other career development skills. It also provides programming on a wide variety of practice specialties and settings, and acts as a liaison between students and legal employers. Law students interview with prospective employers on campus, at a satellite location in Charlottesville, and at programs throughout the United States. An active and committed alumni network assists students with contacts in every state and a variety of practice areas.
Sydney Lewis Hall, home of the School of Law, was built in 1976 and expanded in 1991 with the addition of the Lewis F. Powell Jr. Archives, which house the Supreme Court and professional papers of retired Supreme Court Justice Powell, a graduate of the university's college and law school. Wireless Internet access is available throughout the building. Every classroom has been renovated within the past 10 years and is equipped with state-of-the-art technology; the moot courtroom was completely renovated in 2006. The building, including the law library, is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
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 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 8 |
| LSAT score 170–174 | 42 | 41 | 33 | 27 | 21 | 17 | 22 | 13 | 12 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 142 | 104 |
| LSAT score 165–169 | 151 | 142 | 225 | 200 | 167 | 95 | 90 | 37 | 38 | 3 | 14 | 2 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 14 | 3 | 710 | 485 |
| LSAT score 160–164 | 265 | 157 | 349 | 72 | 282 | 11 | 176 | 10 | 42 | 0 | 23 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 0 | 1184 | 252 |
| LSAT score 155–159 | 145 | 41 | 257 | 16 | 246 | 9 | 143 | 7 | 48 | 1 | 19 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 880 | 74 |
| LSAT score 150–154 | 78 | 14 | 137 | 15 | 146 | 10 | 124 | 2 | 42 | 3 | 21 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 579 | 44 |
| LSAT score 145–149 | 19 | 0 | 35 | 0 | 53 | 0 | 57 | 0 | 36 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 234 | 0 |
| LSAT score 140–144 | 5 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 28 | 0 | 26 | 0 | 22 | 0 | 17 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 139 | 0 |
| LSAT score 135–139 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 54 | 0 |
| LSAT score 130–134 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| LSAT score 125–129 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 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 | 711 | 398 | 1065 | 331 | 956 | 145 | 654 | 70 | 258 | 11 | 134 | 4 | 61 | 4 | 23 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 89 | 4 | 3960 | 967 |
Apps = Number of Applicants
Adm = Number Admitted
Reflects 100% of the total applicant pool; highest LSAT data reported.