Widener University Delaware Law School
The information on this page was provided by the law school.
Official Guide to ABA-Approved JD Programs
Widener University Delaware Law School is unique among American law schools. Located in Wilmington, Delaware, the nation’s corporate and business capital, Delaware Law School offers flexible schedules in day and evening divisions and extensive opportunities to gain practical experience in clinics, externships, and pro bono placements in Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey, and throughout the region.
The rich curriculum is taught by a faculty committed to personal attention, and all students have abundant opportunities to gain feedback on written and oral work. The full-time faculty is supplemented by a distinguished group of adjuncts, which includes federal bankruptcy judges and numerous state court judges, as well as practicing attorneys from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware.
The school is a member of the AALS and is accredited by the ABA.
The JD Program
Delaware Law School offers a flexible Juris Doctor program, pairing in-classroom learning with out-of-classroom experiences, developing practice-ready graduates. The three-year, full-time program, as well as the four-year, part-time program with evening classes, enable students to choose the schedule that best balances their life and work commitments. The JD program requires a minimum of 90 credits of coursework, 12 of which must be experiential in nature. The Delaware Law School curriculum is designed to develop a fundamental understanding of law and the legal process while providing the practical skills necessary to be a professional and competent advocate.
A flexible program also means that students have the opportunity to pursue concentrated study through one of five signature programs gaining specialized training, conducting breakthrough research, participating in advocacy work, and shaping public policy. The Delaware Law School offers concentrated study in Delaware corporate and business law; advocacy, technology and public service; environmental rights; family health law and policy; and dignity rights.
The JD program, coupled with the support of our large alumni network, provides the foundation for our graduates to confidently pursue a wide variety of career paths, achieving success and personal fulfillment along the way.
Special Programs and Opportunities
Delaware Law School is a leader in developing a coordinated lawyering skills program, which includes clinical practice, externships, and pro bono placements.
Clinics are designed to permit students to represent actual clients before courts and administrative boards while under the supervision of the clinic director. Delaware Law School operates the fourth oldest environmental law clinic in the country, a veteran’s law clinic, a Delaware civil clinic focusing on family matters, a Pennsylvania criminal defense clinic, Innocence Delaware legal clinic providing representation to those unjustly incarcerated, and a dignity rights clinic. A large number of supervised externships permit students to work as lawyers-in-training with state and county government agencies and nonprofit organizations. 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. A unique program allows top students to apply to clerk for justices of the Delaware Supreme Court.
The Public Interest Resource Center cultivates pro bono volunteer opportunities for students in public interest agencies and government offices throughout the region and offers counseling and guidance to students who seek careers in public interest law.
Delaware Law offers opportunities for specialized study in family health law and policy, business organizations, advocacy and technology, criminal law, environmental law, and dignity rights.
The Family Health Law & Policy Institute provides research, policy analysis, and specialty education dedicated to the reform of laws and policies relating to the intersections of families and their health, broadly construed. The institute offers extensive opportunities for experiential learning.
The Institute of Delaware Corporate and Business Law offers a concentrated course of study focused on developing a fundamental knowledge of business and corporate law. The institute also sponsors the highly respected Delaware Journal of Corporate Law and a speakers series featuring justices and other corporate law luminaries.
The Taishoff Advocacy, Technology, and Public Service Institute provides extensive litigation skills training and cutting-edge experience in the role of emerging technologies in litigation.
The Global Environmental Rights Institute allows students and faculty to work together to promote environmental interests locally and globally and harnesses the expertise of nationally and internationally renowned faculty members to provide students with abundant opportunities to learn, practice, and conduct research in new areas, including toxic torts, climate change, and environmental constitutionalism.
The Dignity Rights Institute is the only program at any American law school focusing on the theme of human dignity in law. It aims to set human dignity in action through public and professional experiential learning and high-impact lawyering and advocacy.
Delaware Law School offers two joint-degree programs: JD/MBA with Widener University and JD/MPH with Thomas Jefferson University.
Student Life
Campus Facilities, Housing, Student Activities
The attractive 34-acre campus is located in the heart of the beautiful Brandywine River Valley. The law building houses the Legal Information Center, faculty offices, clinics, technologically enhanced classrooms, and three moot courtrooms.
Delaware Law School is one of very few law schools in the country that offers residential campus housing for JD students. Single-occupancy, fully furnished residence halls provide a convenient and comfortable living option for first-year students. Internet, cable, central air and heat, a refrigerator, and a microwave are included. Bathroom facilities, as well as kitchen and laundry rooms, are shared by residents on each wing. For students seeking a healthy lifestyle choice with no alcohol consumption, a wellness wing is available. For upper-level students, one- and two-bedroom townhomes are also available. All townhomes are fully furnished, cable-ready, air conditioned, equipped with a washer and dryer, and offer both Ethernet and wireless Internet access. Campus housing provides easy access to all classrooms and physical facilities, and students enjoy all the area has to offer from cultural and recreational activities to nearby retail and dining options. An exercise room, abundant green space, 24-hour security, and ample free parking are also provided. All campus housing is offered on a nine-month lease based on the academic calendar.
Students publish the prestigious Delaware Journal of Corporate Law and the Widener Law Review. Students also compete in intraschool, regional, and national interschool moot court and trial competitions. With more than 25 student organizations at Delaware Law, students can immerse themselves in the campus community through participation in an affinity group or particular legal interest society, or by attending a myriad of social and networking events.
Career Placement and Bar Passage
Tuition and Aid
| Expense | Cost |
|---|---|
| Tuition |
$57,376.00
|
| Fees |
$120.00
|
| Expected Cost of Attendance |
$77,251.00
|
At Delaware Law we are committed to making legal education affordable while also recognizing the significant achievements of our applicants. Our generous scholarship program provides renewable awards that vary but can be as high as $111,000 over the course of a student’s full-time legal education. Our awards are intended to recognize and honor the many and distinctive academic, personal and professional accomplishments of our entering students. Delaware Law merit-based scholarships are awarded at the time of acceptance and are renewable for up to three years for full-time students and four years for part-time students provided the student maintains satisfactory academic performance.
The Financial Aid Office is committed to assisting students throughout the financial aid process. In addition to a generous scholarship program with awards offered at the time of admission, Delaware Law School provides the opportunity to borrow through our low-interest-rate Institutional Loan Program, to students who academically excel in their first year of law school. Delaware Law School participates in all federal financial aid programs, including Federal Work-Study and the Federal Direct Loans programs.
Admission Decisions: Beyond the Numbers
In reviewing applications to Delaware Law School, our admission committee takes a holistic approach. While there are no fixed admission criteria, committee members pay particular attention to the applicant’s LSAT score and undergraduate grade-point average. The admission committee also 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 the Delaware Law School website or your LSAC.org account. All communications to applicants, including admission decisions, are provided electronically through the applicant’s online status check.
Each summer, Delaware Law School 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.