- New York University School of Law Introduction
- About the New York University School of Law
- What Does the New York University School of Law Offer?
- NYU Law writing and experiential requirements
- Class of 2025 Acceptance Rate and Statistics
- Class of 2021 Post-Graduation Statistics
- FAQs
New York University School of Law Introduction
The New York University (NYU) School of Law was ranked seventh in U.S. News & World Report’s 2023 Best Law Schools list. US House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries; John F. Kennedy, Jr.; and Amal Clooney all attended the school. NYU Law’s Manhattan location, impressive list of alumni, and distinguished faculty make the school the first choice of many aspiring JDs.
The school is located in Greenwich Village, which is one of the most popular areas in New York City. The neighborhood is home to many bars and restaurants but also offers easy proximity to places of interest to law students, such as the United Nations, the New York City Council, and the Southern District of New York Courthouse.
Although thousands of people apply to NYU Law each year, only around 1,500 typically receive an acceptance letter. This reality can deter some from applying. However, if your test scores and grades are within range of the school’s median acceptance and you think NYU Law would be a good fit for you, it is worth applying! In addition to having competitive stats, it helps to know some key facts about the school to enrich your application.
In this blog post, we at Stratus walk you through what you need to know to increase your chances of getting into NYU Law.
About the New York University School of Law
History
NYU Law is one of New York University’s 19 schools. Founded in 1835, the law school is one of the older ones in the top 14. NYU opened the law school only four years after the university’s own founding.
Acceptance rate and class size
The law school has an acceptance rate of 14.5%, and 1,820 students are currently enrolled. A typical class consists of close to 500 students. NYU Law’s class sizes are generally larger than those of other schools in the top 14, which creates a richer alumni network.
Post-graduate status
NYU Law’s Class of 2021 had a bar passage rate of about 98%, and around 95% are working in positions that require passing the bar. Only four are looking for employment and are unable to find a job. Although 20% of a typical law school graduation class elsewhere will eventually clerk, NYU Law’s alumni have collectively landed 600 clerkships in the last five years, 173 of which have been with a federal court.
Faculty
NYU Law’s almost 400 faculty members include several prominent professors such as criminal law expert Rachel Barkow and civil rights activist Bryan Stevenson.
What Does the New York University School of Law Offer?
First-year curriculum
First-year students are required to take classes in procedure, contracts, criminal law, tort law, and state legislation. Students also enroll in “The Lawyering Program,” which teaches them real-world skills including writing, researching, interviewing, and negotiating. In the second semester, students can take one elective from the following list of topics: constitutional law, income taxation, criminal procedure, corporations, property, intellectual property, and international law. Students also participate in a reading group during their first year. Even though NYU Law students are not required to take “Property” and “Constitutional Law” during their first year, they must take both courses before they graduate. As is typical at other law schools, students must also complete a legal professions course before they graduate.
NYU Law offers more than 300 courses each year. Some have more than 100 students, while others have fewer than 10. Many classes revolve around lectures, with one end-of-semester exam determining the student’s grade. Other courses are seminars whose grades are based on papers and class participation. Lecture courses are often standard courses covering such topics as property, constitutional law, and international law, while seminars usually cover more niche areas including animal law and disability law.
NYU Law writing and experiential requirements
NYU Law requires students to complete six experiential credits, three of which they will earn during their first year. Students must also fulfill a writing requirement before graduating by either submitting an independent paper of at least 10,000 words or taking two courses that entail writing a paper with a minimum of 5,000 words.
Clinics and externships
NYU Law has approximately 50 clinics and externships, and participating in one counts toward the school’s experiential credit requirement. Some clinics cover more traditional areas of law such as housing law and family law, while others focus on more niche areas including diplomacy law and state legislative law. Through NYU’s clinics and externships, students have the opportunity to work on issues impacting New York City or areas throughout the world.
Student clubs
The roughly 80 clubs at NYU Law address a variety of legal causes and social issues. Notable clubs on campus include the European Legal Society, the Space Law Society, and the Prosecution Legal Society. Participating in the school’s clubs enables students to further explore their legal interests and connect with their classmates by, for example, contributing to discussions and organizing social events.
Journals
NYU Law publishes ten student journals, three faculty journals, three law school publications, and four blogs. These journals provide students the opportunity to publish their own work, take part in conferences and symposiums, and edit papers from leading academics.
Centers
NYU Law’s 38 centers include some of the most prominent law school centers in the world. The Brennan Center for Justice, which focuses on election and democracy issues, and the Reiss Center on Law and Security, which focuses on national security and international law, are two of the most notable. The Reiss Center runs the popular legal blog Just Security. All of NYU Law’s centers conduct research on various areas of law. They also hold events and bring in other law schools to discuss current issues. Students typically participate by conducting research and organizing events.
Class of 2025 Acceptance Rate and Statistics
During the last application cycle, NYU Law received 10,713 applications and offered admission to 1,556 applicants.
Of the 484 applicants who enrolled in the Class of 2025,
- 57% are women.
- 45% are students of color.
- 68% have been out of college for between one and four years.
- 13% have been out of college for five years or more.
- 14% hold an advanced degree.
In terms of statistics,
- For the LSAT, the 25th percentile was 169, and the 75th percentile was 174. The median was 172.
- The school has not released any information on GRE scores.
- For undergraduate GPA, the 25th percentile was 3.72, and the 75th percentile was 3.94. The median was 3.88.
Students in the Class of 2025 represent 100 colleges, along with 37 states and Washington, DC.
Class of 2021 Post-Graduation Statistics
According to NYU Law’s employment report for the Class of 2021, of the 466 graduates,
- 442 accepted jobs that require passing the bar.
- 15 were working in jobs where having a JD is helpful.
- Three were attending other graduate programs.
- Four were still looking for work.
- The employment status of two was unknown
Among the Class of 2021 graduates, 70.68% accepted positions at law firms of the following types:
- Solo practices: 0.31%
- Firms with two to ten attorneys: 0.93%
- Firms with 11 to 25 attorneys: 0.93%
- Firms with 26 to 50 attorneys: 2.17%
- Firms with 51 to 100 attorneys: 0.62%
- Firms with 101 to 250 attorneys: 2.79%
- Firms with 251 to 500 attorneys: 14.55%
- Firms with 501 or more attorneys: 77.71%
Application Requirements
- Application and application fee
- LSAT or GRE
- Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university
- Official undergraduate transcript
- Resume
- Letters of recommendation
- Personal statement
Application Details
Application
NYU Law’s application opens in early September. The early decision application deadline is November 15, and those applicants will receive a decision by late December. The deadline for regular decision applications is February 15. NYU Law follows a rolling admissions process and aims to render a decision within 12 weeks.
LSAT or GRE
As noted above, NYU Law accepts both the LSAT and the GRE.
Letters of recommendation
NYU Law requires applicants to submit at least two letters of recommendation. (Those applying to the Root-Tilden-Kern Scholarship or the Furman Public Policy Scholarship must submit an additional recommendation to address their commitment to public service and public policy, respectively.) As stated on NYU Law’s website, applicants may submit recommendations from “a professor or an employer or anyone who can speak to [the applicant’s] ability to succeed in a rigorous law school program.” Provide your recommenders with clear instructions and early deadlines, and share some bullet points to help them remember your accomplishments.
Resume
Make sure you customize your resume for your NYU Law application. Use professional and consistent fonts, avoid small page margins, and do not exceed one page. As far as content, avoid jargon so the admissions committee can easily understand your accomplishments, and be sure to balance your work experience with law school–related skills. Your resume should include sections on your education, experience, and personal information.
Personal statement
NYU Law’s personal statement is entirely open ended and has no specified word count. This essay is an opportunity for you to provide details that are not included in your application, explain issues such as a low GPA or low test scores, or discuss your interest in attending law school—and NYU Law in particular.
FAQs
What if I attended a low-ranked undergraduate institution?
As long as your college is accredited, its undergraduate ranking does not matter. The bigger determinant will be your GPA and test scores.
If I take time off between college and law school to work, do I need to do legal work?
No. All kinds of jobs between college and law school count as work experience, including internships, volunteer work, a desk job, or something in the service industry. You just need to be able to discuss your work, as you might be asked about it during a law school interview.
Is NYU Law looking for applicants with a particular undergraduate major?
No. The school accepts students from a variety of academic backgrounds.
I have a low GPA but a difficult major. Will NYU Law overlook that?
Generally, no. Law schools usually are just interested in your overall undergraduate GPA. They will allow some flexibility for applicants who had particularly difficult majors, such as a STEM major, but this will not excuse a low GPA.
Does it matter when I apply?
Applying early decision often helps improve your chances, but it is binding. For regular decision, given that NYU Law follows a rolling admissions process, it might help you to apply earlier. But applying by December is generally fine. If you think you can improve your LSAT/GRE score by taking the test one or two more times in the fall, remember that substantially increasing your score will improve your chances of acceptance a lot more than applying a few weeks earlier.
Do I need to take time off between college and law school to work in order to gain a competitive edge?
Although work experience can certainly help an application, a lot of students are admitted to NYU Law each year without it. Given the array of variables in the application process, it’s difficult to quantify how much work experience helps. If you have competitive stats and it makes sense for you to enroll immediately after completing your undergrad studies, you should not feel that you need to take time off to work before applying.
Are you considering applying to NYU Law? Whether you are looking for comprehensive law admissions consulting, hourly help, or perhaps interview prep, we at Stratus Admissions Counseling can help you! Sign up for a free consultation today!