How to Get into Penn Law School

Consistently ranked as #7 of the top ten law schools in the country by U.S. News & World Report, the University of Pennsylvania School of Law (Penn Law) is in the heart of Philadelphia, in close proximity to the many other University of Pennsylvania graduate and undergraduate colleges. The overlap between Penn and the Wharton School is perhaps its most prominent feature: as many graduates of Penn Law pursue corporate and business law, engagement and opportunity with the business school is particularly attractive.

The school is also close to many other Philadelphia-based colleges and law schools including Villanova, Thomas Jefferson, Drexel and the Arts Institute of Philadelphia.

Culturally, attending school at Penn Law is a delight. Center City Philadelphia and Old City Philadelphia both offer coffee shops, restaurants and nightlife. As the nation’s first capital city, the city includes sights such as the Liberty Bell. Monthly “First Fridays” featuring wine and appetizers happen at Old City Philadelphia art galleries. The presence of many other colleges and graduate programs in the area ensures a lively networking community in the city.

Penn Law features a wide range of opportunities for students interested in interdisciplinary studies. The school offers joint degree programs across academic areas: a joint JD-MBA program with the Wharton School; an MBE in Bioethics, which may be especially appealing for students interested in patent or intellectual property law; a JD-MA in International Studies; and a JD-PhD in Philosophy.

The school also has certificate programs for law students who may not seek a joint degree but who still want to have their coursework recognized. Certificate programs are available with the Wharton School, the Annenberg School of Communication, the Women’s Studies program in the School of Arts & Sciences, and the Center for Neuroscience and Society.

Penn Law offers a clinic for every type of future advocate. The Legislative Clinic is devoted to legislative lawyering. The Supreme Court Clinic enables students to assist with Supreme Court cases, including writing briefs and actually attending oral arguments in Washington, D.C.. The Entrepreneurship Clinic offers free legal services to aspiring business owners; this program can cultivate relationships with co-founders who may be connected with the Wharton Business School.

The Toll Public Interest Center seeks to inspire public service across the school. The program facilitates pro bono opportunities for students, and also selects a few Toll Public Interest Scholars each year. The Toll program empowers students to organize the annual Toll Symposium, which brings academics and practitioners together to engage in topics related to poverty, social justice and the law. In addition, the school offers a special postgraduate fellowship for students interested in human rights. Current 3Ls and recent graduates are eligible.

Class Size: 244

Average Age: 24

Average Work Experience: 72% out of college one or more years, 7% hold advanced degrees

Women: 48%

Students of color: 34%

Median LSAT: 169

Median GPA: 3.89

• Law Firms: 71.1%
• Judicial Clerkships: 13%
• Business & Industry: 8.3%
• Government/Public Interest: 7.6%

• New York: 40.3%
• Pennsylvania: 15.8%
• District of Columbia: 10.4%
• U.S. Territories / Foreign: 2.3%