Boston College Law School in Newton, Massachusetts offers students a great location in New England near Harvard Law and Boston University along with an outstanding faculty; it is currently ranked 28th by U.S. News and World Report, tied with the College of William and Mary, University of California-Davis, University of Georgia, University of North Carolina, and the University of Wisconsin.
BC Law has a great national reputation and prides itself on a collegiate atmosphere among its students. It is well-known for its programs in environmental law, tax law, and intellectual property.
Boston College Law's three-year full-time day Juris Doctor (J.D.) program operates from late August to mid-May; there is no evening or part-time program. The school's website has information on finding housing.
Contact Information
885 Centre Street
Newton, MA 02459-1154
(617) 552-4351
Email: bclawadm@bc.edu
Website: http://www.bc.edu/schools/law/home.html
Blog: http://www.eagleionline.com/
Fast Facts (Class of 2012)
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Enrollment Information
Applicants: 7,166
Enrolled: 264Women: 41%
Minorities: 29%Student to Faculty Ratio: 1: 12.6
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GPA/LSAT Scores
LSAT 25/75 Percentile: 163-167
UGPA 25/75 Percentile: 3.34-3.68 -
Costs and Fees (2009-10)
Tuition: $39,490
Total estimated budget: $58,546
Application Procedures
Application fee: $75
Application window: Mid-September to March 1 for Fall admission; November 1 (with complete application by November 23) for Non-Binding Early Notification decision on December 15.
Applicants may apply online through the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) or by filling out the paper application, which will be available on the school's website in September 2010 as a PDF file. In addition to the application, applicants must submit:
- LSDAS report with official transcripts and LSAT score
- Personal statement
- Two letters of recommendation
For complete information on admission procedures at Boston College Law, see Applying for Admission.
Transfer Procedures
Boston College Law accepts applications for transfer from students who have completed a minimum of 29 credits and one year of full-time study at an ABA-approved law school. Interested students should submit the application and fee as well as the following:
- Personal statement discussing reasons for transfer request
- Official law school transcript
- Certification of good standing from current dean, including class rank
- One letter of recommendation from a current law professor
- LSDAS report
For more information on transferring to Boston College Law, see Information for Transfer Students.
Degrees and Curriculum
In order to earn a Juris Doctor degree, a Boston College Law student must earn 85 credit hours; in addition to the first-year curriculum below, degree candidates must also complete an upper-level writing requirement, an additional Professional Responsibility course, and Constitutional Law II. For more detailed information, see Graduation Requirements.
The required first-year curriculum includes Contracts, Criminal Law, Property, Torts, Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law, and Legal Reasoning, Research, and Writing. In the spring of first year, students also take an elective.
BC Law also offers several dual degree programs including J.D./M.B.A. and J.D./M.S.W. as well as an LL.M. degree.
Study Abroad
Boston College Law offers several study abroad opportunities, including the London Program, International Criminal Tribunals, Boston College Immigration and Asylum Project (BCIAP) and Law and Justice in the Americas.
Law Journals and Other Activities
Boston College Law has five student-run law journals, including the following: Boston College Law Review, Environmental Affairs Law Review, and the Third World Law Journal.
Along with many student organizations, the law school also has programs and centers for specific legal interests such as the Center for Human Rights and International Justice.
Bar Exam Passage Rate
A majority of Boston College Law students take the Massachusetts Bar Exam and, in 2007, achieved a 95.2% pass rate. The overall pass rate for the Massachusetts Bar Exam was 86%.
Post-Graduation Employment
BC Law reports that from the 2008 graduating class, 97.4% were employed nine months after graduation.
Sixty-seven percent went to law firms, 14% secured judicial clerkships, 10% pursued public interest or government careers, 5% went to work for businesses or corporations, and 4% entered academia.
The median salary for 2008 Boston College Law grads in the private sector was $160,000 and $49,000 in the public sector.