A great bargain for in-state students, the University of Arizona Law School provides a solid legal education in a reportedly laidback atmosphere-all in the sunshine of the Southwest. It is currently ranked 42nd among the country's law schools by U.S. News and World Report, tied with BYU Law, George Mason Law, University of California - Hastings Law, and the University of Utah Law School.
Note that the University of Arizona considers students from Alaska "in-state" because Alaska doesn't have a law school.
Arizona Law's 3-year full-time Juris Doctor (J.D.) program operates from mid-August to mid-May; no part-time or evening programs are available, although the time for earning a law degree can be cut to two and a half years through summer study.
Contact Information
PO Box 210176
Tucson, AZ 85721-0176
(520) 621-3477
Email: admissions@law.arizona.edu
Website: http://www.law.arizona.edu
Fast Facts (Class of 2010)
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Enrollment Information
Applicants: 2,284
Accepted: 704
Enrolled: 158Women: 54%
Minorities: 32%
Arizona residents: 77%Student to Faculty Ratio: 1: 11.7
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GPA/LSAT Scores
LSAT Median: 161
LSAT 25/75 Percentile: 157-164UGPA Median: 3.50
UGPA 25/75 Percentile: 3.23-3.73 -
Costs and Fees (2009-2010)
Tuition:
$20,895 (In-state residents)
$35,807 (Non-residents)Total estimated budget:
$41,645 (In-state residents)
$55,557 (Non-residents)
Application Procedures
Application fee: $50
Application deadline: February 15 for fall admission; Early decision deadline: November 15.
Applicants can fill out a paper application from the school's catalog (request a copy online), download application forms from the school's website, or submit an electronic application through the Law School Admission Council (LSAC).
In addition to the application and fee, applicants must submit:
- Personal Statement
- Resume
- Domicile Affidavit
- Two letters of recommendation
- If applying by mail, three self-addressed, stamped postcards from admissions catalog
Transfer Procedures
Arizona Law accepts transfer students only for the start of their second year. The school's website calls transfer admission "very selective" and cautions that Arizona (or Alaska) residents "ranked below the top quartile of their class and nonresidents ranked below the top ten percent of their class usually will not be accepted as transfer students."
Transfer applicants must submit a $60 application fee, complete the online application, and submit the following:
- Domicile affidavit;
- Personal statement;
- Resume;
- Official LSDAS report with entire undergraduate career and LSAT score;
- Official law school transcript with grades and class rank through final semester of study;
- Letter of good standing from dean of current law school stating eligibility to continue studies there; and
- Two letters of recommendation from law school faculty with whom student has studied at current school.
Deadline for Fall semester is July 1.
For more information on transferring to the University of Arizona Law, see Transfers and Visitors.
Degrees and Curriculum
In order to earn a Juris Doctor degree, a student must acquire 85 units of law study with a GPA of at least 2.00 and complete courses in Professional Responsibility and Evidence, as well as an advanced research and writing seminar. For more information, see Graduation Requirements.
The first-year curriculum includes Introduction to Legal Process and Civil Procedure, Contracts, Torts, Constitution Law, and a "Small Section" in one of the three substantive courses in the fall; Torts, Criminal Procedure, Property, Regulation and Legislation, and Legal Analysis, Writing, and Research in the spring. Students choose all courses during the second and third years of study.
The University of Arizona Law School offers nine dual degree programs in which students can earn a J.D. along with another professional degree from one of the university's graduate or professional schools; applications to the programs must be filed separately.
Arizona Law also offers graduate L.L.M. degrees in International Trade and Business Law and Indigenous Peoples Law and Policy. More information on these opportunities is under Programs and Centers on the school's website.
Study Abroad
The law school's website directs students to information from the Internet Legal Research Group and the American Bar Association (ABA) regarding study abroad opportunities.
Law Journals and Other Activities
Arizona Law has three student journals: Arizona Law Review, Arizona Journal of International and Comparative Law, and the Arizona Journal of Environmental Law & Policy.
Along with many student organizations, the law school has specialized Programs and Centers for specific legal interests, including the William H. Rehnquist Center on the Constitutional Structures of Government and programs for Criminal Law and Policy; Economics, Law, and the Environment; Law in Society; and Intellectual Property.
Bar Exam Passage RateA majority of Arizona Law students take the Arizona State Bar Exam and, in 2007, achieved an 86.5% pass rate. The overall pass rate for the Arizona Bar Exam was 75%.
Post-Graduation Employment
From the 2006 Arizona Law graduating class, 72.4% were employed at graduation and 95.6% were employed nine months after graduation. Starting salaries in the private sector averaged $90,000, and $49,900 in the public sector.
Thirty-eight percent of the Class of 2006 secured work in law firms, 22% received judicial clerkships, 18% accepted employment with the government, 8% took academic positions, 4% went to public interest jobs, 3% entered the business field, and 2% went into the military.