Temple Law School, situated on North Broad Street in the City of Brotherly Love, offers a solid legal education at a great price, especially for Pennsylvania residents. Although it is currently ranked 65th overall among the country’s law schools by U.S. News and World Report, the James E. Beasley School of Law of Temple University consistently has one of the top two trial advocacy programs in the country and is also ranked #7 in both legal writing and part-time law school programs and #15 in international law programs.
Temple Law had a 41% acceptance rate in 2007, which is rather good odds for law school admission; the school also has an excellent reputation in the Philadelphia legal community with many city leaders coming from its ranks, including mayors and district attorneys, and focuses its attention on teaching future lawyers practical skills as well as theory.
Temple Law is also one of the "most wired" law schools in the country and has implemented "anywhere, anytime" computer access.
Temple Law's 3-year full-time Juris Doctor (J.D.) program operates from mid-August to mid-May; there is also a summer session as well as part-time and evening programs.
Contact Information
1719 N. Broad Street
Philadelphia, PA 19122
(215) 204-7861
Email: law@temple.edu
Website: http://www.law.temple.edu/
Fast Facts (Class of 2011)
- Enrollment Information
- GPA/LSAT Scores
- Costs and Fees (2009-2010)
Applicants: 4,599
Enrolled: 324 (262 in day division)
Women: 48%
Students of color: 24%
Student to Faculty Ratio: 1: 12.8
LSAT Median: 162
LSAT 25/75 Percentile: 160-164
UGPA Median: 3.46
UGPA 25/75 Percentile: 3.27-3.65
Tuition:
$16,586 (In-state residents)
$28,876 (Non-residents)
Estimated total budget:
$37,280 (In-state residents)
$49,920 (Non-residents)
Note that interest-free payment plans are available.
Application Procedures
Application fee: $60
Application deadline: March 1, 2010 for Fall 2010 admission (rolling admissions so apply as early as possible after September 1, 2009)
Applicants can download a paper application and mail it to the school or can submit an electronic application through the Law School Admission Council (LSAC).
In addition to the application and fee, applicants must submit:
- Personal statement
- LSDAS report
- No more than three letters of recommendation
Transfer Procedures
Temple Law accepts transfer students who are the top 20% of their current law school class and ready to start their second year.
Transfer applicants must submit applications by June 1 of the year in which they wish to transfer. In addition to the $60 application fee and completed application, transfer applicants must also submit the following:
- Letter of good standing, including class rank, from current dean
- Official law school transcript(s)
- LSDAS report
For more information on transferring to Temple Law, see Transfer Application.
Degrees and Curriculum
In order to earn a Juris Doctor degree, a student must acquire 87 credits of law study with at least a 2.0 GPA, including several required courses. For more specific information, see Academic & Graduation Requirements.
The first-year curriculum includes Legal Research and Writing I and II, Civil Procedure, Contracts, Torts, Criminal Law, Constitutional Law, Property, Litigation Basics, Business Basics, and a "Menu" course. Upper-level required courses include Professional Responsibility, a Professional Skills Course, and an Upper Level Writing Requirement.
Temple Law offers the opportunity for students to earn dual degrees with its JD/MBA and JD/LLM programs as well as through individually designed programs.
The law school also offers graduate L.L.M. degrees for foreign lawyers and also in trial advocacy, international law, transnational law, and taxation. Temple Law also offers the S.J.D. For more information on graduate law degrees at Temple Law see the school's website.
Study Abroad
Fulfilling its excellent reputation in international law, Temple Law offers several study abroad opportunities, including summer programs in Rome and Tokyo and semester programs in Ireland and China.
Law Journals and Other Activities
Temple Law has four student journals: Temple Law Review, Temple Political and Civil Rights Law Review, and Temple Journal of Science, Technology, and Environmental Law.
Along with many student organizations, the law school has specialized Institutes and Centers for specific legal interests including the Cyberspace Law Institute and Temple Legal Aid; Temple Law also prides itself in the wide variety of clinical experiences available.
Bar Exam Passage RateA majority of Temple Law students take the Pennsylvania State Bar Exam and, in 2007, achieved an 89.7% pass rate. The overall pass rate for the Pennsylvania Bar Exam was 81%.
Post-Graduation Employment
From the 2007 graduating class, 67% were employed at graduation and 94% were employed nine months after graduation. Starting salaries in the private sector averaged $80,000, and $47,000 in the public sector.
Forty-nine percent of the Class of 2006 secured work in private practice, 19% entered the business field, 12% received judicial clerkships, 10% accepted other government positions, 7% went to public interest jobs, and 3% took academic positions.
