Overview
Applicants
2,071
Acceptance Rate
55%
Median Undergrad GPA
3.34
Accepted Applicants Who Attend
248
Test Scores
LSAT
25th-75th percentile
(enrolled students)
(enrolled students)
154 - 158
Deadlines
Application Deadlines
February 15
Application Process
Rolling Admissions
Yes
Application Fee
$0
CAS Service Used
Yes
Applicants accepted in terms other than fall
No
Transfer Applicants Accepted
Yes
Deferred Admission
Yes
Other Admission Factors
Academic
LSAT Score
Undergraduate GPA
Essay / Personal Statement
Selectivity Rating
Faculty Information
Student/Faculty
12:1
Total Faculty
66
50
Female
21
Underrepresented Minorities
Students Say
Jesuit-affiliated Santa Clara University School of Law in the heart of Silicon Valley is a smaller school that manages to offer a wide range of courses across a host of legal areas. As you would expect given the location, Santa Clara Law boasts one of the top-ranking high-tech programs in the nation. The course work in patent and intellectual property law is tremendous, and students regularly intern with the vast array of existing mammoth corporations as well as the next generation of mammoth corporations here in the venture-capital capital of the country. The international law program is also extensive and incredible. Study abroad opportunities are mind-blowing. There are a dozen different programs in twenty cities around the globe includingjust to cite a fewIstanbul, Budapest, and Shanghai. In addition, there are several unique international judicial externships and international internships available. Still another perk here is the prominent focus on public interest and social justice law. SCU is teeming with institutes, centers, and programs that allow students to do great things for people.
Real-world experience is one of the hallmarks of the professors at Santa Clara Law. Some are brilliant savants, but you just cant learn from them. On the whole, though, faculty members are top-notch, dedicated to teaching, and obviously committed to their students. Professors are approachable as well. They really engage students outside of class about their past experiences and future hopes. Administratively, lower-level staff can be somewhat surly, and sometimes the decisions of the top brass leave much to be desired, but the general consensus is that management is extremely accommodating and very concerned with student feedback. It would be difficult to find another law school that cares so much about [its] students and actually does something about it, beams a 1L.
Santa Claras lush, peaceful campus is simply gorgeous and kept very nicely. Its also home to some great facilities. The law school facilities are pretty mundane, though. The classrooms are classrooms, says a 3L. The law library is certainly adequate, but its fairly depressing. Its dark, and the temperature controls suck. On the bright side, the undergrad library right next door is incredibly awesome, and its a regular haunt for law students.
Santa Clara has a stellar reputation in the Bay Area, and career prospects are solid. More than 80 percent of all newly minted graduates head off to the private sector, where median starting salaries are very impressive. Quite a few students take jobs in Silicon Valley. San Francisco is another common destination. Santa Clara Laws very accessible, passionate, successful, and helpful alumni network is a huge advantage when students are looking for work. They are very willing to give back to the school and provide advice and opportunities to current students. Sometimes it feels like the entire community of attorneys in the South Bay graduated from Santa Clara, explains a 3L, especially when it comes to district attorneys, public defenders, and judges. The alumni base and the SCU brand name arent as strong nationally, though. Nobody knows about it outside of the San Francisco area, laments another 3L.
Real-world experience is one of the hallmarks of the professors at Santa Clara Law. Some are brilliant savants, but you just cant learn from them. On the whole, though, faculty members are top-notch, dedicated to teaching, and obviously committed to their students. Professors are approachable as well. They really engage students outside of class about their past experiences and future hopes. Administratively, lower-level staff can be somewhat surly, and sometimes the decisions of the top brass leave much to be desired, but the general consensus is that management is extremely accommodating and very concerned with student feedback. It would be difficult to find another law school that cares so much about [its] students and actually does something about it, beams a 1L.
Santa Claras lush, peaceful campus is simply gorgeous and kept very nicely. Its also home to some great facilities. The law school facilities are pretty mundane, though. The classrooms are classrooms, says a 3L. The law library is certainly adequate, but its fairly depressing. Its dark, and the temperature controls suck. On the bright side, the undergrad library right next door is incredibly awesome, and its a regular haunt for law students.
Santa Clara has a stellar reputation in the Bay Area, and career prospects are solid. More than 80 percent of all newly minted graduates head off to the private sector, where median starting salaries are very impressive. Quite a few students take jobs in Silicon Valley. San Francisco is another common destination. Santa Clara Laws very accessible, passionate, successful, and helpful alumni network is a huge advantage when students are looking for work. They are very willing to give back to the school and provide advice and opportunities to current students. Sometimes it feels like the entire community of attorneys in the South Bay graduated from Santa Clara, explains a 3L, especially when it comes to district attorneys, public defenders, and judges. The alumni base and the SCU brand name arent as strong nationally, though. Nobody knows about it outside of the San Francisco area, laments another 3L.
Career overview
% of graduates who are employed within ten months of graduation
71%
% of job accepting graduates providing useable salary information
59%
Career Services
On campus summer employment recruitment for first year JD students
No
On campus summer employment recruitment for second year JD students
Yes
Employers who most frequently hire graduates
Blakely, Sokoloff, Taylor and Zafman LLP; Cisco Systems, Inc.; Ropes & Gray LLP;DLA Piper; Fenwick & West LLP; Intel Corporation; Jones Day; Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP; Morrison & Foerster LLP; Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP; Perkins Coie LLP; Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP; PricewaterhouseCoopers; Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati; McDermott Will & Emery LLP; Cooley LLP
Graduates Employed by Area
42%
Private Practice
13%
Business/Industry
9%
Government
5%
Public Interes
3%
Academic
Graduates Employed by Region
93%
Pacific
2%
South
2%
Mountain
1%
Mid-Atlantic
1%
MidWest
1%
South West
Prominent Alumni
Leon Panetta
Political Leader
Zoe Lofgren
Congresswoman, U.S. House of Representatives
Sam O'Rourke
Deputy General Counsel, Intellectual Property at Facebook
Dorian Daley
General Counsel, Oracle
Robert Durham
Oregon Supreme Court Associate Justice
Dates
Financial Aid Rating
Feb 1
Financial Aid Statistics
Expenses per Academic Year
Tuition
$58,680
Estimated On-Campus Room and Board
$24,802
Estimated Off-Campus Room and Board
$24,802
Estimated Cost for Books / Academic Expense
$1,518
Fees
$0
Student Body Profile
Total Enrollment
880
Parent Institution Enrollement
8,519
% International
4%
Demographics
41.00%
% Under-represented Minorities
Campus Life
Students Say
The schools location allows it to attract a diverse group of highly educated students. In terms of ethnicity, Santa Clara Law is among the most diverse schools in the country. Varying ages, radically different life experiences, and a solid geographic distribution also make for a good mix. Academically, a few students are jerks and should be
quarantined, but there usually is a positive vibe around the school. It is a very welcoming environment that engenders very happy students. Were a social tribe, explains a 1L. We might be graded on a curve but youd never know it from how everyone treats each other.
Student life is collaborative. Theres a club or society for everything under the sun. Stimulating speakers including local corporate bigwigs are frequent, and The school makes a real effort to engage its alumni and host events where students can meet them. Social activities and opportunities for students to get together are also commonplace. We study hard, but we also go out a lot on the weekends and form some close-knit friendships, says a 3L. The cost of living in Silicon Valley is very high, and the city of Santa Clara is decidedly not a college town. The locale is green and sunny most of the year, though, and the Bay Area offers quite a bit to do. When students need a break from their casebooks or law school in general, heading up to San Francisco is pretty common.
Student life is collaborative. Theres a club or society for everything under the sun. Stimulating speakers including local corporate bigwigs are frequent, and The school makes a real effort to engage its alumni and host events where students can meet them. Social activities and opportunities for students to get together are also commonplace. We study hard, but we also go out a lot on the weekends and form some close-knit friendships, says a 3L. The cost of living in Silicon Valley is very high, and the city of Santa Clara is decidedly not a college town. The locale is green and sunny most of the year, though, and the Bay Area offers quite a bit to do. When students need a break from their casebooks or law school in general, heading up to San Francisco is pretty common.
More Information
% of Classrooms with Internet Access
100%
Admissions Office Contact
Contact
Bryan L. Hinkle
Assistant Dean, Law Enrollment Management
Assistant Dean, Law Enrollment Management
Address
500 El Camino Real
Santa Clara, CA 95053-0435
Santa Clara, CA 95053-0435
Phone
408-554-5048
Email
lawadmissions@scu.edu
