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The University of St. Thomas School of Law

The University of St. Thomas School of Law (UST) was originally founded in 1923, but closed its doors in 1933 due to the Great Depression, opening for business once more in 1999. The first class of students since the new-old law school reopened began in 2001. Since then, the school has worked hard to establish itself in Minnesota.

Admissions and Tuition

The admissions process at UST is not terribly competitive. Last year, 50.6% of applicants were accepted; their 25th-75th percentile LSAT scores and GPAs were 153-161 and 3.07-3.59, respectively. The medians were 3.34 and 157. Applicants with numbers better than those should feel good about their chances of being offered admission; students with lower numbers needn’t give up, but they will need to pay more attention to “soft” factors in their application package (personal statement, letters of recommendation, etc.)

UST is a private law school, and as such tuition is not cheap. The cost for a 1L this academic year is just under $35,000, and there is no part-time JD program. This includes certain mandatory student fees (a student activity fee and a technology fee), but does not include a myriad of other costs, including housing, food, transportation expenses and so forth. Although Minneapolis is no Manhattan, the cost of living is not rock-bottom either, so students will want to make sure they budget sufficient funds for living expenses. Graduates who took on loans (95% of the class) shouldered an average burden of $92,637 in 2009.

Academics

The law school’s motto is Faith, Reason, Community and they try to make this the focus of the academic experience for law students at UST. They are a Catholic law school, and place a strong emphasis on education and its role in morality and social justice. First year classes are the standard 1L milieu, plus a two-part class called “Foundations of Justice.” 1Ls at UST are divided into sections of roughly 75 students, and the student-to-faculty ratio is 17.5-to-1. 1L attrition is not a huge factor, but 6.8% of the most recent classdid not make it back for a second year at UST. The school has a partnership with the Terrence J. Murphy Institute for Catholic Thought, Law and Public Policy, so students with an interest in the confluences between law and Catholicism might find themselves enjoying their time at UST.

Bar Passage and Employment Prospects
Given that the school took on its first class of students in 2001, the jury is still out on whether UST will successfully prepare graduates for the bar exam over the long run, but so far things look good: Last year, an impressive 91.2% of UST graduates passed the bar, 0.2% better than Minnesota’s high statewide average.  However, as a new law school, UST lacks a substantial alumni base, which can hinder employment prospects for graduates.

Even still, most UST graduates are able to find work: Most recently, 90.9% were employed in some capacity within 9 months of graduation. Biglaw is not a legitimate possibility for UST graduates, as almost none of them end up working for NLJ-250 firms. The median starting salary for a UST graduate working in the private sector is $66,000, which could make paying off $90k+ of student loans a chore.

Quality of Life

Despite the brutal winters, Minneapolis is a fantastic city. It contains just about everything one could want in a major city, from art and music to professional sports teams, all at a cost more reasonable than nearby Chicago. It is extremely unlikely that UST students will spend their 3 years of law school bored, but they would be well advised to bring a good coat and learn how to drive in wintry weather.

Conclusion

University of Saint Thomas School of  Law is a new law school, and it is struggling to make a name for itself. Still, it is a potentially very compelling choice, especially for Catholic students interested in practicing public interest law in or around the Upper Midwest.

Quick Summary

Application deadline: 7/1
Application fee: $50
LSAT median: 157
GPA median: 3.34
2009-2010 Tuition: ~$35,000
Bar Passage: 88.8% (1.5% points below state avg.)
Median Starting Salary: $66,000 (private sector, 47% reporting), $48,229 (public service)