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Tulane University Law SchoolWritten by Hadi Sedigh
Admissions and Tuition: Usually receiving approximately 2,500 applications each year, Tulane Law School must practice a high amount of selectivity in its admissions process. For its entering class of 2007, the school received approximately 2,300 applications, of which 833 were approved, with 245 of those admitted deciding to matriculate. For this entering class, the 25th and 75th percentile LSAT scores were 158 and 163, respectively, while the 25th and 75th percentile undergraduate GPAs were 3.4 and 3.75, respectively. In general, applicants should have numbers that fall within these ranges if they hope to be competitive in future application cycles at Tulane Law. Of course, applicants with slightly lower numbers should still apply, especially if they can offer some sort of diversity to the student body at Tulane Law, which, like other law schools, aims to put together entering classes diverse in ethnicity, background, and experience. Given that the school’s student body is typically up to 80% white, minority students may especially stand to increase their chances at admission with the diversity they can bring to the student body. Tuition at Tulane Law School is among the highest in the nation, and at $36,670, is closer to schools ranked by USNWR in the prestigious top 14 than schools with rankings similar to Tulane. It is worth noting, however, that the school is said to be generous with its scholarship offers, evidenced by the fact that nearly two-thirds of the student body typically receive some form of grant or financial aid. Academics and Curriculum: During their 1L year, students at Tulane Law School enroll in the usual required set of core courses, including Torts, Contracts, Property, and Legal Writing. After this first and most rigorous year, students are mostly free to choose from among the school’s 143 elective courses to round out their JD degrees, the majority of which contain less than 25 seats. Tulane Law School students can also choose to pursue certification through concentration programs in European Legal Studies, Maritime Law, Sports Law, Civil Law, or Environmental Law. Clinical and joint-degree opportunities are also abundant, as are study abroad programs that allow students to take their legal education beyond American borders to such countries as Italy, France, and Greece. Also, because Louisiana is a civil-law state, whereas other states operate by common-law, Tulane Law offers numerous civil-law courses for students hoping to work in Louisiana after graduation. That said, Tulane Law students are not required at any point to enroll in any civil-law courses, and their legal education will not necessarily differ in that sense from students at other law schools. Quality of Life:
Employment Prospects and Bar Passage: Whereas similarly ranked schools tend to have regionally-limited reputations, Tulane Law School’s reputation seems to have a much more national reach. The majority of the school’s students leave Louisiana to begin their legal careers, and significant numbers of students land jobs in New York, Washington DC, and on the West Coast. In fact, 28% of the graduates of the Class of 2006 landed jobs in the Northeast, and only 30% decided to stay in Louisiana. Of course, students ranked near the top of their class will have an easier time finding jobs before graduation, mainly through on-campus interview events that are visited by many top firms from around the country. Lower-ranked students, on the other hand, will have to put in a bit more legwork and will likely rely on the school’s career services office and alumni network. In all, more than 95% of students seeking employment are typically employed within 9 months of graduation, the majority choosing to enter the private sector. For the Class of 2006, the median first-year salary of the 66% of graduates who entered the private sector was $96,356. In terms of bar passage, Tulane Law students do not struggle, as about 80% of graduates sitting for the exam in the state of Louisiana usually pass the exam on their first attempt, compared to an average state-wide passage rate of about 70%. Synopsis: Located in resurgent New Orleans, Tulane University Law School offers its students a tremendous quality of life and surprisingly national job prospects. Students interested in living in New Orleans for three years should give the school serious consideration, as should students interested in entering the field of environmental law, a traditional strength of Tulane Law School. Contact Information: Weinmann Hall
U.S. News 2008 ranking: 47th |
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One of the oldest law schools in the nation, Tulane University Law School offers an environmental law program ranked among the best in the nation and provides its students surprisingly national job prospects. Meanwhile, the school’s location in New Orleans allows Tulane Law students to make the most of their scarce free time during law school, whether by participating in the famous party scene of Bourbon Street or by contributing to efforts aimed at rebuilding the city after Hurricane Katrina. Especially for applicants interested in the field of environmental law, Tulane Law is a great place to pursue a legal education.
Tulane University Law School students are quick to put forth the argument that their quality of life during law school is unmatched, and they have legitimate cause to do so. Considered by many to be the party capital of the U.S., New Orleans provides Tulane Law students endless nightlife options, including its famous restaurant scene and a wide variety of bars and nightclubs on storied Bourbon Street. Students also have an annual chance to participate in Mardi Gras festivities, as well as a monthly chance to browse the bars of the city by way of school sponsored bar reviews. Although some parts of New Orleans are better avoided, the Tulane campus is in one of the safer sections of the city, one that was left relatively unscathed after Hurricane Katrina and has shaken off the aftereffects of the tragic disaster. This area contains many affordable housing options for law students, most of whom choose to live off-campus, although graduate dorms are available. All of this, combined with the lack of cutthroat competition among the student body, makes for a promising quality of life for Tulane Law students.