University of Miami School of Law

Miami Law Published June 2008, last updated November 2012.

Palm trees and casebooks? It seems an odd mix, but it is exactly the mix that students at the University of Miami School of Law enjoy. The law school is located in Coral Gables, Fla., on the main campus of its parent university. The law school boasts a beautiful campus in a subtropical environment at the crossroads of the Americas. Despite the high tuition and the 55% full-time, long-term legal employment rate, Miami may be a consideration for applicants who plan to practice law in Florida.

Admissions and tuition

Miami does have a slightly relaxed admissions rate. In 2011, the law school granted admission to 47.0% (2,195 out of 4,670). Out of those, 447 enrolled. For the class entering in 2012, the 25th to 75th percentile GPA range was 3.13-3.57 and the range for the LSAT was 156-159.

According to U.S. News, tuition at Miami is $39,848 per year. Room and board runs an additional $13,734, plus $1,200 for books, and $7,100 for miscellaneous expenses. This is a hefty price tag, but Miami does offer grants. In 2011, 13.6% of full-time students received grants of less than one-half tuition. Additionally, 18.8% of full-time students received grants of one-half tuition or more but less than full. The average indebtedness of 2011 graduates who incurred law school debt was $128,350.

As a private law school, Miami is more expensive than its two primary competitors, the University of Florida and Florida State University. However, the majority of Miami’s student body does come from out of state. For the class of 2015, 42% come from outside Florida. Close to 10% of Miami students drop out after their first year, and almost 2% stop after their second year.

Employment

Miami Law In July 2012, Miami graduates taking the Florida bar for the first time passed at a rate of 81.6%. The pass rate for first-time test-takers from all Florida law schools was 82.0%.

According to Law School Transparency, nine months after the class of 2011 graduated, about 64% of graduates had obtained full-time, long-term jobs overall, and around 55% had full-time, long term jobs for which bar admission is required. Another 3% were pursuing a graduate degree. Of those who found employment of any kind, 249 (out of a graduating class of 385) had jobs in Florida. The second- and third-most-popular destinations were Washington, D.C., and New York, with 15 and 11 graduates, respectively.

U.S. News published salary information about the class of 2010, even though only 32% of those employed in the private sector reported their salaries. Based on that sample size, the 25th and 75th percentiles for private sector employment were $65,712 and $123,374, with a median of $86,102. U.S. News also reported that the median salary for a graduate employed in public service was $42,600.

Academics

Miami is ranked No. 69 by U.S News. Although "specialty" rankings are generally meaningless, Miami's tax law program is ranked No. 9 by U.S. News. In addition to an LL.M. in tax law, Miami offers LL.M. programs in international law, real property development, estate planning, and ocean and coastal law.

Miami offers 10 clinical programs, including the Children & Youth Law Clinic, the Federal Appellate Clinic, the Immigration Clinic, the Bankruptcy Assistance Clinic, and the Tenants' Rights Clinic.

The student-faculty ratio is 13.2 to 1.

Quick reference

U.S. News Ranking: 69
LSAT 25th and 75th percentiles, class of 2015: 156-159
GPA 25th and 75th percentiles, class of 2015: 3.13-3.57
Multiple LSAT scores: Highest score given greater weight
Application Deadlines: February 4 (recommended), July 31
Application fee: $60
Entering class size, class of 2014: 447
Yearly Tuition: $39,848
Bar passage rate, Florida, July 2012, first-time takers: 81.6%
Percent of 2011 graduates employed nine months after graduation in full-time, long-term jobs requiring bar admission: 55.0%
Median private sector starting salary, class of 2010: $86,102 (class of 2010, 32% reporting)