University of Nevada, Las Vegas William S. Boyd School of Law

Only ten years old, the University of Nevada’s William S. Boyd School of Law in Las Vegas boasts new facilities, increasingly strong academic programs, and a growing faculty. Prospective students should keep this school at the top of their watchlist, as it is a likely “up-and-comer”.

Admissions & Tuition

Judging by the numbers alone, UNLV Law School does not seem that difficult to get into. Roughly 22% (381 out of 1,737) of applicants were granted admission to the 2009 entering class. For those who matriculated, the 25th to 75th percentile GPA range was 3.18–3.66 and the range for the LSAT was 155-160—with medians hovering around 3.48 and 158, respectively. The raw data, however, can be deceiving, and one cannot safely assume that if their numbers fall within the above ranges then they are guaranteed admission. To the contrary, UNLV only has about 158 spots in its entering class, 80% of which go to Nevada residents. And so, the admissions process at UNLV Law tends to be quite competitive, with soft factors coming into play more often than not.

UNLV Law also accepts students on a part-time basis. Admissions standards for the part-time program are typically lower than those of the school’s full-time program. In 2008, GPA’s for part-time matriculants ranged from 2.94 to 3.57 for the 25th to 75th percentiles, while LSAT scores ranged from 153-159 for the same percentiles.

In-state students will pay $20,000 in tuition for the 2010-2011 academic year, while out-of-staters pay $33,400 (part-time students pay $714 per credit hour and $1193 per credit hour for in-state and out-of-state tuition, respectively). Room & board costs hover around $17,000 on average, while book costs and miscellaneous fees add an additional $1,000 or so to the total bill. At the end of the day, Nevada residents can attend UNLV Law School for an annual cost-of-attendance of less than $38,000, which is cheaper than tuition alone at many U.S. law schools. It is no surprise, then, that UNLV students graduate with an average debt load under $60,000 (in 2007, before tuition was raised).

Employment Prospects

Unsurprisingly, more UNLV graduates take the Bar in Nevada than in any other state. Roughly 80% of the schools graduates pass the Bar on their first attempt. While this is better than the state-wide passage rate of 74%, it still leaves nearly a fifth of its graduates having to take the Bar (at least) a second time; and it seems safe to say that there are other things that recent law school graduates would rather be doing with their time.

Within nine months of graduation, 94.5% of UNLV grads are employed. The majority of those employed graduates went to work in the private sector. It is safe to assume that this is because of the higher salaries in this field. In 2007, for example, UNLV graduates working in private practice enjoyed a median starting salary of $80,000 (with a range of 64K-100K for the 25th to 75th percentiles). Other fields of law—such as public-service, with its median starting salary of $58,000—attracted fewer graduates, most likely due to lower salaries.

UNLV is a regional law school, meaning that the majority of its graduates will struggle to find work outside of the Nevada area. In 2007, for example, 87% of graduates stayed in Nevada. It is not that UNLV graduates can’t find work elsewhere—as evidenced by the 13% or so of graduates who left the state—it is just that employers in other states know more about their own local law schools, and their respective alumni networks, than they know about UNLV. Unless UNLV Law School makes some drastic climb in rank, this will likely continue to be true. And so, prospective students should ask themselves whether or not they would be comfortable with a career in Nevada, as it could very well be the case that this would be their only option upon graduation.

Academics

UNLV Law School makes appearances on many of the USNews’ specialty rankings lists, often beating out top schools such as Stanford, Harvard, Berkeley, and Chicago, among others. The school ranked 12th in the nation for its clinical training program, 9th for dispute resolution and 3rd for legal writing. Surely, the strength of these programs prepares UNLV students in a way that gives them a leg-up on the competition.

Students looking to fields other than those mentioned above are not out of luck. UNLV is actively recruiting new faculty in all fields and offers a broad range of courses and extracurricular activities designed to prepare students for an enriching and lucrative career in law. Overall, while the current academic offerings are not the best in the country, they are particularly impressive given the school’s youth; and hopes are high for continued growth.

Quality of Life

Life at UNLV is defined by the school’s Las Vegas location; and while ‘Sin City’ is nice for those who like drinking and gambling, those are hardly recommended habits for law students. Aside from the city’s famous attractions, Las Vegas offers little more than oppressive sunshine and seemingly endless desert (unless you are a hard-core rock climber).

This does not mean, however, that UNLV does not offer an enjoyable quality-of-life. On campus, the small class size and refreshingly new facilities make for an enjoyable law school experience. And for those rare instances in which law students have free time, Las Vegas provides a social scene, including exceptional night clubs, unlikely to be enjoyed by law students anywhere else in the world. Perhaps more so than other schools, this campus should be visited before any decisions are made.

Conclusion

As time goes on, UNLV will have more and more to offer its students. An already strong academic program is likely to improve, the faculty will grow, and the school’s reputation is likely to gain strength. Students should be sure to visit UNLV however, as the school’s Las Vegas location is sure to provide a unique law school experience—one that a prospective student should be sure they desire.

Quick Reference

U.S. News Ranking: 75
LSAT Median: 158 (2009)
GPA Median: 3.48 (2009)
Multiple LSAT scores: Higher score accepted
Application Deadlines: 03/15
Application fee: $50
Entering class size: 158 (2009)
2010-2011 Yearly Tuition: $20,000 (In-state) $33,400 (out-of-state)
Bar passage rate: 80%
Percent of graduates employed 9 months after graduation: 94.5%
Median private sector starting salary: $80,000 (Class of 2007, 60% reporting)