University of San Francisco Law School Profile
Posted: Thu Oct 19, 2006 3:33 pm
University of San Francisco Law School
A private law school affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church, the University of San Francisco Law School is a great choice for those applicants looking for a small school in a big city. Boasting the name of the one of the largest cities on the West Coast, USF Law School has many elements that make it a great choice for applicants looking at northern California for law school.
USF Law School Admissions and Tuition
Ranked amongst the top 100 law schools in the nation, USF Law is slowly building its way up the charts. Its popularity as a law school is evidenced by the fact that approximately 3,700 applicants apply to law school at USF each year, with only 1,000 or so of those applicants being accepted. While it may be less competitive than top law schools, it still only accepts 27% of applicants. In fact, the selectivity of USF Law School is increasing with each year and as a result it is becoming more difficult to gain entrance.
Admitted students of USF Law generally have LSAT scores ranging from 157 to 161, for the 25th and 75th percentiles respectively, and the average LSAT score is 159. Admitted students also have a GPA score ranging from 3.1 to 3.6, for the 25th and 75th percentiles respectively, with an average undergraduate GPA of 3.3. USF Law School selects students mainly on these numbers. Students with LSAT scores above this range are likely to garner substantial financial support from the school.
The admissions process is customary and requires an essay. There is not an interview process. In addition, while there is an application deadline, the earlier applicants apply, the more scholarship funds there are available.
Because USF Law is private, tuition is significantly more expensive than at a public law school. The annual tuition is over $30,000 with books and supplies adding on another $1,000 or so. In addition, because the school is located in San Francisco, one of the most expensive places to live in the United States, housing can add on another $10,000 plus for those students choosing to live on-campus and $15,000 for those students choosing to live off-campus.
Because of the high tuition prices, the majority of USF Law School’s students receive aid of some sort. This includes those students who receive merit-based aid, which roughly 20% of students do, and those that receive scholarships, which is approximately 30% of students.
USF Law School Curriculum and Academics
Because USF Law School is amongst the top 100 law schools in the nation, the academic standards are high and the school is competitive and demanding. The school has a tough workload and a harsh grading curve. On average, the law school maintains a C average, due in part to both the workload and tough curve, and it is these low GPAs that make for the extreme competition in classes, with each student vying for the high grades. Because all GPAs are relatively lower than other law schools, most students at the school use their class percentages as a mark of ranking, as this lends for a better determination as to where they are in comparison to the rest of their class. The school works well with students who have a GPA of 2.0 or lower, after their first year by placing them in a program that provides tutoring assistance.
The classes are much smaller than at most law schools, with some being as small as 10 students. This can be both good and bad, as students get more personal interaction with professors during class, but have increased competition between students due to the grading curve. There are legal writing, legal research and moot court requirements for all students. The legal writing course consists of an intense year-long curriculum based on the training of research, legal writing and analysis skills. The popular classes are harder to get into, of course, but most students usually get into them from the wait list.
Professors at USF Law come from a variety of schools including many Ivy Leagues. The faculty consists of around 90 professors, with the majority of these working part-time.
Clinical programs, though not required, are strongly encouraged. Some can be harder to get into than others and many students do not get the opportunity to participate in any of them when the competition is too high. The three biggest clinics are criminal law, civil rights law and intellectual property law, with criminal and civil rights being the hardest to get into. The school also offers clinics in mediation and international human rights. In addition, USF Law School offers judicial externships to its students.
USF Law School Quality of Life
The USF Law School campus is beautiful with much foliage, pretty buildings with classic architecture, the law school with its modern look, and a new high-tech library with internet access for every seat. The new library is extremely popular among professors, students and alumni. Directly across the street from the law school is a Roman Catholic Church, hearkening back to the school’s Jesuit foundation, along with numerous undergraduate facilities.
The location of the law school is central to San Francisco, near to both the civic center and the downtown area. USF Law School’s neighborhood is safe in comparison to many of the city’s neighborhoods although parking, like most places in the city, is not always available. Also as a result of location the school leans politically left.
USF Law School Social Life
The social life at USF Law is primarily a product of San Francisco city life. While the school does host bar nights every week, it is San Francisco that offers the restaurants, clubs and bars that are popular with students. In addition, Golden Gate Park and the Haight District of the city are short distances by foot from the school. For a large metropolis, San Francisco offers a wide array of outdoor activities for students as well.
USF Law School Employment Prospects
The employments prospects for USF Law students are average, with a 92% job placement rate 9 months after graduation, and an average starting salary of approximately $85,000. The reason that the career prospects are reasonable is partially due to the fact that USF Law is highly respected in the Bay Area and finding jobs and internships is fairly easy to achieve. However graduates of USF Law School often find themselves competing with students of Hastings, Stanford and Berkeley.
The career services department is not very helpful, and many students have to work hard to find job prospects for themselves. For the most part, career services concentrates itself on those students in the top 5 to 10 percent who are looking for careers with big firms or non-profits.
Overall, if one wants to learn and practice law in San Francisco, the University of San Francisco Law School offers an excellent option for those seeking a Northern California regional school.
Contact Information
University of San Francisco School of Law
2130 Fulton Street
San Francisco, CA 94117
(415) 422 – 6586
lawadmissions@usfca.edu
Application Deadline: February 2
Application Fee: $60
Financial Aid Application Deadline: February 15
A private law school affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church, the University of San Francisco Law School is a great choice for those applicants looking for a small school in a big city. Boasting the name of the one of the largest cities on the West Coast, USF Law School has many elements that make it a great choice for applicants looking at northern California for law school.
USF Law School Admissions and Tuition
Ranked amongst the top 100 law schools in the nation, USF Law is slowly building its way up the charts. Its popularity as a law school is evidenced by the fact that approximately 3,700 applicants apply to law school at USF each year, with only 1,000 or so of those applicants being accepted. While it may be less competitive than top law schools, it still only accepts 27% of applicants. In fact, the selectivity of USF Law School is increasing with each year and as a result it is becoming more difficult to gain entrance.
Admitted students of USF Law generally have LSAT scores ranging from 157 to 161, for the 25th and 75th percentiles respectively, and the average LSAT score is 159. Admitted students also have a GPA score ranging from 3.1 to 3.6, for the 25th and 75th percentiles respectively, with an average undergraduate GPA of 3.3. USF Law School selects students mainly on these numbers. Students with LSAT scores above this range are likely to garner substantial financial support from the school.
The admissions process is customary and requires an essay. There is not an interview process. In addition, while there is an application deadline, the earlier applicants apply, the more scholarship funds there are available.
Because USF Law is private, tuition is significantly more expensive than at a public law school. The annual tuition is over $30,000 with books and supplies adding on another $1,000 or so. In addition, because the school is located in San Francisco, one of the most expensive places to live in the United States, housing can add on another $10,000 plus for those students choosing to live on-campus and $15,000 for those students choosing to live off-campus.
Because of the high tuition prices, the majority of USF Law School’s students receive aid of some sort. This includes those students who receive merit-based aid, which roughly 20% of students do, and those that receive scholarships, which is approximately 30% of students.
USF Law School Curriculum and Academics
Because USF Law School is amongst the top 100 law schools in the nation, the academic standards are high and the school is competitive and demanding. The school has a tough workload and a harsh grading curve. On average, the law school maintains a C average, due in part to both the workload and tough curve, and it is these low GPAs that make for the extreme competition in classes, with each student vying for the high grades. Because all GPAs are relatively lower than other law schools, most students at the school use their class percentages as a mark of ranking, as this lends for a better determination as to where they are in comparison to the rest of their class. The school works well with students who have a GPA of 2.0 or lower, after their first year by placing them in a program that provides tutoring assistance.
The classes are much smaller than at most law schools, with some being as small as 10 students. This can be both good and bad, as students get more personal interaction with professors during class, but have increased competition between students due to the grading curve. There are legal writing, legal research and moot court requirements for all students. The legal writing course consists of an intense year-long curriculum based on the training of research, legal writing and analysis skills. The popular classes are harder to get into, of course, but most students usually get into them from the wait list.
Professors at USF Law come from a variety of schools including many Ivy Leagues. The faculty consists of around 90 professors, with the majority of these working part-time.
Clinical programs, though not required, are strongly encouraged. Some can be harder to get into than others and many students do not get the opportunity to participate in any of them when the competition is too high. The three biggest clinics are criminal law, civil rights law and intellectual property law, with criminal and civil rights being the hardest to get into. The school also offers clinics in mediation and international human rights. In addition, USF Law School offers judicial externships to its students.
USF Law School Quality of Life
The USF Law School campus is beautiful with much foliage, pretty buildings with classic architecture, the law school with its modern look, and a new high-tech library with internet access for every seat. The new library is extremely popular among professors, students and alumni. Directly across the street from the law school is a Roman Catholic Church, hearkening back to the school’s Jesuit foundation, along with numerous undergraduate facilities.
The location of the law school is central to San Francisco, near to both the civic center and the downtown area. USF Law School’s neighborhood is safe in comparison to many of the city’s neighborhoods although parking, like most places in the city, is not always available. Also as a result of location the school leans politically left.
USF Law School Social Life
The social life at USF Law is primarily a product of San Francisco city life. While the school does host bar nights every week, it is San Francisco that offers the restaurants, clubs and bars that are popular with students. In addition, Golden Gate Park and the Haight District of the city are short distances by foot from the school. For a large metropolis, San Francisco offers a wide array of outdoor activities for students as well.
USF Law School Employment Prospects
The employments prospects for USF Law students are average, with a 92% job placement rate 9 months after graduation, and an average starting salary of approximately $85,000. The reason that the career prospects are reasonable is partially due to the fact that USF Law is highly respected in the Bay Area and finding jobs and internships is fairly easy to achieve. However graduates of USF Law School often find themselves competing with students of Hastings, Stanford and Berkeley.
The career services department is not very helpful, and many students have to work hard to find job prospects for themselves. For the most part, career services concentrates itself on those students in the top 5 to 10 percent who are looking for careers with big firms or non-profits.
Overall, if one wants to learn and practice law in San Francisco, the University of San Francisco Law School offers an excellent option for those seeking a Northern California regional school.
Contact Information
University of San Francisco School of Law
2130 Fulton Street
San Francisco, CA 94117
(415) 422 – 6586
lawadmissions@usfca.edu
Application Deadline: February 2
Application Fee: $60
Financial Aid Application Deadline: February 15
