Last updated: September 8, 2026

University of Alabama School of Law

The University of Alabama School of Law (commonly known as Alabama Law) is the law school of the University of Alabama, a public research university in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Founded in 1872, Alabama Law is one of the leading public law schools in the Southeast. It is the top-ranked law school in Alabama, regularly places among the top 10 nationally for federal clerkship placement, and is recognized for its low graduate debt burden and tight-knit student community. The school operates from a single self-contained building on the eastern edge of the University of Alabama campus and enrolls approximately 388 J.D. students across all three years.

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Alabama Law at a Glance

Founded	1872
Type	Public (flagship: University of Alabama)
ABA approval or accreditation	Fully ABA-accredited
Location	Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0382
Latest U.S. News rank	#31 (tie) out of 194 (2026)
Latest completed applications	not separately confirmed for Fall 2025 (2025 ABA Standard 509 endpoint blocked)
Latest acceptance rate	25.6% (Fall 2025 entering class, per LSD.Law/ILRG aggregations)
Latest LSAT median	167 (25th–75th percentile: 161–168)
Latest GPA median	3.97 (25th–75th percentile: 3.76–4.04)
Latest entering class	not separately confirmed from 2025 ABA Standard 509 endpoint this turn
Current tuition	In-state $25,320; out-of-state $49,710 (2026–27)
Current estimated cost of attendance	not separately confirmed for law students this turn
Latest first-time bar passage	91.4% (Class of 2025)
Latest bar-required employment	93.2% full-time, long-term, JD-required (Class of 2025)
Current dean	William S. Brewbaker III (since 2023)

Introduction

The University of Alabama School of Law is the public flagship law school in the state of Alabama and one of the highest-ranked public law schools in the Southeast. Founded in 1872, Alabama Law has built a strong reputation for federal clerkship placement (#7 nationally for the Class of 2025), top-tier bar passage rates (91.4% first-time), and high employment outcomes (99.3% employed within 10 months of graduation). The school emphasizes close faculty mentorship, with a 5.8:1 student-to-faculty ratio, and operates from a self-contained building that provides 24-hour access to classrooms, study rooms, library, and a private law student parking lot. Alumni practice in all 50 states, with strong concentration across the Southeast and a meaningful national placement pipeline in federal clerkships, BigLaw, and government.

Rankings and Reputation

Overall Ranking

Alabama Law is ranked #31 (tie) in the 2026 U.S. News & World Report "Best Law Schools" rankings out of 194 accredited programs. It is the top-ranked law school in Alabama.

Specialty Rankings

Alabama Law's strongest specialty placements include:

Federal Judicial Clerkships — #7 nationally for the Class of 2025, with 12.3% of graduates securing federal clerkships.
Bar Passage — 91.4% first-time bar passage (Class of 2025) with a 99.15% ultimate two-year pass rate.
Trial advocacy and business/corporate concentrations are also cited among the school's strengths on the official Quick Facts release.

Admissions: What It Takes to Get In

Class Statistics (Fall 2025 Entering Class)

Completed applications: not separately confirmed from the 2025 ABA Standard 509 endpoint this turn.
Offers of admission / Acceptance rate: 25.6% (per LSD.Law and ILRG aggregations of the 2025 ABA Standard 509 disclosures).
Median LSAT: 167 (25th–75th percentile: 161–168).
Median UGPA: 3.97 (25th–75th percentile: 3.76–4.04).
First-year class size: not separately confirmed for Fall 2025; total J.D. enrollment across all three classes is 388.
Total J.D. enrollment: 388 students (three-year program).

Application Timeline and Fees

For the 2026–2027 application cycle (Fall 2027 entry):

Applications open: typically September 1 (rolling cycle).
Priority deadline: typically March 1.
Final deadline: typically July 1.
Application fee: not separately confirmed for the 2026–27 cycle.
LSAT scores are valid for five years per the school's consumer information release.

Selection Factors

Alabama Law selects applicants based on LSAT, undergraduate GPA, personal statement, letters of recommendation, resume, and any optional addenda. The school's median LSAT of 167 and median GPA of 3.97 place it among the most academically selective public law schools in the Southeast. Applicants above the 75th percentile (LSAT ≥168 and/or GPA ≥4.04) have strong chances of admission and merit scholarship consideration.

Application Tips

Alabama Law is a strong target for applicants with LSATs in the 161–168 range and GPAs of 3.76 or higher. The school is friendly to candidates with ties to Alabama and the Southeast, but admits candidates from all 50 states. Applicants below the 25th percentile on either LSAT or GPA should consider crafting a high-impact diversity statement, addendum, or "why Alabama" essay to differentiate their file.

Cost, Scholarships, and Debt

Tuition (2026–27)

In-state tuition: $25,320
Out-of-state tuition: $49,710
Overload tuition for credits above 16 per semester is charged at $705/hour (resident) or $2,028/hour (non-resident).

Estimated Cost of Attendance

The general University of Alabama 2026–27 cost-of-attendance estimates total direct costs of approximately:

In-state: $28,196 (tuition, fees, average housing and food).
Out-of-state: $52,202 (tuition, fees, average housing and food).

Law school-specific cost-of-attendance figures (law-only books, transportation, loan-fee budgets) were not separately confirmed from the school website this turn.

Scholarships and Financial Aid

Alabama Law offers merit-based scholarships, need-based aid, and other institutional grants. Alabama Law markets itself as having one of the lowest graduate debt burdens among comparable top-tier public law schools, but specific median grant amounts, percentage of students receiving grants, and conditional scholarship policies were not separately confirmed from the 2025 ABA Standard 509 endpoint this turn.

Debt Outlook

The school emphasizes its low-debt graduate profile combined with high employment outcomes. Specific 2025 graduate debt averages were not confirmed in this turn.

Employment Outcomes

Class of 2025 (10-Month Outcomes)

Overall employment rate: 99.3% employed within 10 months of graduation (per Alabama Law release).
Full-time, long-term, JD-required (bar-required) employment: 93.2% (per the ABA required employment summary on the Consumer Information page).
Federal clerkships: 12.3% — top-7 nationally.
501+ lawyer firms (BigLaw): 9.6% (Class of 2025).
Other private firms: 52.0% (Class of 2025).
Ultimate two-year bar passage rate: 99.15%.

Geographic Placement

Alabama Law alumni practice in all 50 states, with the strongest concentration in Alabama and the broader Southeast. Significant placement also occurs in major legal markets such as Atlanta, Nashville, Charlotte, Houston, D.C., and New York. Specific geographic distribution percentages for the Class of 2025 were not separately confirmed in this turn.

Bar Passage Rate

First-time bar passage: 91.4% (Class of 2025, per ILRG).
Ultimate two-year pass rate: 99.15% (Class of 2025 per school release).
Alabama Law outperforms the overall state of Alabama first-time bar passage rate by approximately +11.0% per ILRG.

Academics and Programs

Curriculum

The J.D. is a traditional three-year, full-time program. The first year covers core doctrinal subjects (Torts, Contracts, Civil Procedure, Criminal Law, Property, Constitutional Law, Legal Writing, and a research/writing component). Upper-level students select from a broad and deep elective catalog.

Dual Degree Programs

Alabama Law offers several dual degree programs (specific titles were not separately confirmed in this turn; the school states that students may pursue dual degrees with other UA graduate schools).

Clinics and Experiential Learning

The law school provides clinical opportunities (subject-specific names not confirmed this turn) along with trial advocacy and moot court teams. Specific clinic names and credit-bearing externships were not separately confirmed in this turn.

Journals

Law journals (specific titles not confirmed this turn) offer writing and editing credit opportunities; the school highlights participation in law journals on its curricular overview pages.

Centers and Programs

Alabama Law maintains formal certificate programs and centers in Public Interest, Governmental Affairs, and Comparative and International Law, per the school's admissions overview. Specific center names were not separately confirmed in this turn.

Student Life and Location

The Alabama Law Building

Alabama Law is housed in a dedicated law school building on the eastern edge of the main University of Alabama campus. The building offers 24-hour access to classrooms, study rooms, library, and a cafeteria, and the school maintains a private parking lot reserved exclusively for law students.

Tuscaloosa

Tuscaloosa is consistently named among the best college towns and best places to live in the United States. The City of Tuscaloosa blends a vibrant local culture, locally owned businesses, restaurants, and entertainment with the amenities of a larger university city. The University of Alabama itself enrolls nearly 40,000 students, and law students can participate in university-wide activities and organizations.

Student Body

Total J.D. enrollment is 388 students across all three years. The school emphasizes a tight-knit, supportive community with a 5.8:1 student-to-faculty ratio, multiple student organizations, and active faculty mentorship.

How Alabama Law Compares

Choose Alabama Law If

You want strong federal clerkship placement (#7 nationally).
You want one of the lowest debt loads among top-tier public law schools.
You are targeting the Southeast legal market, especially Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, or Florida.
You value close faculty mentorship (5.8:1 ratio) in a tight-knit community.
You have strong LSAT/GPA credentials (LSAT ≥165 and GPA ≥3.85) and want merit scholarship eligibility.

Consider Alternatives If

You are targeting elite coastal BigLaw (New York, California, D.C.) as your primary outcome — schools with deeper coastal placement pipelines may serve better.
You want a part-time or evening J.D. program — Alabama Law is a full-time program.
You want to practice in a market other than the Southeast without strong regional ties.

The TLS Verdict

Alabama Law occupies a distinctive position among public law schools: it combines top-tier federal clerkship placement (#7 nationally), high overall employment (99.3%), and strong bar passage (91.4% first-time, 99.15% ultimate) with low in-state tuition ($25,320) and a low-debt graduate profile. Its 5.8:1 student-to-faculty ratio and tight-knit community of 388 J.D. students make it ideal for students who want close mentorship in a self-contained law school environment. Applicants seeking elite coastal BigLaw should weigh alternatives; applicants with LSATs at or above the 75th percentile (168) and GPAs above 3.85 should consider Alabama Law a target with strong merit scholarship potential and clerkship placement prospects.

Frequently Asked Questions

How competitive is admission to Alabama Law? The Class of 2028 (Fall 2025) had an acceptance rate of approximately 25.6%, with a median LSAT of 167 and median GPA of 3.97, per the 2025 ABA Standard 509 disclosures as aggregated by LSD.Law and ILRG.

What LSAT score do I need for Alabama Law? The median LSAT is 167 (25th–75th percentile: 161–168). Strong applicants should be at or above the median.

What GPA do I need for Alabama Law? The median GPA is 3.97 (25th–75th percentile: 3.76–4.04). Strong applicants should be at or above the median.

Does Alabama Law offer scholarships? Alabama Law offers merit-based and need-based aid; conditional scholarship policies and specific median grant amounts were not separately confirmed in this turn.

What is Alabama Law's bar passage rate? First-time bar passage for the Class of 2025 is 91.4%. The ultimate two-year pass rate is 99.15%.

What are Alabama Law's employment outcomes? 93.2% of the Class of 2025 secured full-time, long-term, JD-required (bar-required) employment within 10 months. 99.3% were employed overall. 12.3% secured federal clerkships (#7 nationally).

Does Alabama Law have a part-time J.D. program? No — Alabama Law is a full-time, three-year J.D. program.

What is Alabama Law best known for? Federal clerkship placement (#7 nationally, Class of 2025), high bar passage, low debt burden, tight-knit community, and strong regional placement across the Southeast.

Who is the dean of Alabama Law? William S. Brewbaker III has served as dean since 2023; he previously held the William Alfred Rose Professorship and taught health care law and health care liability.

Contact and Key Links

Address: Box 870382, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0382
Main Office Phone: (205) 348-5750
ABA Section of Legal Education (consumer information): (312) 988-6738

TLS Forum Links

Sources

The University of Alabama School of Law

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