Villanova University School of Law

Villanova Law provides students with a well-rounded legal education that is grounded in academic rigor and practical experience. Whether you are interested in international law, corporate law, intellectual property law, or public interest law, Villanova has a program that will prepare you for the future. Their Where Law Meets Business philosophy ensures that students gain vital business principles and skills alongside their legal education. This hands-on approach prepares graduates for successful careers in a competitive job market.

History

Villanova University is a school that was founded in 1842. The values are based on truth, unity, and love. They have created an environment where students can learn how to think critically and act compassionately while helping others.

Villanova University is based on the values of truth, unity, and love. Their unique environment allows students to think critically, act compassionately and succeed while serving others. The faculty and staff come from diverse backgrounds, enhancing the University. The students follow the great intellectual and moral tradition that Villanova is known for. This connects them with others long after they graduate.

Admissions

The JD application will become available on September 1 and only be accepted on July 1. Admission is for the fall of each year, and only a full-time program is offered. The Admissions Committee evaluates applications and informs candidates of decisions continuously, usually beginning in late fall and extending to mid-summer.

Statistics

Admissions Stats
Class of:	2020-2021	2021-2022
25th - 50th - 75th percentile LSAT	156 - 160 - 161	157 - 162 - 164
25th - 50th - 75th percentile GPA	3.37 - 3.63 - 3.79	3.51 - 3.7 - 3.83
Acceptance rate	29.8%	17.8%
Applications received	1953	2972
Acceptances	581	529
Matriculants	418	432

Villanova University's 1L class size is 219, and the yield (the percent of admitted students who attend) is 40.83%. This means that out of the 2,972 people who applied, only 529 were offered admission, but 216 of those people accepted, which results in a yield of 40.83%. The [[ https://www.bcgsearch.com/article/900052390/What-is-the-Role-of-LSAT-in-Law-School-Admissions/%7Cmedian LSAT score]] for Villanova's 1L class is 162, and the GPA is 3.7. This information can be helpful when considering whether or not to apply to Villanova University Law School.

To apply to law school, you must include a $75 application fee, your personal statement, resume, LSAC Credential Assembly Service report, LSAT score(s), and explanations for any affirmative answer to the character and fitness disclosure. You may also include additional letters of recommendation and optional essays.

Early Decision

Villanova Law strongly recommends that all applicants submit their applications as early as possible in the admissions cycle. If Villanova Law is your first choice of law school, you may apply as an Early Decision applicant. Early Decision applicants will receive a decision by December 23rd for Round 1 or April 1st for Round 2. The Early Decision option is binding: An applicant commits to attending Villanova Law if admitted.

Interview

Villanova Law has added an interview component to its application process. Through the interview process, they hope to learn more about their applicants and their experiences, communication skills, maturity, motivation, and personality. Interviews will also help us learn how applicants can contribute to the Villanova Law community as students and alums. Interviews are currently by invitation only. They will interview as many applicants as they can. However, they will only be able to interview some applicants. If you are not invited to interview, your candidacy for admission is not adversely impacted. Your application will be reviewed holistically with the same attention as the applicants invited to interview. Interviews will begin in September and will be scheduled throughout the application cycle. If you are invited to interview, you will receive an email with instructions on scheduling your interview. Once you receive the email, you will have seven days to schedule your interview. Each interview will last approximately thirty minutes and will include time for questions. Please note that your application must be complete before you can be invited to interview.

Transfer

The deadline to apply to transfer to Villanova Law is July 1. The application will become available in early May and must be completed by July 15. To be considered for transfer, the student must have completed all the courses required in the first year of law school at their home school. Villanova Law will only accept credit or credits for a course in which the student receives a grade of C, its equivalent, or better. The number of credits transferred will equal the number of credits completed in that program; if there are differences in the 1L curriculum between the home school and Villanova Law, transfer students will be required to complete any required Villanova Law 1L coursework as part of their upper-level coursework. The law school from which the applicant seeks to transfer must be able to certify that the applicant has completed all requirements and credits for that school's full-time first-year program. Transcripts reflecting grades for all courses must be submitted to the Admissions Office by July 15. To read a fantastic article about transferring, click here.

Tuition and Expenses

Cost of Attendance

Law School Budget: 2022-2023 Entering Class
Housing Status	Off Campus	With Parents or Relatives
Tuition/Fees	$53,535	$53,535
Book/Supplies	$1,400	$1,400
Rent/Utilities	$12,150	$2,700
Food/Sundries	$4,500	$3,150
Misc. Expenses	$3,592	$3,142
Loan Fees	$1,258	$1,090
Total Budget	$76,435	$65,017

The cost of education for purposes of determining financial need includes actual costs for tuition, fees, and other related expenses, as well as reasonable estimated costs for items such as rent, food, and books. You may also include the cost of purchasing a computer and parking tags, if necessary.

Financial Aid

The Office of Financial Aid can assist students in understanding the different financing options available to help pay for legal education. The staff can answer any questions or concerns you may have while completing the financial aid process, whether you are a prospective, current, or graduate tax student.

Scholarships

Scholarships are one of the types of financial aid that can be available to you to help finance your education. They are usually the most sought-after type of aid because they typically refer to money for college that you do not have to repay. At the Charles Widger School of Law, the following types of scholarships may be available to students:

Charles Widger '73 Leadership Scholarship – Established by Barbara and Charles Widger '73, this three-year, full-tuition scholarship is awarded each year to a select group of students who have demonstrated strong leadership potential and an interest in making an impact in both law and business.

Charles Widger '73 Leadership Scholarship

The Charles Widger '73 Leadership Scholarship is a three-year, full-tuition scholarship awarded annually to a select group of students who have demonstrated strong leadership potential and an interest in making an impact in both law and business.

Public Interest Scholars Program

Villanova Law encourages students to pursue careers in public interest law and has created the Public Interest Scholars Program to facilitate this. The program offers a full-tuition scholarship to a select group of students based on past academic achievement, leadership, public interest work, and commitment to contribute to public interest endeavors at Villanova Law and as future public interest practitioners. These scholars are chosen as leaders of a dynamic community of committed public servants.

Institutional Scholarships

The Charles Widger School of Law offers institutional scholarships to students who meet certain criteria, including academic achievement and financial need. The scholarships are awarded during the summer, and to be considered for need-based scholarship funding, you must include parent information on the FAFSA form. The government considers graduate students to be independent and does not require parent information, but including it will allow the Office of Financial Aid to better determine your financial need. In addition to including parent information on the FAFSA, you must also submit the Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law Need-Based Financial Aid Application. Priority when selecting scholarship recipients will be given to students who are not receiving merit-based scholarships and demonstrate a true financial need.

Outside Scholarships

There are many scholarships available from private companies and social organizations. Villanova Law is not associated with these groups, but we have compiled a list of opportunities that they have been made aware of in order to help you in your search.

Law School Culture

Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law is focused on preparing its students for success in the legal market. Their innovative learning modules, six in-house clinics, and 275+ externships provide students with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed. And their mandatory Professional Development program helps students prepare for their careers.

At Villanova Law, they pride themselves on being a community that is respectful, supportive, and open-minded. They focus on preparing their students with the academic, professional, and practical skills employers are looking for and on training them to be the ethical lawyers of tomorrow.

Academics

Villanova's atmosphere is conducive to intellectual growth. The research and scholarship opportunities available, as well as the integrated teaching methods, help students become successful in any field they choose to pursue.

Faculty

The professors at Villanova are highly respected in their fields, and they are great classroom teachers as well. They are always innovating and engaged in research, and they work closely with their students to help them grow both academically and personally. Villanova is an excellent place to pursue a college education because of its amazing faculty.

Villanova's collaborative pursuit of knowledge helps to foster partnerships between our academic departments and colleges, and with global organizations. This allows our faculty and students to work together and learn from each other, while also coming up with innovative ways to help improve our communities.

Programs

Studying abroad at Villanova is a great opportunity to explore new possibilities! If you have any questions about specific programs, be sure to reach out to your study abroad advisor.

Villanova Semester Programs

Villanova currently offers a variety of year-long and semester programs in locations all over the world. Some of these programs are interdisciplinary and open to all students and offer the chance to study at international universities or participate in language immersion experiences. Others are more focused and offer structured course options designed for specific majors or groups of students.

Villanova Summer Programs

The Villanova Summer Programs are offered in many different locations all over the world. The programs last 6-10 weeks and are taught by Villanova faculty program coordinators and other professors from the host institution. If you're interested in participating in a summer program, look at the payment information page to find out how much it will cost.

Villanova Intensive Courses Abroad

Villanova offers short-term study abroad opportunities that are intensive courses taught within a two to the three-week travel period. Villanova professors lead all courses. Some programs may include on-campus study before departure.

Partner Programs

Villanova has several established partner programs with locations all around the world. You can begin your search for a program here. Suppose you need help finding a program to meet your needs through our established partners. In that case, we may be able to work with a new program that meets their criteria - not-for-profit status, integrated housing, local faculty, and academically rigorous.

Curriculum

Villanova's first-year courses follow the standard for law schools, requiring civil procedure, contracts, criminal law, property, torts, legal writing, and legal research. Second and third-year students are given more freedom in the selection of their classes with only a few requisites. A moot court program is required during the later years of study. Villanova also offers the Sentencing Workshop, a class in which students study real cases with the judges and lawyers who tried them, and discuss how to sentence criminals.

Clinics

Clinics allow students to learn about law by practicing under the supervision of a full-time faculty member. In clinics, students represent clients pro bono (free of charge), which allows them to learn about and apply different aspects of the law. They also get to experience what it is like to work as an attorney and learn about the importance of ethics in client representation. Clinics are an excellent way for students to actively live out Villanova's mission and become responsible and productive citizens.

Externships

At Villanova Law, externships give students the opportunity to observe and work directly with an experienced legal practitioner in a semester-long, real-world learning environment. Rigorously supervised, you’ll be paired with and meet regularly with a Villanova faculty adviser who has expertise in the area of your placement.

Placements

Villanova Law provides opportunities for externship placements with more than 50 businesses, organizations, and government entities in the greater Philadelphia area. This allows students to gain experience in various practice areas; alternatively, if you find an externship that better suits your individual career goals, you are encouraged to seek an independent placement.

Judicial Externship

A Villanova Law judicial externship is an excellent opportunity to get a behind-the-scenes look at how judges decide cases. You can gain experience researching and writing legal briefs, analyzing cases, and understanding the procedural rules and substantive law principles that guide the judicial process.

Emploment Prospects and Bar Passage

Villanova graduates who work in the private sector make an average of $120,000. If they go into the private sector, they can expect to make $52,000. 55.4% of law graduates from Villanova University go directly to work for law firms, while 23.0% clerk for a judge. 1.4% of graduates go into public interest. 86.8% of Villanova University graduates pass the bar on their first try.

NORTHEAST - 70%
MIDWEST - 5%
SOUTH - 19%
WEST - 5%
INTERNATIONAL - 1%

STUDENTS OF COLOR - 27%
ASIAN/PACIFIC ISLANDER - 5%
BLACK/AFRICAN AMERICAN - 8%
HISPANIC/LATINO - 13%
OTHER - 1%

LGBTQ+ STUDENTS - 16%
ADVANCED DEGREES - 8%
DIRECTLY FROM COLLEGE - 40%
1+ YEARS AFTER UNDERGRAD - 60%

FEMALE - 59%
MALE - 41%

Class Profile data is accurate as of October 5, 2022.

Quality of Life

Villanova University is located in the Mainline, a suburb of Philadelphia. Fifteen minutes from the city center, Villanova has a beautiful, calm campus only minutes from the bustling life of a major city. With its own train stop, city access is easy, quickly delivering students to museums, restaurants, nightclubs, and shopping; all that Philadelphia has to offer.

In addition to the lure of Philadelphia, Villanova attempts to provide its own student life on campus. A variety of journals and organizations are present at Villanova Law, in addition to a weekly gazette and moot court teams. The school hosts the Barristers Ball in addition to other social events for entertaining evenings. The Public Interest Auction is held yearly, with proceeds funding public interest summer fellowships. Academic lectures are also presented on a wide variety of topics. Villanova offers the Lawyering Together program, in which current students work with alumni on pro bono representation.

Synopsis

As with the vast majority of law schools in this historically depressed legal market, prospective students should seriously evaluate the decision to attend a second-tier law school without significant financial aid. An estimated debt-financed cost of attendance nearing $250,000 is a daunting figure given the current state of legal employment.

Contact Information

Villanova University Charles Widger
School of Law
Admissions Office
299 N. Spring Mill Rd.
Villanova, PA 19085
Phone: (610) 519-7010
Fax: (610) 519-6291
Email: admissions@law.villanova.edu
https://www1.villanova.edu/university/law/admissions.html

Summary

Established	1842
Location	Villanova, PA
Dean	Mark C. Alexander
2022 US News Ranking	56th
LSAT Median Score	162
GPA Median Score	3.7
Bar Passage Rate	90% (2022)
Employment Rate	51% (2022)
Cost	$53,535 Off Campus $53,535 With Parents or Relatives
Average Debt	$107,335
Application Deadline	July 1, 2023 (Regular)

Forum and Discussion

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Reference

https://www1.villanova.edu/university/law.html
Rank #56
LSD Law
LSAC Guide
How to Learn to Do Well on a Law School Exam
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