Home » Law Schools » Rankings and Profiles »

William & Mary Law School

From TLS wiki
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Last updated: September 8, 2026

William & Mary Law School

William & Mary Law School (officially the Law School of the College of William & Mary) is the professional law school of the College of William & Mary, a public research university in Williamsburg, Virginia. Founded on December 4, 1779, William & Mary Law School is the oldest law school in the United States — predating the U.S. Constitution by seven years. It is consistently ranked among the top 35 nationally in U.S. News & World Report and is widely recognized for its "Citizen Lawyer" mission, top-tier bar passage, strong federal clerkship placement (#18 nationally), and high overall employment (96.5%). The school sits at the heart of historic Colonial Williamsburg, minutes from both the Virginia state and federal courts, and serves as a launching pad for Virginia, D.C., and Mid-Atlantic legal careers.

William & Law at a Glance

Category Latest information
Founded 1779 (December 4, 1779 — oldest law school in the United States)
Type Public (College of William & Mary)
ABA approval or accreditation ABA approved (Council of the Section of Legal Education)
Location Williamsburg, Virginia
Latest U.S. News rank #34 (per school homepage; 2026 edition)
Latest completed applications 2,176 (Fall 2025, per 2025 ABA Standard 509)
Latest acceptance rate 21.97% (Fall 2025 entering class, per ABA 509); most recent (Class of 2029) acceptance rate: 14.8%
Latest LSAT median 166 (Fall 2025; 25th–75th percentile: 161–167); Class of 2029: 167
Latest GPA median 3.82 (Fall 2025; 25th–75th percentile: 3.53–3.94); Class of 2029: 3.81
Latest entering class 184 first-year students (Fall 2025)
Current tuition $39,754 (in-state) / $66,046 (out-of-state) for 2026–27 (Tuition only)
Current estimated cost of attendance In-state ~$72,315 (Tuition $39,754 + Fees $7,591 + Living Allowance $24,970); out-of-state ~$99,178 (Tuition $66,046 + Fees $8,162 + Living Allowance $24,970)
Latest first-time bar passage 92.8% (Class of 2025, per LawHub); #14 nationally for two-year Ultimate Bar Passage
Latest bar-required employment 88.7% full-time, long-term, bar-required (Class of 2025); #37 nationally
Overall employment (10 months) 96.5% employed including pursuit of further education (Class of 2025, per school release)
Current dean A. Benjamin Spencer (since 2018; first African American dean of William & Mary Law School)


Introduction

William and Mary School of Law.jpg


William & Mary Law School is a public law school in Williamsburg, Virginia, and the oldest continuously operating law school in the United States. Founded in 1779 — four years after the American Revolution began and seven years before the U.S. Constitution was ratified — William & Mary was the first institution in the country to confer a law degree. Originally conceived as part of the College of William & Mary's broader "school of police and law," the law school took its modern form in the early twentieth century under the leadership of figures like William B. Spong Jr., who championed its research identity. Today, William & Mary Law School enrolls approximately 496 J.D. students across all three years, sits on a 6.1:1 student-to-faculty ratio, and is closely tied to the Williamsburg legal community, the Virginia state courts, and federal courts within driving distance. The school's "Citizen Lawyer" tradition emphasizes public service, civility, and rigorous legal training — yielding consistent placement in the top 35 nationally, top-tier bar passage (92.8% first-time), and elite employment outcomes (96.5% overall).

Rankings and Reputation

Overall ranking

William & Mary Law School is ranked #34 in the 2026 U.S. News & World Report "Best Law Schools" rankings (per the school's homepage snapshot). It is consistently a top-35 program and one of the highest-ranked public law schools in Virginia.

Specialty rankings

William & Mary Law School's strongest specialty placements include:

  • #14 nationally in Ultimate Bar Passage (two-year average) per school's "Rankings" page.
  • #18 nationally in Most Grads in Federal Clerkships (Class of 2023).
  • #37 nationally in Bar-Required Employment (88.7%, Class of 2025).
  • BigLaw pipeline growth — BigLaw placement rose from 12.0% to 19.1% (+7.1%) for the Class of 2025 per Hey Future Lawyer's compilation of ABA data.
  • Trial Advocacy, Environmental Law, and Property Rights — William & Mary hosts the annual Brigham-Kanner Property Rights Conference, the Center for Energy Law and Policy, and the Institute of Bill of Rights Law (which runs the prestigious Supreme Court Preview event).
  • Other 2026 specialty rankings (tax, IP, business/corporate, constitutional law, etc.) were not separately confirmed in this turn.

Admissions: What It Takes to Get In

Entering class (Fall 2025)

The Fall 2025 entering class profile, as aggregated from the 2025 ABA Standard 509 disclosures:

  • Completed applications: 2,176.
  • Offers of admission: 478 (derived from 21.97% acceptance × applications).
  • Acceptance rate: 21.97% (Fall 2025 entering class).
  • First-year class size: 184.
  • Most recent (Class of 2029) statistics: median LSAT 167; median GPA 3.81; acceptance rate 14.8% — reflecting significant recent tightening.

LSAT and GPA

For the Fall 2025 entering class (Class of 2028):

  • LSAT median: 166.
  • LSAT 25th–75th percentile range: 161–167.
  • UGPA median: 3.82.
  • UGPA 25th–75th percentile range: 3.53–3.94.

For the most recent Class of 2029 (entering Fall 2026) per the school's 1L class profile page:

  • LSAT median: 167 (75th/25th: 168/163).
  • UGPA median: 3.81 (75th/25th: 3.91/3.49).
  • Acceptance rate: 14.8% — a markedly tighter recent cycle.

Interpreting the numbers

William & Mary Law School operates as a strong top-35 public program with a recent tightening in admissions: the 2025 entering-class LSAT median (166) is rising alongside the more selective Class of 2029 indicators (median LSAT 167, 14.8% acceptance). Applicants at or above the 75th percentile (LSAT ≥167 or GPA ≥3.94) have the strongest admission and merit scholarship outcomes. Applicants below the 25th percentile on either LSAT or GPA should emphasize Virginia or D.C. ties, public-service commitment (matching the "Citizen Lawyer" mission), and other soft factors that signal fit with William & Mary's traditional ethos.

Application timing

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 2026–27.
  • LSAT scores are valid per LSAC policy (five years).
  • William & Mary uses LSAC's Credential Assembly Service and accepts the LSAT (no GRE substitute identified in this turn).

Cost, Scholarships, and Debt

Tuition

For the 2026–27 academic year, tuition at William & Mary Law School is reported as:

  • In-state tuition: $39,754 (per W&M Cost of Law School page for incoming 1Ls).
  • Out-of-state tuition: $66,046.
  • University Fees: $7,591 (in-state) / $8,162 (out-of-state).
  • Living Allowance: $24,970 (single student, off-campus living).

Cost of attendance

The 2026–27 estimated cost of attendance for incoming 1L students at William & Mary Law School:

  • In-state total: ~$72,315 (Tuition $39,754 + Fees $7,591 + Living Allowance $24,970).
  • Out-of-state total: ~$99,178 (Tuition $66,046 + Fees $8,162 + Living Allowance $24,970).

U.S. News cites tuition figures of $46,102 (in-state) and $70,839 (out-of-state), reflecting a different academic-year base. Health insurance and books costs are itemized separately on the school's full COA page.

Financial aid

William & Mary's Tuition & Financial Aid Office provides need-based and merit-based aid. Specific median grant dollar amounts, percentage of students receiving grants, and conditional scholarship policies for the 2025 cohort were not separately confirmed from the ABA Standard 509 endpoint this turn.

Debt perspective

William & Mary promotes itself as offering a strong value proposition for public legal education with elite employment outcomes; specific 2025 graduate debt averages were not confirmed in this turn.

Employment Outcomes

Employment (Class of 2025)

For the Class of 2025, William & Mary Law School's published employment outcomes are:

  • Overall employment rate (10 months): 96.5% employed (including pursuit of further education — per school release).
  • Employment Score: 90.5% (per LawHub aggregation).
  • Underemployment Score: 0% (per LawHub aggregation).
  • Full-time, long-term, bar-passage-required employment: 88.7% — #37 nationally.
  • BigLaw placement (501+ lawyers): 19.1% — up sharply from 12.0% in the prior cohort (+7.1%).
  • Other private firms: 28.6% (up modestly from 25.8%).
  • Federal clerkships: 6.0% (held steady from 5.8%).
  • #18 nationally in Most Grads in Federal Clerkships (Class of 2023).

What these numbers mean

William & Mary's combination of 88.7% full-time bar-required employment, 96.5% overall employment, and 0% underemployment places the school among highly effective public law programs in the country. The recent jump in BigLaw placement (from 12.0% to 19.1%) indicates a deepening pipeline to large firms — both Virginia-based AmLaw 200 firms and select out-of-state firms in the Mid-Atlantic and D.C. markets.

Bar passage

  • First-time bar passage: 92.8% (Class of 2025, per LawHub).
  • Ultimate Bar Passage (two-year average): #14 nationally.
  • William & Mary outperforms the state of Virginia first-time bar pass rate by a meaningful margin. Specific ultimate two-year pass rate percentage for the Class of 2025 was not separately confirmed in this turn.

Where graduates go

William & Mary's strongest placement markets are Virginia (Richmond, Norfolk/Virginia Beach, Northern Virginia, Charlottesville), Washington D.C., Maryland, and broader Mid-Atlantic region. With BigLaw placement now at 19.1%, William & Mary graduates also enter AmLaw 200 firms in D.C., New York, and select other major markets. Specific geographic distribution percentages for the Class of 2025 were not separately confirmed in this turn.

Academics and Programs

Curriculum and special strengths

William & Mary Law School's J.D. program is a three-year, full-time course of study with a deep traditional core. First-year students complete core doctrinal subjects (Torts, Contracts, Civil Procedure, Criminal Law, Property, Constitutional Law, and Legal Writing). Upper-level students may pursue:

  • The Combination Degree Program with the William & Mary School of Business, the Public Policy program, or the American Studies Program.
  • Multiple concentrations and the Family and Criminal Law Certificate Programs.
  • The LL.M. in American Legal Studies (a one-year, full-time residential program for foreign-trained lawyers).

William & Mary's signature intellectual strengths include:

  • Property Rights, Energy Law, and Environmental Law — anchored by the Brigham-Kanner Property Rights Conference and the Center for Energy Law and Policy.
  • Constitutional Law and the Bill of Rights — anchored by the Institute of Bill of Rights Law and the annual Supreme Court Preview event (held every fall, with leading Supreme Court advocates and journalists).

Clinics and experiential learning

William & Mary operates seven named in-house clinics:

  • Community Law Clinic
  • Appellate & Supreme Court Clinic
  • Domestic Violence Clinic
  • Immigration Clinic
  • Innocence Project Clinic
  • Lewis B. Puller, Jr. Veterans Benefits Clinic
  • Special Education Advocacy Clinic

These clinics provide hands-on live-client experience from early in students' legal education, aligned with the "Citizen Lawyer" mission.

Student Life and Location

Living in Williamsburg

Williamsburg is a historic Virginia city at the heart of Colonial Williamsburg, located roughly 60 minutes from Richmond, three hours from Washington D.C., and two hours from Virginia Beach. The city blends living-history museums, the College of William & Mary's traditional campus atmosphere, and a small but growing legal community tied to the local courts and tourism economy. Cost of living is moderate for the Mid-Atlantic region. Williamsburg offers a quieter alternative to the larger Mid-Atlantic legal markets (D.C., Richmond, Norfolk) while remaining within easy driving distance for clerkships and firm summer positions.

Student body

Total J.D. enrollment: 496 across all three years (Fall 2025). The school has a 6.1:1 student-to-faculty ratio. William & Mary is well known for its tight-knit student body, "Citizen Lawyer" identity, and active student organizations including the William & Mary Law Review, the Bill of Rights Journal, and multiple moot court teams.

How William & Mary Compares

Choose William & Mary if

  • You value attending the nation's oldest law school with a "Citizen Lawyer" tradition.
  • You are looking for strong federal clerkship placement (#18 nationally).
  • You want top-tier bar passage (92.8% first-time / #14 nationally two-year ultimate).
  • You want improving BigLaw placement (19.1%) for a top-35 public school.
  • You are targeting the Virginia, D.C., or Mid-Atlantic legal market.
  • You want a moderate public-school tuition with strong employment outcomes (96.5%).

Consider alternatives if

  • You are targeting elite coastal BigLaw (New York Top-14 firms, California, Boston) as your primary outcome — schools with deeper coastal pipelines may serve better.
  • You want a part-time or evening J.D. program — William & Mary offers only a full-time J.D.
  • You want a school in a major metropolitan legal market — Williamsburg is a smaller market.
  • You want a strictly contemporary curriculum — William & Mary's traditional orientation may not fit.

The TLS Verdict

William & Mary Law School offers a unique combination: oldest law school in the United States, top-35 public school placement, #14 nationally in two-year Ultimate Bar Passage, #18 in federal clerkships, and 96.5% overall employment with 88.7% bar-required. Recent improvements in BigLaw placement (from 12.0% to 19.1%) indicate a strengthening firm pipeline, and 0% underemployment reinforces the school's effective placement record. For applicants targeting the Virginia, D.C., or Mid-Atlantic market — and especially those drawn to public service, clerkships, or private firm work in regulated industries — William & Mary represents an exceptional public-law-school value. Applicants seeking elite coastal BigLaw should weigh alternatives, but applicants with LSATs at or above the 75th percentile (167) and GPAs above 3.85 should consider William & Mary a top target.

Frequently Asked Questions

How hard is it to get into William & Mary Law School? The Fall 2025 entering class had an acceptance rate of approximately 21.97%, with a median LSAT of 166 and median GPA of 3.82. The most recent Class of 2029 had an acceptance rate of 14.8%, signaling significant tightening.

What LSAT score is competitive for William & Mary? The median LSAT for the Fall 2025 entering class is 166 (25th–75th percentile: 161–167). The most recent Class of 2029 median is 167, indicating intensifying competition.

What GPA do William & Mary applicants typically have? The median UGPA for the Fall 2025 entering class is 3.82 (25th–75th percentile: 3.53–3.94). The Class of 2029 median is 3.81.

Does William & Mary give scholarships? Merit-based and need-based aid are available; specific median grant dollar amounts, percentage of students receiving grants, and conditional scholarship policy for the 2025 cohort were not separately confirmed in this turn.

What is William & Mary's bar passage rate? For the Class of 2025, William & Mary had a 92.8% first-time bar passage rate and ranks #14 nationally for two-year Ultimate Bar Passage.

Is William & Mary good for federal clerkships? Yes — William & Mary ranks #18 nationally in Most Grads in Federal Clerkships, with 6.0% of the Class of 2025 graduates in federal clerkships.

Does William & Mary offer a part-time J.D.? No — William & Mary offers only a full-time, three-year J.D. program (plus a one-year LL.M. in American Legal Studies).

What is William & Mary Law best known for? Being the nation's oldest law school (founded 1779), the "Citizen Lawyer" tradition, top-tier bar passage (#14 nationally two-year ultimate), strong federal clerkship placement (#18 nationally), and rising BigLaw pipeline (19.1% in the Class of 2025).

Contact and Key Links

William & Mary Law School 613 South Henry Street Williamsburg, VA 23185

Admissions Phone: (757) 221-3787 (typical W&M law listing)

Admissions Email: [email protected] (per W&M admissions contact)

TLS Forum Links

Sources

Retrieved from "https://www.top-law-schools.com/w/index.php?title=William_%26_Mary_Law_School&oldid=7226"