Interview with Lillie V. Wiley-Upshaw, 
Former Vice Dean for Admissions and Financial Aid, 
University at Buffalo Law School

Published November 2011

University at Buffalo Law School, The State University of New York

"New York State's Law School"

The University at Buffalo Law School is the only law school in the State University of New York (SUNY) system. Since 1887, our law school has prepared lawyers to practice in New York City, Washington, D.C., and other major cities across the country and around the world. Our Legal Skills Program, a cornerstone of our curriculum, teaches our students how to be practice-ready from day one – ready to file a brief, select a jury, or litigate in a court room. Each year, we graduate over 200 well-educated and diverse lawyers who are ready to practice in fields such as corporate law, public service, criminal law, and intellectual property. Over 95 percent of University at Buffalo Law School graduates are employed immediately or within months of their graduation, with debt obligations well below the national average.

Located in Amherst, New York – a suburb of Buffalo – the Law School has a small-school feel with all the advantages of a large university. The University at Buffalo campus provides its 30,000 students access to vast resources that include world--class undergraduate, graduate and professional fields of study in law, medicine, engineering, pharmaceutical sciences and business management. The greater Buffalo area offers a wide variety of social and cultural activities such as downhill skiing, water sports, professional sports, a world-class symphony orchestra, professional theaters, night life and access to Canada, all within approximately 20 minutes of the Law School. You can live comfortably, not to mention affordably, in Buffalo, the second-largest city in New York.

The Admissions Process

1. What does the admissions process consist of, and how is an application rated?

At the University at Buffalo Law School, our focus is on educating students to become practice-ready lawyers upon graduation. We look for students best suited for a hands-on approach. Our admissions process is selective and is based on both quantitative and qualitative criteria. In addition to the candidate's LSAT score and undergraduate grade point average (GPA), the Admissions Committee considers other non-statistical factors for admission such as:

• Achievements or activities that indicate a high probability of scholastic excellence and intellectual contributions while in law school

• Achievements or activities emanating from work, life experience, or community service that indicate a potential for contributing to the enrichment of the Law School

• Special factors in your background that may have impeded your educational opportunities, including discrimination based on race, creed, gender, disability, or national origin: and special economic or social impediments.

The University at Buffalo Law School is committed to a non-discriminatory admission policy and philosophy. We welcome applications from all persons, without regard to age, gender, race, religion, national origin, family status, sexual orientation, or disability.

The Admissions Committee uses a rolling admission procedure. Application files are reviewed as soon as they are complete. Initial admission decisions are communicated to applicants beginning in December. All admissions for first-year students are for the fall semester.

2. Realistically speaking, how large a part of the admissions process are factors other than a candidate's GPA and LSAT scores? Of these non-numerical factors, are there any that particularly pique your interest (military service, corporate work experience, Teach for America, etc.)? Can you give examples of what you see as excellent, good, and mediocre non-numerical attributes or accomplishments?

Each committee member uses a holistic approach when making decisions. It is a comprehensive review which includes all quantitative and qualitative factors that determine a candidate's likelihood of success. Of the non-numerical factors, there is no one particular attribute we favor. We look for applicants who present themselves in a unique way and effectively communicate their strengths and weaknesses.

3. Do you have any advice for students preparing to apply to law school? What about for admitted students to prepare for their first year at the University at Buffalo Law School?

We advise applicants to learn all they can about the admission process and the Law School. Applicants should assemble a compelling CV that helps the Admissions Committee evaluate their potential for success as a law student. Included in the CV should be your undergraduate records, personal statement, letters of recommendation and any additional information relative to your scholastic and life experiences. It is also important for applicants to diligently prepare for the LSAT. The LSAT matters! Over the last few years, our median LSAT score has increased and the applicant pool has become more competitive.

For admitted students, we recommend you visit us. In addition to our strong curriculum and supportive faculty members, the student body at UB Law is amazingly cooperative and encouraging. Our building is located in the heart of the University's north campus, providing you with a vast array of resources.

4. What do you consider to be the most important factors an admitted applicant should examine when choosing which law school to attend?

Choosing a law school can be a daunting task. Each student is motivated by a different set of criteria. Some of the key areas we suggest applicants consider are:

• Alumni network

• Career placement

• Career preparation

• Cost and debt load

• Credentials of the faculty

• Curriculum

• Quality and tradition of the school

• Quality of the education

• Quality of education

• Resources

Students should feel comfortable at the place they plan to spend three years and beyond. Attending law school is not only an educational experience, it is a life experience. Every applicant has to assess how he or she fits the school and how the school fits him or her. In addition to the quality and value of the education, you should consider how the school prepares you for your career and the life you would like to lead after you graduate. At UB Law, we attract serious, smart, down-to-earth students. Our faculty-student relationships are close and students highly value those connections. Our active student life provides our students with opportunities to participate in moot court, mock trials, and social events that bring the students together in professional and informal settings. It is a supportive, not a cut throat environment.

Our objective is to develop practice-ready lawyers who are capable of immediately contributing to their prospective employers. We achieve this result by combining classroom learning with litigation and non-litigation skills. Our emphasis on extracurricular activities such as Trial Team and Moot Court gives our students an extraordinary educational experience as well as the added benefit of collaborating and bonding with their classmates. Overall, UB Law students enjoy a culture of respect that creates camaraderie and cooperation between students, faculty, and administrators. In addition, our school offers a large selection of student organizations and events that provides all students the opportunity to learn, socialize and network together.

Earning a J.D. degree is a serious investment. In today's uncertain world, it is important to consider the full cost of attendance, in living expenses plus tuition. As a public institution, we offer an affordable tuition, and the cost of living in Buffalo is much less than in other metropolitan areas. Our graduates' debt load is well below the national average. Our graduates have much more freedom to choose a satisfying career without being crushed by debt.

Our alumni are shining examples of the excellence we achieve at the Law School. They are partners at some of the most prestigious law firms in the nation and are leading practitioners in the public sector. You will find our alumni in New York City, North Carolina, Florida, California, and around the world. The alumni network at UB Law will help you practice in any area of the country in which you may wish to live.

5. How does the University at Buffalo Law School view multiple LSAT scores?

While LSAT scores are not the only factor considered in our application process, they are very important. We look for applicants who have a competitive LSAT score that would equal or exceed the median score of the class that entered the year prior. Applicants should make every effort to earn the best score possible the first time they take the exam, although the University at Buffalo Law School uses the higher score when creating a statistical profile.

6. In what circumstances should an applicant include an addendum to explain his or her low GPA or LSAT score? What should this addendum include?

Addendums are accepted at the Law School, and we do encourage students to submit them to explain any anomalies in their educational history. The addendum assists the Admissions Committee in determining whether the admitted student has the potential to outperform his or her undergraduate GPA. The addendum should be brief (one page) and describe the circumstance that best explains what caused the poor performance.

Each year we receive a volume of applications that far exceeds the 200 or so seats we have available, so the application process is competitive by nature. We prepare for each application cycle by assessing the previous year's incoming class and how we can complement and build on the existing student body. The average LSAT and GPA of incoming UB Law students continues to increase, which, in part, indicates the interest students have in the quality and value of our program.

7. What changes in the law school administration, admissions, or academics has Dean Makau Mutua brought to the University at Buffalo Law School?

Dean Makau W. Mutua identified three pillars of success when he took over the deanship: attracting the best students, star faculty, and enhancing relationships with our 10,000 alumni. He continues to emphasize and build upon these areas. Under Dean Mutua, the Law School has experienced a record high median LSAT score for incoming students, a large influx of faculty with outstanding academic credentials, and our alumni continue to achieve professional milestones.

For our students, not only has the median LSAT score increased, but UB Law students were the only students from law schools in New York State to collectively increase their bar passage rate in the most recent bar exam. Dean Mutua is determined to continue these trends.

Recently, UB Law School has hired over 15 new, accomplished faculty members, many with practice backrounds who provide expertise in areas such as tax, criminal, and environmental law. These newest members of the faculty bring a wide array of talents and skills to the classroom. We have also raised the enrolled student profile while making the average class size smaller. Thus, we have created a small, close-knit learning environment for our students. You will learn a lot from the faculty. Our professors are some of the best legal minds in the country. Dean Mutua himself is a world-renowned human rights scholar and an active participant on the world stage. At the same time, our faculty are actively engaged in the teaching process and meet with students on a regular basis.

UB Law's alumni base of 10,000 is more active and engaged than ever before. One great example of this has been the dedication of the Dean's Advisory Council and regional alumni chapters in major cities that help actively assist with job placement for our graduates.

Since the Law School was founded in 1887, we have educated future attorneys for the practice of law in a practical, useful way. Through the diversity of our bridge courses and Legal Skills Program, students graduate with the ability to understand the law and apply it from the start. Going forward, the Law School will continue to expand upon our areas of expertise and serve as a leader in legal education. Our graduates have succeeded in all practice areas because of the quality of our faculty, the depth of our courses, and our strong academic concentrations.

Financial Aid

8. What percentage of students receive scholarships of any kind and what methodology determines to whom scholarships are awarded? What about scholarships for 2L's and 3L's who might not have received any scholarship aid 1L?

At the State of New York's Law School, our cost of attendance is much lower than at private law schools and many public schools. Even with our lower costs, we award merit scholarships, and nearly 50 percent of the first-year class is given a scholarship when they enroll. We do not offer full rides, but instead choose to offer partial scholarships to as many students as possible. Applicants at or near the 75th percentile on both LSAT and GPA are offered a scholarship during the admission process. Special scholarships and in-house scholarships are available to second- and third-year students and are based primarily on academic performance.

9. Will the current state of the economy affect the distribution of merit school scholarships?

Thankfully, the Law School has been able to continue to make scholarship offers because of the generosity of our alumni.

Applying Early

10. Do applicants, especially those with numbers that fall below your medians, increase their chances of admission by applying early? Is there anything an applicant whose numbers are below your medians can do that would increase their chances of acceptance?

Applicants with numbers below our medians do not increase their chance of admission by applying early. The best strategy for these applicants is to add an addendum, have strong letters of recommendation, and reconsider retaking the LSAT if it falls below our 25th percentile. It is also important that they clearly and convincingly communicate their potential for law school success despite their numerical profile.

Personal Statements

11. Do you have any general advice regarding personal statements for applicants who want to maximize their chances?

Your personal statement is your calling card. It is the one opportunity you have to set yourself apart from all other applicants. At the University at Buffalo, we want students who can write well, have a unique experience to share, and are genuine. What does all of this mean? We expect you to share a little bit of your background with us. Where do you come from? What were your childhood experiences? Who are your parents? Did anything in your childhood shape your desire to pursue a law degree? The Admissions Committee would also like to know about your college or professional experience and how those experiences may have influenced you to apply to law school. On occasion, some applicants focus on one event in their lives or discuss a series of moments that fit together and give the committee an idea of their goals and ambitions. The personal statement should be a flawless example of your writing skills, and it should be kept to 2½ pages or less.

12. Could an applicant significantly improve his or her chances of admission by drafting a personal statement specifically for the University at Buffalo Law School, as opposed to a general personal statement that briefly mentions your school, if at all?

The applicant can improve his or her chances by specifically tailoring the personal statement to us. The Admissions Committee wants to know how knowledgeable the applicant is about the Law School and what he or she hopes to do with a law degree from us.

13. Do you come across personal statements that actually hurt the applicant's chances? If so, what are some traits of these statements? Are there any clichés or pitfalls an applicant should avoid? How often do you find statements that really stick out from the crowd and what do these statements consist of?

Some personal statements have hurt an applicant's chance of gaining admission. Those that are poorly written, factually inaccurate or use a non-standard essay format can harm the application. Our best advice is to keep it simple, do not exaggerate the truth, spell-check, and proofread!

Letters of Recommendation

14. Applicants often have difficulty choosing and approaching potential recommenders. Can you offer some general advice regarding letters of recommendation?

Our advice when choosing potential recommenders is to first follow the instructions given to you by the Law School. We prefer two faculty letters of recommendation. However, if you have been out of school for any significant time period, we will accept employer recommendations. We want your recommenders to share with us your strengths and abilities in an academic setting. You should therefore make sure they can do just that. We suggest you choose someone who knows you well and can cite examples of your academic talents. If your transcript is spotty or you have had an inconsistent academic performance, we suggest you share this information with them, and if they can offer any helpful insight for the Admissions Committee, they should do so.

15. Does the Admissions Committee come across letters of recommendation that actually hurt an applicant's chances of admission? If so, what sort of letter should be avoided?

On occasion, letters of recommendation are not positive; in other words, the recommender does not recommend the student! It is important to make sure the recommender will indeed write you a positive letter and he or she is comfortable with submitting the letter on your behalf.

16. How often do you find letters that really stick out from the crowd and what do these letters consist of?

Letters that stand out are rich with examples of the applicants' ability to perform in the classroom and beyond. The reader walks away with a true sense that the recommender knows this student very well and thinks quite highly of him or her.

Undergraduate & Graduate Education

18. How much will an upward grade trend positively influence the likelihood of admission?

An upward grade trend has a significant impact on the likelihood of admission. The Admissions Committee reviews all the transcripts from every school you have attended. They are evaluating the school, your choice of classes, major, etc. If you struggled in the beginning of your academic career but, improved over time and continued to take challenging courses, then they consider your upward grade trend more favorably.

19. Do you consider the relative prestige or rank of an applicant's undergraduate institution? What about the relative difficulty of an applicant's undergraduate major?

Yes. The Admissions Committee does consider the difficulty of an applicant's undergraduate institution and his or her major. However, an applicant's academic performance is far more important that the instruction in which he or she attended. We seek academically competitive students who are prepared for our rigorous curriculum.

20. How do you view graduate degrees and do you take graduate GPA into consideration?

A graduate GPA is not considered in the numerical profile of an applicant. It can help in the overall evaluation of your application to demonstrate your academic focus and to distinguished you from other applicants.

The Waitlist

21. What is the typical size of the University at Buffalo Law School waitlist, and how deep do you usually go into the waitlist to admit students? Once on the waitlist are there any steps one can take to increase their chances of getting off the waitlist?

The typical size of the waitlist is 75 to 100 students. Each year that I have been dean of admissions, we have offered admission to waitlisted students. Waitlisted students are encouraged to e-mail the Admissions Office to express their continued interest in the Law School. The waitlist is maintained until Orientation.

Transfer Students

22. How many transfer applications does the University at Buffalo Law School typically receive, and what percentage are offered admission? What are the main factors taken into consideration in reviewing a transfer application?

The University at Buffalo Law School accepts both transfer and visiting students for the fall and spring semesters. Most of these applicants enroll in the fall semester. On average the Law School receives 55 transfer and visiting applications each year and enrolls 20 of these students. Decisions for the fall semester are typically made in mid- to late summer and are dependent on a complete official transcript of all law school coursework. Qualified applicants will demonstrate, among other factors, academic excellence in their current program. Once accepted, transfer and visiting students will work with Records and Registration to schedule classes; they may participate in our fall interview programs; and they attend a special orientation program.

U.S. News Rankings

23. Whether it's for good or bad, a lot of applicants take a close look at the US News and World Report Law School Rankings and possibly even factor those rankings into their decision making process. Reflecting this reality, Dean Mutua conveys his goal of making the Law School a top 50 law school. Does this pressure the admissions office into being maybe more numbers driven then they would like to be?

Prospective law school students rely on a variety of information resources, including the U.S. News & World Report rankings. Though many law schools criticize the U.S. News rankings methodology, we recognize that many prospective students are influenced by this particular source of information, and we don't take these rankings lightly. Given our many recent accomplishments, including enrolling an entering class with the highest median GPA and LSAT scores in our history, we are far from satisfied with our U.S. News ranking. However, we are also confident that these accomplishments will soon be better reflected in our ranking. Our dean and vice deans have set the goal of putting UB Law School in the top 50 among the U.S. News rankings. We are heartened by two recent developments. First, this past year, UB Law was the only one of New York's 15 law schools to show an increase in its bar passage rate. Among the others, two remained the same and the rest decreased. Second, this year, Thomson Reuters ranked UB Law School No. 1 in producing "Super Lawyers" in Upstate New York (54 of the state's 62 counties) and No. 48 nationally (out of 180 law schools).

24. Would the admissions office do their job any differently now if these particular rankings never existed?

Given the fact that U.S. News is just one of the many information resources prospective students might use, our approach to admissions won't likely change regardless of these rankings. Many prospective students take a holistic approach to evaluating their law school choice. Beyond these rankings, they look at criteria such as the quality of the faculty and education they receive, the resources the school offers, the affordability of the school and, probably most importantly, how the school prepares them for a successful career.

One major distinction is that the University at Buffalo has the only law school in the State University of New York (SUNY) system. The University at Buffalo is a premier research-intensive public university, a flagship institution in the SUNY system, and its largest and most comprehensive campus. UB provides its 30,000 students access to our world-class undergraduate and graduate fields of study that include law, medicine, engineering, pharmaceutical sciences, and business management.

UB Law School's Legal Skills Program is designed to make our students practice-ready from day one. The program offers a three-semester sequence of courses in legal analysis, writing, and research; numerous courses in trial technique, appellate advocacy, and alternative dispute resolution; more than 90 other skills courses; an extensive externship program that places students in government law offices and enables them to clerk for both trial and appellate court judges; multiple trial, moot court, and dispute resolution competitions; and seven student-edited journals. Each year, the University at Buffalo Law School graduates over 200 well-educated and diverse lawyers who are ready to practice law in fields such as corporate law, tax law, public service, criminal law, and intellectual property.

University at Buffalo Law School Distinctions

25. What do you feel students enjoy most about the University at Buffalo Law School?

University at Buffalo Law School students frequently cite the high quality of our program and our unusually supportive, non-competitive atmosphere of mutual respect. Our students don't look at each other as adversaries; they consider themselves colleagues and are very supportive of their classmates. They note, for example, that faculty members and staff are readily accessible and willing to go the extra mile to help students succeed in law school and after they graduate. The interaction between students and faculty is remarkably open and personable. Our students are often amazed, and pleasantly surprised, at how warm and friendly their law school is.

University at Buffalo Law students also appreciate the value they receive for their tuition dollar. At New York State's only public law school, tuition is a genuine bargain not only for students from New York but for out-of-state students as well. Many students report that, unburdened by the heavy loan debt their peers at other schools incur, they have much greater flexibility in choosing a career path.

Legal Skills Program

UB Law's innovative Legal Skills Program is designed to teach practical skills, with the aim of turning out new lawyers who are practice-ready on day one – ready to file a brief, cross-examine a witness, or make a special pleading. The Law School has a tradition of providing a practical, hands-on approach to the study of law. Our legal skills initiative is a continuation of this tradition and builds on the success our graduates have had in entering the legal profession.

The program encompasses courses and experiences in legal research and writing; litigation and non-litigation skills, such as mediation; and professional development. "These offerings complement black-letter law and courses that focus on the jurisprudence and theory of law," says Dean Mutua. "Put together, these two sides are critical to the education of a well-trained, analytically sound, and thoughtful lawyer."

SUNY Distinguished Service Professor Charles Patrick Ewing, vice dean for legal skills, directs the program. "The idea is to integrate and coordinate the program – to be sure it provides the best learning experience possible for our students," Ewing says. "We understand that employers want to hire graduates who can contribute right away. We believe we have designed a program that will surpass their highest expectations and give our students confidence to succeed."

The program was developed out of a series of focus groups that the school conducted with judges, judicial clerks, and attorneys."We asked what skills our students need on day one and what they do during their first week in a law office," Ewing says. "We got a tremendous amount of feedback. We also looked at every law school in the United States, focusing especially on the top 10. We found that nine of them required at least three semesters of research and writing."

Components of the Legal Skills Program include:

Legal Research and Writing. First-year students learn the basics of these vital skills; advanced courses are offered for upper-division students. Seven research and writing instructors—some new to the Law School, some with continuing ties – teach in this area. "The program that I inherited is already strong and solid," Ewing says. "My goal is to make it one of the best in the country."

Litigation Skills. Basic courses in trial technique – how to make an opening statement, examine and cross-examine a witness, and make a closing statement – and more advanced trial advocacy courses, most of which are taught by judges and legal practitioners. This area also covers trial and other non-appellate moot court competitions. The school has enlisted two well-known figures in the Buffalo law community to co-direct the courses: Erie County Court Judge Thomas P. "Tim" Franczyk, a longtime champion of the Law School's mock trial program, and Chris O'Brien of O'Brien Boyd, an experienced teacher of trial advocacy.

Appellate Advocacy Skills. Appellate-style moot courts and other writing-based competitions, as well as courses designed to teach the basics of brief-writing and appellate oral advocacy. Ewing says the school will carefully evaluate the dozens of moot court competitions available nationwide, as well as several sponsored by the Law School, with an eye toward maximizing student participation. Professor George Kannar will be the director of moot courts.

Non-Litigation Skills. Courses in negotiation, alternative dispute resolution, mediation and counseling. "It's important for students to understand that it's not all about litigation," Ewing says.

Professional Development. A wide range of opportunities for students to grow into the profession, including programs to support students and new graduates preparing for the bar exam, a vast array of externship and clerkship placements, and a program in the important area of legal ethics.

In addition to our emphasis on legal research and writing, the Legal Skills Program provides students with a variety of opportunities to combine their classroom learning with hands-on experience. Our Trial Technique Program gives students the chance to put their education to the test by offering courtroom-based competitions and experiences.

The jewel of the Law School's Trial Technique Program, the Buffalo-Niagara Tournament, draws about 130 students from over 30 law schools nationwide – "a really impressive group of schools," Ewing says. In recent years, UB Law teams also have traveled to trial competitions at Michigan State University, St. John's University, and in Atlanta, Sacramento, Detroit, and the National Trial Competition in Syracuse. At the American Bar Association regional competition, UB Law's team won more awards than any other school, including three of the top five "best oralist" awards and second-best brief out of 33 submitted.

These competitions, Ewing says, "redound to the school's benefit in terms of reputation," both the visibility created by hosting competitions and the performance of UB Law students at competitions across the country. And success breeds success – Ewing says that UB Law has been able to be more selective in fielding trial teams, making the teams better prepared to compete on a national level.

Also under the Legal Skills umbrella is the school's program of externships. Ewing says many more students are taking advantage of these unpaid, for-credit experiences in judicial clerkships, in law offices, and in not-for-profit and government agencies. Many more judicial externships have been developed, he said, under the leadership of Director of Externship Programs Lise Gelernter. Externships and judicial clerkships provide law students with unique legal and public service experience. By working at the externship host offices, students learn how to work with a client and address the client's specific needs and goals – something that's difficult to teach in a classroom. Students also get a sense of how the legal and public policy systems work, and are exposed to many types of interesting and exciting jobs that perhaps they never knew existed.

The overall objective of the Legal Skills Program is to ensure that our graduates are ready to practice law the minute we hand them their diploma. Our carefully coordinated approach provides the education and experience that gives them an edge as they begin their legal career.

26. What is the chief critique that current students would have about the Law School and what is being done to address this concern?

The chief complaint that UB Law students have about the school relates to its physical facilities. The school is located in the heart of a modern, thriving university with all the amenities for which students could ask. The Law School building, however, is the oldest on the campus, having been built in 1974. The core of the building is a state-of-the-art law library that has recently been renovated. The Law School has just completed renovations of all of its large classrooms, including installation of updated audiovisual and computer equipment. The large first-floor common space, where students most frequently gather, is undergoing a major renovation that will be fully completed in 2011.

Careers

27. What type of debt and employment situation is the typical UB Law student going to be in after graduating near the median of his or her class?

One advantage University at Buffalo Law School graduates have is that they receive a high-caliber, practice-ready education that prepares them to practice law in some of the most sought-after positions in New York City, Washington, D.C., and other major cities across the country and around the world without a large financial burden. Because we are part of the New York State education system, our in-state and out-of-state students receive an affordable education that allows them to select a career path that isn't constrained by a large debt load.

28. There's some concern about the State of New York (and NYC specifically) being a saturated legal market that has been especially hurt given this latest recession. Do UB Law graduates find it difficult to find work if or when that may be competing for the same jobs as graduates of New York law schools that have traditionally been seen as more prestigious (e.g. Columbia and NYU)?

The job market for lawyers is always competitive, and the recent recession certainly makes it more challenging for everyone. UB Law has a great network of alumni that is spread out across the country, and is especially strong in New York City and the Northeast. Over 1,700 of our alumni work and live downstate and provide UB Law School students invaluable mentoring and networking opportunities. UB Law also offers a University at Buffalo New York City Program in Finance & Law, through which students live and study in New York for 12 weeks. These assets, combined with our convenient proximity to New York City, give our graduates a great competitive edge in the New York City job market.

29. How closely does the University at Buffalo work with the bigger firms in non-NYC New York cities such as Rochester and Buffalo?

Being New York State's law school not only means access to New York City, it also provides a strong pipeline to the other cities in the region such as Rochester, Albany and Buffalo. Our Career Services Office maintains a tremendous working relationship with a wide range of employers across the country.

General Advice

30. Do you have any additional, general advice that you would like to offer applicants who are reading this interview before putting together applications for the University at Buffalo Law School?

Our advice to law students, whether at UB Law School or elsewhere, is to learn the skills you will need to succeed. Another factor not to be overlooked is how the school fits you personally. The law school you choose will be your home for three years. We take great pride that UB Law School offers a great education in a collegial setting that has a lasting impression on every one of our graduates.

Lillie V. Wiley-Upshaw 
Vice Dean for Admissions and Financial Aid
 University at Buffalo Law School