A MESSAGE FROM OUR DEAN

Thank you for your interest in the University of Georgia School of Law.

As one of the nation’s best returns on investment in legal education, we strive daily to redefine what it means to be a great national public law school – offering a world-class, hands-on, purpose-driven educational experience with an unflinching commitment to accessibility and affordability.

What does this mean for you?

• It means the opportunity to participate in 18 clinical and experiential learning programs designed to equip you with the skills demanded by today’s legal employers.

• It means learning from professors, judges, corporate executives and government officials working – and teaching – at the cutting edge of their fields.

• It means joining a law school that posted the highest employment rate of any law school in 2021, with another excellent year in 2022 for full-time, long-term jobs requiring bar passage or benefiting from a J.D.

• It means that 100% of our first-generation college graduates and veterans receive financial assistance.

• It means that student debt has dropped roughly 50% over the last nine years.

• In short, it means a laser focus on helping you obtain a job, pass the bar and minimize debt. .

As the first law school in history to achieve the distinction of “Best Value Law School” for three consecutive years, and the law school with the lowest tuition that is ranked in the top 20 nationally, we commit to you that when you graduate, you can make your professional choices based upon your passions, not your wallet. Whether working in a law firm, clerkship, government or public interest position, your degree will translate across professions and state lines.

Prepare: Rigorous training - in the classroom and courtroom - prepares you for the demands of legal practice. During the last academic year, law students argued before four different federal appellate courts and secured several victories. Our award-winning advocacy team once again won multiple national tournaments, including a historic back-to-back win of the Top Gun National Mock Trial Competition, while students in our clinics helped represent live clients – whether to secure a protective order, to obtain a remedy for abuse survivors or to secure U.S. citizenship.

Connect: We are a community of authentic support. This means viewing your education not as a transaction but as a financial and emotional investment. We take that charge seriously. That’s why we’ve invested so heavily in our mentorship program, which can match you with a four-person mentorship team, including an alumnus/alumna or legal practitioner based upon your background and interests. Mentors stay in touch with their mentees throughout the academic year, offering advice on matters like course selection and job searches. Our ironclad commitment to connect you with people who will make a difference in your professional life extends beyond the mentorship program. First-generation college graduates will find community in our First-Generation Students Association, and veterans will benefit from the Butler Commitment. For those interested in work out of state, the Corsair Law Society provides an invaluable platform for building your networks. For those seeking government, judicial or public interest work, due to the generous support of our graduates and friends, the School of Law offers an array of stipends and grants, awarding almost $1.3 Million over the last 5 years.

Lead: We are a community of leaders. Current and former government officials - from judges to deputy attorneys general - are a regular part of academic life at UGA and serve in various capacities like Jurists in Residence or guest lecturers. During the last academic year, 23 judges taught in our classrooms, delivered lectures and judged moot courts. It is not unusual to find yourself in a roundtable discussion with those who have been on the front lines in the legal community – training you how to lead. That commitment translates into outcomes. Almost 30 members of the Class of 2022 served as judicial clerks to judges. These clerkships are important training opportunities for future legal leaders.

These are just a few ways our law school community strives to be the nation’s best return on investment in legal education and works tirelessly to provide a polestar for redefining what it means to be a great national law school. We invite you to learn more about our law school in the pages that follow, through a virtual tour on our website, a scan of our social media or a campus visit.

Sincerely,

Peter B. “Bo” Rutledge Dean & Talmadge Chair of Law www.law.uga.edu/profile/peter-b-bo-rutledge