“Our strong sense of community — based on our size, the accessibility of our faculty and our picturesque location — makes us unique among the nation’s leading law schools.”
Study, Live, Work
Brant Hellwig, Dean and Professor
Open Doors
170 years
Our small size means small classes, and ample opportunity to have personalized and meaningful discussions about the law with professors and students, both inside and outside the classroom. Our location in the quintessential college town of Lexington, Virginia provides plenty of social and recreational outlets to help you maintain a healthy balance between work and life.
Generations of Leaders
Founded in 1849, W&L Law has trained lawyers for more than a century and a half. Our tradition of excellence and innovation in legal education has produced generations of leaders. You will find our dedicated alumni in all 50 states and 29 countries, practicing at law firms and in corporate counsel offices, serving as judges, prosecutors and public defenders, holding positions in government and launching start-up ventures. As you decide where you want to attend law school, consider a school that has burnished its reputation over many decades and created wellworn paths to success.
Our relentless focus on positive student outcomes is evident in our strong employment and bar passage rates, which lead to great job opportunities for our students at law firms, in the government and with other employers across the nation.
Facts & Figures
401
2022 CLASS PROFILE
2,531
163
APPLICATIONS
median
received
LSAT
33.5% 3.64 ACCEPTANCE rate
124 CLASS SIZE
15%
LAW STUDENTS
from
44
U.S. STATES (78% from outside VA)
GPA
FEMALE
1ST GEN college grads
8
countries of student citizenship
30+
STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS
student-tofaculty ratio
22
LEGAL WRITING & LEGAL RESEARCH class size
median
47%
7:1
100% OF STUDENTS work with real clients
LEGAL
WRITING
YEARS OLD
7
3 LAW JOURNALS
6
ABA PRESIDENTS (third most of any law school)
IN-HOUSE legal clinics
The Honor System at W&L Law makes our community a great choice for legal education. Over 150 years old, this student-run system governs student conduct and allows you to live and learn in an environment of civility and trust.
Study
Live
A Tradition of Innovation
Lovable Lexington
Our liberal arts approach to legal education delivers small classes and unparalleled faculty access in a community built on trust. We don’t do tracks or certificates; we simply allow our students to build a legal education that is a custom fit for their career objectives.
Build a Foundation
Explore and Advance
Everyone takes the same firstyear courses, creating a shared intellectual experience and spirit of collaboration that our students carry throughout their years:
With full-time legal research and writing instruction, plus peer advising from the Burks Scholars and Kirgis Fellows program, first-year students receive extensive support.
FALL n
Torts n Contracts n Civil Procedure n Legal Research/Writing SPRING n n n n n
Property Constitutional Law Criminal Law Transnational Law Legal Research/Writing
As an upper level student, two additional courses are required: Evidence and Professional Responsibility. From there, choose from 120 elective courses, including classes in our innovative experiential curriculum. An upper-level writing requirement, working on one of our three law journals and competing in moot court competitions will further develop your professional abilities.
law.wlu.edu/academics
Located in the stunning Shenandoah Valley, the beautiful college town of Lexington offers all of the amenities with a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. And, the scenery cannot be beat.
Go Global Study Abroad. Through our exchange programs, students may study abroad for a semester at Trinity College in Dublin or the University of Copenhagen in Denmark. Overseas Internships. Assisted by our Transnational Law Institute, students complete international summer internships at sites ranging from USAID in Vietnam to corporate law in Germany.
International Law. Our International Tribunals and Global Corruption and Human Rights Classes allow students to work with lawyers engaged in criminal defense, research and access to justice projects around the world. These projects have included working at the International Criminal Court in the Hague, fact-finding missions to Albania and human rights work and outreach in Tanzania, Liberia and Palestine.
law.wlu.edu/international
The close-to-campus downtown district offers locally-owned coffee shops, homemade ice cream and casual to high-end restaurants offering great variety—from the “Commonwealth’s finest hamburger” (so says Southern Living) to vegetarian fare. In addition, nearly a dozen wineries and breweries sit within a short drive of Lexington. The town is very walkable, including grocery shopping, and features ample housing options for whatever your desired living arrangement. A typical apartment costs $650 per month, and this contributes to an overall low cost of living that helps make a W&L legal education one of the best values in the country.
Get In(volved). Whether you are into politics, yoga, or intramural sports, one of our 30+ student organizations will give you a home to pursue your passions. Get Out(side). Surrounded by mountains and rivers—outdoor activities abound. Stop by our Outing Club to grab a kayak or plan an overnight excursion in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains.
Opportunities
Experience, W&L Law Our innovative practicebased curriculum enables students to create unique opportunities to learn in context, speeding the transition from law student to legal professional. As your education progresses, you will continue to learn the law, but increasingly you will do so as lawyers do, in the process of solving problems for clients.
Law school is hard. Life in law school doesn’t have to be.
n
Black Lung Legal Clinic n Community Legal Practice Clinic n Criminal Justice Clinic n Immigrant Rights Clinic n Tax Clinic n Virginia Capital Case Clearinghouse n DC Residential Externship n Prosecutors Externship n Judicial Clerkship Externship n Veterans Benefits Practicum n Human Rights Practicum n Law Firm Externships
law.wlu.edu/experience
Student Bar Association. From student government to professional development, the SBA is the center of student life at W&L Law. You can be a voice on campus and ensure that law students keep a healthy work/life balance. Moot Court. Hone your advocacy skills and get your competitive juices flowing in one of the five intra-school lawyering competitions. Then go national representing the school at a variety of events, making professional connections along the way. Intramurals. Fall is for LSFL (Law School Football League) on the law
school lawn. Basketball, floor hockey and the Dean’s Cup softball tournament in the spring help students build a closer community and stay active during law school. Volunteer. Public Interest Law Students Association, Phi Alpha Delta Service Fraternity, Pro Bono Board Affinity. Asian Pacific Law Students Association, Black Law Students Association, Latin American Law Student Association, OutLaw, Women Law Students Organization Law and Policy. American Constitution Society, Federalist Society, Washington and Lee Veterans Advocates
Work
Outcomes Matter
(2016–2018, all jobs)
W&L Law is student centered. We are committed to great outcomes for our graduates. We help our students get the jobs they want in their preferred location and work hard to ensure they are prepared to pass the bar exam. It starts with a personal meeting in the fall of your first year. Counselors from our Office of Career Strategy (OCS) will work with you like executive search consultants to develop an employment plan tailored to your professional objectives. Our whole university approach brings together OCS staff, the faculty and our nationwide network of dedicated alumni to build your contacts, whether with a law firm, the government, a corporation or a public interest position.
49% 21%
(TO GOVERNMENT/ PUBLIC INTEREST)
23%
Class of 2019: Employment Highlights at Graduation
73% 71% 35% 33% STUDENTS EMPLOYED OUTSIDE OF VA
AT FIRMS WITH 100+ LAWYERS
TO FEDERAL AND STATE CLERKSHIPS
We charge no application fee, and applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.
(PLACED AT 10 MONTHS)
(TO LAW FIRMS)
Bar Pass Rates (2016–2018, July first-time takers)
Important Dates Check List
through LSAC.org
88%
(TO FEDERAL/STATE CLERKSHIPS)
EMPLOYED AT GRADUATION
Apply to W&L Law
Employment Overview
Students receiving
scholarships — over
90%
$27,936 average scholarship award
Unlimited The number of Yellow Ribbon (YR) places offered to qualifying students (the VA YR benefit covers all W&L Law tuition and fees)
$0
APPLICATION FEE
2019-20 COST OF ATTENDANCE
$70,515 (includes $49,075 tuition, mandatory fees and estimated off-campus living expenses)
August 22: Application opens December 1: Deadline for binding early decision applications (Decision by December 15) February 1: Priority deadline for optimal scholarship consideration April 15: First deposit deadline June 1 : Second deposit deadline August 24: 1L orientation begins
Alumni Legal Network Locations of W&L alumni in the legal field who work with our Office of Career Strategy
90% VIRGINIA
DC
93% NEW YORK
88% NATIONALLY
23
(AVERAGE # OF STATES WHERE STUDENTS TAKE THE BAR)
law.wlu.edu/ outcomes
Foreign Countries: 29 Guam/Puerto Rico/Virgin Islands: 5 Military Stationed Overseas: 7
1 - 50
50 - 100 100 - 200 200 - 300 300 - 400 400 +
Visit W&L Law law.wlu.edu/visit During your visit you can: Tour the law school with a current student Attend a first-year class Meet with an admissions representative
Our Location Living in historic Lexington is the perfect antidote to the pressures of law school. Located in the heart of the scenic Shenandoah Valley, just a short drive from our nation’s capital, Lexington provides students with easy, affordable living. In Lexington, our students experience a strong sense of community with easy access to great restaurants, local events, wineries and breweries and even our communityowned drive-in theater.
Washington, D.C. HOURS FROM LEXINGTON
3
1
Charlottesville
LEXINGTON
1
Roanoke
VA
Richmond
Above the Law
2
Office of Admissions Sydney Lewis Hall Lexington, VA 24450-2116 lawadm@wlu.edu law.wlu.edu/admissions (540) 458-8503 Washington and Lee University is an equal opportunity institution. Complete statement at go.wlu.edu/eeo. 2019-20