Stellar Stats

Incoming Class among the Best Ever

The University at Buffalo Law School this semester welcomes one of its most accomplished and selective classes in its 120- year history, a group of students Law School Dean Makau W. Mutua called a "breakthrough" for UB Law and the foundation on which to make UB one of the finest law schools in the country.

The school's Class of 2011 was chosen from a national application pool of over 2,300 applicants, an increase of 52 percent from the previous academic year. Only 31 percent of the applicants were admitted, for an enrolled class of 222, making this year's class one of the most highly selective in recent years.

"It is undoubtedly one of our strongest classes ever," according to Mutua. "It raises our selectivity and places UB Law in a strong position to improve its reputation in the profession, in the legal academy and among prospective applicants." The 222 first-year law students had a median LSAT score of 157, with 25 percent of those accepted scoring 160 or better.

The class earned a median grade point average of 3.48; 25 percent of those come to UB with a 3.71 GPA or above. "This is simply a stellar class. Top credentials, fine undergraduate educations, interesting backgrounds," said James R. Newton, associate dean for administration." I would say that this class has it all." Newton praised the law school's admissions office for a "superb" job and said the credentials of this class presented an "exciting future for these students and UB's Law School." The students come from some of the top universities and colleges in the nation, including Duke University, University of California at Berkeley, Vassar, Georgetown University and Cornell University.

The average age is 24, with 30 percent over age 25. Twelve percent of the class holds advanced academic degrees. Sixteen percent come from out of state, and 48 percent are females.

"The class of 2011 is impressive and demonstrates the competitive advantage we have in the legal education marketplace as SUNY's only law school," said Lillie V. Wiley-Upshaw, vice dean for admissions and financial aid. "Our students made a smart choice. We offer a high-quality legal education at an affordable tuition. They will be surrounded by other exceptional students and will earn a law degree that will allow them to fulfill their professional dreams – without having to mortgage their future."

Wiley-Upshaw also said UB's Law School has increased its scholarship money by 55 percent over the previous year.

Mutua said an accomplished and selective law class is central to the academic excellence and overall reputation of any law school, and is particularly crucial to UB at this point in its development. "It's the pivot on which great programs are built," Mutua said. The increase in this year's class statistics is a significant step toward enhancing UB's excellence and achieving a higher awareness of that status among other academic institutions throughout the country, he said.

An outstanding hiring record

A degree from the University at Buffalo Law School is a precursor for success in a wide variety of practice settings. Our graduates are practicing in the most prominent law firms and public interest settings across the nation, as well as holding leadership positions in all levels of government. Our Research and Writing program has been credited by employers with producing some of the best-prepared, most highly skilled graduates in the market today. We pride ourselves on teaching how to think and work like an attorney—right from the start. An employment survey of UB Law's Class of 2007, conducted less than a year after graduation, showed that 99 percent of graduates had found a job or were pursuing advanced degrees. Starting salaries for UB Law graduates in the Class of 2007 reached a high of $160,000.Taking into consideration the practice area, employment location, and cost of attending UB Law, the return on investment is the best in New York. As a nationally renowned law school, UB Law finds its graduates at major metropolitan areas around the world. [View Class Data]