Arizona State University Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law was established in 1972 in downtown Phoenix by the Arizona Board of Regents. As one of the nation’s first public law schools, the college was founded with a mission to provide accessible legal education to all qualified applicants regardless of their financial means. The college has since grown and expanded its offerings, now providing a variety of courses, certificates, and degree programs that prepare students for successful careers in legal practice.
The college originally opened with just over 100 students and 10 faculty members. Since then, the school has seen tremendous growth, both in terms of its student body and faculty. Today, there are more than 600 full-time faculty members and over 1,000 students enrolled at the college. The college offers several degree programs including a Juris Doctor (JD), Master of Laws (LLM), Master of Legal Studies (MLS), and Doctor of Juridical Science (SJD). Additionally, students can pursue certificates in specialized areas such as Indian Legal Studies or International Trade & Business Law. In addition to classroom instruction, students can participate in research projects with faculty members or internships with local law firms or government agencies.
The school also provides numerous extracurricular activities for its students such as moot court competitions, student organizations, journals/publications, pro bono opportunities as well as an active alumni network that encourages mentorship among current and former students. The college’s commitment to excellence is evident through its alumni who have gone on to become prominent members in the legal field including Supreme Court justices such as Sandra Day O’Connor for whom the law school is named after.
Arizona State University Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law is located in the state of Arizona. As one of the leading law programs, Arizona State University Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law has a high average LSAT score of 158-163 when recruiting new students. As a return, the median starting salary for law graduates reaches $100,000 per year. See the following table for detailed admissions information and career profiles of Arizona State University Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law.
Admissions: Arizona State University (O’Connor)
Arizona State University Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law is located in the heart of downtown Phoenix, Arizona. The school is ranked among the top 25 law schools in the nation and has an impressive admissions rate of 75.4%. The median LSAT score for admitted students is 154, and the median GPA for incoming students is 3.51. The school also features a diverse student body, with over 20% of enrolled students coming from historically underrepresented backgrounds. Additionally, Arizona State Law offers a Certificate in Indian Legal Studies and a Certificate in Tribal Governance to further accommodate its diverse student population. The college also offers several joint degree programs such as JD/MSW and JD/MBA to allow students to specialize in different areas and gain valuable skills that can be applied to their future career paths.
Fall 2019 Admissions and Enrollment Statistics
Total number of full- and part-time applicants
2,400
Total number of full- and part-time acceptances
667
Overall acceptance rate
27.8%
Total number of full- and part-time first-year students enrolled
184
Number of full-time program applicants
2,400
Number of full-time program acceptances
667
Full-time acceptance rate
27.8%
Number of first-year full-time students enrolled
184
Number of part-time program applicants
N/A
Number of part-time program acceptances
N/A
Part-time acceptance rate
N/A
Number of first-year part-time students enrolled
N/A
Fall 2019 GPA and LSAT Scores
25th-75th percentile GPA scores for all students
3.34-3.78
25th-75th percentile LSAT scores for all students
158-163
25th-75th percentile undergraduate GPA for full-time students
3.34-3.78
25th-75th percentile LSAT scores for full-time students
158-163
25th-75th percentile undergraduate GPA for part-time students
N/A
25th-75th percentile LSAT scores for part-time students
N/A
Careers: Arizona State University (O’Connor)
Bar Statistics (Winter and Summer 2018 administrations)
State where the greatest number of first-time test takers took the bar
AZ
School’s bar passage rate for first-time test takers
89.5%
Statewide bar passage rate for first-time test takers
83.9%
Class of 2018 Graduates
Total graduates
241
Graduates employed at graduation
90.7%
Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation
99.7%
Starting Salaries of 2018 Graduates Employed Full-time
25th percentile private sector starting salary
$75,000
Median private sector starting salary
$100,000
75th percentile private sector starting salary
$125,000
Percent in the private sector who reported salary information
55%
Median public service starting salary
$54,000
Areas of Legal Practice (Class of 2018)
Percent employed in academia
3.0%
Percent employed in business and industry
10.0%
Percent employed in government
17.0%
Percent employed in all judicial clerkships
7.0%
Percent employed in law firms
53.0%
Percent employed in public interest
9.0%
Percent employed in an unknown field
1.0%
Percent employed in a judicial clerkship by an Article III federal judge
N/A
2018 Graduates Employment Location
Graduates employed in-state
73%
Graduates employed in foreign countries
0%
Number of states where graduates are employed
21
New England (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT)
0.9%
Middle Atlantic (NY, NJ, PA)
1.8%
East North Central (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI)
3.6%
West North Central (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD)
0.5%
South Atlantic (DE, DC, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV)
2.7%
East South Central (AL, KY, MS, TN)
0.5%
West South Central (AR, LA, OK, TX)
2.2%
Pacific (AK, CA, HI, OR, WA)
11.7%
Mountain (AZ, CO, ID, MT, NV, NM, UT, WY)
76.2%
Employment location unknown
0.0%
Career Services
(Data appear as originally submitted by this school)
Career services operations
The Career Services Office provides individual assistance to students and alumni seeking employment. The office conducts an extensive program of on-campus interviews during the fall and spring semesters with law firms and governmental agencies. Services include a computerized job line, alumni bulletin, a resource library and workshops on resume writing, interviewing and job-search techniques.
Job Type
Bar admission required or anticipated (e.g., attorney and corporate counsel positions, law clerks, judicial clerks)
84.0%
J.D. preferred, law degree enhances position (e.g., corporate contracts administrator, alternative dispute resolution specialist, government regulatory analyst, FBI special agent)
13.0%
Professional/other (jobs that require professional skills or training but for which a J.D. is neither preferred nor particularly applicable; e.g., accountant, teacher, business manager, nurse)
2.0%
Nonprofessional/other (job that does not require any professional skills or training or is taken on a temporary basis and not viewed as part of a career path)
