Stanford Law School was established in 1893, the same year that Stanford University opened its doors. The school was founded by a group of prominent lawyers from the San Francisco Bay Area, with the goal of providing high-quality legal education to students from all backgrounds. From its beginnings, Stanford Law School has been committed to educating individuals who are both academically and professionally prepared to become leaders in their field. The school quickly developed a reputation for excellence and became one of the top law schools in the United States. Since then, Stanford Law School has continued to be known for its innovative approach to legal education and its commitment to public service and social justice. It is consistently ranked among the top law schools in the nation by U.S. News & World Report.
The school’s commitment to providing an outstanding education is further evidenced by its faculty, which includes some of the most respected names in legal scholarship today. Notable faculty members have included Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor; former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice; and former U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno, among many others.
In addition to providing an excellent academic experience for students, Stanford Law School also focuses on cultivating a community that fosters collaboration and mutual respect among peers and faculty alike. Through various student organizations, guest speakers, career services support and other events, students can build relationships with their peers as well as gain valuable experience outside of the classroom setting that helps them better prepare for their future legal careers.
Stanford University Law School is located in the state of California. As one of the leading law programs, Stanford University Law School has a high average LSAT score of 167-172 when recruiting new students. As a return, the median starting salary for law graduates reaches $160,000 per year. See the following table for detailed admissions information and career profiles of Stanford University Law School.
Admissions: Stanford University
Stanford University Law School is one of the most prestigious law schools in the country. The school has a reputation for excellence, and its admissions statistics reflect this. In the 2021-2022 academic year, Stanford Law School received 6,734 applications and admitted only 9% of applicants, making it one of the most selective law schools in the country. Of those admitted, 48% were women and 47% were students of color. Additionally, 52% of admitted students come from outside California. These admissions statistics demonstrate that Stanford Law School seeks to create a diverse and talented student body capable of excelling in their studies and succeeding in their legal careers.
Fall 2019 Admissions and Enrollment Statistics
Total number of full- and part-time applicants
4,082
Total number of full- and part-time acceptances
373
Overall acceptance rate
9.1%
Total number of full- and part-time first-year students enrolled
180
Number of full-time program applicants
4,082
Number of full-time program acceptances
373
Full-time acceptance rate
9.1%
Number of first-year full-time students enrolled
180
Number of part-time program applicants
0
Number of part-time program acceptances
0
Part-time acceptance rate
N/A
Number of first-year part-time students enrolled
0
Fall 2019 GPA and LSAT Scores
25th-75th percentile GPA scores for all students
3.77-3.97
25th-75th percentile LSAT scores for all students
167-172
25th-75th percentile undergraduate GPA for full-time students
3.77-3.97
25th-75th percentile LSAT scores for full-time students
167-172
25th-75th percentile undergraduate GPA for part-time students
N/A
25th-75th percentile LSAT scores for part-time students
N/A
Careers: Stanford University
Bar Statistics (Winter and Summer 2018 administrations)
State where the greatest number of first-time test takers took the bar
CA
School’s bar passage rate for first-time test takers
96.2%
Statewide bar passage rate for first-time test takers
70.7%
Class of 2018 Graduates
Total graduates
176
Graduates employed at graduation
98.3%
Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation
98.4%
Starting Salaries of 2018 Graduates Employed Full-time
25th percentile private sector starting salary
$160,000
Median private sector starting salary
$160,000
75th percentile private sector starting salary
$160,000
Percent in the private sector who reported salary information
61%
Median public service starting salary
$57,845
Areas of Legal Practice (Class of 2018)
Percent employed in academia
1.0%
Percent employed in business and industry
5.0%
Percent employed in government
4.0%
Percent employed in all judicial clerkships
23.0%
Percent employed in law firms
61.0%
Percent employed in public interest
6.0%
Percent employed in an unknown field
0.0%
Percent employed in a judicial clerkship by an Article III federal judge
22.0%
2018 Graduates Employment Location
Graduates employed in-state
44%
Graduates employed in foreign countries
2%
Number of states where graduates are employed
22
New England (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT)
2.0%
Middle Atlantic (NY, NJ, PA)
20.0%
East North Central (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI)
3.0%
West North Central (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD)
0.0%
South Atlantic (DE, DC, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV)
19.0%
East South Central (AL, KY, MS, TN)
1.2%
West South Central (AR, LA, OK, TX)
4.2%
Pacific (AK, CA, HI, OR, WA)
45.9%
Mountain (AZ, CO, ID, MT, NV, NM, UT, WY)
3.0%
Employment location unknown
0.0%
Career Services
(Data appear as originally submitted by this school)
Career services operations
The Office of Career Services (http://www.law.stanford.edu/school/offices/ocs/)offers resources/counseling to students/alumni on: private sector career planning, alternatives to law, clerkships, international law opportunities. Public interest/public sector advising is undertaken by the John and Terry Levin Center for Public Service and Public Interest Law (http://publicinterestlaw.stanford.edu).
Job Type
Bar admission required or anticipated (e.g., attorney and corporate counsel positions, law clerks, judicial clerks)
95.0%
J.D. preferred, law degree enhances position (e.g., corporate contracts administrator, alternative dispute resolution specialist, government regulatory analyst, FBI special agent)
5.0%
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)
0.0%
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)
