The University of Detroit Mercy School of Law was founded in 1912 as a part of the University of Detroit. It was the first Catholic-affiliated law school in the country, and its original mission was to provide legal education for members of the Catholic community. The school quickly grew in size and reputation, becoming one of the most respected law schools in Michigan. In 1941, it merged with Mercy College to become the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law. Over the years, it has continued to be known for its strong academic programs and commitment to social justice. The school has a long history of producing successful attorneys who have gone on to become judges, legislators, and leaders in business and non-profit organizations. Its faculty is comprised of some of the best legal minds in Michigan and beyond, with many having been recognized nationally for their contributions to legal scholarship. Today, UDM Law continues its commitment to excellence in legal education while also providing students with experiential learning opportunities that help prepare them for their professional careers.
University of Detroit Mercy School of Law is located in the state of Michigan. As one of the leading law programs, University of Detroit Mercy School of Law has a high average LSAT score of 147-154 when recruiting new students. As a return, the median starting salary for law graduates reaches $50,500 per year. See the following table for detailed admissions information and career profiles of University of Detroit Mercy School of Law.
Admissions: University of Detroit Mercy
The University of Detroit Mercy School of Law is a mid-sized law school located in Detroit, Michigan. It has an enrollment of approximately 600 students and is accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA). The law school offers a full range of legal education programs, including a Juris Doctor (JD) program and several Master’s programs. The JD program typically takes three years to complete, while the Master’s programs can take anywhere from one to two years.
The University of Detroit Mercy School of Law has an acceptance rate of 67%, meaning that out of every 100 applicants, 67 will be accepted into the program. Additionally, the law school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 11:1. This means that for every 11 students enrolled at the school, there is one faculty member available to provide instruction and guidance. Furthermore, the median LSAT score for incoming students is 154 and the median GPA is 3.37. These scores indicate that applicants should have strong academic backgrounds in order to be considered for admission into this prestigious law school.
Fall 2019 Admissions and Enrollment Statistics
Total number of full- and part-time applicants
1,926
Total number of full- and part-time acceptances
859
Overall acceptance rate
44.6%
Total number of full- and part-time first-year students enrolled
282
Number of full-time program applicants
1,707
Number of full-time program acceptances
772
Full-time acceptance rate
45.2%
Number of first-year full-time students enrolled
243
Number of part-time program applicants
219
Number of part-time program acceptances
87
Part-time acceptance rate
39.7%
Number of first-year part-time students enrolled
39
Fall 2019 GPA and LSAT Scores
25th-75th percentile GPA scores for all students
2.93-3.38
25th-75th percentile LSAT scores for all students
146-153
25th-75th percentile undergraduate GPA for full-time students
2.93-3.38
25th-75th percentile LSAT scores for full-time students
147-154
25th-75th percentile undergraduate GPA for part-time students
2.91-3.31
25th-75th percentile LSAT scores for part-time students
144-149
Careers: University of Detroit Mercy
Bar Statistics (Winter and Summer 2018 administrations)
State where the greatest number of first-time test takers took the bar
MI
School’s bar passage rate for first-time test takers
71.4%
Statewide bar passage rate for first-time test takers
82.0%
Class of 2018 Graduates
Total graduates
211
Graduates employed at graduation
N/A
Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation
78.4%
Starting Salaries of 2018 Graduates Employed Full-time
25th percentile private sector starting salary
$42,500
Median private sector starting salary
$50,500
75th percentile private sector starting salary
$80,000
Percent in the private sector who reported salary information
34%
Median public service starting salary
$48,500
Areas of Legal Practice (Class of 2018)
Percent employed in academia
5.0%
Percent employed in business and industry
22.0%
Percent employed in government
5.0%
Percent employed in all judicial clerkships
6.0%
Percent employed in law firms
57.0%
Percent employed in public interest
5.0%
Percent employed in an unknown field
0.0%
Percent employed in a judicial clerkship by an Article III federal judge
0.6%
2018 Graduates Employment Location
Graduates employed in-state
58%
Graduates employed in foreign countries
17%
Number of states where graduates are employed
19
New England (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT)
0.0%
Middle Atlantic (NY, NJ, PA)
5.8%
East North Central (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI)
66.9%
West North Central (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD)
0.6%
South Atlantic (DE, DC, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV)
3.9%
East South Central (AL, KY, MS, TN)
0.0%
West South Central (AR, LA, OK, TX)
2.6%
Pacific (AK, CA, HI, OR, WA)
0.6%
Mountain (AZ, CO, ID, MT, NV, NM, UT, WY)
2.6%
Employment location unknown
0.0%
Career Services
(Data appear as originally submitted by this school)
Career services operations
Full-time Career Services Assistant Dean; Full-time Director; Full-time Program Coordinator; Mock Interviews; Fall and Spring On-Campus Interview Programs; Alumni Mentor Program; Career Counseling; Resume and Cover Letter Review; Career Seminars; Job Postings; Preparing to Practice Series and other special events.
Job Type
Bar admission required or anticipated (e.g., attorney and corporate counsel positions, law clerks, judicial clerks)
75.0%
J.D. preferred, law degree enhances position (e.g., corporate contracts administrator, alternative dispute resolution specialist, government regulatory analyst, FBI special agent)
14.0%
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)
8.0%
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)
