The University of New Mexico School of Law was founded in 1947, making it the state’s oldest law school. Located in Albuquerque, it is the only public law school in the state. The school began as a two-year program offering a bachelor’s degree in jurisprudence, which was later replaced by a three-year program leading to a Juris Doctor degree. Over the years, the faculty has grown and now consists of over forty full-time professors and dozens of adjunct professors. The curriculum has also expanded to include courses such as international law, environmental law and tribal law. In addition to its traditional law courses, UNM Law offers clinical courses that give students hands-on experience representing clients under close supervision from faculty members. UNM Law also offers numerous extracurricular activities such as moot court competitions, student organizations and externships with local attorneys and judges. The school’s commitment to public service is evidenced by its numerous pro bono initiatives that provide free legal services to those who cannot afford them otherwise. These initiatives are made possible through generous donations from alumni and other supporters throughout New Mexico.
University of New Mexico School of Law is located in the state of New Mexico. As one of the leading law programs, University of New Mexico School of Law has a high average LSAT score of 152-158 when recruiting new students. As a return, the median starting salary for law graduates reaches $61,000 per year. See the following table for detailed admissions information and career profiles of University of New Mexico School of Law.
Admissions: University of New Mexico
University of New Mexico School of Law is an accredited law school located in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The school received 672 applications for the 2020-2021 academic year and enrolled a total of 169 students, with a median LSAT score of 156. The student body is made up of approximately 46% minority students, and nearly half are female. The acceptance rate for the 2020-2021 academic year was 25%. Among the admitted students, 65% were from New Mexico and 35% were from out-of-state. University of New Mexico School of Law offers a range of degree programs to meet the needs of its diverse student body, including full-time and part-time J.D., LLM, and MCL programs. All programs are designed to prepare students for practice in all areas of law. In addition to the traditional J.D., LLM, and MCL programs, the school also offers joint degree programs with other universities in fields such as business law and international studies. The faculty at University of New Mexico School of Law includes renowned scholars from around the world who bring their expertise to bear on legal education in a variety of ways that benefit both students and practitioners alike.
| Fall 2019 Admissions and Enrollment Statistics | |
|---|---|
| Total number of full- and part-time applicants | 1,039 |
| Total number of full- and part-time acceptances | 254 |
| Overall acceptance rate | 24.4% |
| Total number of full- and part-time first-year students enrolled | 117 |
| Number of full-time program applicants | 1,039 |
| Number of full-time program acceptances | 254 |
| Full-time acceptance rate | 24.4% |
| Number of first-year full-time students enrolled | 117 |
| 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 | 3.12-3.67 |
| 25th-75th percentile LSAT scores for all students | 152-158 |
| 25th-75th percentile undergraduate GPA for full-time students | 3.12-3.67 |
| 25th-75th percentile LSAT scores for full-time students | 152-158 |
| 25th-75th percentile undergraduate GPA for part-time students | N/A |
| 25th-75th percentile LSAT scores for part-time students | N/A |
Careers: University of New Mexico
| Bar Statistics (Winter and Summer 2018 administrations) | |
|---|---|
| State where the greatest number of first-time test takers took the bar | NM |
| School’s bar passage rate for first-time test takers | 92.0% |
| Statewide bar passage rate for first-time test takers | 91.6% |
| Class of 2018 Graduates | |
| Total graduates | 105 |
| Graduates employed at graduation | 81.9% |
| Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation | 96.2% |
| Starting Salaries of 2018 Graduates Employed Full-time | |
| 25th percentile private sector starting salary | $52,000 |
| Median private sector starting salary | $61,000 |
| 75th percentile private sector starting salary | $70,000 |
| Percent in the private sector who reported salary information | 82% |
| Median public service starting salary | $44,000 |
| Areas of Legal Practice (Class of 2018) | |
| Percent employed in academia | 3.1% |
| Percent employed in business and industry | 14.3% |
| Percent employed in government | 17.3% |
| Percent employed in all judicial clerkships | 13.3% |
| Percent employed in law firms | 34.7% |
| Percent employed in public interest | 16.3% |
| Percent employed in an unknown field | 1.0% |
| Percent employed in a judicial clerkship by an Article III federal judge | 5.1% |
| 2018 Graduates Employment Location | |
| Graduates employed in-state | 79% |
| Graduates employed in foreign countries | 1% |
| Number of states where graduates are employed | 11 |
| New England (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT) | 0.0% |
| Middle Atlantic (NY, NJ, PA) | 2.0% |
| East North Central (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI) | 0.0% |
| West North Central (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD) | 1.0% |
| South Atlantic (DE, DC, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV) | 0.0% |
| East South Central (AL, KY, MS, TN) | 0.0% |
| West South Central (AR, LA, OK, TX) | 2.0% |
| Pacific (AK, CA, HI, OR, WA) | 4.0% |
| Mountain (AZ, CO, ID, MT, NV, NM, UT, WY) | 89.0% |
| Employment location unknown | 1.0% |
| Career Services | |
| (Data appear as originally submitted by this school) | |
| Career services operations | The Career and Student Services Office at UNM provides career development assistance and support for law students and graduates. It provides direct counseling about career matters, as well as academic advisement and support for students, as individuals, and for student groups. The office also provides support for students with disabilities. |
| Job Type | |
| Bar admission required or anticipated (e.g., attorney and corporate counsel positions, law clerks, judicial clerks) | 76.0% |
| 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) | 5.0% |
| 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) | 1.0% |
