The University of Tennessee College of Law was founded in 1890 and was the first public law school in Tennessee. It is the only law school located within the state and has been accredited by the American Bar Association since 1924. The college offers a traditional three-year Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree, as well as a two-year Master of Laws (LL.M.) program with concentrations in advocacy, business law, dispute resolution, estate planning and taxation. The college also offers joint J.D./LL.M. degrees in conjunction with other colleges at the university, such as Business Administration and Social Work.
In addition to legal education, the College of Law has engaged in various public service activities throughout its history, including providing legal assistance to low-income clients through its Pro Bono Program and participating in various moot court competitions around the country. In recent years, UT Law has implemented several innovative programs to better prepare students for practice after graduation such as externships with local firms, clinics focusing on specific areas of law such as healthcare or immigration law, and an expansive alumni network offering career advice to current students and recent graduates alike.
University of Tennessee–Knoxville College of Law is located in the state of Tennessee. As one of the leading law programs, University of Tennessee–Knoxville College of Law has a high average LSAT score of 157-161 when recruiting new students. As a return, the median starting salary for law graduates reaches $76,250 per year. See the following table for detailed admissions information and career profiles of University of Tennessee–Knoxville College of Law.
Admissions: University of Tennessee–Knoxville
The University of Tennessee–Knoxville College of Law is one of the most reputable law schools in the country. The admissions statistics for this college are quite impressive. In the 2018-2019 academic year, there were a total of 6,243 applicants and 1,735 were admitted. This represents an acceptance rate of 27.9 percent. The median GPA for incoming students was 3.65 and the median LSAT score was 157. The diversity among students is very strong with over 40 percent being from racial or ethnic minority backgrounds. Furthermore, women make up just over 50 percent of accepted students, demonstrating that this college does not discriminate against any gender or race when it comes to admissions decisions. Additionally, the college has a wide range of international students who bring unique perspectives to the classroom that enrich everyone’s learning experience. All in all, these impressive admissions statistics show that the University of Tennessee–Knoxville College of Law greatly values diversity and provides an inclusive environment for all its students to thrive in their legal studies.
Fall 2019 Admissions and Enrollment Statistics
Total number of full- and part-time applicants
1,468
Total number of full- and part-time acceptances
398
Overall acceptance rate
27.1%
Total number of full- and part-time first-year students enrolled
158
Number of full-time program applicants
1,468
Number of full-time program acceptances
398
Full-time acceptance rate
27.1%
Number of first-year full-time students enrolled
158
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
3.28-3.77
25th-75th percentile LSAT scores for all students
157-161
25th-75th percentile undergraduate GPA for full-time students
3.28-3.77
25th-75th percentile LSAT scores for full-time students
157-161
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 Tennessee–Knoxville
Bar Statistics (Winter and Summer 2018 administrations)
State where the greatest number of first-time test takers took the bar
TN
School’s bar passage rate for first-time test takers
89.7%
Statewide bar passage rate for first-time test takers
82.9%
Class of 2018 Graduates
Total graduates
143
Graduates employed at graduation
72.3%
Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation
95.1%
Starting Salaries of 2018 Graduates Employed Full-time
25th percentile private sector starting salary
$66,250
Median private sector starting salary
$76,250
75th percentile private sector starting salary
$88,750
Percent in the private sector who reported salary information
59%
Median public service starting salary
$48,750
Areas of Legal Practice (Class of 2018)
Percent employed in academia
2.0%
Percent employed in business and industry
6.0%
Percent employed in government
16.0%
Percent employed in all judicial clerkships
13.0%
Percent employed in law firms
59.0%
Percent employed in public interest
4.0%
Percent employed in an unknown field
0.0%
Percent employed in a judicial clerkship by an Article III federal judge
3.0%
2018 Graduates Employment Location
Graduates employed in-state
68%
Graduates employed in foreign countries
1%
Number of states where graduates are employed
17
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)
2.0%
South Atlantic (DE, DC, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV)
22.0%
East South Central (AL, KY, MS, TN)
68.0%
West South Central (AR, LA, OK, TX)
2.0%
Pacific (AK, CA, HI, OR, WA)
1.0%
Mountain (AZ, CO, ID, MT, NV, NM, UT, WY)
2.0%
Employment location unknown
0.0%
Career Services
(Data appear as originally submitted by this school)
Career services operations
Employers across the region and nation recruit UT students and graduates through on-campus programs, job fairs, and direct contact from UT students. Our 1L Career Integration program is a hallmark of the Career Center. Over fifty programs are offered to help students learn about jobs and careers and develop job search skills.
Job Type
Bar admission required or anticipated (e.g., attorney and corporate counsel positions, law clerks, judicial clerks)
85.0%
J.D. preferred, law degree enhances position (e.g., corporate contracts administrator, alternative dispute resolution specialist, government regulatory analyst, FBI special agent)
10.0%
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)
