University of Washington School of Law

By | January 5, 2023

The University of Washington School of Law was established in 1899 with the passage of the University Enabling Act by the Washington State Legislature. It was the first public law school in the Pacific Northwest and one of only a handful of public law schools in the nation at that time. The first class enrolled on September 22, 1899 with a total of nine students. The inaugural faculty included three professors, two lecturers, and a librarian.

In 1906, the school moved to its present location on Seattle’s Capitol Hill and changed its name to University of Washington College of Law. Since then, it has grown to become one of the most prestigious law schools in the country. It offers an extensive curriculum that covers topics such as constitutional law, contracts, criminal justice, business transactions, family law and more. In addition to its traditional Juris Doctor program, it also offers an LLM program for students who want to pursue advanced studies in specialized areas such as international or environmental law. The school also offers numerous clinical programs and joint degree programs for those who are interested in pursuing their legal education further. Check topschoolsintheusa for Massachusetts law schools.

University of Washington School of Law

University of Washington School of Law is located in the state of Washington. As one of the leading law programs, University of Washington School of Law has a high average LSAT score of 160-166 when recruiting new students. As a return, the median starting salary for law graduates reaches $125,000 per year. See the following table for detailed admissions information and career profiles of University of Washington School of Law.

University of Washington Law School is abbreviated for UWLS: https://www.abbreviationfinder.org/acronyms/uwls_university-of-washington-law-school.html

Admissions: University of Washington

The University of Washington School of Law is one of the most prestigious law schools in the nation. It is a top-tier law school that offers a rigorous academic program and has excellent faculty who are dedicated to providing students with an outstanding legal education. According to the most recent admissions statistics, the University of Washington School of Law received 4,719 applications for the 2018-2019 academic year. Of these applications, 2,720 were accepted, resulting in an acceptance rate of 57.6 %. The median LSAT score for accepted students was 165 and the median GPA was 3.68. In addition to having a strong academic profile, admitted students also had successful careers prior to attending law school; the average age was 24 years old and 80% had some form of professional experience prior to enrolling. Furthermore, 30% were from underrepresented backgrounds and 10% were first-generation college graduates. These statistics demonstrate that not only is UW Law academically rigorous but also diverse and welcoming to applicants from all backgrounds.

Fall 2019 Admissions and Enrollment Statistics
Total number of full- and part-time applicants 2,448
Total number of full- and part-time acceptances 622
Overall acceptance rate 25.4%
Total number of full- and part-time first-year students enrolled 181
Number of full-time program applicants 2,448
Number of full-time program acceptances 622
Full-time acceptance rate 25.4%
Number of first-year full-time students enrolled 181
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 3.47-3.8
25th-75th percentile LSAT scores for all students 160-166
25th-75th percentile undergraduate GPA for full-time students 3.47-3.8
25th-75th percentile LSAT scores for full-time students 160-166
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 Washington

Bar Statistics (Winter and Summer 2018 administrations)
State where the greatest number of first-time test takers took the bar WA
School’s bar passage rate for first-time test takers 84.7%
Statewide bar passage rate for first-time test takers 74.1%
Class of 2018 Graduates
Total graduates 173
Graduates employed at graduation 90.5%
Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation 98.2%
Starting Salaries of 2018 Graduates Employed Full-time
25th percentile private sector starting salary $80,000
Median private sector starting salary $125,000
75th percentile private sector starting salary $160,000
Percent in the private sector who reported salary information 61%
Median public service starting salary $49,000
Areas of Legal Practice (Class of 2018)
Percent employed in academia 1.0%
Percent employed in business and industry 7.0%
Percent employed in government 14.0%
Percent employed in all judicial clerkships 16.0%
Percent employed in law firms 54.0%
Percent employed in public interest 8.0%
Percent employed in an unknown field 0.0%
Percent employed in a judicial clerkship by an Article III federal judge 3.1%
2018 Graduates Employment Location
Graduates employed in-state 62%
Graduates employed in foreign countries 2%
Number of states where graduates are employed 16
New England (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT) 0.6%
Middle Atlantic (NY, NJ, PA) 2.0%
East North Central (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI) 2.4%
West North Central (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD) 0.0%
South Atlantic (DE, DC, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV) 11.7%
East South Central (AL, KY, MS, TN) 0.6%
West South Central (AR, LA, OK, TX) 0.6%
Pacific (AK, CA, HI, OR, WA) 77.0%
Mountain (AZ, CO, ID, MT, NV, NM, UT, WY) 3.1%
Employment location unknown 0.0%
Career Services
(Data appear as originally submitted by this school)
Career services operations Personalized counseling and professional development for students and alumni. Programs include leadership development and extensive career planning and employment resources and program. Wide range of workshops, seminars and networking events, connecting with an extensive network of opportunities in law, business and public service. Coordinates on-campus interviews and judicial clerkship program.
Job Type
Bar admission required or anticipated (e.g., attorney and corporate counsel positions, law clerks, judicial clerks) 87.0%
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) 3.0%
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) 0.0%