Wake Forest University School of Law was established in 1894 as the first law school in North Carolina. The school was originally founded to provide a legal education for students interested in pursuing careers in law and public service. In addition to offering a traditional three-year program, Wake Forest also offered a two-year program for those who already had a bachelor’s degree. This two-year program allowed students to quickly complete their legal education and enter the workforce.
Throughout its history, Wake Forest has been dedicated to providing an excellent legal education that prepares students for successful careers in the legal profession. The faculty is comprised of some of the most renowned scholars and practitioners in the field, many of whom are also leaders in civil rights, social justice, and public policy initiatives. In recent years, Wake Forest has become a leader in interdisciplinary legal studies by offering joint degrees with other top universities such as Duke University and The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Additionally, Wake Forest has made significant strides towards increasing diversity within its student body by actively recruiting from underrepresented groups such as women, minorities, and LGBT individuals.
The school is committed to providing its students with ample opportunity for experiential learning through externships and clinics where they are able to gain invaluable hands-on experience working with real clients on real cases. Furthermore, Wake Forest offers numerous extracurricular activities such as moot court competitions which allow students to hone their skills outside of the classroom setting. In recent years Wake Forest has also expanded its services by launching an online JD program which allows distance learners the opportunity to obtain their degree from anywhere around the world while still receiving the same quality instruction that can be found on campus.
Wake Forest University School of Law is located in the state of North Carolina. As one of the leading law programs, Wake Forest University School of Law has a high average LSAT score of 160-164 when recruiting new students. As a return, the median starting salary for law graduates reaches $120,000 per year. See the following table for detailed admissions information and career profiles of Wake Forest University School of Law.
Admissions: Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University School of Law is one of the top-ranked law schools in the United States. The school has a total enrollment of 717 students, which includes both full-time and part-time students. The school’s admissions statistics are impressive; the median LSAT score is 165 and the median GPA is 3.7. The acceptance rate for applicants is 41%, making it a highly competitive school to gain admission to. Additionally, Wake Forest Law boasts an impressive bar passage rate of 93%. These numbers demonstrate that Wake Forest Law attracts some of the best and brightest applicants from around the country who are dedicated to pursuing their legal education at this highly esteemed institution.
Fall 2019 Admissions and Enrollment Statistics
Total number of full- and part-time applicants
2,775
Total number of full- and part-time acceptances
905
Overall acceptance rate
32.6%
Total number of full- and part-time first-year students enrolled
154
Number of full-time program applicants
2,775
Number of full-time program acceptances
905
Full-time acceptance rate
32.6%
Number of first-year full-time students enrolled
154
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
3.2-3.7
25th-75th percentile LSAT scores for all students
160-164
25th-75th percentile undergraduate GPA for full-time students
3.2-3.7
25th-75th percentile LSAT scores for full-time students
160-164
25th-75th percentile undergraduate GPA for part-time students
N/A
25th-75th percentile LSAT scores for part-time students
N/A
Careers: Wake Forest University
Bar Statistics (Winter and Summer 2018 administrations)
State where the greatest number of first-time test takers took the bar
NC
School’s bar passage rate for first-time test takers
96.3%
Statewide bar passage rate for first-time test takers
82.6%
Class of 2018 Graduates
Total graduates
149
Graduates employed at graduation
74.5%
Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation
95.8%
Starting Salaries of 2018 Graduates Employed Full-time
25th percentile private sector starting salary
$73,000
Median private sector starting salary
$120,000
75th percentile private sector starting salary
$145,000
Percent in the private sector who reported salary information
76%
Median public service starting salary
$45,742
Areas of Legal Practice (Class of 2018)
Percent employed in academia
3.0%
Percent employed in business and industry
6.0%
Percent employed in government
9.0%
Percent employed in all judicial clerkships
9.0%
Percent employed in law firms
70.0%
Percent employed in public interest
N/A
Percent employed in an unknown field
3.0%
Percent employed in a judicial clerkship by an Article III federal judge
5.0%
2018 Graduates Employment Location
Graduates employed in-state
56%
Graduates employed in foreign countries
N/A
Number of states where graduates are employed
20
New England (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT)
1.4%
Middle Atlantic (NY, NJ, PA)
10.7%
East North Central (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI)
2.1%
West North Central (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD)
0.7%
South Atlantic (DE, DC, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV)
78.0%
East South Central (AL, KY, MS, TN)
0.7%
West South Central (AR, LA, OK, TX)
3.6%
Pacific (AK, CA, HI, OR, WA)
0.7%
Mountain (AZ, CO, ID, MT, NV, NM, UT, WY)
2.1%
Employment location unknown
N/A
Career Services
(Data appear as originally submitted by this school)
Career services operations
Our Career Services staff counsels individual students/alumni in their personal job search needs and manages a robust on-campus interview program and resume collection service. We participate in numerous job fairs throughout the U.S. and offer video conferencing for distant employers. Our supportive national alumni network willingly offers job search advice and identifies potential opportunities.
Job Type
Bar admission required or anticipated (e.g., attorney and corporate counsel positions, law clerks, judicial clerks)
90.0%
J.D. preferred, law degree enhances position (e.g., corporate contracts administrator, alternative dispute resolution specialist, government regulatory analyst, FBI special agent)
6.0%
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)
