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In compliance with ABA Standard 509, the following information about UW Law School and its JD Program is provided to current and prospective students. The 2020 Standard 509 Information Report (PDF) is compiled from the latest information submitted in the annual ABA questionnaire. 

Section 509 (b): 

A law school shall publicly disclose on its website, in the form and manner and for the time frame designated by the Council, the following information:

Admissions Data

Tuition, Fees, Living Costs, Financial Aid

Conditional Scholarships

Conditional scholarship retention data is not available because UW Law School does not award conditional scholarships as defined under ABA Standard 509(d). Therefore, we do not post an ABA Conditional Scholarship Retention Worksheet.

Enrollment Data, Transfer, and Attrition/Graduation Rates

Number of Full-time and Part-time Faculty and Administrators

Class Size, Number of Seminars, Clinical and co-curricular offerings

Employment Outcomes

Employment Summaries

NALP Reports

Bar Passage Information & the Diploma Privilege

Bar passage data is based on the number of graduates who took the required courses to qualify for admission to the State Bar of Wisconsin via the diploma privilege.  Wisconsin is the only remaining U.S. jurisdiction that retains the diploma privilege.  Wisconsin Supreme Court Rule 40.03 allows for the admission to practice by diploma privilege, rather than bar examination, of applicants who have been awarded a J.D. from an ABA-approved law school in Wisconsin and met legal competence requirements with respect to satisfactory academic performance and satisfactory completion of certain mandatory and elective subject matter areas.

Of the 153 students who received J.D. degrees during 2017, all 153 of them took the courses that are required to satisfy the diploma privilege, and those 153 are treated as having "sat for" the Wisconsin bar exam in February or July of 2017.  All 153 graduates satisfied the minimum GPA requirement in the diploma privilege courses, and are therefore treated as having "passed" the Wisconsin bar exam.

Of the 151 students who received J.D. degrees during 2019, 149 of them took the courses that are required to satisfy the diploma privilege, and those 149 are treated as having "sat for" the Wisconsin bar exam in February or July of 2019.  All 149 of them satisfied the minimum GPA requirement in the diploma privilege courses, and are therefore treated as having "passed" the Wisconsin bar exam.  The other two students who received their J.D. during 2019 did not sit for a bar exam in any state in 2019.

Section 509 (c): 

A law school shall publicly disclose on its website, in a readable and comprehensive manner, the following information on a current basis:

Refund Policies

Curricular Offerings, Academic Calendar, and Academic Requirements

Policies Regarding Transfer Credits

Section 509 (d)

A law school shall distribute the data required under Standard 509(b)(3) to all applicants being offered conditional scholarships at the time the scholarship is extended. 

The ABA’s definition of a conditional scholarship is: “any financial aid award, the retention of which is dependent upon the student maintaining a minimum grade point average or class standing, other than that ordinarily required to remain in good academic standing.”  UW Law School does not award scholarships that are conditional on law school academic performance; therefore we do not post an ABA Conditional Scholarship Retention Worksheet.

The University of Wisconsin Law School is approved by the Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar of the American Bar Association (ABA), 321 North Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60654, 312-988-6738. Information about the approval process can be found on the ABA website, or by contacting the Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar.

Recent Admissions Statistics

*LSAT/GPA data certified by LSAC
Entering Class 2020* 2019* 2018*
Total Applicants 1559 1704 1712
Enrolled Students 241 223 275
Median LSAT 163 162 162
25%-75% LSAT Score 158-165 156-164 158-164
Median GPA 3.61 3.65 3.58
25%-75% GPA 3.31-3.75 3.42-3.79 3.23-3.76
Colleges & Universities
Represented		 119 120 130
Colleges & Universities with Most Students Enrolled
  • UW-Madison
  • Marquette University
  • U. of Michigan
  • U. of Minnesota-Minneapolis
  • UW-La Crosse
  • U. of Notre Dame
  • Washington U.
  • UW-Madison
  • Marquette University
  • U. of Michigan
  • U. of Minnesota-Minneapolis
  • Michigan State University
  • UW-Eau Claire
  • UW-Madison
  • Marquette University
  • U. of Minnesota-Minneapolis
  • UW-Milwaukee
  • U. of Michigan
  • Michigan State University
  • UW-La Crosse
States/Territories Represented 32 30 34
States with Most Students
Enrolled
  • Wisconsin
  • Illinois
  • Minnesota
  • California
  • Michigan
  • Missouri
  • Texas
  • Wisconsin
  • Illinois
  • Michigan
  • California
  • Texas
  • Minnesota
  • Wisconsin
  • Illinois
  • California
  • Minnesota
  • Michigan
  • Texas
  • New York
% In-State Residents 53% 47% 49%
Average Entering Age 25 25 25
Age Range 19-51 21-46 19-50
% Women Students 44% 53% 49%
% Students of Color 26% 25% 20%

Employment Summary For 2019 Graduates

Employment Status Full Time
Long Term		 Full Time
Short Term		 Part Time
Long Term		 Part Time
Short Term		 Number
Employed - Bar Passage Required 133 2 0 0 135
Employed - JD Advantage 12 0 0 0 12
Employed - Professional Position 2 0 0 0 2
Employed - Non-Professional Position 0 0 0 0 0
Employed - Law School/University funded 0 0 0 0 0
Employed - Undeterminable 0 0 0 0 0
Pursuing Graduate Degree Full Time 3
employed - Start Date Deferred 0
Unemployed - Not Seeking 0
Unemployed - Seeking 3
Employment Status Unknown 0
Total graduates (each graduate is counted only once in this section) 155
Law School/University Funded Positions Full Time
Long Term		 Full Time
Short Term		 Part Time
Long Term		 Part Time
Short Term		 Number
Employed - Bar Passage Required 0 0 0 0 0
Employed- J.D. Advantage 0 0 0 0 0
Employed - Professional Position 0 0 0 0 0
Employed - Non-Professional Position 0 0 0 0 0
Total Employed by Law School/University 0 0 0 0 0
Employment Type Full Time
Long Term		 Full Time
Short Term		 Part Time
Long Term		 Part Time
Short Term		 Number
Law Firms
Solo 1 0 0 0 1
2-10 26 0 0 0 26
11-25 7 0 0 0 7
26-50 6 0 0 0 6
51-100 1 0 0 0 1
101-250 9 0 0 0 9
251-500 5 0 0 0 5
501+ 17 0 0 0 17
Unknown Size 0 0 0 0 0
Business & Industry 14 0 0 0 14
Government 26 1 0 0 27
Pub. Int. 22 0 0 0 22
Clerkships
Federal 4 0 0 0 4
State & Local 7 0 0 0 7
Other 0 0 0 0 0
Education 2 1 0 0 3
Employer Type Unknown 0 0 0 0 0
Total 147 2 0 0 149
Employment Location State Number
State - largest employment Wisconsin 106
State - 2nd largest employment Illinois 10
State - 3rd largest employment Minnesota 6
# employed in foreign countries 2

Employment Summary For 2018 Graduates

Employment Type Full Time
Long Term		 Full Time
Short Term		 Part Time
Long Term		 Part Time
Short Term		 Number
Employed - Bar Passage Required 143 2 2 2 149
Employed - JD Advantage 12 0 0 1 13
Employed - Professional Position 9 1 0 0 10
Employed - Non-Professional Position 0 0 0 0 0
Employed - Law School/University funded 0 0 0 0 0
Employed - Undeterminable 0 0 0 0 0
Pursuing Graduate Degree Full Time 3
employed - Start Date Deferred 3
Unemployed - Not Seeking 0
Unemployed - Seeking 7
Employment Status Unknown 0
Total graduates (each graduate is counted only once in this section) 185
Law School/University Funded Positions Full Time
Long Term		 Full Time
Short Term		 Part Time
Long Term		 Part Time
Short Term		 Number
Employed - Bar Passage Required 0 0 0 0 0
Employed- J.D. Advantage 0 0 0 0 0
Employed - Professional Position 0 0 0 0 0
Employed - Non-Professional Position 0 0 0 0 0
Total Employed by Law School/University 0 0 0 0 0
Employment Type Full Time
Long Term		 Full Time
Short Term		 Part Time
Long Term		 Part Time
Short Term		 Number
Law Firms
Solo 1 0 0 0 1
2-10 24 0 1 2 27
11-25 19 0 0 0 19
26-50 6 0 0 0 6
51-100 5 0 0 0 5
101-250 14 0 0 0 14
251-500 2 0 0 0 2
501+ 16 0 0 0 16
Unknown Size 0 0 0 0 0
Business & Industry 19 2 0 0 21
Government 35 1 0 0 36
Pub. Int. 9 0 0 1 10
Clerkships
Federal 6 0 0 0 6
State & Local 8 0 0 0 8
Other 0 0 0 0 0
Education 0 0 1 0 1
Employer Type Unknown 0 0 0 0 0
Total 164 3 2 3 172
Employment Location State Number
State - Largest Employment Wisconsin 111
State - 2nd Largest Employment Illinois 16
State - 3rd Largest Employment Minnesota 14
# Employed in Foreign Countries 1

Employment Summary For 2017 Graduates

Employment Type Full Time
Long Term		 Full Time
Short Term		 Part Time
Long Term		 Part Time
Short Term		 Number
Employed - Bar Passage Required 118 1 2 1 122
Employed - JD Advantage 13 1 1 1 16
Employed - Professional Position 8 1 0 0 9
Employed - Non-Professional Position 1 1 0 0 2
Employed - Law School/University Funded 0 0 0 0 0
Employed - Undeterminable 0 0 0 0 0
Pursuing Graduate Degree Full Time 1
Unemployed - Start Date Deferred 1
Unemployed - Not Seeking 0
Unemployed - Seeking 8
Employment Status Unknown 0
Total graduates 159
LAW SCHOOL/UNIVERSITY FUNDED POSITIONS FULL TIME
LONG TERM		 FULL TIME
SHORT TERM		 PART TIME
LONG TERM		 PART TIME
SHORT TERM		 NUMBER
Employed - Bar Passage Required 0 0 0 0 0
Employed- J.D. Advantage 0 0 0 0 0
Employed - Professional Position 0 0 0 0 0
Employed - Non-Professional Position 0 0 0 0 0
Total Employed by Law School/University 0 0 0 0 0
Law School/University Funded Positions Full Time
Long Term		 Full Time
Short Term		 Part Time
Long Term		 Part Time
Short Term		 Number
Law Firms
Solo 0 0 0 0 0
2-10 25 0 2 1 28
11-25 10 0 0 0 10
26-50 6 0 0 0 6
51-100 1 0 0 0 1
101-250 8 0 0 0 8
251-500 2 0 0 0 2
501+ 8 0 0 0 8
Unknown Size 0 0 0 0 0
Business & Industry 12 3 1 0 16
Government 36 1 0 0 37
Pub. Int. 15 0 0 1 16
Clerkships
Federal 7 0 0 0 7
State & Local 9 0 0 0 9
Other 0 0 0 0 0
Education 1 0 0 0 1
Employer Type Unknown 0 0 0 0 0
Total 140 4 3 2 149
Employment Location State Number
State - Largest Employment Wisconsin 100
State - 2nd Largest Employment Minnesota 11
State - 3rd Largest Employment Illinois 10
# Employed in Foreign Countries 1

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