University of Wisconsin–Madison
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University of Wisconsin-Madison

ABA Required Disclosures

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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 2018 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

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 184 students who received J.D. degrees during 2016, all 184 of them took the courses that are required to satisfy the diploma privilege, and those 184 are treated as having "sat for" the Wisconsin bar exam in February or July of 2016.  All 184 graduates satisfied the minimum GPA requirement in the diploma privilege courses, and are therefore treated as having "passed" the Wisconsin bar exam.

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 159 students who received J.D. degrees during 2018, 156 of them took the courses that are required to satisfy the diploma privilege, and those 156 are treated as having "sat for" the Wisconsin bar exam in February or July of 2018.  All 156 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 three students who received their J.D. during 2018 did not sit for a bar exam in any state.

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

Entering Class 2018 (LSAT/GPA data certified by LSAC) 2017 (LSAT/GPA data certified by LSAC) 2016 (LSAT/GPA data certified by LSAC)
Total Applicants 1712 1375 1406
Enrolled Students 275 151 149
Median LSAT 162 161 161
25%-75% LSAT Score 158-164 156-163 156-163
Median GPA 3.58 3.62 3.58
25%-75% GPA 3.23-3.76 3.24-3.78 3.30-3.72
Colleges & Universities
Represented		 130 78 68
Colleges & Universities with Most Students Enrolled UW-Madison
Marquette University
U. of Minnesota-Minneapolis
UW-Milwaukee
U. of Michigan
Michigan State University
UW-La Crosse		 UW-Madison
Marquette University
U. of Michigan
UW-La Crosse
UW-Whitewater
UC-Berkeley
U. of Minnesota-Minneapolis
UW-Milwaukee		 UW-Madison
U. of Minnesota-Minneapolis
UW-La Crosse
Northwestern University
U. of Michigan
UW-Eau Claire
Marquette University
UW-Milwaukee
Northern Illinois University
States/Territories Represented 34 22 26
States with Most Students
Enrolled		 Wisconsin
Illinois
California
Minnesota
Michigan
Texas
New York		 Wisconsin
Illinois
California
Michigan
Minnesota
New York		 Wisconsin
California
Illinois
Minnesota
New York
Michigan
Washington, D.C. 
% In-State Residents 49% 65% 69%
Average Entering Age 25 25 25
Age Range 19-50 20-53 21-36
% Women Students 49% 42% 42%
% Students of Color 20% 20% 25%

Employment Summary For 2018 Graduates

EMPLOYMENT STATUS 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 Wicsonsin 111
State - 2nd largest employment Illinois 16
State - 3rd largest employment Minnesota 14
# employed in foreign countries 1

Employment Summary For 2017 Graduates

EMPLOYMENT STATUS 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
EMPLOYMENT TYPE 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

Employment Summary For 2016 Graduates

EMPLOYMENT STATUS FULL TIME
LONG TERM		 FULL TIME
SHORT TERM		 PART TIME
LONG TERM		 PART TIME
SHORT TERM		 NUMBER
Employed - Bar Passage Required 132 1 4 1 138
Employed - JD Advantage 16 2 1 0 19
Employed - Professional Position 8 0 1 0 9
Employed - Non-Professional Position 0 0 0 0 0
Employed - Undeterminable 0 0 0 0 0
Pursuing Graduate Degree Full Time 3
Unemployed - Start Date Deferred 2
Unemployed - Not Seeking 1
Unemployed - Seeking 13
Employment Status Unknown 0
Total graduates 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 28 0 1 1 30
11-25 8 0 0 0 8
26-50 7 0 0 0 7
51-100 4 0 0 0 4
101-250 13 0 0 0 13
251-500 5 0 0 0 5
501+ 9 0 1 0 10
Unknown Size 0 0 0 0 0
Business & Industry 23 2 3 0 28
Government 34 1 1 0 36
Pub. Int. 6 0 0 0 6
Clerkships
Federal 7 0 0 0 7
State & Local 10 0 0 0 10
Other 0 0 0 0 0
Education 1 0 0 0 1
Employer Type Unknown 0 0 0 0 0
Total 156 3 6 1 166
EMPLOYMENT LOCATION STATE NUMBER
State - largest employment Wisconsin 91
State - 2nd largest employment Illinois 21
State - 3rd largest employment Minnesota 10
# employed in foreign countries 3

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