collageLaw schools in Pittsburgh can provide you with the understanding and skills you need to become a successful lawyer with a flexible career if the field of law is right for you. Why would you want to go to law school? Well, becoming a lawyer isn’t easy. It requires focus, hard work, determination and persistence. All these qualities can be honed in law school so that when you graduate, you’re ready to face whatever challenges lay within your field of practice!
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Law Schools In Pittsburgh
Introduction
The University of Pittsburgh School of Law (Pitt Law), founded in 1895, is a leader in the world of legal education. It features a broad and varied curriculum, an internationally accomplished faculty, state-of-the-art physical facilities, and a talented and diverse student body hailing from all over the globe. The School of Law is located in its own modern six-story building on campus in Oakland, the cultural and educational center of Pittsburgh. State and federal courts, major corporate headquarters, and hundreds of law firms are located nearby in downtown Pittsburgh, only minutes from campus. The dynamic Oakland area is home to four colleges and universities; the world-renowned, multihospital University of Pittsburgh Medical Center; numerous scientific and high-tech offices and research centers; museums; art galleries; coffee houses; and libraries. The Pitt campus abuts a beautiful 429-acre city park. Desirable and affordable residential areas are situated nearby. Quality housing is readily available, and all mass transit in the city is free to Pitt students with ID cards.
Law School Enrollment
- Total law school enrollment: approximately 440 (full time)
- LLM program enrollment: 15–25 (full time)
Library and Physical Facilities
The recently renovated Barco Law Library is an attractive, 450,000-volume, open-stack research facility, housed on three floors of the School of Law building. Full of natural light, it contains two computer labs and ample carrel and seating space. Faculty offices ring the perimeter of the first and third floors of the library, encouraging ease of interaction between students and faculty. Classrooms with state-of-the-art technology are located on the first and ground floors of the School of Law building. A spacious and comfortable student lounge and the elegant Teplitz Memorial Courtroom are also located on the ground floor.
Housing
The University of Pittsburgh, being an urban campus, does not provide any graduate housing. However, the Center for International Legal Education (CILE) will assist LLM students by providing contact information for potential housing providers. Students can also take advantage of the University of Pittsburgh’s Housing Resource Center to find potential locations.
LLM Programs/Areas of Specialization
The University of Pittsburgh’s Master of Laws (LLM) Program for Foreign Law Graduates provides lawyers who have obtained their law degree outside the United States with an opportunity to study common law in a US context. Students pursue their goals with the help of a close-knit community of intelligent and energetic scholars who are at the forefront of domestic and international legal research and scholarship.
Because interaction with US lawyers is integral to understanding US law, the program allows students to study the US legal system and institutions along with American students who are enrolled in the university’s Juris Doctor (JD) program. This permits students to participate in the full social and intellectual life of the law school, establishing relationships that extend beyond the classroom.
Within the scope of the overall LLM program, each student can pursue a personalized course of study and experiences. LLM students at the University of Pittsburgh benefit from inclusion in the entire Law School community, while at the same time enjoying the advantage of a separate small community of global scholars dealing with common experiences. Special opportunities are arranged for the LLM class to visit important legal institutions in order to see the practical side of the laws they study. We also work very hard to assist LLM students in obtaining postgraduation internships that match their professional interests and needs.
The relatively small size of each year’s LLM class allows faculty members to deal with student needs on an individual basis. The required LLM courses (Introduction to American Law, US Legal Research and Writing, and the Spring Colloquium) also are kept small enough to allow for substantial discussion and comparison with home legal systems by each student, as well as personal feedback on both written and oral presentations. In addition, Pitt Law has a professional writing specialist who works with LLMs, individually reviewing their written work and teaching them how to produce English that is clear and effective.
LLM Admission
Applicants are admitted to the LLM program based on their ability to thrive in a demanding, competitive academic atmosphere, as evidenced by their academic record and professional accomplishments. The program accepts applications from lawyers with a law degree from a non-US law school who can demonstrate a proficiency in English, as measured by a minimum score of 90 on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) iBT or a minimum score of 6.5 on the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. We will continue to accept applications until the class has been filled. We suggest that you submit your application by March 31 of the year in which you would like to begin your studies for better consideration.
List of PA Law Schools
- Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law
- Duquesne University School of Law
- Penn State Dickinson Law
- Penn State Law
- University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School
- University of Pittsburgh School of Law
- Temple University Beasley School of Law
- Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law
- Widener University Commonwealth Law School
Pennsylvania Accredited Law Schools
1. Drexel University, Earle Mack School of Law
The educational objectives of the law schools are knowledge of the law, training in practical skills, and commitment to professionalism. The small first-year classes have only 70 – 75 students per section. The school has excellent faculty with experience as practicing attorneys. It has year-round curriculum with two-quarter externships. Pro bono service of 50 hour minimum to graduate, is mandatory. The law school has a wireless campus. It provides advanced training in internet research too.
Drexel University, Earle Mack School of Law
2. Duquesne University School of Law
The Duquesne University School of Law is a Catholic law school. It has been in existence since 1911. It is the only multiple-division law school in western Pennsylvania. It provides full-time day division, part-time evening and part-time day classes. The law school is approved by the ABA. It is a member of the AALS.
Duquesne University School of Law
3. Penn State University, The Dickinson School of Law
Penn State Law is the oldest law school in Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1834. The law school is an engaged, diverse, and multidisciplinary intellectual community. The program of study includes both classroom-based and experiential learning. The students are prepared to practice law at the highest level. Penn State Law students have access to extensive academic and programmatic resources to enhance their learning experience. Courses are offered at Penn State’s University Park campus in State College, Pennsylvania, and at Carlisle, Pennsylvania.
Penn State University, The Dickinson School of Law
4. University of Pennsylvania Law School
Penn Law offers a first-rate education in an intellectually stimulating and cross-disciplinary environment. The faculty collaborates with world-renowned scholars in other departments throughout the university. It provides a supportive environment for students in the rigors of legal study.
University of Pennsylvania Law School
5. University of Pittsburgh School of Law
The University of Pittsburgh School of Law (Pitt Law) was founded in 1895. It features a broad and varied curriculum and an internationally accomplished faculty. The law school curriculum is designed to teach students both through the traditional classroom experience and through wide-ranging opportunities to experience the law in action. Students earn academic credit while working with actual clients in the school’s legal clinics, in the areas of elder law, child welfare, health law, and criminal appeals. The law school also provides an externship program, in which students work for federal and state judges, county district attorneys, and public organizations.
University of Pittsburgh School of Law
6. Temple University—James E. Beasley School of Law
Temple Law School offers both day and evening programs. The innovative student-centered curriculum integrates both critical thinking and practical legal skills. Students build lawyering skills both in the classroom and in the law firms, courts, public service agencies, and financial institutions.
Temple University—James E. Beasley School of Law
7. Villanova University School of Law
Villanova Law was founded in 1953 as part of Villanova University. Villanova has earned the reputation as a top-notch law school by refusing to compromise on excellence. It has rigorous academic standards. The law school has attracted outstanding scholar/teachers to its faculty.
Villanova University School of Law
8. Widener University School of Law
Widener has two campuses, one in Wilmington, Delaware and the other in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Each campus offers a comprehensive curriculum of basic and advanced courses. The law school also offers the most extensive clinical and skills programs in the country. The faculty is committed to personal attention and individual counseling. The full-time faculty is supplemented by a distinguished group of adjuncts, including two justices of the Delaware Supreme Court, US Vice President Joseph Biden, and numerous lower court judges from Pennsylvania, Delaware, and New Jersey. The school is a member of the AALS. It is accredited by the ABA.
university of pittsburgh school of law ranking
Pitt Law School is a Public law school located in Pittsburgh, PA. It is currently ranked #76 in the country, according to the 2021 US News & World Report rankings of the best law schools in the US.
In 2020, 1061 students applied for admission to join the class of 2023. Of those 1061 applicants, 442 (41.66%) recieved offers of admission, ultimately yeilding a 1L class with 123 students. With an acceptance rate of 41.66%, Pitt Law is moderately difficult to get into.
The class of 2023 had a median LSAT score of 159 and a median undergraduate GPA of 3.51. Fully 75% of the class had an LSAT score at or above 155, and a GPA at or above 3.22, so your chances of admission are certainly much better if your numbers are within that range.
Below, you’ll find a range of data and statistics about this law school. My aim is to provide you with a quick, easy way to get the most important info relevant to you as you begin to research law schools and prepare your applications.
university of pittsburgh school of law tuition
Each academic year a standard cost of attendance (COA) is developed for both PA resident and non-PA resident students. This COA is designed to adequately cover tuition, fees, books, and living expenses for the period of enrollment (August – May). A student may receive financial aid (from any source) up to their COA.
The estimated cost of attendance figures for the 2022-2023 academic year are listed below for both JD and MSL students:
| PA Resident | Non-Resident/International | |
| Estimated Tuition | $36,912 | $47,504 |
| Housing** | $12,646 | $12,646 |
| Books/Personal** | $7,116 | $7,116 |
| Fees | $1,760 | $1,760 |
| Transportation** | $886 | $886 |
| PA Bar Exam (3L) | $740 | $740 |
| Laptop Fee (1L) | $1,500 | $1,500 |
| Total Estimate Cost (1L) | $60,820 | $71,412 |
| Total Estimate Cost (2L) | $59,320 | $69,912 |
| Total Estimate Cost (3L) | $60,070 | $70,652 |
| Actual 2022-2023 Tuition Cost | ||
| Full-Time Cost | $37,090 | $47,734 |
| Part-Time Cost | $1,397 | $2,090 |
** These are estimated cost for the nine-month enrollment period.
*** Graduating 3L students can include the cost for applying for the Bar Exam in their cost of attendance.
Students may not receive financial aid beyond the amount of their COA. Students with extraordinary documented expenses beyond their COA may request that their COA be increased to allow for such expenses. Individual budget increases are subject to strict federal guidelines and will only be approved for compelling reasons with appropriate documentation. Students are advised that credit card and car payment CANNOT be included in COA. These increases are done on an individual basis and appropriate documentation will be required before such as increase can be approved.
Students must complete the Cost of Attendance Increase Request form and submit it along with all supporting documentation for review of a COA increase. The expenses will be calculated for the period that the student is enrolled, not the calendar year. Approved COA increases allow for additional loan eligibility up to the amount of the increase.
Residency Requirements
Tuition rates are based on whether or not you are a permanent resident of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. A higher tuition rate is charged to non-residents.
- Higher tuition rate is charged to non-residents. If you have lived in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for 12 consecutive months immediately prior to enrollment at any college or university in the state, you may be eligible for reduced tuition rates.
- To qualify, you must also be a citizen of the United States or have a U.S. Immigrant/permanent resident visa.
- If you are under 22 years of age, you are presumed to have the same domicile as your parents.
Residency status is determined at the University level.
If you are admitted to the University but do not automatically qualify for reduced tuition rates, you may petition for the resident rate by supplying additional information to be reviewed by the Student Appeals Coordinator.
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