Wake Forest University School of Law

The Wake Forest University School of Law is one of the professional graduate schools of Wake Forest University. Located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Wake Forest University School of Law is a private American Bar Association (ABA) accredited law school and is a member of the Association of American Law Schools (AALS). The school was established in 1894. The current dean is Andrew R. Klein.

Wake Forest University
School of Law
MottoPro Humanitate
(For Humanity)
Established1894
School typePrivate
DeanAndrew R. Klein
LocationWinston-Salem, North Carolina, United States
Enrollment632
Faculty92
USNWR ranking22nd (2023)[1]
Websitelaw.wfu.edu
Worrell Professional Center (School of Law) at Wake Forest University

As of 2021, Wake Forest University School of Law has 44 Resident Faculty Members, 43 Extended Faculty Members, 8 Law Librarians, and 20 School Administrators.[2]

The school is known for emphasizing small classes, and the entering class in 2022 had 159 students, divided amongst four sections of approximately 40 students each.[3] The entering class had a median LSAT score of 165 and media GPA of 3.72.[3]

According to Wake Forest's official ABA-required disclosures, 96.5% of the Class of 2021 obtained full-time, long-term, Bar-required or JD Advantage employment within 10 months after graduation.[4] Of those graduates, North Carolina, Washington, D.C., and Florida accounted for the most popular employment locations.[4]

The bar passage rate in North Carolina for the Class of 2021 was 95.7% and the overall bar passage rate was 94.27%.[5]

Class Profile

For the 2022-2023 academic year, Wake Forest University School of Law enrolled 159 first-year students out of 1,808 total applicants.[3] The incoming class came from 100 different undergraduate colleges and universities from 32 different states, with 67% of students being classified as "out-of-state residents".[3]

The incoming class was featured a high level of diversity with 52% of the class identifying as female and 48% identifying as male.[3] Additionally, 20% of the incoming class identified themselves as being LGBTQ+ and 19% of the class identified as being an minoritized ethnicity.[3] 54% of the incoming class also reported having at least 1 year of post-undergraduate experience prior to matriculating.[3]

Numerically, the incoming class was also very accomplished with the 75th percentile LSAT score being 166, the median being 165, and the 25th percentile being 159.[3] The 75th percentile undergraduate GPA was 3.85, the median was 3.72, and the 25th percentile was 3.46.[3]

Publications

The school has three student-run law journals. The school's flagship journal is the Wake Forest Law Review.[6] The school also publishes two specialized journals, the Wake Forest Journal of Law & Policy[7] and the Wake Forest Journal of Business and Intellectual Property Law.[8]

Journal membership is determined primarily through a writing competition that is administered at the end of the first-year. Wake Forest Law Review also extends invitations for membership based on GPA to the top 10% of the first-year class, regardless of performance in the writing competition.[9] By joining a journal, students are eligible to earn two (2) credit hours per year, in the Spring semester, by serving on the Editorial Board or by writing an original piece of scholarship (i.e. a Note or Comment).[10]

Rankings

The Wake Forest University School of Law is ranked 22nd in the 2023 U.S. News & World Report ranking.[1]

Student organizations

Student opportunities

Clinics

The law school offers seven legal clinics, or programs that allow students to attain practical legal experience through providing legal services to real clients.[14]

  • Appellate Advocacy Clinic - Students represent clients in a variety of appellate courts, including the Fourth Circuit and the Seventh Circuit. Students handle an actual appeal from start to finish, with advice and assistance from their professor, who is counsel of record. Students also travel to Washington, D.C., to observe arguments at the United States Supreme Court.[15]
  • Child Advocacy Clinic - Students represent children in custody disputes, domestic violence situations, and in issues involving the public school system.[16]
  • Community Law and Business Clinic - A new program, this clinic provides law and graduate business students with an opportunity to develop skills needed to practice in the increasingly complex legal and regulatory environment they will encounter as professionals.[17]
  • Innocence and Justice Clinic - This clinic has its origins in the Innocence Project in which Wake Forest students review and investigate claims of innocence to determine whether DNA evidence existed that could exonerate inmates.[18]
  • Civil & Criminal Externship Clinic - Formerly referred to as the Litigation Clinic, students have the opportunity to receive real world practice experience by working with local attorneys. During the semester, all students receive civil placements with local firms, in-house counsel offices, and the Office of the United States Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina. Students also spend half of their semester working in a criminal placement. These placements have included private firms as well as prosecutors' and public defenders' offices.[19]
  • Veterans Legal Clinic - Students work with former military services members to upgrade their discharge statuses. The lengthy process involves submitting briefs to the pertinent military discharge review board.

Employment

According to Wake Forest's official ABA-required disclosures, 84.8% of the Class of 2016 obtained full-time, long-term, Bar-required or JD Advantage employment within 10 months after graduation.[20]

ABA Employment Summary for 2016 Graduates[21]
Employment Status Percentage
Employed - Bar Passage Required (Full-Time, Long-Term)
 
 73.3%
Employed - Bar Passage Required (Part-Time and/or Short-Term)
 
 0.5%
Employed - J.D. Advantage
 
 13.0%
Employed - Professional Position
 
 3.8%
Employed - Non-Professional Position
 
 0.0%
Employed - Undeterminable
 
 0.0%
Pursuing Graduate Degree Full Time
 
 2.1%
Unemployed - Start Date Deferred
 
 4.3%
Unemployed - Not Seeking
 
 0.0%
Unemployed - Seeking
 
 2.7%
Employment Status Unknown
 
 0.0%
Total of 184 Graduates

Cost of Attendance

The total cost of attendance (indicating the cost of tuition, fees, and living expenses) at Wake Forest University School of Law for the 2022-2023 academic year is $78,744.[22] Though Wake Forest University School of Law does not provide any "need-based" scholarships (i.e. scholarship based on income and/or family contribution), most students qualify for and receive some form of "merit based" scholarship (i.e. scholarship based on prior academic performance).

Total Estimated Cost of Attendance[22]
Tuition $51,000
Technology Fee $400
Student Health Fee $528
Activity Fee $100
Average Loan Fee $1,142
Books and Supplies $1,530
Housing and Utilities $11,700
Food $3,690
Personal Expenses $2,700
Health Insurance $2,834
Transportation $3,120

For all students in attendance between 2020-2021, out of 465 students, 443 students received some form of merit scholarship (95% of total students).[2] Of those students, 122 (26% of total students) received scholarships for an amount less than half the cost of tuition.[2] Another 288 (62% of total students) received scholarships for amounts between half and full tuition.[2] And 31 (7% of total students) received scholarships for amounts greater than the cost of tuition.[2] Of the scholarships provided: the 75th percentile was valued at $42,000 per year, the median was valued at $36,000 per year, and the 25 percentile was valued at $22,250 per year.[2]

Outside of traditional scholarship opportunities, Wake Forest students frequently receive Grad PLUS Loans through Federal Student Aid Programs or participate in various approved Federal Work-Study program opportunities throughout the law school.[23][24]

Notable alumni

References
  1. "Wake Forest University Law School Overview". U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved June 15, 2023.
  2. "Wake Forest University - 2021 Standard 509 Information Report" (PDF).
  3. "JD Admissions | Wake Forest Law". jd.law.wfu.edu. Retrieved 2022-10-25.
  4. "Wake Forest University Employment Summary for 2021 Graduates" (PDF).
  5. "Wake Forest University Bar Passage Report" (PDF).
  6. "Wake Forest Law Review - Home". wakeforestlawreview.com. Retrieved 2013-03-24.
  7. "Journal of Law & Policy | Wake Forest School of Law". Lawpolicyjournal.law.wfu.edu. Retrieved 2012-11-11.
  8. "Journal of Business & Intellectual Property Law | Wake Forest School of Law". Ipjournal.law.wfu.edu. Retrieved 2012-11-11.
  9. "Staff". Wake Forest Law Review. Retrieved 2022-10-25.
  10. "Academics | Wake Forest School of Law". courses.law.wfu.edu. Retrieved 2022-10-25.
  11. "Wake Forest University School of Law". outlaw.law.wfu.edu.
  12. "Wake Forest School of Law Program in Washington | Wake Forest School of Law". Dc-externship.law.wfu.edu. Retrieved 2012-11-11.
  13. "Study Abroad | Wake Forest School of Law". Studyabroad.law.wfu.edu. 2012-10-30. Retrieved 2012-11-11.
  14. "Clinics & Field Work | Academics | Wake Forest School of Law". Academics.law.wfu.edu. Retrieved 2012-11-11.
  15. "Appellate Advocacy Clinic | Wake Forest School of Law". Appellate-clinic.law.wfu.edu. Retrieved 2012-11-11.
  16. "Child Advocacy Clinic | Wake Forest School of Law". Child-clinic.law.wfu.edu. Retrieved 2012-11-11.
  17. "Community Law & Business Clinic | Wake Forest School of Law". Community-clinic.law.wfu.edu. Retrieved 2012-11-11.
  18. "Innocence and Justice Clinic | Wake Forest School of Law". Innocence-clinic.law.wfu.edu. Retrieved 2012-11-11.
  19. "Litigation Clinic | Wake Forest School of Law". Litigation-clinic.law.wfu.edu. Retrieved 2012-11-11.
  20. "Employment Statistics".
  21. "Employment Summary for 2016 Graduates".
  22. "Tuition | JD Admissions | Wake Forest Law". jd.law.wfu.edu. Retrieved 2022-10-25.
  23. "Student Loans | Financial Aid | Wake Forest School of Law". financialaid.law.wfu.edu. Retrieved 2022-10-25.
  24. "Student Employment | Financial Aid | Wake Forest School of Law". financialaid.law.wfu.edu. Retrieved 2022-10-25.

36.1372°N 80.2748°W / 36.1372; -80.2748

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