At a Glance
Founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson in Charlottesville, Virginia, UVA Law is the second-oldest continuously operating law school in the United States.
National standing: The Law School is perennially ranked among the top 10 law schools.
UVA is a public school, though the Law School does not receive state funding, through an agreement called financial self-sufficiency.
Enrollment
J.D. enrollment (as of Oct. 5, 2019): 964
54% men, 46% women
22% minorities and foreign nationals
Class of 2019 degrees awarded: 287 J.D.s, 30 LL.M.s, 7 S.J.D.
Academics
Academic year: Semester
Calendar
Degree programs: Juris Doctor (J.D.), Master of Laws (LL.M.), (J.D.), Doctor of Juridical Science (S.J.D.)
Dual-degree programs: J.D.-M.A., J.D.-M.B.A., J.D.-M.D., J.D.-M.P.H., J.D.-M.P.P., J.D.-M.S., J.D.-M.U.E.P.
External dual-degree programs: J.D.-M.A., J.D.-M.A.L.D., J.D.-M.P.A., J.D.-Master’s in Economic Law at Sciences Po (Paris)
Student Life
The 2020 Princeton Review rankings rated UVA Law as No. 1 in Quality of Life, No. 1 in Best Professors, No. 1 in Classroom Experience, No. 2 in Best Career Prospects, No. 4 in Best for Federal Clerkships and No. 4 in Toughest To Get Into.
Student-faculty ratio: 6.5 to 1 (as of fall 2019)
Student-run academic journals: 10
Student organizations: More than 60, with about 10 involved extensively in public service
Careers at a Glance
Virginia has graduates in 99 of the American Lawyer top 100 firms (July 2020).
No. 2 in the number of graduates leading the nation’s top 100 firms, and No. 1 in employment outcomes in 2019, according to Above the Law.
No. 4 after Yale, Harvard and Stanford in placing clerks on the U.S. Supreme Court from 2005-19.
Alumni & Giving
UVA Law has more than 20,000 alumni worldwide.
Endowment: As of June 30, 2019, the market value of the endowments and quasi-endowments held for the benefit of the Law School was $584 million, the fifth-largest among all law schools.
The Grounds
The Law School is located on North Grounds, about a mile from the UVA campus and next door to the Darden Graduate School of Business and the North Grounds Recreation Center. The Law School has a full-service dining room that is available for lunch during the school year.
The three-floor library includes 726,592 volumes and volume equivalents (as of Oct. 5, 2019).
The City
Charlottesville is known for offering the best of urban amenities within a gorgeous natural setting.
Charlottesville population: 50,714 (2020 estimate)
Charlottesville metropolitan area: 240,840 (2020 estimate)
