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, 2021): 922
50.4% men, 49.4% women, 0.2% other
28% minorities and foreign nationals (not including people of Middle Eastern descent, who are counted as Caucasian by the ABA)
2020-21 degrees awarded: 318 J.D.s, 5 LL.M.s, 3 S.J.D.s
Academics
Academic year: Semester
Calendar
Degree programs: Juris Doctor (J.D.), Master of Laws (LL.M.), 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 2022 Princeton Review rankings rated UVA Law as No. 1 in Best Professors, No. 1 in Classroom Experience, No. 1 in Quality of Life, No. 4 in Best Career Prospects and No. 4 in Best for Federal Clerkships.
Student-faculty ratio: 6.6 to 1 (as of fall 2021)
Student-run academic journals: 10
Student organizations: More than 60, with about 10 involved extensively in public service
Careers at a Glance
Virginia is No. 2 in the percentage of Class of 2020 graduates who went directly to firms of 500 or more attorneys or to federal clerkships.
No. 2 in the number of graduates leading the nation’s top 100 firms, and No. 2 in employment outcomes in 2022, according to Above the Law.
No. 5 after Harvard, Yale, Stanford and Chicago in placing clerks on the U.S. Supreme Court from 2007-2021.
Alumni & Giving
UVA Law has more than 20,000 alumni worldwide.
Endowment: As of June 30, 2021, the market value of the endowments and quasi-endowments held for the benefit of the Law School was $885 million.
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: 218,358 (2020 estimate)
