From record-setting employment for graduates to welcoming a new dean, 10 milestones defined a momentous year at the University of Virginia School of Law.
1. A New Dean
Leslie Kendrick ’06, a former vice dean who has taught free speech and torts for 16 years at UVA, became the Law School’s 13th dean on July 1. She succeeded Risa Goluboff, who had served as dean since 2016.
2. Clerking Streak
The Class of 2021 tied a school record with five graduates landing U.S. Supreme Court clerkships, including three for the 2024 term. More than 100 alumni are clerking across the country for the sixth straight year. UVA Law is third in the nation after Harvard and Yale in the number of clerks at the Supreme Court in 2024.
3. The Gold Standard in Employment
The Law School was again No. 1 in the country for graduates in full-time, permanent jobs that require bar passage and were not funded by the school, according to American Bar Association data. Among the Class of 2023, 97.18% held these gold-standard jobs, the highest percentage since the ABA began collecting detailed employment data in 2011. UVA Law was also ranked No. 1 in Above the Law’s annual law school rankings, which focus on employment outcomes.
4. Campaign Meets Goal
Thanks to an $11 million boost from an anonymous donor, the Law School met its $400 million goal 15 months early in the University’s Honor the Future capital campaign. Additionally, the Law School Foundation received $20.3 million in gifts for the year that ended June 30, marking the third time since 2021 that annual giving surpassed $20 million. Its campaign total now stands at $429 million.
5. Faculty Recognized
Professor G. Mitu Gulati became the latest faculty member elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and Professor Josh Bowers became the newest faculty member elected to the American Law Institute.
6. Rankings Reclaimed
UVA Law reclaimed its No. 1 spots in both Best Professors and Best Classroom Experience in The Princeton Review’s annual law school rankings.
7. Class Act
The Class of 2027 entered UVA Law as the most academically competitive in the school’s history, hitting new records for median LSAT and GPA.
8. UVA Law at SCOTUS
The U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear three cases with clients represented by the Supreme Court Litigation and Appellate Litigation clinics.
9. Appellate Program Launches
Both clinics are part of the new Supreme Court and Appellate Litigation Program, launched this year to expand the scope of the school’s appellate advocacy opportunities and build upon synergies between the two clinics and their dockets, the Law School’s faculty and alumni in the appellate bar.
10. Public Service Grants Break Record
With help from a record $960,000 in grants, 162 students worked in public service roles over the summer. The Law School’s Mortimer Caplin Public Service Center awarded $912,000 in UVA Law Public Service Summer Grants to 128 first-year and 34 second-year students — a $171,000 increase from last year — and the student-run Public Interest Law Association distributed $48,000 through its grant program.
Founded in 1819, the University of Virginia School of Law is the second-oldest continuously operating law school in the nation. Consistently ranked among the top law schools, Virginia is a world-renowned training ground for distinguished lawyers and public servants, instilling in them a commitment to leadership, integrity and community service.
