Boston University School of Law Profile

Boston University is a private research university in Massachusetts. The University is non-sectarian, although historically, it is affiliated with the United Methodist Church. Boston University traces its roots to the Newbury Biblical Institute in Newbury, Vermont in 1839. The name was changed to Boston University in 1869 by the Massachusetts Legislature.

In 1872, the Boston School of Law was established, making it one of the oldest law schools in the state. It is one of the first to accept students of different racial backgrounds and gender. It is now affiliated with the Association of American Law Schools. ABA-accredited, it has a bar pass rate of 92.92%.

Degrees offered

Boston University School of Law has a wide-range of legal classes and seminars, while maintaining a student to faculty ratio of 12:1. It has a good number of study abroad programs in partnership with foreign universities in Argentina, China, Great Britain, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, the Netherlands, Singapore, Spain, and Switzerland.

It offers several degree programs with various specializations such as Business Organizations and Finance Law, Health Law, Intellectual Property Law, International Law, and Litigation and Dispute Resolution. Its LL.M. programs include American Law, Banking and Financial Law, Taxation, and Intellectual Property.

BU Law also offers J.D./LL.M. programs in European Law, Banking and Financial Law, and Taxation, and has several joint degree programs including J.D./MBA (Law and Management or Health Sector Management), J.D./M.A. (Law and International Relations, Philosophy, or Preservation Studies), J.D./M.P.H. (Law and Public Health), and J.D./M.S. (Law and Mass Communication).

Alumni

Among the most distinguished alumni of BU Law are the following personalities:

* Lincoln C. Almond – Rhode Island Governor
* Albert Brown – New Hampshire Governor
* Fred H. Brown – New Hampshire Governor, US Congressman
* William M. Butler – US Senator
* William S. Cohen – US Secretary of Defense, US Senator
* Paul A. Dever – Massachusetts Governor
* Jeff Jacoby – editorial columnist of the Boston Globe
* F. Bradford Morse – UN Development Program Director
* Markos Moulitsas – Daily Kos founder

Rankings and reviews

Boston University is categorized in the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education as a RU/VH Research University. The University is also a member of the Boston Consortium for Higher Education. In terms of national ranking, Boston University is one of the top 50 universities in the country.

Boston University School of Law is considered to be one of the most prestigious schools in the US. In fact, BU Law was ranked number 22 in the 2011 edition of “Top Law School” listing by the US News and World Report. Based on the Letier Law School Rankings, BU Law took the first place in terms of “Teaching Quality.” The Princeton Review also placed it at the number 3 spot for the “Best Professors” in the nation category and number 6 for the “Best Career Prospects.”

The US News and World Report also placed its Health Law and Intellectual Property Law at the 4th spot and Tax Law at the 6th spot. Its library is also one of top-rated in the nation at number 17 based on The National Jurist ranking. BU Law also made it to the list of “Top 4 School for Public Service Support.”

Admission tips

As one of the top law schools in the US, BU Law is known for its highly selective admission process. It accepts up to 8,000 applications, but maintains a small entering class of about 265 students. For the class of 2012, only 23% were accepted among 7,660 applications.

To gain an advantage over other applicants, it is advised to score high on LSAT, present a competitive GPA, and submit a well-crafted law school personal statement that highlights any particular interest and shows effective communication and analytical skills.

Admission facts

Admissions data for the class of 2012

* Enrollment Information

Applicants: 7,660
Enrolled: 271
Women: 50%
Students of Color: 24%
Student to Faculty Ratio: 1: 12.3

* Class of 2012 GPA/LSAT scores

LSAT Median: 167
UGPA Median: 3.7

Contact info

Boston University School of Law
765 Commonwealth Avenue
Boston, MA 2215
(617) 353-3100

Email: bulawadm@bu.edu
Website: http://www.bu.edu/law/

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