Stanford Law: How Many Students Become Lawyers?

Stanford Law School is the law school of Stanford University, a private research university near Palo Alto, California. It is ranked as one of the top law schools in the country, with a low acceptance rate and high bar passage rates. Stanford Law School offers a variety of degree programs, including a Juris Doctor (J.D.) and several advanced legal degrees. The school has a strong focus on interdisciplinary education and joint-degree programs, and its alumni have gone on to successful careers in a range of fields, including working as general counsels for leading high-tech companies and clerking for the U.S. Supreme Court. With its prestigious reputation, rigorous academics, and commitment to diversity, Stanford Law School provides its students with a strong foundation for their future legal careers.

Stanford Law School's high bar passage rate

Stanford Law School, located in California, has consistently maintained a high bar passage rate, solidifying its reputation as one of the top law schools in the country. In 2022, the school reported an impressive average bar passage rate of 94.41%. The following year, in 2023, Stanford Law School continued its stellar performance, achieving a 96.7% first-time bar passage rate. Notably, 94% of Stanford Law graduates who took the California Bar Exam in 2023 passed on their first attempt, earning the distinction of the highest pass rate among all California law schools.

Stanford Law School's bar passage rates reflect those of first-time test-takers and are administered during the winter and summer periods. The high passage rates are a testament to the school's rigorous academic program and its commitment to providing a well-rounded legal education.

Stanford Law School's curriculum is designed to ensure that graduates possess a strong foundation in legal doctrine and analytical skills. First-year students are required to take essential courses such as Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law, Contracts, Criminal Law, Property, and Torts. Additionally, they must enrol in a year-long legal research and writing program, which provides a comprehensive introduction to legal research, writing, and oral advocacy skills.

Beyond the foundational curriculum, Stanford Law School offers a wide range of advanced courses and clinics that provide hands-on experience. The school operates eleven full-time legal clinics, including the nation's foremost Supreme Court litigation clinic, allowing students to gain practical experience and enhance their legal skills. The school's strong focus on experiential learning ensures that graduates are well-prepared for the bar exam and their future legal careers.

The bar exam is typically administered twice a year, in February and July, with most graduates opting for the July exam. The exam can be challenging, but Stanford Law School's comprehensive academic program and practical opportunities equip its students with the knowledge and skills necessary to achieve high passage rates.

The school's small class size

Stanford Law School (SLS) is known for its small student body, enrolling over 550 students who are working towards their Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree. Each year, Stanford Law enrolls a J.D. class of approximately 174 to 180 students, giving it the smallest student body of any law school ranked in the top fourteen (T14). The school's small size fosters a close-knit and collegial community, which is one of the advantages that defines and distinguishes SLS.

The benefits of the school's small class size are further enhanced by its low student-to-faculty ratio, which is one of the lowest in the country at 4.4:1 or 7.3:1. This ratio ensures that students receive personalised attention and support from the more than 90 full-time and part-time faculty members. The first-year class of approximately 180 students is divided into six smaller sections of 30 students each, allowing for more intimate and interactive learning environments.

The small class size at Stanford Law School also contributes to the school's strong sense of community and collaboration. Students have the opportunity to work closely with their peers and build relationships that can last throughout their legal careers. The school's tight-knit community extends beyond the classroom, with students running over fifty student organisations and publishing seven legal journals.

In addition to its small class size, Stanford Law School offers a flexible academic program. While first-year students (1Ls) are required to take specific core courses, they also have the opportunity to enrol in electives and explore their areas of interest. The school's proximity to other academic programs on campus further enhances the interdisciplinary learning experience, allowing upper-level students to take classes at Stanford's other professional and graduate schools.

The small class size at Stanford Law School also translates to more individualised support and resources for students. The school offers eleven full-time legal clinics, providing hands-on experiential learning opportunities. Additionally, the Law and Policy Lab allows second- and third-year students to enrol in faculty-supervised policy practicums, where they work in small teams to conduct policy research and analysis for real-world clients.

Interdisciplinary focus

Stanford Law School (SLS) is known for its interdisciplinary focus, which is facilitated by its location in the dynamic and diverse San Francisco Bay Area, and its connections to Silicon Valley. The university is recognised as a hub of learning and innovation, with top-ranked schools and departments, and interdisciplinary programs and centres.

Stanford Law School offers 32 formal joint degree programs, including joint degrees with Stanford Business School, and numerous other interdisciplinary courses. The joint degree programs can be completed in less time and for less cost than at other institutions. For example, most JD/Master's degrees can be completed in three years, and most JD/PhDs can be completed in two years less time and for two-thirds less cost than at other institutions.

Students benefit from the guidance of two faculty mentors, one from the law school and one from their discipline of choice. They also have the opportunity to take part in a wide variety of team-oriented, problem-solving courses, many of which are co-taught by law school faculty and faculty from Stanford's other highly rated schools and departments. These courses enable students to learn with and from Stanford students from a wide variety of disciplines.

Stanford Law School's interdisciplinary focus is also reflected in its 11 full-time legal clinics, including an Environmental Law Clinic, Criminal Defense Clinic, a Religious Liberty Clinic, and an Intellectual Property and Innovation Clinic. The school's location allows for strong connections to nearby top enterprises in business, medicine, engineering, and numerous other fields.

The interdisciplinary approach at Stanford Law School is underpinned by the belief that to make a difference through law, one must know more than just law. By thinking across disciplines and incorporating diverse perspectives, students can develop the skills essential to the work of 21st-century lawyers, whatever career they choose.

Stanford's ranking as one of the best law schools

Stanford Law School (SLS) is the law school of Stanford University, a private research university near Palo Alto, California. It is currently ranked as the best law school in the US, jointly holding the top spot out of 196 schools.

Stanford's Ranking

Stanford Law School has a highly competitive acceptance rate of 6.28% in 2021, the second-lowest of any law school in the country. The median undergraduate grade point average of admitted students is 3.92, and the median LSAT score is 173 (out of 180). The school is known for its collegial culture, with students, alumni, and faculty supporting and collaborating with one another. Stanford Law School has a student-to-faculty ratio of 7.3 to 1, one of the lowest in the country.

Stanford's History

Stanford Law was established in 1893 and was one of the first law schools to enrol women and students of colour, including Hispanic, Chinese and Japanese students. The school has a history of diversity and progressive values, with students establishing various new student organisations in the 1960s and 1970s, such as the Women of Stanford Law, the Stanford Chicano Law Student Association, the Environmental Law Society, and the Stanford Public Interest Foundation. In 1965, the school enrolled its first Black student, and in 1972, it hired its first female and first non-white professors.

Stanford's Academic Performance

Stanford Law School offers a flexible academic program with a focus on emerging opportunities in the legal profession. The school addresses contemporary issues in law, such as law and technology, environmental law, intellectual property law, and international law. Stanford Law has eleven full-time legal clinics, including the nation's first and most active Supreme Court litigation clinic, and it offers 27 formal joint degree programs. The school also has a strong focus on interdisciplinary learning, allowing upper-level students to take classes at Stanford's other professional and graduate schools.

Stanford's Post-Graduation Prospects

Stanford Law School has a strong track record of placing its graduates in prestigious positions. According to statistics, about a third of the graduating class clerks for a judge, and about half join law firms. Stanford Law alumni have clerked for the U.S. Supreme Court every year for the past 40 years, and the school has achieved the second-highest per capita placement rate for federal judicial clerkships. Additionally, Stanford Law graduates have the highest percentage of clerking for federal judges of any law school in the United States.

Stanford's Alumni

Stanford Law School's notable alumni include several of the first women to serve as Chief Justice or Associate Justice on supreme courts, such as former Chief Justice of New Zealand Sian Elias, retired U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, and the late Chief Justice of Washington Barbara Durham. Other distinguished alumni include retired California Supreme Court Justice Ronald M. George, retired California Supreme Court Justice Carlos R. Moreno, and the late California Supreme Court Justice Frank K. Richardson.

With its competitive admissions, distinguished faculty, innovative curriculum, and impressive post-graduation prospects, Stanford Law School has established itself as one of the best law schools in the United States. Its commitment to diversity, interdisciplinary learning, and collaboration sets it apart as a leader in legal education.

The school's history of diversity

Stanford Law School has a long history of diversity, which dates back to its early years. The law department, established in 1893, enrolled a large number of students who might not have been welcome at more traditional law schools at the time, including women and students of colour, especially Hispanic, Chinese, and Japanese students.

In the 1960s and 1970s, the law school made a conscious effort to diversify its student body further. During this period, students established several new and progressive student organisations, such as the Women of Stanford Law, the Stanford Chicano Law Student Association, the Environmental Law Society, and the Stanford Public Interest Foundation. In 1965, the law school enrolled its first Black student, Sallyanne Payton, and in 1972, it hired its first female law professor, Barbara Babcock, and its first professor of colour, William B. Gould IV.

The following year, in 1973, Stanford appointed Thelton Henderson, future judge of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, as the first assistant dean for minority admissions. Henderson significantly expanded minority enrollment, increasing it from a single student to approximately a fifth of the student body.

Stanford Law School's commitment to diversity has continued over the years, with The Princeton Review currently ranking it as one of the ten best law schools for minority students. The school has also taken recent initiatives to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion. For example, in 2020, the school launched the beta version of the first national Clearinghouse on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, indexing research on these topics. Additionally, in 2021, the school hired its first Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Tirien Steinbach, and its first Native American faculty member on the tenure line, Elizabeth Reese.

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