Why Ave Maria School of Law?
Ave Maria School of Law offers a distinctive legal education rooted in the Catholic intellectual tradition, emphasizing the harmony of faith and reason and the moral foundations of law.
Ave Maria School of Law is a less selective JD program with an acceptance rate of approximately 43.7%. The median entering 1L profile is a 3.36 GPA and 152 LSAT, with the 25th–75th percentile bands at 3.07–3.66 GPA and 149–155 LSAT. The full-time first-year class is approximately 99 students. Recent graduates have placed most heavily in Florida, Maryland, and New Jersey — useful context if your geographic preference shapes your school list. In the 2025 ABA reporting cycle, Ave Maria School of Law admitted 3 transfer students into the 2L class. 2 1Ls transferred out.
Specialty strengths
Class profile
- US News rank
- #164
- Median GPA
- 3.36
- 25th–75th: 3.07–3.66
- Median LSAT
- 152
- 25th–75th: 149–155
- Acceptance rate
- 43.7%
- Class size (FT 1L)
- 99
- Transfers admitted (2025)
- 3
- ABA 2025 reporting cycle
2025 transfer admit profile
Actual GPAs of students Ave Maria School of Law admitted as transfers in the 2025 ABA cycle.
- 25th percentile
- —
- Suppressed (small cohort)
- Median
- —
- 50th percentile
- 75th percentile
- —
- Suppressed (small cohort)
2 1Ls transferred out of Ave Maria School of Law in the same cycle — context for how portable Ave Maria School of Law's 1L credit is among admissions committees elsewhere.
Top employment markets
- 1Florida
- 2Maryland
- 3New Jersey
Where the most recent graduating class concentrated employment, per the school's ABA 509 employment summary. Use this as a signal of where the alumni network and OCI recruiting pipeline are strongest.
Signature clinics
Clinical programs that define Ave Maria School of Law's practical training. Mention specific clinic names in your "Why Ave Maria School of Law" essay where they align with your interests.
- Veterans and Servicemembers Law Clinic (VSLC)Provides pro bono legal assistance to military servicemembers, low-income veterans, and their families.
- Gregory T. Holtz Estate Planning & General Practice ClinicAssists clients with basic estate planning matters and general legal practice issues.
- Intellectual Property Law ClinicOffers students practical experience in intellectual property law.
- Asylum and Immigrant Rights Law ClinicProvides legal aid to immigrants and asylum seekers.
Notable journals
Student-edited publications you could write for or cite as a research interest.
- Ave Maria Law Review— Scholarly publication focusing on legal scholarship from the Catholic intellectual tradition and natural law perspective.
- Ave Maria International Law Journal— Dedicated to research and publication of articles on international law from a natural law perspective.
- The Gavel— Magazine published by the school's moot court program.
Faculty highlights
Well-known faculty grouped by primary specialty. If a professor's scholarship aligns with your interests, name them in your essay and reference a specific paper or course.
International Law
- Ligia Castaldi· also Family Law, Right to Life Issues
Business Law
- Bruce Connolly· also Federal Criminal Law and Politics
Legal Analysis
- Eric Fleetham· also Writing, and Research
Constitutional Law
- Patrick Gillen· also Religious Liberty
National Security Law
- Kevin H. Govern· also International Law, Property Law
Canon Law
- Jane Adolphe· also International Law, Human Rights
Contracts
- John M. Czarnetzky· also Commercial Law, Bankruptcy
Veterans Law
- Anthony Kolenc· also Legal Writing, Constitutional Law
What makes Ave Maria School of Law distinctive
Programs, history, or institutional features that set this school apart beyond rank.
- ·Curriculum deeply rooted in the Catholic intellectual tradition and natural law philosophy, inspired by Pope John Paul II's encyclical Fides et Ratio.
- ·Offers a concentration in Natural Law, unique among U.S. law schools.
- ·Requires specific courses on Moral Foundations of the Law, Jurisprudence, and Professional Responsibility.
- ·Features the Rodney L. Smith Business Law Institute, providing specialized study and programming in business law.
- ·Located in Naples, Florida, offering unique externship and community engagement opportunities in Southwest Florida.
Using this for your "Why Ave Maria School of Law" essay
Strong "Why X Law School" essays are concrete and specific to the school — not interchangeable templates. Use these facts to anchor your essay, then layer on what you've found from the school's own faculty pages, clinical program descriptions, and journal listings.
Important note: admissions committees actively reject AI-written personal statements and "Why X" essays. Use this page as research material to write your own essay — never as a template to copy. Authentic, specific, personally-grounded reasoning is the only thing that wins these essays.
Frequently asked about Ave Maria School of Law
What is the median GPA and LSAT at Ave Maria School of Law?▾
Ave Maria School of Law's most recent entering 1L class had a median GPA of 3.36 and a median LSAT of 152. The 25th–75th percentile range was 3.07–3.66 GPA and 149–155 LSAT. Per ABA 509 disclosures.
What is Ave Maria School of Law's acceptance rate?▾
Ave Maria School of Law's most recent reported acceptance rate was approximately 43.7%, per ABA 509 disclosures.
What clinics does Ave Maria School of Law offer?▾
Ave Maria School of Law's notable clinical programs include: Veterans and Servicemembers Law Clinic (VSLC), Gregory T. Holtz Estate Planning & General Practice Clinic, Intellectual Property Law Clinic, Asylum and Immigrant Rights Law Clinic. Visit the school's official clinical programs page for the full list.
What journals does Ave Maria School of Law publish?▾
Ave Maria School of Law's notable student-edited journals include: Ave Maria Law Review, Ave Maria International Law Journal, The Gavel.
Where do Ave Maria School of Law graduates work?▾
Ave Maria School of Law graduates concentrate employment in Florida, Maryland, New Jersey, per the school's most recent ABA 509 employment summary.
How many transfer students does Ave Maria School of Law admit?▾
Ave Maria School of Law admitted 3 transfer students into the 2L class in the 2025 ABA reporting cycle.
Schools similar to Ave Maria School of Law
Other schools at a comparable rank tier — useful for building a transfer list, balanced 0L application list, or essay-research shortlist.
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Try Case Cub free →Sources (7) — verify any fact above
- https://www.avemarialaw.edu/
- https://www.avemarialaw.edu/academics/legal-clinics/
- https://www.avemarialaw.edu/academics/law-review/
- https://www.avemarialaw.edu/academics/international-law-journal/
- https://www.avemarialaw.edu/faculty-directory/
- https://www.avemarialaw.edu/academics/curriculum-requirements/
- https://www.lsac.org/schools/ave-maria-school-law
Generated from public sources via search-grounded AI on 4/27/2026. If any fact looks wrong, click through to verify and let us know.