Why Pace University?

Pace University's Elisabeth Haub School of Law is nationally recognized for its top-ranked Environmental Law program and a strong emphasis on practical, experience-based legal education.

Pace University is a less selective JD program with an acceptance rate of approximately 51.6%. The median entering 1L profile is a 3.54 GPA and 152 LSAT, with the 25th–75th percentile bands at 3.31–3.74 GPA and 150–154 LSAT. The full-time first-year class is approximately 293 students. Recent graduates have placed most heavily in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut — useful context if your geographic preference shapes your school list. In the 2025 ABA reporting cycle, Pace University admitted 2 transfer students into the 2L class. 5 1Ls transferred out.

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Specialty strengths

Environmental Law (ranked #1 nationally)Dispute Resolution (ranked #36 nationally)Trial Advocacy (ranked #21 nationally)Criminal LawInternational Law

Class profile

US News rank: #142
Median GPA: 3.54; 25th–75th: 3.31–3.74
Median LSAT: 152; 25th–75th: 150–154
Acceptance rate: 51.6%
Class size (FT 1L): 293
Transfers admitted (2025): 2; ABA 2025 reporting cycle

2025 transfer admit profile

Actual GPAs of students Pace University admitted as transfers in the 2025 ABA cycle.

25th percentile: —; Suppressed (small cohort)
Median: —; 50th percentile
75th percentile: —; Suppressed (small cohort)

5 1Ls transferred out of Pace University in the same cycle — context for how portable Pace University's 1L credit is among admissions committees elsewhere.

Top employment markets

1New York
2New Jersey
3Connecticut

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 Pace University's practical training. Mention specific clinic names in your "Why Pace University" essay where they align with your interests.

Environmental Litigation Clinic
Students represent clients in environmental cases, often against polluters, gaining hands-on litigation experience.
Barbara C. Salken Criminal Justice Clinic
Provides comprehensive training for aspiring prosecutors and defense attorneys through hands-on experience.
Fairbridge Investor Rights Clinic
Students represent small investors in arbitration or mediation against broker-dealers.
Immigration Justice Clinic
Students provide legal representation and advice to clients in immigration matters.
Food and Farm Business Law Clinic
Offers transactional legal services to small farm businesses, artisan food manufacturers, and related nonprofits.
Equal Justice America Disability Rights Clinic
Students represent clients in disability rights litigation and transactional matters.

Notable journals

Student-edited publications you could write for or cite as a research interest.

Pace Law Review— Publishes scholarly articles, notes, and comments on various legal issues.
Pace Environmental Law Review (PELR)— One of the first scholarly journals in environmental law, focusing on environmental, natural resource, and energy law.
Pace International Law Review— Provides a forum for legal debate within the international community, covering international and human rights law.

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.

Civil Rights Law

Randolph McLaughlin· also Voting Rights Litigation

Dean Emerita

Michelle Simon· also Legal Education

Human Rights Law

Camila Bustos· also Climate Change Law

Land Use Law

John R. Nolon· also Environmental Law, Climate Resilient Development

International Law

Smita Narula· also Human Rights, Food Systems, Environmental Law

Environmental Law

Katrina Fischer Kuh
Shelby D. Green· also Land Use Law

Securities Dispute Resolution

Jill I. Gross· also Negotiation, Mediation, Arbitration

Constitutional Law

Bennett L. Gershman· also Criminal Law, Prosecutorial Misconduct, Legal Ethics

What makes Pace University distinctive

Programs, history, or institutional features that set this school apart beyond rank.

·Home to the New York State Judicial Institute, serving as a statewide center for judicial education and training.
·Offers an accelerated two-and-a-half-year JD program and a flexible Flex JD scheduling option.
·Provides numerous joint degree programs, including with Yale School of the Environment and Bard College.
·A voting member of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), offering unique international environmental law opportunities.
·Features a 'Path to Practice' curriculum designed to provide practical, hands-on legal skills.

Using this for your "Why Pace University" 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 Pace University

What is the median GPA and LSAT at Pace University?▾

Pace University's most recent entering 1L class had a median GPA of 3.54 and a median LSAT of 152. The 25th–75th percentile range was 3.31–3.74 GPA and 150–154 LSAT. Per ABA 509 disclosures.

What is Pace University's acceptance rate?▾

Pace University's most recent reported acceptance rate was approximately 51.6%, per ABA 509 disclosures.

What clinics does Pace University offer?▾

Pace University's notable clinical programs include: Environmental Litigation Clinic, Barbara C. Salken Criminal Justice Clinic, Fairbridge Investor Rights Clinic, Immigration Justice Clinic, Food and Farm Business Law Clinic. Visit the school's official clinical programs page for the full list.

What journals does Pace University publish?▾

Pace University's notable student-edited journals include: Pace Law Review, Pace Environmental Law Review (PELR), Pace International Law Review.

Where do Pace University graduates work?▾

Pace University graduates concentrate employment in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, per the school's most recent ABA 509 employment summary.

How many transfer students does Pace University admit?▾

Pace University admitted 2 transfer students into the 2L class in the 2025 ABA reporting cycle.

Schools similar to Pace University

Other schools at a comparable rank tier — useful for building a transfer list, balanced 0L application list, or essay-research shortlist.

#142

University of Detroit Mercy

Elon University School of Law

University of Arkansas, Little Rock

GPA 3.41 · LSAT 152

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Sources (5) — verify any fact above

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.