Why Pennsylvania State-dickinson Law?
Penn State Dickinson Law combines a rich legacy as Pennsylvania's oldest law school with a modern, practice-ready curriculum, a commitment to antiracist legal education, and the unique advantage of two vibrant campus locations.
Pennsylvania State-dickinson Law is a selective JD program with an acceptance rate of approximately 36.8%. The median entering 1L profile is a 3.71 GPA and 161 LSAT, with the 25th–75th percentile bands at 3.50–3.86 GPA and 156–163 LSAT. The full-time first-year class is approximately 103 students. Recent graduates have placed most heavily in Pennsylvania, Delaware, and California — useful context if your geographic preference shapes your school list. In the most recent older reporting cycle, Pennsylvania State-dickinson Law admitted 4 transfer students into the 2L class.
Specialty strengths
Class profile
- US News rank
- #62
- Median GPA
- 3.71
- 25th–75th: 3.50–3.86
- Median LSAT
- 161
- 25th–75th: 156–163
- Acceptance rate
- 36.8%
- Class size (FT 1L)
- 103
- Transfers admitted (2025)
- 0
- ABA 2025 reporting cycle
Top employment markets
- 1Pennsylvania
- 2Delaware
- 3California
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 Pennsylvania State-dickinson Law's practical training. Mention specific clinic names in your "Why Pennsylvania State-dickinson Law" essay where they align with your interests.
- Center for Immigrants' Rights Clinic (CIRC)Provides hands-on training in immigration law through community outreach, pro bono support, and policy work.
- Arts, Sports and Entertainment Law ClinicOffers free legal services and educational information to individuals in art, sports, and entertainment fields.
- Veterans and Servicemembers Legal ClinicProvides pro bono services to veterans and current servicemembers on issues like disability, pension, and education benefits claims.
- Community Law ClinicRepresents underserved populations in family law, disability law, and poverty law matters.
- Children's Advocacy ClinicSupervises law students in the legal representation of child clients in abuse, neglect, and high-conflict custody cases.
- Medical-Legal Partnership ClinicWorks to reduce health disparities and improve health in vulnerable communities through joint medical-legal advocacy.
Notable journals
Student-edited publications you could write for or cite as a research interest.
- Dickinson Law Review— General-interest, flagship journal, one of the oldest in the nation (reunifying with Penn State Law Review in 2026-27).
- Penn State Journal of Law & International Affairs (JLIA)— Student-edited, interdisciplinary, peer-reviewed journal focusing on international law and current global issues.
- Arbitration Law Review— Examines developments in the law of arbitration.
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.
- Danielle M. ConwayLegal Education Leadership, Antiracist Legal Education
- Michele VollmerVeterans Law, Clinical Education
- Lara B. FowlerEnergy Law, Environmental Law
- Dermot GroomeInternational Criminal Law
- Megan RiesmeyerFamily Law, Disability Law, Poverty Law
- Lucy Johnston-WalshChildren's Law, Child Advocacy
- Shoba Sivaprasad WadhiaImmigration Law
- William B. BarkerTax Law
- Stanley BrandGovernment Ethics, Congressional Investigations
What makes Pennsylvania State-dickinson Law distinctive
Programs, history, or institutional features that set this school apart beyond rank.
- ·Operates as one law school with two vibrant locations in Pennsylvania: Carlisle (historic home) and University Park (on Penn State's largest campus), offering distinct experiential and cross-disciplinary opportunities.
- ·Home to the Antiracist Development Institute (ADI), dedicated to dismantling systemic racial inequality through systems design, institutional antiracism, and critical pedagogy.
- ·Features the Miller Center for Public Interest Law and Advocacy, which supports research, scholarship, and practice experiences through pro bono service.
- ·Emphasizes a dynamic, hands-on approach to legal education, requiring students to earn experiential learning credits in real-world practice settings.
- ·As the oldest law school in Pennsylvania, founded in 1834, it carries a long tradition of legal excellence and a strong alumni network.
Using this for your "Why Pennsylvania State-dickinson 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 Pennsylvania State-dickinson Law
What is the median GPA and LSAT at Pennsylvania State-dickinson Law?▾
Pennsylvania State-dickinson Law's most recent entering 1L class had a median GPA of 3.71 and a median LSAT of 161. The 25th–75th percentile range was 3.50–3.86 GPA and 156–163 LSAT. Per ABA 509 disclosures.
What is Pennsylvania State-dickinson Law's acceptance rate?▾
Pennsylvania State-dickinson Law's most recent reported acceptance rate was approximately 36.8%, per ABA 509 disclosures.
What clinics does Pennsylvania State-dickinson Law offer?▾
Pennsylvania State-dickinson Law's notable clinical programs include: Center for Immigrants' Rights Clinic (CIRC), Arts, Sports and Entertainment Law Clinic, Veterans and Servicemembers Legal Clinic, Community Law Clinic, Children's Advocacy Clinic. Visit the school's official clinical programs page for the full list.
What journals does Pennsylvania State-dickinson Law publish?▾
Pennsylvania State-dickinson Law's notable student-edited journals include: Dickinson Law Review, Penn State Journal of Law & International Affairs (JLIA), Arbitration Law Review.
Where do Pennsylvania State-dickinson Law graduates work?▾
Pennsylvania State-dickinson Law graduates concentrate employment in Pennsylvania, Delaware, California, per the school's most recent ABA 509 employment summary.
Schools similar to Pennsylvania State-dickinson 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 (3) — verify any fact above
- https://dickinsonlaw.psu.edu/academics/legal-clinics
- https://dickinsonlaw.psu.edu/academics/law-reviews-and-journals
- https://dickinsonlaw.psu.edu/faculty-directory
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.