Why Pennsylvania State-penn State Law?
Penn State Law offers a unified legal education across two distinct campuses, University Park and Carlisle, emphasizing hands-on learning and a commitment to public service within a globally recognized research university.
Pennsylvania State-penn State Law is a selective JD program with an acceptance rate of approximately 30.9%. The median entering 1L profile is a 3.72 GPA and 162 LSAT, with the 25th–75th percentile bands at 3.39–3.86 GPA and 156–163 LSAT. The full-time first-year class is approximately 146 students. Recent graduates have placed most heavily in Pennsylvania, New York, and Florida — useful context if your geographic preference shapes your school list. Pennsylvania State-penn State Law admitted few or zero transfer students in the most recent reporting cycle — transfer-in slots are extremely limited.
Specialty strengths
Class profile
- US News rank
- Unranked
- Not numerically ranked by US News
- Median GPA
- 3.72
- 25th–75th: 3.39–3.86
- Median LSAT
- 162
- 25th–75th: 156–163
- Acceptance rate
- 30.9%
- Class size (FT 1L)
- 146
- Transfers admitted (2025)
- 0
- ABA 2025 reporting cycle
Top employment markets
- 1Pennsylvania
- 2New York
- 3Florida
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-penn State Law's practical training. Mention specific clinic names in your "Why Pennsylvania State-penn State Law" essay where they align with your interests.
- Arts, Sports, and Entertainment Law ClinicProvides legal services and educational information to individuals in the art, sports, and entertainment fields, including intellectual property and contract matters.
- Intellectual Property ClinicOffers free legal services and counseling in intellectual property strategy to startups, nonprofits, and entrepreneurs across Pennsylvania.
- Veterans and Servicemembers Legal ClinicProvides pro bono counseling services for veterans and Pennsylvania Offices of Veterans Affairs, primarily concerning appeals of disability, pension, and education benefits claims.
- Medical-Legal Partnership ClinicWorks to reduce health disparities and improve health in vulnerable communities through joint medical-legal advocacy with health providers.
- Center for Immigrants' Rights ClinicEngages students in innovative advocacy and policy projects related to U.S. immigration policy and immigrants' rights.
Notable journals
Student-edited publications you could write for or cite as a research interest.
- Penn State Law Review— General-interest flagship publication covering a broad range of legal scholarship.
- Penn State Journal of Law and International Affairs— Student-edited, interdisciplinary, peer-reviewed journal focusing on developments in international law and current issues.
- Penn State Law 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.
Constitutional Law
- Stanley Brand· also Election Law, Federal Regulation and Legislative Practice, Sports and Entertainment Law, White Collar Crime.
Public Health Law
- Medha D. Makhlouf· also Director of Medical-Legal Partnership Clinic.
Intellectual Property Law
- Jonathan D'Silva· also Director of Intellectual Property Clinic.
Energy Law and Policy
- Lara B. Fowler· also Environmental Law.
Agricultural and Shale Law
- Ross Pifer· also Director of Rural Economic Development Clinic.
Criminal Appellate and Post-Conviction Services
- Gopal Balachandran· also Director of Criminal Appellate & Post-Conviction Services Clinic.
Torts
- Ido Kilovaty· also Criminal Procedure, Law and Technology.
Evidence
- Emily Spottswood· also Transgender Rights, Criminal Law.
What makes Pennsylvania State-penn State Law distinctive
Programs, history, or institutional features that set this school apart beyond rank.
- ·Operates as a unified law school with two distinct campuses: University Park and Carlisle, offering diverse experiential and cross-disciplinary opportunities.
- ·Offers a variety of joint degree programs, including J.D./M.B.A., J.D./M.I.A., J.D./M.P.A., J.D./M.P.H., and J.D./DRPH.
- ·Features an Antiracist Development Institute (ADI) dedicated to dismantling systemic racial inequality through systems design, institutional antiracism, and critical pedagogy.
- ·Provides unique experiential learning opportunities such as the Semester-in-Washington, D.C. Program, Semester-in-Harrisburg Program, and the International Justice Program at The Hague, Netherlands.
- ·Emphasizes a dynamic, hands-on approach to legal education, requiring students to earn experiential learning credits in real-world practice settings.
Using this for your "Why Pennsylvania State-penn State 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-penn State Law
What is the median GPA and LSAT at Pennsylvania State-penn State Law?▾
Pennsylvania State-penn State Law's most recent entering 1L class had a median GPA of 3.72 and a median LSAT of 162. The 25th–75th percentile range was 3.39–3.86 GPA and 156–163 LSAT. Per ABA 509 disclosures.
What is Pennsylvania State-penn State Law's acceptance rate?▾
Pennsylvania State-penn State Law's most recent reported acceptance rate was approximately 30.9%, per ABA 509 disclosures.
What clinics does Pennsylvania State-penn State Law offer?▾
Pennsylvania State-penn State Law's notable clinical programs include: Arts, Sports, and Entertainment Law Clinic, Intellectual Property Clinic, Veterans and Servicemembers Legal Clinic, Medical-Legal Partnership Clinic, Center for Immigrants' Rights Clinic. Visit the school's official clinical programs page for the full list.
What journals does Pennsylvania State-penn State Law publish?▾
Pennsylvania State-penn State Law's notable student-edited journals include: Penn State Law Review, Penn State Journal of Law and International Affairs, Penn State Law Arbitration Law Review.
Where do Pennsylvania State-penn State Law graduates work?▾
Pennsylvania State-penn State Law graduates concentrate employment in Pennsylvania, New York, Florida, per the school's most recent ABA 509 employment summary.
Schools similar to Pennsylvania State-penn State 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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