Why Suffolk University?

Suffolk University Law School is a national leader in practical, experiential legal education, particularly in legal skills and technology, preparing students for the evolving legal profession in the heart of Boston.

Suffolk University is a less selective JD program with an acceptance rate of approximately 60.7%. The median entering 1L profile is a 3.58 GPA and 154 LSAT, with the 25th–75th percentile bands at 3.37–3.79 GPA and 150–158 LSAT. The full-time first-year class is approximately 445 students. Recent graduates have placed most heavily in Massachusetts, New York, and Rhode Island — useful context if your geographic preference shapes your school list. In the 2025 ABA reporting cycle, Suffolk University admitted 2 transfer students into the 2L class. 1 1L transferred out.

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Specialty strengths

Legal Innovation and TechnologyIntellectual Property LawClinical Programs/Experiential LearningLegal WritingTrial and Appellate AdvocacyDispute Resolution

Class profile

US News rank: #128
Median GPA: 3.58; 25th–75th: 3.37–3.79
Median LSAT: 154; 25th–75th: 150–158
Acceptance rate: 60.7%
Class size (FT 1L): 445
Transfers admitted (2025): 2; ABA 2025 reporting cycle

2025 transfer admit profile

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

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

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

Top employment markets

1Massachusetts
2New York
3Rhode Island

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

Accelerator Practice
An in-house law practice focused on developing new ways to offer legal services to moderate-income clients.
Environmental Law & Policy Clinic
Students work on environmental legal issues, engaging in advocacy and policy work.
Family Advocacy Clinic
Student attorneys represent individuals in contested family law matters in Probate and Family Court.
Immigrant Justice Clinic
Provides representation to non-citizens facing deportation and addresses misconduct by Immigration Customs and Enforcement agents.
Intellectual Property & Entrepreneurship Clinic (IPEC)
Provides hands-on experience in counseling, advocacy, and transactional practice related to intellectual property and entrepreneurship.
Legal Innovation and Technology Clinic
Focuses on developing and applying cutting-edge legal technology and innovative processes to improve legal services.

Notable journals

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

Suffolk University Law Review— Student-edited legal periodical publishing quality legal commentary.
Suffolk Journal of Trial & Appellate Advocacy— Provides practical and in-depth analyses of current legal issues relating to trial and appellate practice.
Journal of High Technology Law— Focuses on legal issues in high technology.
Journal of Health and Biomedical Law— Focuses on legal issues in health and biomedical fields.
Transnational Law Review— Focuses on international and transnational legal issues.

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.

Intellectual Property

Rebecca Curtin
Michael Rustad

Business Law and Financial Services

Christopher Gibson

Law

Peter Karol
Stacey Lantagne
Stephen Michael McJohn

Intellectual Property and Entrepreneurship (Clinical)

Darrell Mottley

Experiential Learning & Clinical Law

Sarah Boonin

Criminal Defense (Clinical)

Chris Dearborn

Family Law (Clinical)

Maritza Karmely

What makes Suffolk University distinctive

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

·Home to the Legal Innovation & Technology (LIT) Center, a hub for reimagining legal services and driving innovations in access to justice.
·Offers an Accelerator-to-Practice Program, an innovative model for training students in small firm practice and addressing the public's legal needs.
·Provides a wide array of dual degree programs, including JD/MBA, JD/MPA, JD/MSF, JD/MA in Applied Politics, JD/MA in Global Public Policy, JD/MS in Crime and Justice Studies, and JD/MSLL (Life Sciences).
·Located in downtown Boston, offering unparalleled access to the Statehouse, federal and state courthouses, and the financial district.
·Offers an Advanced Professional Online JD Program, a fully online option tailored for experienced professionals.
·Committed to diversity and inclusion, including guaranteed scholarships for graduates of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and collaborations with Wampanoag tribe members to rewrite tribal law.

Using this for your "Why Suffolk 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 Suffolk University

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

Suffolk University's most recent entering 1L class had a median GPA of 3.58 and a median LSAT of 154. The 25th–75th percentile range was 3.37–3.79 GPA and 150–158 LSAT. Per ABA 509 disclosures.

What is Suffolk University's acceptance rate?▾

Suffolk University's most recent reported acceptance rate was approximately 60.7%, per ABA 509 disclosures.

What clinics does Suffolk University offer?▾

Suffolk University's notable clinical programs include: Accelerator Practice, Environmental Law & Policy Clinic, Family Advocacy Clinic, Immigrant Justice Clinic, Intellectual Property & Entrepreneurship Clinic (IPEC). Visit the school's official clinical programs page for the full list.

What journals does Suffolk University publish?▾

Suffolk University's notable student-edited journals include: Suffolk University Law Review, Suffolk Journal of Trial & Appellate Advocacy, Journal of High Technology Law, Journal of Health and Biomedical Law, Transnational Law Review.

Where do Suffolk University graduates work?▾

Suffolk University graduates concentrate employment in Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island, per the school's most recent ABA 509 employment summary.

How many transfer students does Suffolk University admit?▾

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

Schools similar to Suffolk University

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

Northern Kentucky University

Indiana University - Indianapolis

GPA 3.58 · LSAT 154

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Sources (8) — 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.