Why University at Buffalo-suny?

Class profile

US News rank

#82

Median GPA

3.71

25th–75th: 3.51–3.88

Median LSAT

156

25th–75th: 153–159

Acceptance rate

44.0%

Class size (FT 1L)

141

Transfers admitted (2025)

0

ABA 2025 reporting cycle

Top employment markets

1. 1New York
2. 2Washington, DC
3. 3Texas

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

• Access to Justice Clinic
  Student attorneys work to protect and advance civil rights, equal rights, and reproductive justice for vulnerable communities.
• Civil Rights and Housing Clinic
  This litigation clinic focuses on civil rights and civil liberties, including representing tenants facing eviction and engaging in impact litigation for housing and employment discrimination.
• Criminal Justice Advocacy Clinic
  Students engage in criminal justice advocacy, including work related to the Clean Slate Act and parole reform.
• Environmental Advocacy Clinic
  Student lawyers take lead roles on local, state, national, and global environmental issues.
• Entrepreneurship Law Center Clinic
  Provides legal services to entrepreneurs and startups who are not yet ready or able to engage outside legal counsel.
• Family Violence and Women's Rights Clinic
  Students work towards attaining justice and safety for survivors of family violence.

Notable journals

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

• Buffalo Law Review— General law review publishing articles from scholars, practitioners, and judges on contemporary legal issues.
• Buffalo Environmental Law Journal— Publishes articles on environmental legal discourse.
• Buffalo Human Rights Law Review— Focuses on issues of human rights, often with an interdisciplinary approach.
• Buffalo Intellectual Property Law Journal— Focuses on intellectual property law.
• Buffalo Journal of Gender, Law & Social Policy— Publishes contributions challenging traditional legal thought on gender, law, and social policy.
• Buffalo Journal of International Law— Focuses on international 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.

• S. Todd Brown
  Business Bankruptcy, Mass Tort and Business Law.
• Irus Braverman
  Animal Studies, Law and Geography, Environmental Law, Legal Ethnography.
• James A. Gardner
  Constitutional Law, Election Law, Federalism.
• Meredith Kolsky Lewis
  International Economic Law, International Trade Law, WTO Law.
• Tara J. Melish
  International Law, Human Rights, Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
• Lynn Mather
  Law and Society, Legal Profession and Ethics, Courts and Social Change.
• Guyora Binder
  Criminal Law, Jurisprudence, Law and Literature, Constitutional History.
• Mark Bartholomew
  Intellectual Property, Law and Technology, Online Privacy, Advertising Regulation.
• Rebecca Redwood French
  Anthropology of Law, Buddhist Legal Systems, Property Law, Law and Religion.

What makes University at Buffalo-suny distinctive

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

• ·It is the only law school in the State University of New York (SUNY) system.
• ·Located on an international border, offering numerous cross-border learning opportunities and a Cross-Border Legal Studies concentration.
• ·Many faculty members hold advanced degrees (Ph.D.s) in other disciplines, fostering an interdisciplinary approach to legal studies.
• ·Offers a variety of interdisciplinary dual degree programs, allowing students to combine a J.D. with other graduate degrees (e.g., MBA, MSW, MPH).
• ·Features an innovative Legal Analysis, Writing, and Research (LAWR) program, recognized for its small class sizes and dedicated faculty.
• ·Provides unique January short courses that offer an inside view of real-life lawyering in diverse topics and locations, including international settings.

Frequently asked about University at Buffalo-suny

Schools similar to University at Buffalo-suny

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