Why University of California-hastings?
UC Law SF offers a dynamic legal education in the heart of San Francisco, emphasizing experiential learning and innovative programs at the intersection of law, technology, and social justice.
University of California-hastings is a selective JD program with an acceptance rate of approximately 29.0%. The median entering 1L profile is a 3.71 GPA and 160 LSAT, with the 25th–75th percentile bands at 3.55–3.83 GPA and 157–163 LSAT. The full-time first-year class is approximately 389 students. Recent graduates have placed most heavily in California, Washington, DC, and New York — useful context if your geographic preference shapes your school list. In the 2025 ABA reporting cycle, University of California-hastings admitted 3 transfer students into the 2L class. 31 1Ls transferred out.
Specialty strengths
Class profile
- US News rank
- #85
- Median GPA
- 3.71
- 25th–75th: 3.55–3.83
- Median LSAT
- 160
- 25th–75th: 157–163
- Acceptance rate
- 29.0%
- Class size (FT 1L)
- 389
- Transfers admitted (2025)
- 3
- ABA 2025 reporting cycle
2025 transfer admit profile
Actual GPAs of students University of California-hastings admitted as transfers in the 2025 ABA cycle.
- 25th percentile
- —
- Suppressed (small cohort)
- Median
- —
- 50th percentile
- 75th percentile
- —
- Suppressed (small cohort)
31 1Ls transferred out of University of California-hastings in the same cycle — context for how portable University of California-hastings's 1L credit is among admissions committees elsewhere.
Top employment markets
- 1California
- 2Washington, DC
- 3New York
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 of California-hastings's practical training. Mention specific clinic names in your "Why University of California-hastings" essay where they align with your interests.
- Immigrants' Rights ClinicStudents represent immigrants seeking asylum and other forms of relief, often in partnership with the Center for Gender & Refugee Studies.
- Startup Legal GarageStudents provide free legal advice to early-stage tech and life-science companies under the supervision of leading law firm attorneys.
- Medical-Legal Partnership for Seniors (MLPS)Students provide advance health care, estate planning, public benefits, and wrap-around legal services to older adult patients in partnership with UCSF and the San Francisco VA Medical Center.
- Environmental Law ClinicStudents work on environmental policy and litigation matters, often collaborating with Bay Area public interest organizations.
- Criminal Practice ClinicStudents gain hands-on experience in criminal defense or prosecution, working on real cases.
Notable journals
Student-edited publications you could write for or cite as a research interest.
- UC Law Journal— The flagship law review, publishing scholarly articles, essays, and student notes on a broad range of legal topics.
- UC Law SF Communications and Entertainment Journal— Covers communications, entertainment, and intellectual property law, including the internet, telecommunications, and biotechnology.
- UC Law Constitutional Quarterly— Dedicated to constitutional law scholarship.
- UC Law SF International Law Review— Focuses on international and comparative legal issues.
- UC Law SF Journal on Gender and Justice— Provides a forum for scholarship on feminism, race theory, queer theory, multiculturalism, and human rights.
- UC Law Business Journal— Explores international and domestic events in the dynamic interplay between law and business.
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
- David Faigman· also Scientific Evidence
- Ming H. Chen· also Race, Immigration, Citizenship and Equality
- Zachary Price· also Administrative Law
- Radhika Rao· also Bioethics and the Law
International Law
- Karen Musalo· also Refugee and Asylum Law
Civil Procedure
- Scott Dodson· also Federal Courts, Litigation
Criminal Law
- Hadar Aviram· also Criminology
- Rory K. Little· also Constitutional Law
Environmental Law
- Jodi Short· also Regulation
Tax Law
- Manoj Viswanathan
What makes University of California-hastings distinctive
Programs, history, or institutional features that set this school apart beyond rank.
- ·Located in San Francisco's Civic Center, offering unparalleled access to courts, government offices, tech companies, and non-profits.
- ·The UCSF-UC Law SF Consortium on Law, Science and Health Policy offers joint degree programs and research opportunities at the intersection of health policy and law.
- ·Home to over 15 centers and institutes, including the Center for Innovation (C4i) with its Startup Legal Garage and AI Law & Innovation Institute, and the Center for Negotiation and Dispute Resolution.
- ·Guaranteed on-campus housing for all admitted students in its modern Academic Village, fostering community and convenience in an urban setting.
- ·Offers 12 JD concentrations, allowing students to specialize in cutting-edge areas of law like Technology Law and Lawyering, and Social Justice Lawyering.
- ·A comprehensive restorative justice effort led to the school's renaming from UC Hastings to UC Law SF in 2023, including the establishment of an Indigenous Law Center.
Using this for your "Why University of California-hastings" 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 University of California-hastings
What is the median GPA and LSAT at University of California-hastings?▾
University of California-hastings's most recent entering 1L class had a median GPA of 3.71 and a median LSAT of 160. The 25th–75th percentile range was 3.55–3.83 GPA and 157–163 LSAT. Per ABA 509 disclosures.
What is University of California-hastings's acceptance rate?▾
University of California-hastings's most recent reported acceptance rate was approximately 29.0%, per ABA 509 disclosures.
What clinics does University of California-hastings offer?▾
University of California-hastings's notable clinical programs include: Immigrants' Rights Clinic, Startup Legal Garage, Medical-Legal Partnership for Seniors (MLPS), Environmental Law Clinic, Criminal Practice Clinic. Visit the school's official clinical programs page for the full list.
What journals does University of California-hastings publish?▾
University of California-hastings's notable student-edited journals include: UC Law Journal, UC Law SF Communications and Entertainment Journal, UC Law Constitutional Quarterly, UC Law SF International Law Review, UC Law SF Journal on Gender and Justice.
Where do University of California-hastings graduates work?▾
University of California-hastings graduates concentrate employment in California, Washington, DC, New York, per the school's most recent ABA 509 employment summary.
How many transfer students does University of California-hastings admit?▾
University of California-hastings admitted 3 transfer students into the 2L class in the 2025 ABA reporting cycle.
Schools similar to University of California-hastings
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 (9) — verify any fact above
- https://www.uclawsf.edu/about-us/
- https://www.uclawsf.edu/academics/experiential-learning/clinical-programs/
- https://www.uclawsf.edu/academics/journals-law-review/
- https://www.uclawsf.edu/faculty/faculty-experts-directory/
- https://www.uclawsf.edu/academics/jd-program/jd-concentrations/
- https://www.uclawsf.edu/academics/centers-and-programs/
- https://www.uclawsf.edu/admissions/jd/why-uc-law-sf/
- https://www.uclawsf.edu/news/uc-law-sf-programs-rank-among-nations-best/
- https://www.uclawsf.edu/news/uc-law-sf-starts-academic-year-with-new-faculty-expanded-roles-and-student-achievements/
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.