Why University of California-irvine?

UCI Law is known for its innovative, experiential, and interdisciplinary legal education, with a strong commitment to public service and social justice.

University of California-irvine is a very selective JD program with an acceptance rate of approximately 19.5%. The median entering 1L profile is a 3.80 GPA and 167 LSAT, with the 25th–75th percentile bands at 3.59–3.90 GPA and 162–168 LSAT. The full-time first-year class is approximately 172 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-irvine admitted 5 transfer students into the 2L class. 14 1Ls transferred out.

Visit University of California-irvine's site

Specialty strengths

Experiential Learning and Clinical Education: A core clinical course is required for every student, providing hands-on experience.Public Service and Social Justice: A strong emphasis on public interest work, pro bono, and addressing gaps in the justice system.Interdisciplinary Studies: Integration of law with other disciplines like economics, sociology, psychology, and business.Technology and Justice: Emerging focus on how technology impacts law and society, including privacy and tech regulation.International and Comparative Law: Strong programs and centers dedicated to global legal issues.

Class profile

US News rank: #34
Median GPA: 3.80; 25th–75th: 3.59–3.90
Median LSAT: 167; 25th–75th: 162–168
Acceptance rate: 19.5%
Class size (FT 1L): 172
Transfers admitted (2025): 5; ABA 2025 reporting cycle

2025 transfer admit profile

Actual GPAs of students University of California-irvine admitted as transfers in the 2025 ABA cycle.

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

14 1Ls transferred out of University of California-irvine in the same cycle — context for how portable University of California-irvine'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-irvine's practical training. Mention specific clinic names in your "Why University of California-irvine" essay where they align with your interests.

Community and Economic Development Clinic
Students work to support community-based organizations and small businesses.
Criminal Justice Clinic
Provides legal representation to low-income individuals caught in the criminal legal system.
Immigrant Rights Clinic
Offers direct representation to immigrants on matters like detention, deportation defense, and civil rights.
Intellectual Property, Arts, and Technology Clinic
Students advise and represent clients on copyright, patent, privacy, and media law.
Environmental Law Clinic
Focuses on environmental, natural resources, and land use law.
Defending Democracy Clinic
Engages in litigation and advocacy to protect democratic processes and civil liberties.

Notable journals

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

UC Irvine Law Review— Promotes exceptional legal scholarship from academic, practical, and student perspectives.
UC Irvine Journal of International, Transnational, and Comparative Law— Advances legal scholarship in international, transnational, and comparative 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.

Sameer Ashar
Clinical Legal Education, Poverty Law, Critical Race Theory
Mehrsa Baradaran
Banking Law, Contracts, Race and the Law
Joshua D. Blank
Tax Law, Tax Policy
Robert S. Chang
Critical Race Theory, Civil Rights, Asian American Legal Studies
Veena Dubal
Labor Law, Technology and the Future of Work
David Kaye
International Law, Human Rights, Freedom of Expression
Stephen Lee
Immigration Law, Administrative Law, Law and Social Science
Christopher Leslie
Antitrust Law, Intellectual Property, Contracts
Omri Marian
Tax Law, International Taxation, Blockchain and Cryptocurrency Law
Carrie Menkel-Meadow
Dispute Resolution, Legal Profession, Feminist Legal Theory
Katherine Porter
Consumer Law, Bankruptcy, Commercial Law
Katie Tinto
Criminal Justice, Clinical Legal Education

What makes University of California-irvine distinctive

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

·Required Core Clinical Course: Every student must complete a 6-unit core clinical course, acting as the primary legal representative for clients.
·Innovative Lawyering Skills Program: A comprehensive six-credit first-year program covering legal writing, research, analysis, oral advocacy, client interviewing, and negotiation.
·Race and Indigeneity Graduation Requirement: One of the first law schools nationally to require a graded course with substantial content on race and indigeneity, structural inequity, and historical bases for such inequity.
·Concurrent Degree Programs (PLGS): Allows students to pursue a J.D. concurrently with a master's or Ph.D. in virtually any UCI graduate program, fostering interdisciplinary study.
·UCI Law in NYC Program: An innovative program supporting students interested in New York career paths, offering summer programs, coordinated externships, and year-round events.

Using this for your "Why University of California-irvine" 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-irvine

What is the median GPA and LSAT at University of California-irvine?▾

University of California-irvine's most recent entering 1L class had a median GPA of 3.80 and a median LSAT of 167. The 25th–75th percentile range was 3.59–3.90 GPA and 162–168 LSAT. Per ABA 509 disclosures.

What is University of California-irvine's acceptance rate?▾

University of California-irvine's most recent reported acceptance rate was approximately 19.5%, per ABA 509 disclosures.

What clinics does University of California-irvine offer?▾

University of California-irvine's notable clinical programs include: Community and Economic Development Clinic, Criminal Justice Clinic, Immigrant Rights Clinic, Intellectual Property, Arts, and Technology Clinic, Environmental Law Clinic. Visit the school's official clinical programs page for the full list.

What journals does University of California-irvine publish?▾

University of California-irvine's notable student-edited journals include: UC Irvine Law Review, UC Irvine Journal of International, Transnational, and Comparative Law.

Where do University of California-irvine graduates work?▾

University of California-irvine 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-irvine admit?▾

University of California-irvine admitted 5 transfer students into the 2L class in the 2025 ABA reporting cycle.

Schools similar to University of California-irvine

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

#34

Arizona State University College of Law

Florida State University

GPA 3.93 · LSAT 165

#34

University of Florida

GPA 3.91 · LSAT 169

#34

Washington and Lee University

GPA 3.75 · LSAT 164

#34

William and Mary School of Law

GPA 3.82 · LSAT 165

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Sources (9) — 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.