Why University of Chicago?

Class profile

US News rank

#2

Median GPA

3.97

25th–75th: 3.87–4.00

Median LSAT

173

25th–75th: 169–175

Acceptance rate

14.2%

Class size (FT 1L)

203

Transfers admitted (2025)

12

ABA 2025 reporting cycle

2025 transfer admit profile

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

25th percentile

3.82

Bottom quartile

Median

3.87

50th percentile

75th percentile

3.93

Top quartile

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

Top employment markets

1. 1Illinois
2. 2New York
3. 3California

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

• Abrams Environmental Law Clinic
  Students work on environmental law issues, engaging in litigation and policy advocacy.
• Civil Rights and Police Accountability Clinic
  Students represent clients in civil rights cases, particularly those involving police misconduct.
• Exoneration Project Clinic
  Students represent clients asserting actual innocence in state and federal courts.
• Immigrants' Rights Clinic
  Students advocate for immigrants' rights, representing clients in various legal proceedings.
• Innovation Clinic
  Students provide legal assistance to entrepreneurs and startups within the University's innovation ecosystem.
• Kirkland & Ellis Corporate Lab Clinic
  Students gain transactional skills by working on corporate legal matters for real clients.

Notable journals

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

• The University of Chicago Law Review— Publishes articles, student comments, and book reviews on current legal issues.
• The University of Chicago Legal Forum— A topical law journal that examines a single legal issue in depth each year.
• The Chicago Journal of International Law— Promotes an interdisciplinary approach and balanced discourse on international law.
• The University of Chicago Business Law Review— Publishes articles covering business, corporation, and securities law, and related policy issues.
• Journal of Law & Economics— Provides a forum for writings by economists and lawyers on problems that are both economic and legal.
• Journal of Legal Studies— Provides a forum for basic theoretical, empirical, historical, and comparative research into legal systems.
• The Supreme Court Review— An annual volume devoted to professional criticism of the current decisions of the Supreme Court.

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.

• William Baude
  Constitutional Law
• Omri Ben-Shahar
  Law and Economics, Contracts
• Lisa Bernstein
  Contracts, Commercial Law
• Samuel L. Bray
  Remedies, Equity, Federal Courts
• Mary Anne Case
  Feminist Jurisprudence, Constitutional Law
• Adam Chilton
  International Law, Empirical Legal Studies
• Lee Fennell
  Property, Land Use, Urban Theory
• Tom Ginsburg
  International Law, Comparative Law, Constitutionalism
• Jacob Goldin
  Tax Law
• Todd Henderson
  Corporate Law, Securities Regulation
• Brian Leiter
  Jurisprudence, Philosophy of Law
• Eric A. Posner
  International Law, Public Law, Law and Economics

What makes University of Chicago distinctive

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

• ·A rigorous interdisciplinary professional education that blends the study of law with the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences.
• ·The Socratic Method is central to its participatory learning environment, fostering dialogue and critical thinking.
• ·The Coase-Sandor Institute for Law and Economics is a leading center for research and dissemination of the economic approach to law.
• ·Offers a unique first-year required course, 'Elements of the Law,' introducing students to law as an interdisciplinary field.
• ·Features the Doctoroff Business Leadership Program, a certificate program providing a substantial business education within the Law School.
• ·Operates on a Quarter System, allowing students to take a greater variety of courses than under a traditional semester system.
• ·Offers various dual degree programs, including JD/MBA, JD/MPP, JD/MDiv, JD/AM in International Relations, and JD/PhD.

Frequently asked about University of Chicago

Schools similar to University of Chicago

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