Why University of Michigan?

University of Michigan Law School offers a robust blend of theoretical and practical legal education, distinguished by extensive experiential learning opportunities, including a unique 1L advocacy clinic, and a strong interdisciplinary focus.

University of Michigan is a highly selective JD program with an acceptance rate of approximately 13.5%. The median entering 1L profile is a 3.88 GPA and 171 LSAT, with the 25th–75th percentile bands at 3.74–3.95 GPA and 166–172 LSAT. The full-time first-year class is approximately 334 students. Recent graduates have placed most heavily in New York, Illinois, and Washington, DC — useful context if your geographic preference shapes your school list. In the 2025 ABA reporting cycle, University of Michigan admitted 9 transfer students into the 2L class, with a median 1L GPA of 3.86.

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Specialty strengths

International and Comparative LawExperiential Learning and Clinical EducationInterdisciplinary Legal StudiesEnvironmental and Energy LawConstitutional Law and Civil RightsLaw and Technology (including AI)

Class profile

US News rank: #9
Median GPA: 3.88; 25th–75th: 3.74–3.95
Median LSAT: 171; 25th–75th: 166–172
Acceptance rate: 13.5%
Class size (FT 1L): 334
Transfers admitted (2025): 9; ABA 2025 reporting cycle

2025 transfer admit profile

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

25th percentile: —; Suppressed (small cohort)
Median: 3.86; 50th percentile
75th percentile: —; Suppressed (small cohort)

Top employment markets

1New York
2Illinois
3Washington, DC

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

1L Advocacy Clinic
Offers first-year law students the opportunity to handle real cases under faculty supervision.
AI Law and Policy Clinic
Partners students with courts and organizations to leverage artificial intelligence for justice challenges.
Michigan Innocence Clinic
Works to exonerate wrongfully convicted individuals in Michigan.
Environmental Law and Sustainability Clinic
Addresses complex environmental and administrative law issues.
Community Enterprise Clinic
Assists entrepreneurs and small businesses with legal aspects of startup ventures.
Federal Appellate Litigation Clinic
Provides students with experience in federal appellate litigation.

Notable journals

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

Michigan Law Review— General legal scholarship, publishing articles and student notes.
University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform— Publishes scholarship proposing legal reforms.
Michigan Journal of International Law— International legal scholarship.
Michigan Journal of Gender & Law— Legal issues related to gender.
Michigan Technology Law Review— Legal issues arising from emerging technologies.
Michigan Journal of Environmental & Administrative Law— Environmental and administrative law.
Michigan Business & Entrepreneurial Law Review— Business and entrepreneurial law.
Michigan Journal of Law & Society— Intersections of law, history, and the social sciences.

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.

Reuven Avi-Yonah
Tax Law
Samuel Bagenstos
Constitutional Law, Disability Rights
Daniel Halberstam
Comparative Constitutional Law, Transnational Law, European Law
Jessica Litman
Intellectual Property
Christopher J. Walker
Administrative Law
Kristin Collins
Citizenship and Immigration Law
Paulina Arnold
Immigration Detention, Constitutional Law, Prison Law
Spencer Smith
Antitrust Law, Taxation, Torts
J.J. Prescott
Empirical Legal Studies
Margo Schlanger
Empirical Legal Studies, Civil Rights

What makes University of Michigan distinctive

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

·Offers a 1L Advocacy Clinic, allowing first-year students to gain hands-on experience with real cases.
·Provides 18 established dual-degree programs across 10 graduate schools and departments, emphasizing interdisciplinary training.
·Students can count up to 12 credits of graduate-level work from other University of Michigan departments towards their JD degree.
·Guarantees a clinic placement for every student who wants one, with an unusually high 80% of students participating.
·The Center for International and Comparative Law supports global initiatives, including externship programs in locations such as Geneva, South Africa, and India.
·The Law School is housed in the historic Cook Quadrangle, providing a distinctive and functional residential and scholarly community.

Using this for your "Why University of Michigan" 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 Michigan

What is the median GPA and LSAT at University of Michigan?▾

University of Michigan's most recent entering 1L class had a median GPA of 3.88 and a median LSAT of 171. The 25th–75th percentile range was 3.74–3.95 GPA and 166–172 LSAT. Per ABA 509 disclosures.

What is University of Michigan's acceptance rate?▾

University of Michigan's most recent reported acceptance rate was approximately 13.5%, per ABA 509 disclosures.

What clinics does University of Michigan offer?▾

University of Michigan's notable clinical programs include: 1L Advocacy Clinic, AI Law and Policy Clinic, Michigan Innocence Clinic, Environmental Law and Sustainability Clinic, Community Enterprise Clinic. Visit the school's official clinical programs page for the full list.

What journals does University of Michigan publish?▾

University of Michigan's notable student-edited journals include: Michigan Law Review, University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform, Michigan Journal of International Law, Michigan Journal of Gender & Law, Michigan Technology Law Review.

Where do University of Michigan graduates work?▾

University of Michigan graduates concentrate employment in New York, Illinois, Washington, DC, per the school's most recent ABA 509 employment summary.

How many transfer students does University of Michigan admit?▾

University of Michigan admitted 9 transfer students into the 2L class in the 2025 ABA reporting cycle, with a median 1L GPA of 3.86.

Schools similar to University of Michigan

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

Columbia University

GPA 3.92 · LSAT 173

Northwestern University

Vanderbilt University

GPA 3.91 · LSAT 170

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