Why University of Pennsylvania?

Class profile

US News rank

#4

Median GPA

3.95

25th–75th: 3.77–4.00

Median LSAT

172

25th–75th: 167–173

Acceptance rate

9.7%

Class size (FT 1L)

246

Transfers admitted (2025)

8

ABA 2025 reporting cycle

2025 transfer admit profile

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

25th percentile

—

Suppressed (small cohort)

Median

3.82

50th percentile

75th percentile

—

Suppressed (small cohort)

4 1Ls transferred out of University of Pennsylvania in the same cycle — context for how portable University of Pennsylvania's 1L credit is among admissions committees elsewhere.

Top employment markets

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

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

• Advocacy for Racial & Civil Justice Clinic
  Students engage in legal reform and advocacy for social justice.
• Detkin Intellectual Property & Technology Legal Clinic
  Students gain experience in intellectual property and technology law.
• Entrepreneurship Legal Clinic
  Students provide legal services to startups and emerging businesses.
• Interdisciplinary Child Advocacy Clinic
  Students work on cases involving child welfare and advocacy.
• Justice Lab
  Students develop creative, interdisciplinary solutions to systemic legal problems, particularly in state and local law.
• Transnational Legal Clinic
  Students address legal issues that cross national borders.

Notable journals

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

• University of Pennsylvania Law Review— General legal scholarship, one of the nation's oldest legal journals.
• Journal of Business Law— Scholarship on business and corporate law.
• Journal of Constitutional Law— Analysis of American constitutional law and theory.
• Journal of International Law— International law, recognized as a top journal in its field.
• Journal of Law & Innovation— Explores the intersection of law and technology.
• Journal of Law & Public Affairs— Addresses pressing law and policy issues with innovative solutions.
• Journal of Law and Social Change— Focuses on law and social change.
• Asian Law Review— Scholarship on Asian legal systems and issues.

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.

• David S. Abrams
  Law and Economics, Intellectual Property, Criminal Law.
• Anita L. Allen
  Privacy and Data Protection Law, Ethics, Bioethics, Legal Philosophy.
• Tom Baker
  Insurance Law and Policy, Behavioral Economics of Insurance, Torts.
• Mitchell Berman
  American Constitutional Law and Theory, Philosophy of Criminal Law.
• Cary Coglianese
  Administrative Law, Regulatory Policy, Environmental Law.
• Eric A. Feldman
  International Law, Medical Ethics & Health Policy.
• Claire Finkelstein
  National Security Law, Philosophy of Law, Criminal Law.
• Jean Galbraith
  International Law, Foreign Relations Law.
• Allison K. Hoffman
  Health Law, Social Insurance, Employee Benefits.
• Herbert Hovenkamp
  Antitrust Law, Intellectual Property, Legal History.
• Sophia Z. Lee
  Administrative Law, Legal History, Employment Discrimination.
• Gideon Parchomovsky
  Property Law, Intellectual Property, Law and Economics.

What makes University of Pennsylvania distinctive

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

• ·Strong emphasis on a cross-disciplinary curriculum, allowing students to take graduate-level courses at other Penn schools and pursue joint degrees.
• ·Home to the Toll Public Interest Center (TPIC), which oversees the largest pro bono requirement in the country.
• ·Offers more than 20 joint and dual degree programs, including a JD/MBA with the Wharton School.
• ·Features a collegial and supportive community that encourages collaboration and risk-taking.
• ·Faculty members often hold advanced degrees in fields outside of law and have joint appointments across the University.

Frequently asked about University of Pennsylvania

Schools similar to University of Pennsylvania

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