Why University of San Francisco?

The University of San Francisco School of Law offers a practical, social justice-oriented legal education, leveraging its San Francisco location for innovation in technology law and recently integrating generative AI into its core curriculum.

University of San Francisco is a moderately selective JD program with an acceptance rate of approximately 46.4%. The median entering 1L profile is a 3.47 GPA and 155 LSAT, with the 25th–75th percentile bands at 3.16–3.68 GPA and 152–158 LSAT. The full-time first-year class is approximately 135 students. Recent graduates have placed most heavily in California, Colorado, and Washington, DC — useful context if your geographic preference shapes your school list. In the 2025 ABA reporting cycle, University of San Francisco admitted 3 transfer students into the 2L class. 7 1Ls transferred out.

Visit University of San Francisco's site

Specialty strengths

Intellectual Property and Technology LawPublic Interest and Social JusticeInternational and Comparative LawTax LawAI and Emerging Technology Law

Class profile

US News rank: #156
Median GPA: 3.47; 25th–75th: 3.16–3.68
Median LSAT: 155; 25th–75th: 152–158
Acceptance rate: 46.4%
Class size (FT 1L): 135
Transfers admitted (2025): 3; ABA 2025 reporting cycle

2025 transfer admit profile

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

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

7 1Ls transferred out of University of San Francisco in the same cycle — context for how portable University of San Francisco's 1L credit is among admissions committees elsewhere.

Top employment markets

1California
2Colorado
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 San Francisco's practical training. Mention specific clinic names in your "Why University of San Francisco" essay where they align with your interests.

Criminal Justice Clinic
Students work alongside public defenders in criminal defense cases.
Housing Justice Practicum
Students represent tenants as tenant rights attorneys.
Immigration & Deportation Defense Clinic
Students advocate for immigrants, particularly unaccompanied children and women seeking asylum.
CREATE Law Clinic
Focuses on supporting creators, entrepreneurs, technologists, and small businesses with intellectual property and technology law.
Frank C. Newman International Human Rights Law Clinic
Students engage in international human rights advocacy, including presenting research to the United Nations.
Racial Justice Clinic
Students work on cases related to racial justice issues.

Notable journals

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

USF Law Review— General legal scholarship, published four times a year.
Intellectual Property and Technology Law Journal— Current trends in intellectual property law, including patents and cyberspace law.
USF Maritime Law Journal— Maritime law developments and Ninth Circuit cases pertaining to maritime 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.

Criminal Justice

Lara Bazelon· also Wrongful Convictions, Prosecutorial Ethics

Criminal Procedure

Richard Leo· also False Confessions

Intellectual Property and Technology Law

Tiffany Li· also AI Ethics, Privacy Law
Susan Freiwald· also Privacy Law

Immigration Law

Bill Hing· also Critical Race Theory

Property Law

George Bach· also Land Use, Environmental Law

Constitutional Law

Julie Nice· also Poverty Law, Social Justice

Legal Research

Megan Hutchinson· also Writing, and Analysis, AI in Law
Nicole Phillips· also Writing, and Analysis, AI in Law

What makes University of San Francisco distinctive

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

·Located in San Francisco, providing access to federal, state, and local government agencies, courts, and innovation centers.
·Integrated Generative AI (GenAI) into the first-year Legal Research, Writing, and Analysis (LRWA) curriculum.
·Strong commitment to social justice and ethical conduct, rooted in its Jesuit tradition.
·Offers dual degree programs including a JD/MBA and a JD/Master of Urban & Public Affairs (MUPA).
·Features the Center for Law, Tech, and Social Good, focusing on the intersection of technology, law, and societal impact.

Using this for your "Why University of San Francisco" 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 San Francisco

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

University of San Francisco's most recent entering 1L class had a median GPA of 3.47 and a median LSAT of 155. The 25th–75th percentile range was 3.16–3.68 GPA and 152–158 LSAT. Per ABA 509 disclosures.

What is University of San Francisco's acceptance rate?▾

University of San Francisco's most recent reported acceptance rate was approximately 46.4%, per ABA 509 disclosures.

What clinics does University of San Francisco offer?▾

University of San Francisco's notable clinical programs include: Criminal Justice Clinic, Housing Justice Practicum, Immigration & Deportation Defense Clinic, CREATE Law Clinic, Frank C. Newman International Human Rights Law Clinic. Visit the school's official clinical programs page for the full list.

What journals does University of San Francisco publish?▾

University of San Francisco's notable student-edited journals include: USF Law Review, Intellectual Property and Technology Law Journal, USF Maritime Law Journal.

Where do University of San Francisco graduates work?▾

University of San Francisco graduates concentrate employment in California, Colorado, Washington, DC, per the school's most recent ABA 509 employment summary.

How many transfer students does University of San Francisco admit?▾

University of San Francisco admitted 3 transfer students into the 2L class in the 2025 ABA reporting cycle.

Schools similar to University of San Francisco

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

#156

Oklahoma City University

GPA 3.56 · LSAT 148

#156

University of North Dakota

GPA 3.48 · LSAT 150

#154

Southwestern Law School

Widener University-delaware

GPA 3.33 · LSAT 150

#159

Unt Dallas College of Law

GPA 3.41 · LSAT 152

About to start at University of San Francisco?

Case Cub is the AI study platform built for the 1L grind: case briefs, issue spotters, flashcards, outline generators. Walk into your first finals already practiced.

Try Case Cub free →

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.