Why University of Tennessee?
The University of Tennessee College of Law is a national leader in clinical legal education, offering extensive hands-on experience and a strong commitment to public service.
University of Tennessee is a selective JD program with an acceptance rate of approximately 33.2%. The median entering 1L profile is a 3.89 GPA and 160 LSAT, with the 25th–75th percentile bands at 3.67–3.95 GPA and 156–162 LSAT. The full-time first-year class is approximately 136 students. Recent graduates have placed most heavily in Tennessee, Georgia, and North Carolina — useful context if your geographic preference shapes your school list. In the 2025 ABA reporting cycle, University of Tennessee admitted 2 transfer students into the 2L class. 2 1Ls transferred out.
Specialty strengths
Class profile
- US News rank
- #57
- Median GPA
- 3.89
- 25th–75th: 3.67–3.95
- Median LSAT
- 160
- 25th–75th: 156–162
- Acceptance rate
- 33.2%
- Class size (FT 1L)
- 136
- Transfers admitted (2025)
- 2
- ABA 2025 reporting cycle
2025 transfer admit profile
Actual GPAs of students University of Tennessee admitted as transfers in the 2025 ABA cycle.
- 25th percentile
- —
- Suppressed (small cohort)
- Median
- —
- 50th percentile
- 75th percentile
- —
- Suppressed (small cohort)
2 1Ls transferred out of University of Tennessee in the same cycle — context for how portable University of Tennessee's 1L credit is among admissions committees elsewhere.
Top employment markets
- 1Tennessee
- 2Georgia
- 3North Carolina
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 Tennessee's practical training. Mention specific clinic names in your "Why University of Tennessee" essay where they align with your interests.
- UT Legal Clinic (Advocacy Clinic)Third-year law students represent real clients in civil, juvenile, and criminal matters under faculty supervision, gaining comprehensive lawyering skills.
- Transactional Law ClinicStudents provide business-related legal services to individuals and enterprises, focusing on drafting contracts, securing intellectual property rights, and obtaining tax-exempt status.
- Domestic Violence ClinicLaw students represent victims of domestic violence in contested hearings and trials to help them gain orders of protection and related matters.
- Wills ClinicStudents assist individuals with estate planning, including drafting wills and other related documents.
- Mediation ClinicStudents gain experience in alternative dispute resolution by participating in mediation processes.
Notable journals
Student-edited publications you could write for or cite as a research interest.
- Tennessee Law Review— Oldest legal publication in Tennessee, covering a broad range of national and state legal developments.
- Transactions: The Tennessee Journal of Business Law— Published in association with the Clayton Center for Entrepreneurial Law, focusing on business law issues.
- The Tennessee Journal of Race, Gender & Social Justice— An interdisciplinary academic platform focusing on legal issues affecting people of different races, genders, and other social forces.
- Tennessee Journal of Law and Policy— Explores issues at the intersection of law and public policy.
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.
Dean and Elvin E. Overton Distinguished Professor of Law
- Lonnie T. Brown, Jr.
Health Law
- Valarie Blake· also Disability, Civil Rights, Health Justice
Criminal Law
- Donna Coker· also Gender, and Race Inequality
Health Law and Policy
- Zack Buck· also Bioethics, Tort Law
Antitrust Law
- Maurice Stucke· also Competition Policy, Algorithmic Collusion
Poverty Law
- Wendy Bach· also Criminal Justice
Clinical Legal Education
- Joy Radice· also Access to Justice
Transactional Law
- Eric Amarante· also Business and Nonprofit Law
- Brian Krumm· also Business and Nonprofit Law
What makes University of Tennessee distinctive
Programs, history, or institutional features that set this school apart beyond rank.
- ·The UT Legal Clinic is one of the longest continuously operating for-credit clinics in the country.
- ·Offers academic concentrations in Advocacy and Dispute Resolution and Business Transactions.
- ·Provides several dual-degree programs, including JD/MBA, JD/MA (Philosophy), JD/MPH, and JD/MPPA.
- ·Features the Clayton Center for Entrepreneurial Law, offering integrated courses and hands-on experience in business law.
- ·The Appalachian Justice Research Center (AJRC) is a transdisciplinary collaborative dedicated to advancing justice and equity in Appalachia and the Mountain South.
Using this for your "Why University of Tennessee" 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 Tennessee
What is the median GPA and LSAT at University of Tennessee?▾
University of Tennessee's most recent entering 1L class had a median GPA of 3.89 and a median LSAT of 160. The 25th–75th percentile range was 3.67–3.95 GPA and 156–162 LSAT. Per ABA 509 disclosures.
What is University of Tennessee's acceptance rate?▾
University of Tennessee's most recent reported acceptance rate was approximately 33.2%, per ABA 509 disclosures.
What clinics does University of Tennessee offer?▾
University of Tennessee's notable clinical programs include: UT Legal Clinic (Advocacy Clinic), Transactional Law Clinic, Domestic Violence Clinic, Wills Clinic, Mediation Clinic. Visit the school's official clinical programs page for the full list.
What journals does University of Tennessee publish?▾
University of Tennessee's notable student-edited journals include: Tennessee Law Review, Transactions: The Tennessee Journal of Business Law, The Tennessee Journal of Race, Gender & Social Justice, Tennessee Journal of Law and Policy.
Where do University of Tennessee graduates work?▾
University of Tennessee graduates concentrate employment in Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina, per the school's most recent ABA 509 employment summary.
How many transfer students does University of Tennessee admit?▾
University of Tennessee admitted 2 transfer students into the 2L class in the 2025 ABA reporting cycle.
Schools similar to University of Tennessee
Other schools at a comparable rank tier — useful for building a transfer list, balanced 0L application list, or essay-research shortlist.
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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.