Why Vermont Law School?
Vermont Law School is nationally recognized for its environmental law program and offers extensive experiential learning opportunities with a strong focus on social and restorative justice.
Vermont Law School is a less selective JD program with an acceptance rate of approximately 60.9%. The median entering 1L profile is a 3.25 GPA and 154 LSAT, with the 25th–75th percentile bands at 2.81–3.61 GPA and 149–158 LSAT. The full-time first-year class is approximately 170 students. Recent graduates have placed most heavily in Vermont, New York, and Alaska — useful context if your geographic preference shapes your school list. In the 2025 ABA reporting cycle, Vermont Law School admitted 1 transfer student into the 2L class.
Specialty strengths
Class profile
- US News rank
- #154
- Median GPA
- 3.25
- 25th–75th: 2.81–3.61
- Median LSAT
- 154
- 25th–75th: 149–158
- Acceptance rate
- 60.9%
- Class size (FT 1L)
- 170
- Transfers admitted (2025)
- 1
- ABA 2025 reporting cycle
2025 transfer admit profile
Actual GPAs of students Vermont Law School admitted as transfers in the 2025 ABA cycle.
- 25th percentile
- —
- Suppressed (small cohort)
- Median
- —
- 50th percentile
- 75th percentile
- —
- Suppressed (small cohort)
Top employment markets
- 1Vermont
- 2New York
- 3Alaska
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 Vermont Law School's practical training. Mention specific clinic names in your "Why Vermont Law School" essay where they align with your interests.
- Environmental Advocacy ClinicStudents work on environmental issues, representing clients in litigation and policy advocacy.
- Environmental Justice ClinicStudents represent disenfranchised communities fighting racial and economic disparities in the distribution of pollution.
- South Royalton Legal ClinicA poverty law division providing legal assistance to low-income Vermonters in various civil legal areas, including immigration, domestic violence, and veterans' issues.
- Energy ClinicStudents engage in real-world energy law and policy issues, often related to clean energy development.
- Farmed Animal Advocacy ClinicStudents work on legal issues related to the welfare and protection of farmed animals.
- Small Business Law ClinicProvides legal assistance to entrepreneurs and small businesses, often with a focus on sustainable environmental impact.
Notable journals
Student-edited publications you could write for or cite as a research interest.
- Vermont Law Review— Publishes scholarly articles and student notes on a diverse range of legal issues, often covering environmental or Vermont-specific law.
- Vermont Journal of Environmental Law— Provides an accessible forum to discuss contemporary environmental issues and environmental justice.
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.
Food and Agricultural Law and Policy
- Laurie Beyranevand
Environmental Law
- Pat Parenteau· also Climate Policy
- Christophe Courchesne· also Environmental Justice
Public Policy
- Stephen Pimpare
Environmental Justice
- Marianne Engelman Lado· also Civil Rights
Justice Reform
- Brett Stokes· also Immigration Law
Farm & Energy Initiative
- Genevieve Byrne
Criminal Law and Procedure
- David Cahill· also Restorative Justice
Law
- Jared Carter
- Stephanie E. Kupferman
What makes Vermont Law School distinctive
Programs, history, or institutional features that set this school apart beyond rank.
- ·Home to the top-ranked Environmental Law Center, offering the most comprehensive environmental law program in the country.
- ·Offers an Accelerated Juris Doctor (JD) program allowing students to graduate in two years.
- ·Provides a Master of Environmental Law and Policy (MELP), Master of Energy Regulation and Law (MERL), and Master of Food and Agriculture Law and Policy (MFALP) degrees.
- ·Strong emphasis on experiential learning through a wide array of clinics and externships, with every student required to take at least six clinic or externship credits.
- ·Offers a Master of Arts in Restorative Justice (MARJ) degree program, combining restorative justice practices with traditional law courses.
Using this for your "Why Vermont Law School" 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 Vermont Law School
What is the median GPA and LSAT at Vermont Law School?▾
Vermont Law School's most recent entering 1L class had a median GPA of 3.25 and a median LSAT of 154. The 25th–75th percentile range was 2.81–3.61 GPA and 149–158 LSAT. Per ABA 509 disclosures.
What is Vermont Law School's acceptance rate?▾
Vermont Law School's most recent reported acceptance rate was approximately 60.9%, per ABA 509 disclosures.
What clinics does Vermont Law School offer?▾
Vermont Law School's notable clinical programs include: Environmental Advocacy Clinic, Environmental Justice Clinic, South Royalton Legal Clinic, Energy Clinic, Farmed Animal Advocacy Clinic. Visit the school's official clinical programs page for the full list.
What journals does Vermont Law School publish?▾
Vermont Law School's notable student-edited journals include: Vermont Law Review, Vermont Journal of Environmental Law.
Where do Vermont Law School graduates work?▾
Vermont Law School graduates concentrate employment in Vermont, New York, Alaska, per the school's most recent ABA 509 employment summary.
How many transfer students does Vermont Law School admit?▾
Vermont Law School admitted 1 transfer student into the 2L class in the 2025 ABA reporting cycle.
Schools similar to Vermont Law School
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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Try Case Cub free →Sources (7) — verify any fact above
- https://www.vermontlaw.edu/
- https://www.vermontlaw.edu/academics/clinics-externships
- https://www.vermontlaw.edu/academics/journals
- https://www.vermontlaw.edu/academics/specializations
- https://www.vermontlaw.edu/faculty-staff
- https://www.vermontlaw.edu/academics/online-learning
- https://www.vermontlaw.edu/academics/degrees
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.