Why Washburn University?
Washburn University School of Law offers a practical, student-centered legal education with a strong emphasis on experiential learning and community service.
Washburn University is a less selective JD program with an acceptance rate of approximately 49.3%. The median entering 1L profile is a 3.68 GPA and 154 LSAT, with the 25th–75th percentile bands at 3.37–3.88 GPA and 150–157 LSAT. The full-time first-year class is approximately 92 students. Recent graduates have placed most heavily in Kansas, Missouri, and Florida — useful context if your geographic preference shapes your school list. In the 2025 ABA reporting cycle, Washburn University admitted 1 transfer student into the 2L class. 4 1Ls transferred out.
Specialty strengths
Class profile
- US News rank
- #108
- Median GPA
- 3.68
- 25th–75th: 3.37–3.88
- Median LSAT
- 154
- 25th–75th: 150–157
- Acceptance rate
- 49.3%
- Class size (FT 1L)
- 92
- Transfers admitted (2025)
- 1
- ABA 2025 reporting cycle
2025 transfer admit profile
Actual GPAs of students Washburn University admitted as transfers in the 2025 ABA cycle.
- 25th percentile
- —
- Suppressed (small cohort)
- Median
- —
- 50th percentile
- 75th percentile
- —
- Suppressed (small cohort)
4 1Ls transferred out of Washburn University in the same cycle — context for how portable Washburn University's 1L credit is among admissions committees elsewhere.
Top employment markets
- 1Kansas
- 2Missouri
- 3Florida
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 Washburn University's practical training. Mention specific clinic names in your "Why Washburn University" essay where they align with your interests.
- Washburn Law Clinic (Civil Practice)Students represent indigent clients in areas such as debtor/creditor, consumer law, landlord/tenant, domestic relations, bankruptcy, adoption, and juvenile law.
- Small Business & Nonprofit Transactional Law ClinicStudents counsel low-income start-ups, small businesses, and nonprofit organizations on entity choice, document drafting, negotiations, and intellectual property matters.
- Criminal Justice ClinicStudents represent indigent defendants in various criminal defense cases, gaining experience in courtroom proceedings and client counseling.
- Criminal Appellate Advocacy ClinicStudents handle felony criminal appeals under the supervision of experienced attorneys, providing exposure to the appellate process.
- Family Justice & Immigration ClinicStudents work on cases related to family law and immigration matters.
Notable journals
Student-edited publications you could write for or cite as a research interest.
- Washburn Law Journal— Scholarly articles on a broad range of legal issues, published by students.
- Washburn Lawyer— An alumni publication.
- Washburn Agricultural Law and Tax Report— Focuses on legal and tax issues relevant to agriculture.
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.
Civil Practice (Clinic Director)
- Michelle Ewert
Criminal Justice (Clinic)
- Matt Bender
Family Justice & Immigration (Clinic)
- Kirby Tyrrell
Small Business & Nonprofit Transactional Law (Clinic)
- Clarissa Harvey
Environmental Law
- James May· also Constitutional Law, Human Dignity Rights
Criminal Law
- John Francis· also Criminal Procedure, Tribal Court Jurisdiction, Clinical Legal Education
Tort Law
- Rory Bahadur
Associate Professor (General)
- Lécia Jandira António Vicente
What makes Washburn University distinctive
Programs, history, or institutional features that set this school apart beyond rank.
- ·Nationally recognized Legal Analysis, Research, and Writing program.
- ·Seven Centers for Excellence: Advocacy, Business & Transactional, Children & Family, Intellectual Property & Technology, International & Comparative, Law & Government, and Oil & Gas.
- ·Third Year Anywhere Enrollment Option, allowing selected students to extern in their desired practice location.
- ·Dual-degree programs including J.D./MBA, J.D./MSW, J.D./MCJ, and J.D./M.Acc.
- ·Spring Start Program offering an alternative to the traditional fall start with greater interaction with professors and fellow students.
Using this for your "Why Washburn University" 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 Washburn University
What is the median GPA and LSAT at Washburn University?▾
Washburn University's most recent entering 1L class had a median GPA of 3.68 and a median LSAT of 154. The 25th–75th percentile range was 3.37–3.88 GPA and 150–157 LSAT. Per ABA 509 disclosures.
What is Washburn University's acceptance rate?▾
Washburn University's most recent reported acceptance rate was approximately 49.3%, per ABA 509 disclosures.
What clinics does Washburn University offer?▾
Washburn University's notable clinical programs include: Washburn Law Clinic (Civil Practice), Small Business & Nonprofit Transactional Law Clinic, Criminal Justice Clinic, Criminal Appellate Advocacy Clinic, Family Justice & Immigration Clinic. Visit the school's official clinical programs page for the full list.
What journals does Washburn University publish?▾
Washburn University's notable student-edited journals include: Washburn Law Journal, Washburn Lawyer, Washburn Agricultural Law and Tax Report.
Where do Washburn University graduates work?▾
Washburn University graduates concentrate employment in Kansas, Missouri, Florida, per the school's most recent ABA 509 employment summary.
How many transfer students does Washburn University admit?▾
Washburn University admitted 1 transfer student into the 2L class in the 2025 ABA reporting cycle.
Schools similar to Washburn University
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 (10) — verify any fact above
- https://www.washburnlaw.edu/academics/clinics/
- https://www.washburnlaw.edu/academics/journals/
- https://www.washburnlaw.edu/faculty/profiles/may-james.html
- https://www.washburnlaw.edu/faculty/profiles/francis-john.html
- https://www.washburnlaw.edu/academics/degrees/jd/index.html
- https://www.washburnlaw.edu/academics/centers/
- https://www.washburnlaw.edu/admissions/whywashburnlaw.html
- https://www.washburnlaw.edu/academics/degrees/llm/index.html
- https://www.washburnlaw.edu/academics/areasofstudy/criminallaw.html
- https://www.washburnlaw.edu/faculty/directory.html
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.