Why West Virginia University?

West Virginia University College of Law is the state's only law school, offering a tight-knit community and unique opportunities with a strong emphasis on justice, ethics, professionalism, and service, preparing practice-ready lawyers.

West Virginia University is a moderately selective JD program with an acceptance rate of approximately 41.1%. The median entering 1L profile is a 3.65 GPA and 155 LSAT, with the 25th–75th percentile bands at 3.34–3.89 GPA and 152–158 LSAT. The full-time first-year class is approximately 103 students. Recent graduates have placed most heavily in West Virginia, Ohio, and Pennsylvania — useful context if your geographic preference shapes your school list. In the 2025 ABA reporting cycle, West Virginia University admitted 1 transfer student into the 2L class.

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Specialty strengths

Energy and Sustainable Development LawPublic Interest LawCivil Litigation and AdvocacyEnvironmental LawTrial Advocacy

Class profile

US News rank: #124
Median GPA: 3.65; 25th–75th: 3.34–3.89
Median LSAT: 155; 25th–75th: 152–158
Acceptance rate: 41.1%
Class size (FT 1L): 103
Transfers admitted (2025): 1; ABA 2025 reporting cycle

2025 transfer admit profile

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

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

Top employment markets

1West Virginia
2Ohio
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 West Virginia University's practical training. Mention specific clinic names in your "Why West Virginia University" essay where they align with your interests.

General Litigation Clinic
Provides legal services in family law, social security, public benefits, property issues, consumer debt relief, and bankruptcy.
Immigration Law Clinic
Offers legal assistance in immigration matters.
West Virginia Innocence Project
Works to exonerate individuals who have been wrongly convicted.
Land Use and Sustainable Development Clinic
Provides transactional representation to clients regarding land and water protection and land use planning initiatives.
U.S. Supreme Court Clinic
Offers students the opportunity to work on cases before the United States Supreme Court.
Veterans Advocacy Clinic
Assists veterans with legal issues.

Notable journals

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

West Virginia Law Review— Publishes articles of interest to legal scholars, students, legislators, and the practicing Bar, and is the fourth oldest law review in the United States.
West Virginia Law Review Online— Publishes articles focusing on West Virginia legal issues, often shorter than traditional law review articles.

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.

Environmental Law

Ann Eisenberg· also Administrative Law, Energy Law

Water Law

Jesse Richardson· also Land Use Law, Property Law

Labor Law

Anne Marie Lofaso· also Employment Law, Constitutional Law

Constitutional Law

Robert M. Bastress· also Civil Rights

Criminal Law

Charles R. DiSalvo· also Ethics

Legal History

Matthew Titolo· also Property, Environmental Law

Legal Research & Writing

Jessica Haught· also Appellate Advocacy

Land Use

Alison Peck· also Environmental Law, Clinical Education
Katherine Garvey· also Environmental Law, Clinical Education

What makes West Virginia University distinctive

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

·As the only law school in West Virginia, it offers unmatched opportunities and connections within the state's legal community.
·Offers an award-winning Clinical Law Program with nine clinics, providing over 40,000 hours of free legal aid annually.
·Features a U.S. Supreme Court Clinic, one of only about 15 such clinics in the country.
·Provides dual degree programs, allowing students to combine their JD with other graduate degrees.
·Emphasizes practice-ready skills through a rigorous curriculum, clinical experiences, externships, and simulated course offerings.

Using this for your "Why West Virginia 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 West Virginia University

What is the median GPA and LSAT at West Virginia University?▾

West Virginia University's most recent entering 1L class had a median GPA of 3.65 and a median LSAT of 155. The 25th–75th percentile range was 3.34–3.89 GPA and 152–158 LSAT. Per ABA 509 disclosures.

What is West Virginia University's acceptance rate?▾

West Virginia University's most recent reported acceptance rate was approximately 41.1%, per ABA 509 disclosures.

What clinics does West Virginia University offer?▾

West Virginia University's notable clinical programs include: General Litigation Clinic, Immigration Law Clinic, West Virginia Innocence Project, Land Use and Sustainable Development Clinic, U.S. Supreme Court Clinic. Visit the school's official clinical programs page for the full list.

What journals does West Virginia University publish?▾

West Virginia University's notable student-edited journals include: West Virginia Law Review, West Virginia Law Review Online.

Where do West Virginia University graduates work?▾

West Virginia University graduates concentrate employment in West Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, per the school's most recent ABA 509 employment summary.

How many transfer students does West Virginia University admit?▾

West Virginia University admitted 1 transfer student into the 2L class in the 2025 ABA reporting cycle.

Schools similar to West Virginia University

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

#124

Indiana University - Indianapolis

GPA 3.58 · LSAT 154

#124

University of Louisville

GPA 3.67 · LSAT 156

#124

University of Mississippi

University of South Dakota

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Sources (6) — 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.