School of Law

• Contact Information
• Admissions
• Scholarships and Financial Aid
• Academic Standards
• Professional and Career Development
• School of Law Faculty  
• Programs and Course Offerings

The essential mission of the University of Pittsburgh School of Law is to help lawyers and legal institutions to meet the demands of a rapidly changing legal and professional environment.  Pitt Law excels in teaching the next generation of diverse legal professionals producing research of impact, and contributing to society through public service.

In serving its students, the school is committed to an active and inclusive spirit of community and to the effective, efficient, and congenial provision of service. In teaching, research, and public service, the School of Law aspires to conduct all of its programs at a nationally prominent level of quality that adds luster to the legal and business communities of Pittsburgh; that makes the school relevant to the key needs of this region’s private, public, and nonprofit sectors; and that distinguishes it as one of the finest public urban law schools in the United States.

For more than 130 years, the School of Law has prepared students to become excellent attorneys and leaders in both the legal profession and in society. Today, Pitt Law builds on this proud history by training lawyers to take on the opportunities and challenges of 21st century legal practice in the United States and around the world.

At Pitt Law we turn out practice-ready lawyers by providing students with both traditional law school classroom experiences designed to develop and hone analytical and communication skills and with experiential learning opportunities in one of our six clinics, which range in subject area from Environmental Law to Family Law to Securities Arbitration. Students who wish to focus their studies can enjoy the numerous benefits of enrolling in one of our five certificate  or concentration programs, with their opportunities for international externships, instruction in litigation skills by teams of top practicing litigators, or membership on a moot court team. Seven joint degree programs, including four partnerships with Carnegie Mellon University, permit students to craft discipline-bridging courses of study in areas including public health, business administration, and international affairs. And Pitt Law students can serve as editors at the award-winning website JURIST, the world’s only Web-based, student-powered legal news source, which is viewed weekly by 100,000 viewers and is based right here at the School of Law.

Among its first-professional degrees, the School of Law offers the Juris Doctor (JD) degree; a number of joint degree programs with other schools of the University and Carnegie Mellon University, leading to both a JD and a master’s degree; and LLM degrees for foreign law graduates as well as several certificate programs. The School of Law also offers graduate programs leading to a Master of Studies in Law (MSL) and a Doctor of Jurisprudence (SJD) degree. For further information on the graduate programs, see the School of Law-Graduate Programs section of this bulletin.

Contact Information

Financial Aid and Admissions are located in the same office at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law.

Office of Admissions and Financial Aid
Barco Law Building
3900 Forbes Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15260

Website:  www.law.pitt.edu

Admissions Information: ((412) 648-1413
Financial Aid Information: (412) 648-1415

Email Admissions: admitlaw@pitt.edu
Email Financial Aid: lawfa@pitt.edu

Office Hours:  8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday

Walk in appointments are available during office hours; however, scheduling an appointment is encouraged. To schedule an appointment, please email, schedule online, or call our office.

Admissions

Pitt Law accepts JD applications from September 1 through May 1, with a priority deadline of February 1 for full scholarship consideration. There is a $65 non-refundable application fee (waivers available by contacting admissions). Applications are submitted through LSAC and reviewed for fall enrollment, with the committee weighing undergraduate coursework, GPA, graduate work, and professional experience.

Testing: Pitt Law accepts the LSAT, GRE, or JD-Next exam. The GRE requires a 3.5 GPA and 85th percentile score. The JD-Next is an eight-week online course culminating in a four-hour exam. The highest LSAT score is used if taken multiple times; scores older than four years are not considered.

Required materials include:

• Official transcripts from all post-high school institutions
• Personal statement (max two double-spaced pages)
• Current resume (professional experience, activities, and awards)
• One letter of recommendation (up to three accepted; academic letters preferred for recent graduates)

Optional materials include addenda addressing community service intent, additional context for the application, or explanations for LSAT scores or grades that don’t reflect true academic ability.

A Character & Fitness addendum is required if any related questions are answered “yes.”

Key dates: Applications open September 1, first decisions go out in early November, the priority scholarship deadline is February 1, FAFSA is due March 1, seat deposits are due April 15, and the final application deadline is May 1.

Transfer Students

The University of Pittsburgh School of Law will accept transfer students after those students have successfully completed the first year of academic study at another law school, and students may apply to visit Pitt Law if he/she has completed two years of law study at another law school and have the permission of the dean of their current school.  For more information, visit our website.

Tuition

Tuition Rates and Fees can be found on the University’s website at https://www.tuition.pitt.edu/graduate/tuition/school-law. In addition to standard tuition, JD students are subject to several law-specific fees: an exam fee, a Public Service Interest fee, a Bar Success fee, and a one-time laptop fee for first-year students.

Financial Aid

Financial aid resources available to students include merit scholarships, endowment scholarships, fellowships, and loans. Students can borrow through both federal and private educational loans.  Please visit the Pitt Law website for more details on financial aid available to law students.

Academic Standards

The School of Law Policy on Written Work for Credit, its Standards of Academic Integrity, the Grading Guidelines, and other academic policies of the school are included in the Policies and Procedures page on the School of Law web site, at https://www.law.pitt.edu/resources/policies-procedures.

Professional and Career Development

The Professional Development Office is dedicated to providing JD students and graduates with the information and tools necessary for successful career development and advancement. Our office assists JD students and graduates in their pursuit of careers in a wide variety of settings, including private law firms, public interest organizations, government agencies, corporate and business environments, judicial clerkships, academia, and non-traditional careers. 

Through an extensive array of services including individual counseling, educational programming, interviewing opportunities, printed and online resources, job posting databases, and a substantial alumni network, the PDO helps educate students and graduates for a lifetime of successful career management. 

The PDO also serves as an intermediary between prospective employers and JD students. By posting job vacancies, scheduling on-campus interviews, sponsoring programs, and participating in and promoting off-campus job fairs, we provide a range of employment prospects. Through ongoing outreach, the PDO Staff endeavors to create ever-increasing employer interest in Pitt Law students and graduates.

Each student will meet with a Career Counselor during their first year and is encouraged to meet with the counselor as often as needed.  As a students begins to develop his or her legal career path they are able to work with an PDO counselor whose background mirrors the student’s desired path.  Our office is open Monday- Friday 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Additionally, PDO has daily walk-in hours.

Location

Barco Law Building
Second Floor
3900 Forbes Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15260
(412) 648-1411 / Phone
PDO@pitt.edu

Programs and Course Offerings

For detailed term-specific course descriptions, please go to the Schedule of Classes Course Lists on the Law School web site.