Law School Factoids

William & Mary Law School is one of five graduate and professional schools at the College of William & Mary.

History

• The College of William & Mary is the second oldest college in the United States, founded in 1693.
• The College of William & Mary was the first to offer professional education in law (1779).
• Three early American presidents—Jefferson, Monroe and Tyler—were educated at the College of William & Mary. Jefferson, Monroe, Henry Clay and Chief Justice John Marshall studied law with George Wythe. Wythe became William & Mary’s – and the nation’s – first professor of law in 1779.
• William & Mary Law School is historically known as the Marshall-Wythe School of Law and has been accredited by the ABA since 1932.

Enrollment (2009-10)

• 653 students
• Average age: 25
• From 46 states, the District of Columbia and 12 countries
• 50%/50% male-female ratio
• 19% students of color (self-identified)
• Hold baccalaureate degrees from 264 colleges and universities

Admissions Profile: Class of 2012

• 213 students enrolled from 4,984 applicants
• Median LSAT score: 165 (92nd percentile)
• Median undergraduate GPA: 3.66
• In addition to the J.D. Class of 2012, 25 students are LL.M. candidates. They hail from Azerbaijan, China, Japan, Kuwait, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and Uzbekistan. Read more about the new students welcomed to the Law School in August 2009.

Degrees Awarded

• Juris Doctor (J.D.): full-time, three-year program
• LL.M. in the American Legal System: full-time, two-semester program for lawyers trained outside the United States
• Joint degrees: J.D. - M.B.A. (Master of Business Administration), J.D. - M.P.P. (Master of Public Policy) or J.D. - M.A. (Master of Arts in American Studies)

Institutes and Programs

• Center for Legal and Court Technology
• Election Law Program
• Human Security Law Program
• Institute of Bill of Rights Law 
• Papers of John Marshall and St. George Tucker
• Post-Conflict Justice Program

Faculty

• Distinguished scholars in numerous fields including criminal law, environmental law, constitutional law, human rights, antitrust, legal ethics, intellectual property, international law, and post-conflict justice

Facilities

• The McGlothlin Courtroom is the most technologically advanced in the United States
• The Wolf Law Library: Completed in 2007, the new library has a collection of 380,000 volumes, vast electronic resources and was designed with students in mind. Features abundant seating, two reading rooms, 12 group study rooms, and wireless Internet access on all three floors.
• Furnished, air-conditioned, on-campus graduate apartments with full kitchens

Costs and Financial Aid (2009-10)

• Tuition and fees (Virginia residents): $21,646
• Tuition and fees (nonresidents): $31,846