Located in the San Francisco Bay Area, The University of California at Berkeley Boalt Hall School of Law, or “Berkeley Law” for short, provides a world-class education, low tuition, and a beautiful campus for its students. Its faculty is world-renowned, including recipients of 15 Fullbright and 20 Guggenheim fellowships. In addition, a recent expansion program has brought the student-faculty ratio to 12:1, a low number even among the top 10 law schools. Notable alumni include David Estrada, YouTube managing counsel at Google Inc., and Terdema Ussery, chief executive officer of the Dallas Mavericks. Berkeley Law is highly competitive, with one of the lowest acceptance rates (11%). It is widely considered as one of the top 10 law schools worldwide.
Many of Berkeley’s faculty members take active part in solving some of society’s most complex issues. Since 2004, the school has established six think tanks dedicated to creating practical solutions to problems such as the environment, the economy, social justice, health, technology, and ethnicity.
U.C. Berkeley is especially strong in several fields, including intellectual property law and international law. The law school has pioneered areas of technology-related laws, including clean technology law and other environmental laws as well. Students can easily access the 13 other schools offered by U.C. Berkeley and begin tailoring their classes to suit their interests from the second semester onward.
For more ambitious students, the university offers many opportunities such as clinics, on-campus think tanks, and more than 10 student publications. Students can also apply for the school’s Field Placement program, which lets students gain first-hand work experience in organizations like the Federal Trade Commission and the Sierra Club Environmental Law Program.
The school is located in the heart of San Francisco, so taking a break from studying is easy. Students can take quick trips to town for relaxing at the beach, fine dining, or shopping. Students also have the option to live in nearby university-owned housing, although many choose to live off-campus.
Specialties: Intellectual property, environmental and international law
Tuition: $44,244 (resident), $52,244 (non-resident)
Number of Applications: 7,253
Percentage Offered Admission: 11%
Total Enrolment: 916
GPA 75th / 25th percentiles: 3.87 / 3.64
LSAT 75th / 25th percentiles: 170 / 162
Application Deadline: February 1
Application Fee: $75
Admissions Page: http://www.law.berkeley.edu/admissions.htm
Greg Smith
Greg took the LSAT in 2002 receiving a high score that got him into the law school of his choice. This led him to teach LSAT classes while attending law school at the University of British Columbia and continued teaching while practicing law with top international law firms Borden Ladner Gervais LLP and later Blake Cassels & Graydon LLP, in the area of Securities and Capital Markets. Read more
