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Ethics is knowing the difference between what you have a right to do and what is right to do.
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Stanford Law School
Stanford, California
Rank #1 (USNWR 2023)
173
LSAT
3.95
GPA
6.9%
Admit Rate
25th, 50th, 75th lines show admitted class %iles
JD Admissions & Requirements
Data from 2023 admissions cycle
173
LSAT
3.95
GPA
6.9%
Admit Rate
Stanford Law School is a prestigious JD program located in Stanford, California. In the competitive 2023 law school rankings, Stanford Law School was ranked 1 by US News & World Report, making it a top-tier law school for admissions-focused applicants. For the 2023 admissions cycle, Stanford Law School has an entering 1L class size of approximately 174 with an acceptance rate of 6.9%, positioning it among the competitive law schools for JD applicants.
Also known as
STANFORD UNIVERSITY
SLS
Law School Applications
4863
JD application volume in 2023 cycle
JD Acceptance Rate
6.9%
JD Program Size
174
JD Tuition Cost
$143k
Every accomplishment starts with the decision to try.
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Wisdom from Stanford Law School Admits
3.61 / 173 • Stanford University • 5 months ago
blackletterlaw left no wisdom for posterity… (◕︵◕) Do not let me and the advice I’ve written...
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4.15 / 180 • Stanford University • 5 months ago
Make sure you have specific* *- and meaningful reasons for wanting to go to law school and that...
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4.1 / 172 • Stanford University • 1 week ago
Hi! If you’re reading this, I hope my advice is at least a little bit helpful to you! I realize...
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R
3.96 / 168 • Stanford University • 5 months ago
Take as much time as you need for the LSAT, start very early or reapply if you can/need to, and...
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3.98 / 175 • University of Pennsylvania • 5 months ago
Definitely the right decision to take the money, hurt like hell turning down HLS/SLS though....
Read more
Stanford Law School Law School Admissions Data & Statistics
2023-2024 Cycle Overview
1167 applicants
Accepted
41
/
99
Waitlisted
131
Rejected
403
-
Withdrawn
103
-
Admissions Graphs
Drag the handle in the bottom right of the chart to resize
25th, 50th, 75th lines show admitted class %iles
25th, 50th, 75th lines show admitted class %iles
Filters
LSAT Score: Law School Admission Test score (120-180 scale)
GPA: Undergraduate Grade Point Average (0.0-4.3+ scale)
Drag the handle in the bottom right of the chart to resize
This chart shows when decisions were made throughout the application cycle. Use the filters above to refine the data.
How to Use These Graphs
Graph Navigation:
- Zoom: Click and drag to zoom into a specific area
- Reset zoom: Double-click anywhere on the graph
- View details: Hover over any point to see detailed information
- Visit profile: Click on any point to open that user's profile page
- Toggle series: Click on any legend item to show/hide that category (accepted, waitlisted, rejected, unknown)
Advanced Features:
- Colorblind mode: Toggle on in the controls above for an alternative color palette
- Export/Print: Click the menu in the top-right corner of any graph to download or print
- Cycle selection: Use the dropdown in the controls above to view data from different application cycles
- Demographic filters: Filter by International, URM, Military, or Early Decision status to compare specific groups
- Custom axes: On the LSAT vs. GPA graph, select different metrics to compare (dates, scholarships, etc.)
- Compare your stats: Your own stats will appear as a blue diamond when viewing these graphs
Selectivity & Competitiveness Trends
How to interpret this chart:
- LSAT (blue): Shows the 25th/50th/75th percentiles as a shaded band with median line. Hover to see exact values in format: 165/170/175
- GPA (green): Shows the 25th/50th/75th percentiles as a shaded band with median line. Hover to see exact values in format: 3.45/3.65/3.85
- Acceptance Rate (orange): Percentage of applicants who received offers (lower = more selective)
- Applications (purple dashed): Total number of applications received each year
Rising LSAT/GPA medians, narrowing bands, or falling acceptance rates indicate increasing competitiveness. Click legend items to show/hide metrics.
For law school applicants interested in the 2023 admissions cycle at Stanford Law School, 4863 candidates submitted JD applications and 353 received acceptance letters. The law school application process here is highly competitive for prospective students with an acceptance rate of 6.9%.
The JD program at Stanford Law School enrolls a first-year class of 174 law students each year, with an admissions yield rate of 44.48%. This means that of the 353 applicants who received law school acceptance letters, 157 chose to enroll. Understanding these law school admission statistics can help prospective JD applicants evaluate their chances and plan their application strategy.
For a competitive law school application to Stanford Law School, students should aim to meet or exceed the median statistics shown below. Meeting these GPA and LSAT targets significantly improves your chances of admission.
JD Admission Requirements & Application Statistics
| Admissions Metrics (ABA 509) | |
|---|---|
| Metric | Value |
| Applications |
4863
|
| Admission Offers | 353 |
| Class Size |
174
|
| Acceptance Rate |
6.9%
|
| Yield Rate |
44.48%
|
| Average Statistics by Decision (LSD) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Metric | Rejected | All | Accepted |
| LSAT | 171.04 | 171.62 | 174.02 |
| GPA | 3.79 | 3.83 | 3.92 |
| Softs | T3.13 | T3.16 | T3.03 |
| Avg Scholarship | - | - | $181,607 |
* Softs are self-reported ratings (T1-T4) representing non-numeric application factors
| LSAT & GPA Statistics (ABA 509) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 25th | 50th | 75th | |
|
LSAT
|
171 | 173 | 175 |
|
GPA
|
3.83 | 3.95 | 3.99 |
| LSD User Stats | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Metric | 25th | 50th | 75th |
| LSAT | 170.0 (-1.0) | 172.0 (-1.0) | 175.0 (0.0) |
| GPA | 3.75 (-0.08) | 3.89 (-0.06) | 3.98 (-0.01) |
* Based on 1167 self-reported applications
* Green/Red values show difference from ABA 509 data
* Green/Red values show difference from ABA 509 data
| Application Process Statistics | |
|---|---|
| Avg Days: Sent to Decision | 133 days |
| Avg Days: UR to Decision | 120 days |
| Interview Invite Rate | 0.0% |
| Interview → Acceptance Rate | - |
The above statistics show that Stanford Law School typically admits students with LSAT scores ranging from 171 (25th percentile) to 175 (75th percentile), with a median of 173.
For GPA, admitted students typically have undergraduate GPAs ranging from 3.83 to 3.99, with a median of 3.95.
With an acceptance rate of 6.9%, Stanford Law School is considered a highly competitive law school in terms of admissions.
What these numbers mean
- Percentiles: The 25th/50th/75th percentiles show the distribution of scores among admitted students.
- Applications: Total number of people who applied to this law school.
- Acceptance Rate: Percentage of applicants who received offers (lower = more selective).
- Yield Rate: Percentage of admitted students who enrolled (higher = more desirable).
Application Status Data
Stanford Law School Application Status Data
Application statuses submitted by LSData users
Showing 1167 apps
Stanford Law School Law School Employment Outcomes
Overview
Employment Statistics Notice
7.7% of employed graduates are in school-funded positions, which may temporarily inflate employment rates.
JD Employment Rate
88.0%
First-Time Bar Pass
94.41%
Median Starting Salary
-
Private Sector
Employment Quality
JD Required
83.6%
BigLaw Placement
45.9%
Federal Clerkships
20.8%
School-Funded Positions
7.7%
Employment Quality Distribution
Law Firm Employment by Size
Employment Quality Matrix
| Employment Type | Full-Time Long-Term |
Full-Time Short-Term |
Part-Time Long-Term |
Part-Time Short-Term |
Total | % of Grads |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bar Required ★ | 153 | 1 | — | — | 154 | 84.2% |
| JD Advantage | 7 | 0 | — | — | 7 | 3.8% |
| Professional | — | — | — | — | 3 | 1.6% |
| Other | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0.0% |
| School-Funded | 12 | 2 | — | — | 14 | 7.7% |
| Total Employed | 172 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 178 | 97.3% |
School-Funded: May inflate stats
Generally, if you attend law school, you want to secure a bar-required position. However, at prestigious institutions, students may target specific JD advantage positions such as private equity or elite consulting roles.
Employment by Sector
Distribution
Sector Details
| Employment Sector | % of Graduates | National Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Law Firms | 53.0% |
|
| Judicial Clerkships | 24.0% |
|
| Government | 3.8% |
|
| Public Interest | 13.1% |
|
| Business | 2.7% |
|
| Academia | 0.5% |
|
Judicial Clerkships
Clerkships by Type
| Clerkship Type | Graduates | % of Class | National Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal | 38 | 20.8% |
|
| State/Local | 6 | 3.3% | — |
Federal clerkships are highly prestigious positions that significantly enhance career prospects in litigation and academia.
Bar Examination Performance
First-Time Pass Rate
94.41%
Takers:
179
Passed:
169
vs State Avg
+18.6%
Ultimate Pass Rate
100.0%
Takers:
170
Passed:
170
Within 2 years
Jurisdiction Weighted
75.86%
State average for jurisdictions where graduates took the bar
Understanding bar passage metrics
• First-time: Immediate readiness indicator
• Ultimate: Long-term success within 2 years
• vs State: Performance relative to state average
Bar Passage Rates Comparison
Salary Outcomes
Private Sector
No data available
Public Sector
No data available
Career Outcomes Summary
Law school tuition at Stanford Law School is $143k annually (calculated from semester costs). Prospective law students should budget approximately $95k for the total annual cost of attending (including tuition, fees, books, and living expenses).
For JD graduates from Stanford Law School, the first-time bar exam pass rate is 94.41%. Within two years, 100.0% of graduates ultimately pass the bar exam. The school's first-time pass rate is +18.6% compared to the weighted state average. These bar passage metrics are important indicators of how well the law school prepares its students for this crucial professional licensing examination.