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Justice is truth in action.
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Washington and Lee Law School
Lexington, Virginia
Rank #35 (USNWR 2022)
JD Admissions & Requirements
Data from 2022 admissions cycle
Washington and Lee Law School is a prestigious JD program located in Lexington, Virginia. In the competitive 2022 law school rankings, Washington and Lee Law School was ranked 35 by US News & World Report, making it a strong option for prospective law students in the current application cycle. For the 2022 admissions cycle, Washington and Lee Law School has an entering 1L class size of approximately 123 with an acceptance rate of 31.4%, positioning it among the competitive law schools for JD applicants.
Also known as
If we desire respect for the law, we must first make the law respectable.
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Wisdom from Washington and Lee Law School Admits
Don’t overthink. Trust the process and do your best. Refuse massive debt! I recommend getting a...
Read moreApril LSAT for same year cycle hurt me with some schools, but 157->168 was worth it for...
Read moreLSAT: took multiple times, 167 highest. GPA: 3.7ish in a STEM field, then flunked out of...
Read moreI went to Maryland Law for my 1L year (2022-2023) and then transferred doing the early decision...
Read more2022-2023 Cycle Overview
Admissions Graphs
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)
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 2022 admissions cycle at Washington and Lee Law School, 2045 candidates submitted JD applications and 669 received acceptance letters. The law school application process here is selective for prospective students with an acceptance rate of 31.4%.
The JD program at Washington and Lee Law School enrolls a first-year class of 123 law students each year, with an admissions yield rate of 17.64%. This means that of the 669 applicants who received law school acceptance letters, 118 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 Washington and Lee 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 |
2045
|
| Admission Offers | 669 |
| Class Size |
123
|
| Acceptance Rate |
31.4%
|
| Yield Rate |
17.64%
|
| Average Statistics by Decision (LSD) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Metric | Rejected | All | Accepted |
| LSAT | 158.95 | 163.9 | 166.38 |
| GPA | 3.34 | 3.59 | 3.64 |
| Softs | T3.15 | T3.34 | T3.32 |
| Avg Scholarship | - | - | $107,240 |
| LSAT & GPA Statistics (ABA 509) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 25th | 50th | 75th | |
|
LSAT
|
159 | 164 | 166 |
|
GPA
|
3.47 | 3.66 | 3.78 |
| LSD User Stats | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Metric | 25th | 50th | 75th |
| LSAT | 161.0 (+2.0) | 164.0 (0.0) | 167.0 (+1.0) |
| GPA | 3.43 (-0.04) | 3.7 (+0.04) | 3.83 (+0.05) |
* Green/Red values show difference from ABA 509 data
| Application Process Statistics | |
|---|---|
| Avg Days: Sent to Decision | 54 days |
| Avg Days: UR to Decision | 48 days |
| Interview Invite Rate | 0.4% |
| Interview → Acceptance Rate | 0.0% |
The above statistics show that Washington and Lee Law School typically admits students with LSAT scores ranging from 159 (25th percentile) to 166 (75th percentile), with a median of 164.
For GPA, admitted students typically have undergraduate GPAs ranging from 3.47 to 3.78, with a median of 3.66.
With an acceptance rate of 31.4%, Washington and Lee Law School is considered a selective 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
Application statuses submitted by LSData users
Showing 458 apps
Overview
JD Employment Rate
First-Time Bar Pass
Median Starting Salary
Employment Quality
JD Required
BigLaw Placement
Federal Clerkships
School-Funded Positions
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 ★ | 106 | 1 | — | — | 107 | 90.7% |
| JD Advantage | 5 | 1 | — | — | 6 | 5.1% |
| Professional | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0.0% |
| Other | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0.0% |
| School-Funded | 0 | 1 | — | — | 1 | 0.8% |
| Total Employed | 111 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 114 | 96.6% |
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 | 57.6% |
|
| Judicial Clerkships | 20.3% |
|
| Government | 5.9% |
|
| Public Interest | 8.5% |
|
| Business | 3.4% |
|
| Academia | 0.8% |
|
Judicial Clerkships
Clerkships by Type
| Clerkship Type | Graduates | % of Class | National Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal | 11 | 9.3% |
|
| State/Local | 13 | 11.0% | — |
Federal clerkships are highly prestigious positions that significantly enhance career prospects in litigation and academia.
Bar Examination Performance
First-Time Pass Rate
Ultimate Pass Rate
Jurisdiction Weighted
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
Public Sector
Career Outcomes Summary
Law school tuition at Washington and Lee Law School is $104k annually (calculated from semester costs). Prospective law students should budget approximately $39k for the total annual cost of attending (including tuition, fees, books, and living expenses).
After completing their JD program at Washington and Lee Law School, graduates entering private law firms earn a median starting salary of $100,000. JD graduates pursuing public sector legal careers start at approximately $60,000. These post-law school employment outcomes are important factors for evaluating the return on investment for your legal education.
For law school applicants interested in specific legal career paths, it's worth noting that 57.6% of Washington and Lee Law School JD graduates secure positions at law firms after graduation. Additionally, 20.3% of graduates obtain prestigious judicial clerkships, and 8.5% pursue public interest law careers. Overall, 95.8% of JD graduates were employed at jobs that required a JD within 10 months of graduation.
For JD graduates from Washington and Lee Law School, the first-time bar exam pass rate is 86.72%. Within two years, 97.2% of graduates ultimately pass the bar exam. The school's first-time pass rate is +8.4% 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.