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Washington and Lee Law School logo

Washington and Lee Law School

Lexington, Virginia

Rank #35 (USNWR 2022)

164
LSAT
3.66
GPA
31.4%
Admit Rate
25th, 50th, 75th lines show admitted class %iles

JD Admissions & Requirements

Data from 2022 admissions cycle

164
LSAT
3.66
GPA
31.4%
Admit Rate

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
WASHINGTON AND LEE UNIVERSITY W&L wnl
Law School Applications
2045
JD application volume in 2022 cycle
JD Acceptance Rate
31.4%
70th percentile
JD Program Size
123
18th percentile
JD Tuition Cost
$104k

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Washington and Lee Law School Law School Admissions Data & Statistics
2022-2023 Cycle Overview
458 applicants
Accepted
14 / 103
Waitlisted
92
Rejected
45
-
Withdrawn
152
-

Admissions Graphs

25th, 50th, 75th lines show admitted class %iles

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
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  • Toggle series: Click on any legend item to show/hide that category (accepted, waitlisted, rejected, unknown)
Advanced Features:
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  • 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
65th percentile
Admission Offers 669
Class Size
123
18th percentile
Acceptance Rate
31.4%
70th percentile
Yield Rate
17.64%
5th percentile
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
* Softs are self-reported ratings (T1-T4) representing non-numeric application factors
LSAT & GPA Statistics (ABA 509)
25th 50th 75th
LSAT
79th percentile
159 164 166
GPA
52nd percentile
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)
* Based on 458 self-reported applications
* 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

Washington and Lee Law School Application Status Data

Application statuses submitted by LSData users

Showing 458 apps

Washington and Lee Law School Law School Employment Outcomes

Overview

JD Employment Rate

95.8%
93rd percentile

First-Time Bar Pass

86.72%
71st percentile

Median Starting Salary

$100,000
Private Sector
80th percentile

Employment Quality

JD Required

89.8%
90th percentile

BigLaw Placement

22.9%
85th percentile

Federal Clerkships

9.3%
93rd percentile

School-Funded Positions

0.8%

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%
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 57.6%
74th percentile
Judicial Clerkships 20.3%
90th percentile
Government 5.9%
14th percentile
Public Interest 8.5%
58th percentile
Business 3.4%
9th percentile
Academia 0.8%
34th percentile

Judicial Clerkships

Clerkships by Type

Clerkship Type Graduates % of Class National Rank
Federal 11 9.3%
93rd percentile
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
86.72%
71st percentile
Takers: 128
Passed: 111
vs State Avg +8.4%
Ultimate Pass Rate
97.2%
85th percentile
Takers: 107
Passed: 104
Within 2 years
Jurisdiction Weighted
78.29%
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
Median Salary $100,000
80th percentile
25th Percentile $80,000
86th percentile
Public Sector
Median Salary $60,000
59th percentile

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.

Law school: Where you spend three years learning to think like a lawyer, then a lifetime trying to think like a human again.

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