Ohio Northern University, Claude W. Pettit College of Law Admission
Ohio Northern University, Claude W. Pettit College of Law Undergraduate Program
Ohio Northern University, Claude W. Pettit College of Law Application

The Facts

Ohio Northern University is a rather small, private institution located in the town of Ada, Ohio, and is affiliated with the Methodist church. The university has a combined graduate and undergraduate population of over 8,000 students, however, the university's Claude W. Pettit College of Law is significantly smaller, and is home to about 310 graduate law students. The average age of enrollment is around 25, and it is quite rare for any students to enter the school directly from their undergraduate education. The school is perhaps best known for its intimate atmosphere, its wonderful research resources, as well as for its excellent clinic and externship program. The school offers degrees in the 3 year JD, as well as the 1 year LLM. Some of the most popular programs of study include courses in the areas of capital punishment, civil procedure, commercial law, constitutional law, corporation securities law, criminal law, environmental law, human rights law, intellectual property law, international law, labor law, legal history, legal philosophy, property, as well as taxation.

Admission to Ohio Northern University's Pettit College of law is quite competitive among those who apply; last year, over 1,538 students applied for admission to the school, and approximately 422 of those students were accepted. Eventually however, only about 120 of the admitted students actually enrolled for the coming semester. The admitted students had an average LSAT score ranging from 150 to 156, as well as an average undergraduate GPA of about a 3.3. Students are notified of their admissions status on a rolling basis, and there is currently no early application program in place.

The Pettit College of Law has 30 faculty members, all of whom come from very diverse legal and professional backgrounds. Students rave about their accessibility and expertise, saying that they are always available to provide assistance, or just to talk about life. The school has a very manageable student to faculty ratio of about 12:1, and the small classes allow for plenty of discussion and interaction between students and their professors.

Employment Facts

Students at the Pettit College of Law don't seem terribly concerned about finding jobs after graduating. The school is gaining more statewide and national recognition of late, and more firms are beginning to look for new recruits there. Over 94% of the most recent graduating class were able to find jobs within a few months of receiving their degrees, and had an average starting salary of about $70,000. Students are most frequently hired by employers such as judicial clerkships, military organizations, as well as various private law firms.

What's Good

"You never feel like just another face in the crowd here. The school is nice and small, and everyone has a place here."

"The professors are incredibly erudite, and they push you to do your best without being too harsh."

"It's really nice going to law school in a very small town where there are few distractions."

What's Bad

"The competition can be pretty intense here because the school is so small."

"The facilities here could definitely use an overhaul. They're pretty outdated."

"The school needs to do a better job of putting itself in the national spotlight. It certainly deserves the reputation."

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