University of New Mexico, School of Law Admission
University of New Mexico, School of Law Undergraduate Program
University of New Mexico, School of Law Application

The Facts

The University of New Mexico is a rather large, public institution located in the city of Albuquerque, New Mexico, and has a combined graduate and undergraduate population of over 26,500 students. The university’s School of Law, however, is significantly smaller, and is home to about 340 graduate law students. The average age of enrollment is around 29, and it is quite rare for any of the students to enter the school directly from their undergraduate education. The school is perhaps best known for its strong ties within the state’s legal and professional communities, its huge amount of internship, externship, and clerkship opportunities available, as well as for its diversity. The school offers degrees in the 3 year JD, as well as combined degrees in the JD/MA, the JD/MS, the JD/MPA, as well as the JD/MALAS, all of which take 4 years to complete. Some of the most popular programs include courses in the areas of environmental law, international law, as well as Indian law.

Admission to the University of New Mexico’s School of Law is quite competitive among those who apply; last year, over 1,044 students applied for admission to the school, and approximately 243 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 159, 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 School of Law has 34 faculty members, all of whom come from very diverse legal and professional backgrounds. Students rave about their accessibility and their willingness to talk to their students, saying that they are easily the best part of their experience of the university. The school has a very manageable student to faculty ratio of about 10:1, and the small classes allow for plenty of discussion and interaction between students and their professors.

Employment Facts

Students at the School of Law don’t seem terrifically nervous about finding jobs after graduation; in fact, over 90% of the most recently graduating students were able to find jobs within a few months of receiving their degrees, and had an average starting salary of about $48,740. Students are most frequently hired by employers such as various private firms both in state and out, the offices of federal and state judges, as well as various governmental and public interest organizations.

What's Good

“The school has really deep connections within the state’s legal community, which leads to jobs.”

“The facilities are wonderful, and they really make class more of a pleasure.”

“The professors here are incredible; they take the time to get to know their students deeply.”

What's Bad

“There is no on campus graduate housing, and it is difficult to find any off campus, but you have no other choice.”

“The career services office could do a much better job in being attentive to the needs of students.”

“There are some students who seem to get very competitive, and don’t tolerate other competition.”

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