Reasons to Choose UMass Law
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UMass Law is preparing a new generation of lawyers who will pursue justice.
Outstanding professional preparation
You’ll master essential legal skills, learn the fundamentals of statutory and case law, and explore new and emerging areas of practice. Your preparation begins with our simulation-based Legal Skills sequence of courses and culminates in real-world clinic, internship, and pro bono opportunities.
Affordable legal education
As the only public law school in Massachusetts, UMass Law offers you an affordable legal education. Substantial scholarships and fellowships are available. We recognize that the cost of your education is an important consideration that will impact your future career choices.
Small class sizes
At UMass Law, we enhance your legal education by keeping our class sizes small to facilitate access to faculty, enable greater student-faculty interaction, and create a stronger sense of community. According to ABA data for 2022-23, UMass Law ranks first for the smallest average first-year doctrinal class size of any law school in Massachusetts with 52 students.
Flexibility in earning your degree
We offer full-time day and part-time evening/weekend programs. Pursue a JD degree—or combine your law studies with business to earn a JD/MBA, with public policy to earn a JD/MPP degree, or with social work to earn a JD/MSW degree. We also offer 3+3 "fast-track" programs for undergraduates to advance more quickly into law school.
Real-world law practice opportunities
Every student at UMass Law participates in the real-world practice of law—in our Business, Criminal, Housing, Human Rights, Immigration, State Attorney General, or Tribal Law Clinics or one of an array of public or private field placements.
Learn more: Clinics, fields placements, & pro bono
Faculty members with practical experience
You’ll learn from professors with practical legal experience in an educational community that prioritizes justice. Our professors are experienced lawyers, gifted teachers, supportive mentors, and respected scholars. They are committed to helping you develop your own professional capabilities and identity.
Welcoming learning community
You’ll be part of a supportive and collaborative learning community that’s broadly diverse by age, gender, race, background, sexual orientation, and life/work experience. We welcome and nurture a rich diversity of people and ideas. Indeed, our recent entering classes have been the most diverse in all of New England.
On-campus housing
We offer law school housing in Ivy Hall apartments and Cedar Dell townhouses, which make finding reasonably priced housing within a convenient location to campus easy.
Personalized application process
We evaluate applicants as individuals to assure that your abilities and potential are truly recognized. Since we believe that our future students are more than a set of numbers, we admit students based upon a thorough evaluation of all factors in your file.