University of Cincinnati College of Law
The information on this page was provided by the law school.
Official Guide to ABA-Approved JD Programs
A few miles north of the Ohio River lies the University of Cincinnati College of Law, one of the nation’s top public law schools. As the fourth oldest continuously operating law school in the country, students benefit from an intimate collegial environment and personal attention from faculty while having access to groundbreaking centers and institutes like the Center for Race, Gender, and Social Justice; the Corporate Law Center; the Urban Morgan Institute for Human Rights; the Ohio Innocence Project (OIP); and the Entrepreneurship and Community Development Clinic.
Reflecting on its mission, the College of Law’s new home will be a place “to educate and inspire.” A $45.6 million renovation will transform an existing 84,443-square-foot campus facility to create open, modern, light-filled spaces for the College of Law’s close-knit student community. A prominent location along Martin Luther King Drive will place UC Law in the heart of campus and adjacent to the primary connector in the new Innovation Corridor, strengthening connections to university partners and providing unparalleled access and opportunity to our community partners including the more than 800 law firms, Fortune 500 companies, nonprofit organizations, agencies, and state and federal courts that call Cincinnati home.
Completely upgraded classroom technology, expanded library facilities, and centralized student services will make this a best-in-class law school like no other, serving as a launchpad for student success. For our faculty, centers, and institutes, UC Law’s new home expands spaces for impactful learning and research to thrive, while providing a place to honor the important accomplishments of our past.
Forbes magazine rated the UC’s campus as one of the most beautiful in the world. While the university is one of America’s top public research institutions and boasts a total student population of over 45,000, Cincinnati Law remains one of the smallest public urban law schools in the nation with approximately 110 students per incoming class.
Accolades
- Recognized as one of the nation’s top public law schools
- Known as one of the top law schools in the Midwest for job placement
- Nationally regarded as a top school for criminal law, corporate law, public interest law, and trial advocacy law
- Recognized as one of the nation’s best value law schools
- An 8:1 student-to-faculty ratio, one of the lowest in the nation for an urban school
The JD Program
In the center of Cincinnati, OH lies one of the nation’s oldest and most reputable law schools, the University of Cincinnati College of Law. Steeped in history and tradition, students benefit from a deeply rooted network of loyal alumni and friends located in all 50 U.S. states and across the globe.
Cincinnati Law offers a combination of advantages not available at most law schools. We are one of the nation’s smallest urban law colleges, with around 125 students enrolling each fall. Small class sections and even smaller structure study groups facilitate a high level of collaboration and community. Our placement as the only law school within the City of Cincinnati, one of the fastest-growing cities between coasts, means less competition for jobs and internships, and is what allows us to guarantee externships and clinics for every interested student. To top it off, our return on investment is unparalleled, ranking as one of the nation’s longstanding Best Value Law Schools.
At Cincinnati Law, you can elevate justice by immersing yourself in a community dedicated to educating and inspiring leaders to pursue justice and advance the role of law in society. As a student, you will have access to our groundbreaking centers and institutes like the Nathaniel R. Jones Center for Race, Gender, and Social Justice; the Corporate Law Center; the Urban Morgan Institute for International Human Rights; the Ohio Innocence Project (OIP); and the Entrepreneurship and Community Development Clinic. Dive into these unique opportunities to defend the wrongfully convicted, fight for human rights around the globe, combat the economic inequalities of today, and lift members of underserved communities.
At graduation, having a competitively robust résumé full of experiences, you will have direct access to the region's more than 800 law firms, Fortune 500 corporations, and state, county, and federal courts, including the US Sixth Circut Court of Appeals. This is one of the many reasons our employment outcomes historically exceed both state and national averages.
Come explore for yourself and visit our new 84,000 square foot state-of-the-art building located in the heart of campus. Learn more at law.uc.edu.
Accolades
· One of the nation’s leading social justice law schools
· Recognized as a top 14 Public Service law school
· Ranked as a top 25 Criminal Law program and a leading school for Corporate Law and Trial Advocacy
· Ranked 2nd in Ohio for first-time and overall bar passage rates for July 2021 examination
· 4th oldest law school and Ohio’s first
· Recognized as a seven-time "Best Value Law Schools"
· Graduate debt levels nearly $80,000 less than the average for public and private law schools
· An 8:1 student-to-faculty ratio, one of the lowest in the nation for an urban school
Cincinnati Law Professional Pathways
The University of Cincinnati College of Law prepares students for effective and responsible participation in the legal profession and for admission to the bar. Because of the diversity in the backgrounds that students bring to law school and the differences in their objectives after graduation, UC Law students have the ability to select from a broad array of classes across numerous disciplines.
Cincinnati Law's Professional Pathways allow students to take classes in nine different academic specialties depending on their career goals. These nine areas of study help them choose courses that benefit their specific needs after graduation:
- Business and Entrepreneurship Law
- Criminal Law
- Environmental and Energy Law
- General and Small Practice
- Health Law
- Innovation, Technology and Intellectual Property Law
- International Law
- Litigation and Alternative Dispute Resolution
- Public Interest Law
Most students will choose courses from multiple Professional Pathways as they strive to not only develop a depth of knowledge in certain curricular areas, but also to cultivate a holistic view of law that will allow them to become well-rounded lawyers.
Cincinnati Law Joint Degree Programs
When it comes to studying the law, sometimes two can be better than one. Maybe you have a double passion. Or maybe you see the power of combining legal expertise with skills in subjects as disparate as education and architecture, entrepreneurship and marketing.
Our three joint-degree programs allow students to complete their JDs while earning a Master’s Degree — in just 4 years. Not only can you shave a year of time and tuition off of your educational career, you can immerse yourself in complementary worlds of learning while expanding your post-graduation marketability.
- JD/MBA
- JD/MA Women's, Gender & Sexuality Studies
- JD/Master of Community Planning
Cincinnati Law Centers & Institutes
The University of Cincinnati College of Law’s Centers allow students to gain first-hand experience in the practice and research of multiple legal areas. At Cincinnati Law, students benefit from our long history of attracting global scholars and practitioners to our prestigious centers and institutes. While each center has a specific focus and areas of expertise, they share deep commitments to promoting education, justice, and opportunities for all.
Each of our seven law centers provide first-hand, experiential learning. In addition to the resources found in the Cincinnati legal community, these centers offer a chance for you to make a difference both locally and around the world. Whether you’re examining a case with the Ohio Innocence Project, fighting for human rights around the globe, or participating in a fellowship with the Weaver Institute, you gain indispensable law experience and knowledge.
These centers are:
- Center for Practice
- Corporate Law Center
- Cincinnati Center for the Global Practice of Law
- Jones Center for Race, Gender, and Social Justice
- Ohio Innocence Project
- Urban Morgan Institute for Human Rights
- Weaver Institute for Law and Psychiatry
Cincinnati Law Clinics
The University of Cincinnati Law School prepares students for their legal careers through a variety of clinics that provide invaluable work experience. Through our seven law clinics, you will have the opportunity to work with domestic violence survivors, start-ups, clients accused of misdemeanors, intellectual property law, wrongfully convicted Ohioans, or the Sixth Circuit Court. Our clinics provide opportunities to help you learn and grow in your career as a lawyer.
Cincinnati Law Legal & Judicial Externships
At Cincinnati Law, we put a priority on helping you gain real-world experience. Completing an externship during your law school career helps you add important practical skills as well as explore career options in the professional world.
Cincinnati Law Pro Bono Opportunities
At Cincinnati Law, service to the community matters. Since 1997, Cincinnati Law students have provided almost 10,000 hours of pro bono legal services in the Greater Cincinnati community. That tradition of service continues to be an important part of the Cincinnati Law experience.
Cincinnati Law Journals & Law Review
Writing is at the heart of the legal profession. Cincinnati Law’s prestigious law journals enable students to publish and edit the work of important national and international legal scholars.
Cincinnati Law Moot Court
Moot Court is the student-run appellate advocacy honors society of the University of Cincinnati College of Law. To join the Moot Court Board, students must compete in the LexisNexis Moot Court Competition during the fall semester of their 2L year.
Cincinnati Law Trial Practice
The University of Cincinnati College of Law offers a general trial practice course every semester, taught by faculty with extensive experience in the courtroom and the classroom. Interdisciplinary insight from communication science, theater, and psychology inform the way we teach trial strategy – how to build a “theory of the case” and shape persuasive narratives through opening and closings statements and witness examination. In addition to thorough grounding in all aspects of trial practice, students receive intensive individual coaching throughout the course.
Student Life
Cincinnati Law Student Organizations
Student organizations are essential to a successful legal education, and they play a major role in shaping the social, cultural and intellectual environment at Cincinnati Law. These organizations sponsor workshops, panels, and networking opportunities. Combined with activities coordinated by the Student Bar Association as well as the Office of Student Affairs, Community Engagement, and Equity, campus life at Cincinnati Law remains an active and vibrant community.
Living in Cincinnati
Cincinnati is home to many bustling neighborhoods, along with an impressive metropolitan area full of thriving businesses. The city metro system and the brand new downtown streetcar makes getting around the city easier than ever, and gives the feel of a small city.
The University of Cincinnati Uptown and Medical Campuses are located across multiple neighborhoods of the City of Cincinnati. In all, there are 52 neighborhoods in the city. These neighborhoods are located in the Cincinnati Public Schools district. In addition, there are several nearby cities, towns and villages in Ohio as well as Kentucky and Indiana.
Career Placement and Bar Passage
Tuition and Aid
| Expense | Cost |
|---|---|
| Tuition |
$24,010.00
|
| Fees |
$800.00
|
| Expected Cost of Attendance |
$42,878.00
|
The College of Law provides low comparative tuition rates and competitive scholarship offers. In addition to receiving a world-class legal education, UC students are able to take advantage of fellowships and work-study options to help lower the price of law school.
Earning a JD leads to life-changing opportunities, which is why we believe in making our programs financially accessible. Cincinnati Law is proud to boast one of the lowest debt-upon-graduation rates in the nation. For the Class of 2021, the average debt at graduation was $63,608. This is a stark difference from the national average for public and private law schools, which recently stood at nearly $145,500 according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Not only have our students graduated with less debt, but our tuition has also been frozen for the last seven years.
Admission Decisions: Beyond the Numbers
Admission to the college is based upon a careful evaluation of each individual's application file by the Admission Committee. Although the Admissions Committee, composed of faculty, students, and administrators, relies on the undergraduate grade point average and the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) score to determine the applicant's academic potential, other non-quantitative factors believed to be relevant to success in law school are considered. These factors include the applicant's personal statement, diversity statement, academic major, graduate education, trend of academic performance, record of leadership, participation in community service or significant extracurricular activities, employment experience, and letters of recommendation.
The educational philosophy of the College reflects a belief that quality legal education is enhanced by having a heterogeneous student body. The Committee, therefore, considers a multiple factors including LGBTQ status, disability, age, socioeconomic status, and nationality. By maintaining and enhancing diversity in the student body, all students have the opportunity to learn from a myriad of perspectives and, in the long run, improve their own capabilities as attorneys and upholders of the law.
Admitted Applicant Profile
