Yale Law School
The information on this page was provided by the law school.
Official Guide to ABA-Approved JD Programs
The JD Program
Yale Law School is one of the world’s premier law schools, offering an unmatched environment of excellence, a flourishing intellectual life, and an abundance of opportunities to engage with the law.
Yale Law School provides students with a diverse and robust academic experience that empowers them to chart their own courses. With almost 200 courses taught by world-renowned faculty and a thriving network of legal clinics and intellectual centers, Yale Law School provides rich and challenging ways to gain the skills necessary to make an impact in the world at large.
Clinics & Experiential Learning
Yale Law School has one of the most robust clinical programs in the country. Unlike most other schools, students can begin taking clinics—and appearing in court—during the spring of their first year. Clinic students represent real clients with real legal problems (not in simulations or role-playing exercises), and are supervised by senior faculty members, with whom they often develop close and lasting mentoring relationships.
Yale Law School also offers a growing number of practice-oriented courses for its business curriculum, taught by leading practitioners in corporate and business law—many of them our own alumni who practice in cities like New York, San Francisco, or Washington, D.C. These courses typically involve simulated negotiating exercises, document-drafting skills, and other practice-based activities under the supervision of experts in various fields. Other simulation courses are offered in such areas as Appellate Advocacy and Civil Litigation.
Centers, Programs & Workshops
The intellectual life at Yale Law School is enriched by dozens of centers, programs, special projects, and workshops that produce critical scholarly work and make a difference in communities around the country and the world. With a wide range of available opportunities, students are able to engage with their passions and interests as part of their educational experience in New Haven.
Tsai Leadership Program
The Tsai Leadership Program empowers a new generation of mission-driven, multidimensional leaders who champion excellence, effectiveness, and ethics as they drive the world forward. The curriculum includes numeracy courses such as accounting, corporate finance, and statistics; ethical decision-making; and emerging issues related to technological change, big data, and globalization. Students are able to hone professional management skills through specialized intensives, boot camps, and workshops. The Program also brings mentors-in-residence to campus to advise students on the many paths available to a graduate of Yale Law School.
Joint Degrees
In cooperation with other schools and departments of Yale University, the Law School offers several joint degree programs leading to a master’s degree and a J.D. or to a doctorate and a J.D. These programs are intended for those who wish to acquire the specialized skills of a body of knowledge related to law. All joint degree proposals must be submitted to and approved by the Faculty Committee on Special Courses of Study. There are no "joint admissions" at Yale Law School. Instead, once a student has been admitted to YLS and another program of their choice — either concurrently or in separate years — they can petition for joint degree status at the Law School as early as the spring of their 1L year. Joint degree status is usually granted, but it is not guaranteed.
Student Life
Student Community
Yale Law School students are at the center of a vibrant community. Whether attending classes, organizing a slate of engaging conferences and events, or volunteering to work for the public interest, our students bring their idealism and passion into every aspect of their lives. Our students are campus and community leaders, taking part in an array of more than 50 student organizations (as well as editing the School's eight journals) and enjoying the social and recreational opportunities that the New Haven area has to offer. Through it all, the Law School provides a range of services to support its students
Housing
Housing in New Haven is plentiful, affordable, and convenient. It is not hard to find your own apartment with hardwood floors, high ceilings, and modern amenities in a great neighborhood. Most students chose to live in non-University-affiliated housing. One-bedroom apartments in New Haven range from $1,000-$1,700 per month; two bedrooms are from $1,400-$2,200. Many apartments are suitable for students with families, and some allow pets.
The Law School offers on-campus housing in the recently renovated Baker Hall, located less than half a block from the Sterling Law Building. Some students live in other affordable and well-kept University housing. These housing options for graduate and professional students range from efficiencies to three-bedrooms, and monthly rent generally ranges from $1,000-$1,400 for a one-bedroom.
Career Placement and Bar Passage
Tuition and Aid
| Expense | Cost |
|---|---|
| Tuition |
$69,100.00
|
| Fees |
$2,325.00
|
| Expected Cost of Attendance |
$96,681.00
|
Admission Decisions: Beyond the Numbers
At Yale Law School, our goal is to enroll a talented, diverse, and engaged entering class each fall. Each application is comprehensively and holistically reviewed to ensure that we thoughtfully consider all of the information that you provide to us. No single factor is dispositive. Instead, the Admissions Committee carefully evaluates each component of every application, including your essays, letters of recommendation, extracurricular activities and leadership, honors and awards, professional experiences, and background. We do not utilize a GPA or standardized test score cutoff of any kind in our review process.
