From the School
Seton Hall Law University School of Law is a uniquely collegial community of talented faculty, students and alumni who value commitment to service and excellence. Students enjoy close relationships to professors and each other throughout their law school experience and beyond. Our strong network of dedicated alumni and great law school professors are invaluable and accessible resources to our students.
What is the Seton Hall Law difference? Our "One Student At a Time" approach to teaching and engagement. The phrase "student-centered" can mean many things. At Seton Hall Law, it describes our focus on each student as an individual — someone with their own history, responsibilities, and aspirations. Seton Hall Law focuses on the whole person, urging our students to balance their personal and professional lives. Our faculty and professional administrators partner with students to discover their passion in the law.
First-year applications are considered for Fall Semester admission only. In order to apply, you must have or plan to obtain a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college or university or a foreign equivalent prior to your anticipated date of enrollment. The application is available electronically at www.lsac.org, and all supporting documentation must be submitted through a valid Credential Assembly Service (CAS) account.
Admission to Seton Hall Law is selective and competitive with an entire student's profile taken into consideration including academic background, professional expertise, personal statements, and standardized testing results.
April 1 is the General Admission and Financial Aid priority deadline as well as the final deadline for the Legal Education Opportunity Program (LEO).
Overview
From The School
First-year applications are considered for Fall Semester admission only. In order to apply, you must have or plan to obtain a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college or university or a foreign equivalent prior to your anticipated date of enrollment. The application is available electronically at www.lsac.org, and all supporting documentation must be submitted through a valid Credential Assembly Service (CAS) account.
Admission to Seton Hall Law is selective and competitive with an entire student's profile taken into consideration including academic background, professional expertise, personal statements, and standardized testing results.
April 1 is the General Admission and Financial Aid priority deadline as well as the final deadline for the Legal Education Opportunity Program (LEO).
Applicants
1,531
Acceptance Rate
49%
Median Undergrad GPA
3.65
Accepted Applicants Who Attend
207
Test Scores
LSAT
25th-75th percentile
(enrolled students)
(enrolled students)
155 - 163
Deadlines
Application Deadlines
April 1
Application Process
Rolling Admissions
Yes
Application Fee
$65
CAS Service Used
Yes
Applicants accepted in terms other than fall
No
Transfer Applicants Accepted
Yes
Deferred Admission
Yes
Other Admission Factors
Academic
LSAT Score
Undergraduate GPA
Selectivity Rating
Overall
From The School
Degrees Offered
Seton Hall Law School offers an unparalleled legal education complete with hands-on experiential learning opportunities where students can take advantage of a curriculum designed by forward-thinking professors and pursue a degree that fits their professional interests. From JD programs to our online degree offerings, Seton Hall Law provides students an array of options:
Full-Time JD Program:
The full-time JD program may be completed in three years. Students attend class during the week at the law school campus with their assigned section. Neither the full-time nor part-time programs require summer classes, but summer classes are offered, both on-campus and through our summer study abroad options.
Weekend JD Program:
The part-time Weekend JD Program is an ABA-accredited hybrid program enabling professionals to balance work, life, and law school. Students spend alternating weekends on campus each semester and engage in asynchronous online coursework while off-campus. Weekend students have the same academic and co-curricular opportunities as full-time students. The program is designed to take four years, but may be accelerated.
LEO Fellows:
The Legal Education Opportunity (LEO) program provides a pathway and transition to law school for students who have demonstrated resiliency and perseverance in the face of social, economic, educational, or other challenges and who bring talent, determination, and leadership skills to the law school community. LEO's success relies on mentoring opportunities, academic enrichment, and a support network for personal and professional growth.
Non JD Offerings:
MLS (Master of Legal Studies) or Graduate Certificates
Concentrations available: Corporate Compliance
Gaming Regulation and Compliance
General Legal Studies
Pharmaceutical & Medical Device Law & Compliance
Health & Hospital Law
Privacy Law and Cyber Security
Sports Law and Compliance
Compliance Programs:
Healthcare Compliance Certificate
Gaming Law, Compliance, and Integrity Certificate
Data Privacy Compliance Certificate
LLM (Master of Laws):
Corporate Compliance, Health Law or Intellectual Property Law for US trained attorneys LLM in American Law for foreign-trained attorneys seeking bar admission
Programs and Curriculum
Real Client Training — Clinics and Pro Bono
Seton Hall Law offers students multiple opportunities to develop their practical skills and gain hands-on experience by working in real lawyering contexts. Through clinics, externships, and the pro bono program, students provide thousands of hours of service to individuals and the community.
Intro to Lawyering
During 1L year, students take a six-credit year-long Introduction to Lawyering course designed to provide students with opportunities to exercise and receive intensive feedback on a broad range of practical lawyering skills including research, writing, interviewing, counseling, negotiation, and oral advocacy. Throughout the course, Intro to Lawyering professors continue to work with students as they develop core legal research, writing and communication skills.
Business courses for lawyers
In their 2L year, students are required to complete two business-related courses: Financial Concepts for Lawyers (1 credit) and Business Associations (4 credits). Given the nature of contemporary legal practice, the Seton Hall Law faculty believes these courses are necessary to equip all future lawyers with basic business law knowledge and an understanding of key financial concepts and tools.
Concentrations
As society has become more complex, demand for specialists has increased. To help students prepare for today's sophisticated legal landscape, Seton Hall Law offers four concentrations: Health Law, Law and Technology (which includes entertainment law, cybersecurity and intellectual property), Compliance and Gaming, Hospitality, Entertainment and Sports Law (GHamES). Students can specialize in one of these designated areas of law by taking a core curriculum developed by Seton Hall Law faculty in consultation with attorneys and government officials working in the field.
Faculty
The Seton Hall Law faculty consists of nationally respected scholars and sought-after experts in fields ranging from corporate governance and finance, to health law, intellectual property law, international law, labor and employment law, and public interest law.
Dynamic, talented and accomplished, this diverse group of scholars and practitioners is unified by a commitment to provide both academic excellence and professional mentorship — one student at a time — helping students to achieve their personal aspirations and ultimate career paths.
Special Programs
Academic Success Offerings
Through targeted workshops, academic coaching, and strategic advising, Seton Hall Law provides wide-ranging support to optimize students' academic efforts. Topics include healthy study strategies, exam preparation, academic goals, time management and organization. Competence in these areas equips students for future success, both in academics and beyond.
Bar Examination Preparation
Irrespective of whether a student plans on the long-term, post-graduate goal of law practice or doing something else entirely with their law degree, Seton Hall Law urges every graduate to sit for the bar. As such, its curriculum incorporates substantial practical training and strategies for bar exam preparation.
The effectiveness of bar preparation training at Seton Hall Law is evident in our bar passage rate of 82.23% (2023 graduates).
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are Cornerstone Values
We are invested in transforming our profession and value diversity in all its forms cultural, religious, ethnic, and gender as well as thought and perspective. Diversity is the lens through which we analyze both doctrine and our systems of justice. Engagement from students of different economic and educational backgrounds, geographic regions, and perspectives enriches our understanding of the history of the law, as well as its ability to achieve justice and equity.
Seton Hall Law is committed to producing lawyers from underrepresented communities. Creating a class of students with different histories enables Seton Hall Law to produce lawyers who will come to their clients with empathy. Knowing that inequity exists is the necessary condition precedent to reform. Understanding the human impact of injustice inspires the passion for change.
Faculty Information
Student/Faculty
14:1
Total Faculty
80
43.98
Female
7.5
Underrepresented Minorities
Students Say
Seton Hall University School of Law is a private, mid-size bastion of legal education, where you鈥檒l get an excellent foundation in both the theoretical and the practical aspects of law. Concentrations are available in health law and intellectual property. The Center for Social Justice is 鈥渁 great resource鈥 that provides 鈥渁mple opportunities to get hands-on legal experience.鈥 It consists of five clinics, and it鈥檚 among the most comprehensive clinical and pro bono programs in the region, which is quite impressive considering the competition. Opportunities to participate begin during first year. 鈥淰ery cool study abroad trips鈥 in places such as Cairo, Zanzibar, and Geneva are another nice perk.
The classroom environment at Seton Hall Law is 鈥渧ery conducive to discussion.鈥 鈥淭here aren鈥檛 many horrible professors,鈥 and 鈥淢ost rave about their professors.鈥 Students say the faculty is full of some of 鈥渢he wittiest, most passionate, brilliant, best-looking legal minds in the country.鈥 鈥淓ach of the first-year professors I鈥檝e had has been really impressive,鈥 reports a 1L. 鈥淪ome of them are pretty idiosyncratic, which provides for some good entertainment outside the classroom, and behind their backs.鈥 The faculty is 鈥渧ery accessible,鈥 as well. Many students also find the administration 鈥済enerally helpful.鈥 The support staff goes out of its way to accommodate and even anticipate student needs,鈥 says a 2L. 鈥淚t is reliable and makes few mistakes.鈥 Other students charge, 鈥淭he administration at this school is a tsunami of disorganization.鈥 We also hear a number of complaints about the legal writing program, which a 3L calls 鈥渁bhorrent.鈥
鈥淭here鈥檚 very much an on-your-own-feel to finding a job,鈥 and some students with middling grades feel 鈥渓eft out in the cold.鈥 Nevertheless, most students are pretty satisfied with their job prospects. State and federal court houses 鈥渁re very close,鈥 and 鈥渢he school has a strong connection to the New Jersey judiciary, so a lot of students get judicial clerkships at graduation.鈥 The alumni network is notably loyal, and 鈥淪eton Hall Law has a good networking system set in place.鈥 鈥淲e have the run of New Jersey,鈥 boasts a 2L. However, students who want to work in Manhattan have only moderate success. 鈥淵ou can see the city from the library,鈥 observes a 1L, 鈥渂ut it seems more like a beautiful dream than a reality for most students.鈥 That鈥檚 not necessarily a drawback, though. 鈥淭here are plenty of pretty great law firms right here in Newark.鈥
The facilities here are definitely above average. 鈥淭here can be no debate about that.鈥 Not everyone loves 鈥渢he modern-esque style of the interior,鈥 and 鈥淭he classrooms are more functional than aesthetically pleasing,鈥 but upgrades are 鈥渃onstant,鈥 and students have few serious grievances. Technology is 鈥減articularly smooth.鈥 鈥淭he library is fantastic,鈥 declares a 3L. 鈥淚t provides especially good electronic resources, even in obscure areas.鈥 鈥淚 love how everything is in one place,鈥 adds a 2L.
The classroom environment at Seton Hall Law is 鈥渧ery conducive to discussion.鈥 鈥淭here aren鈥檛 many horrible professors,鈥 and 鈥淢ost rave about their professors.鈥 Students say the faculty is full of some of 鈥渢he wittiest, most passionate, brilliant, best-looking legal minds in the country.鈥 鈥淓ach of the first-year professors I鈥檝e had has been really impressive,鈥 reports a 1L. 鈥淪ome of them are pretty idiosyncratic, which provides for some good entertainment outside the classroom, and behind their backs.鈥 The faculty is 鈥渧ery accessible,鈥 as well. Many students also find the administration 鈥済enerally helpful.鈥 The support staff goes out of its way to accommodate and even anticipate student needs,鈥 says a 2L. 鈥淚t is reliable and makes few mistakes.鈥 Other students charge, 鈥淭he administration at this school is a tsunami of disorganization.鈥 We also hear a number of complaints about the legal writing program, which a 3L calls 鈥渁bhorrent.鈥
鈥淭here鈥檚 very much an on-your-own-feel to finding a job,鈥 and some students with middling grades feel 鈥渓eft out in the cold.鈥 Nevertheless, most students are pretty satisfied with their job prospects. State and federal court houses 鈥渁re very close,鈥 and 鈥渢he school has a strong connection to the New Jersey judiciary, so a lot of students get judicial clerkships at graduation.鈥 The alumni network is notably loyal, and 鈥淪eton Hall Law has a good networking system set in place.鈥 鈥淲e have the run of New Jersey,鈥 boasts a 2L. However, students who want to work in Manhattan have only moderate success. 鈥淵ou can see the city from the library,鈥 observes a 1L, 鈥渂ut it seems more like a beautiful dream than a reality for most students.鈥 That鈥檚 not necessarily a drawback, though. 鈥淭here are plenty of pretty great law firms right here in Newark.鈥
The facilities here are definitely above average. 鈥淭here can be no debate about that.鈥 Not everyone loves 鈥渢he modern-esque style of the interior,鈥 and 鈥淭he classrooms are more functional than aesthetically pleasing,鈥 but upgrades are 鈥渃onstant,鈥 and students have few serious grievances. Technology is 鈥減articularly smooth.鈥 鈥淭he library is fantastic,鈥 declares a 3L. 鈥淚t provides especially good electronic resources, even in obscure areas.鈥 鈥淚 love how everything is in one place,鈥 adds a 2L.
Career overview
From The School
One Student at a Time, we empower individuals to think beyond landing a job to launching a career. A Seton Hall Law degree offers limitless opportunities.
The Office of Career Services (OCS) counselors provide an array of tools and services, including individual counseling, resume review, interview skills training, workshops and numerous networking opportunities. OCS acts as a partner, helping students define and chart their paths as they seek guidance along the way to make the choices that will help them meet their professional goals. The counselors' advice and access to employment networks reflect decades of experience in the nation's legal employment field.
The total employment rate for the class of 2023 was 95.4% with a Bar Pass required or J.D. Advantage of 86.3%.
Seton Hall Law ranked #1 in the nation by Princeton Review for placing their 2023 graduates into State and Local Clerkships.
% of graduates who are employed within ten months of graduation
95%
% of job accepting graduates providing useable salary information
94%
Career Services
On campus summer employment recruitment for first year JD students
Yes
On campus summer employment recruitment for second year JD students
Yes
# of Employers that Recruit on Campus Each Year
50
Employers who most frequently hire graduates
Graduates are hired by law firms including the nation's most prestigious firms, corporations, government offices, public interest organizations, and state and federal judges.
Graduates Employed by Area
41%
Judicial Clerkships
12%
Business/Industry
7%
Government
2%
Public Interes
1%
Academic
Graduates Employed by Region
90%
Mid-Atlantic
2%
South
2%
New England
1%
International
Prominent Alumni
Michael Chagares
Judge on Third US Circuit Court of Appeals
Christopher Christie
Governor of the State of New Jersey
Paulette Brown
President, American Bar Association & Partner, Locke Lord
Peter Larson
Former Chair & CEO of Brunswick Corp.
Mariellen Dugan
Senior Vice President & General Counsel, NJ Resources Corporation
Overview
From The School
The cost of attendance for full-time students starting Fall 2024 is $69,120 (total tuition and fees) and for part-time students is $52,320 (total tuition and fees.)
All students interested in applying for financial aid (including student loans) must file a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
All applicants for admission are eligible for merit scholarship awards — no separate application is required for consideration. Merit scholarships are selective awards based on outstanding LSAT scores, standardized test scores, undergraduate academic performance, and academic promise and are renewable by maintaining required GPA standards or designated class rank.
Seton Hall Law is proud to report more than 93% of incoming students in 2023 received scholarship funds;75%-85% of funded students with conditional scholarships typically renew scholarships after the first year.
Dates
Financial Aid Rating
Apr 1
Application Deadlines
Mar 15
Financial Aid Statistics
Average Annual Total Aid Package Awarded
$53,000
% Students Receiving Some Aid
95%
Expenses per Academic Year
Tuition
$65,020
Estimated Cost for Books / Academic Expense
$1,400
Fees
$1,760
Overall
From The School
The Seton Hall Law community is both distinct and sustaining. Students develop networks of professional relationships and friendships that last a lifetime. Student organizations play a central role in life at Seton Hall Law. Throughout the year, the Student Bar Association and 40 student organizations sponsor a variety of social and educational events that will enrich your experience and provide opportunities to get involved with other students and the community around you.
Student Body Profile
Total Enrollment
525
Parent Institution Enrollement
9,824
Number of Foreign Countries Represented
5
% International
1%
Demographics
20.00%
% Under-represented Minorities
82% are full time
18% are part time
Campus Life
Students Say
The population of future attorneys at Seton Hall Law is reasonably diverse in pretty much every respect except geography. Students report that they have 鈥渟erious drive, ambition, and talent.鈥 While the curve is 鈥渟evere鈥 and 鈥渢hings get a little competitive during finals time,鈥 the academic atmosphere is generally 鈥渇riendly, fun, and helpful.鈥 鈥淪tudent life at Seton Hall Law delicately balances that line between competition and teamwork,鈥 explains a 1L.
Outside of class, there are frequent seminars and tons of organizations and activities. Attitudes concerning the surrounding city of Newark are seriously mixed. Detractors call it 鈥渁 notoriously terrible city鈥 that鈥檚 鈥渓acking in sophistication and charm.鈥 鈥淣ewark may be the least desirable place to go to law school in the country,鈥 reckons a 2L. Other students insist that the Brick City鈥檚 reputation is unwarranted. 鈥淛ust because Newark looks crappy doesn鈥檛 mean it鈥檚 dangerous,鈥 they say. 鈥淚 feel like a lot of the kids from New Jersey just hate Newark because they bring their prejudices with them,鈥 claims a 2L. 鈥淒owntown Newark is as safe鈥攊f not safer鈥攖han any block in NYC. It is a professionally developed area鈥 full of courts and multiple government offices. Whatever the case, the school is 鈥渁bout two blocks from Penn Station, so it鈥檚 easy enough to commute from a nice area.鈥 Despite the commuter ambience, students tell us that there鈥檚 鈥渁 very vibrant social community鈥 at Seton Hall Law. Events sponsored by the student bar association are 鈥減retty awesome,鈥 and students 鈥渞egularly鈥 go out en masse in Hoboken or New York City.
Outside of class, there are frequent seminars and tons of organizations and activities. Attitudes concerning the surrounding city of Newark are seriously mixed. Detractors call it 鈥渁 notoriously terrible city鈥 that鈥檚 鈥渓acking in sophistication and charm.鈥 鈥淣ewark may be the least desirable place to go to law school in the country,鈥 reckons a 2L. Other students insist that the Brick City鈥檚 reputation is unwarranted. 鈥淛ust because Newark looks crappy doesn鈥檛 mean it鈥檚 dangerous,鈥 they say. 鈥淚 feel like a lot of the kids from New Jersey just hate Newark because they bring their prejudices with them,鈥 claims a 2L. 鈥淒owntown Newark is as safe鈥攊f not safer鈥攖han any block in NYC. It is a professionally developed area鈥 full of courts and multiple government offices. Whatever the case, the school is 鈥渁bout two blocks from Penn Station, so it鈥檚 easy enough to commute from a nice area.鈥 Despite the commuter ambience, students tell us that there鈥檚 鈥渁 very vibrant social community鈥 at Seton Hall Law. Events sponsored by the student bar association are 鈥減retty awesome,鈥 and students 鈥渞egularly鈥 go out en masse in Hoboken or New York City.
More Information
% of Classrooms with Internet Access
100%
Admissions Office Contact
From The School
Campus and Location
Seton Hall University School of Law is located just 8 miles west of Manhattan in Newark, NJ. Newark is part of the largest legal market in the nation and is home to federal, state, and county courthouses and leading law firms.
Located in busy downtown Newark, the Law School is within a few short blocks of NJ's Penn Station, the Prudential Center, the Newark Museum, the New Jersey Center for Performing Arts, and the Ironbound — giving students convenient access to sporting events, concerts, world-renowned works of art, and wonderful food.
Sign up for info-sessions and visit here:
Facilities
The Peter W. Rodino Law Library Center for Information and Technology:
The Peter W. Rodino Law Library Center for Information and Technology brings together library and information technology professionals, providing a streamlined research experience for our students. The facility is open from 6 a.m. to midnight each day, providing seating and study space for nearly 600 students.
Center for Social Justice:
The Center for Social Justice at Seton Hall Law School is one of the nation?s strongest pro bono and clinical programs. The CSJ empowers students to gain critical, hands-on experience by providing pro bono legal services for economically disadvantaged residents in the region.
Contact
Peter Eraca
Assistant Dean for J.D. and Graduate Admissions
Assistant Dean for J.D. and Graduate Admissions
Address
One Newark Center
Newark, NJ 07102
Newark, NJ 07102
Phone
973-642-8747
Email
admitme@shu.edu
