From the School
The University at Buffalo School of Law—the only law school in the State University of New York (SUNY) system—is a premier public law school, situated on the campus of a flagship university. As one of the oldest law schools in New York State, UB School of Law draws on more than 135 years of experience and innovation in legal education. UB is among the most internationalized universities in the United States, providing numerous programs and services to support its diverse student body. The School of Law shares this commitment and welcomes students from wide-ranging backgrounds into its vibrant and collegial community.
Overview
From The School
The admissions process is selective and based on both quantitative and qualitative criteria. In addition to an applicant's standardized test score (LSAT or GRE score) and undergraduate grade point average, the Admissions Committee considers non-numerical factors in reaching decisions. These factors include achievements and activities that indicate a high level of probability of scholastic excellence and the potential for contributing to the enrichment of the law school community.
Applicants
930
Acceptance Rate
41%
Median Undergrad GPA
3.72
Accepted Applicants Who Attend
139
Test Scores
LSAT
25th-75th percentile
(enrolled students)
(enrolled students)
153 - 159
Application Process
Rolling Admissions
Yes
Application Fee
$85
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
Letters of Recommendation
Essay / Personal Statement
Selectivity Rating
Overall
From The School
Degrees Offered
Our flexible JD curriculum affords students a broad range of curricular options, practical coursework, and special programs to prepare them for practice. We offer a large number of interdisciplinary courses in a variety of , including Advocacy, Criminal Law, Cross-Border Legal Studies, Family Law, Intellectual Property and Privacy Law, International Law, Sports Law, Environmental Law, and Finance and Development. Many law students simultaneously pursue the JD degree and a PhD or master's degree through one of our many .
We offer five programs for students who already have a first degree in law, including an , , and .
Programs and Curriculum
Our opportunities, which give students the opportunity to learn by doing, include our , , externships and judicial clerkships, law journals, as well as our , our , and our and . Students learn how to prepare and try a civil or criminal case through our or compete in one of our national moot court competitions. Several opportunities exist for international study led by our faculty, or through our .
Faculty
The School of Law's faculty has long been associated with innovative, interdisciplinary research and critical approaches to the study of law. Many hold doctorates in areas other than law and are actively engaged with research, policy and practice. Our low student-to-faculty ratio — 7.9:1 — allows students and professors an opportunity to get to know one another.
Faculty Information
Student/Faculty
6:1
Total Faculty
127
46.61
Female
8.66
Underrepresented Minorities
Students Say
SUNY Buffalo Law School is a practical and affordable option for future New York State lawyers. The school鈥檚 three-year JD begins with a series of required classes in contracts, torts, and other basic areas. In the next two years, law students have the 鈥渁bility to create a unique curriculum鈥 through a 鈥渘ice array of courses,鈥 including 鈥渢imely classes that are relevant to the world and cover cutting edge legal issues (examples: class on international piracy, class on counterterrorism law, etc.).鈥 The school offers curricular concentrations in nine fields, including civil litigation and intellectual property, and students note the array of 鈥済reat human rights and international law classes.鈥 While they like the course diversity, many Buffalo students feel the school could dig even deeper into specialty topics and 鈥渋ncorporate more courses which teach practical lawyering skills in specific areas of the law.鈥 Fortunately, curricular improvements are being implemented with attention and efficiency. 鈥淭he current administration is making a concerted effort to improve the look of the school and the opportunities available to students.鈥 In addition, many students praise the schools鈥 supervisors and staff and attest, 鈥淪chool administrators seem to genuinely care about you from the moment you step in the door all the way up to graduation and beyond.鈥
Buffalo offers 鈥減lenty of opportunity to get hands-on experience in legal jobs during law school.鈥 Traditional academics are augmented by 鈥渄iverse opportunities for experiential learning,鈥 including 鈥渘on-traditional course offerings like clinics and externships.鈥 Within the law school, 鈥渢here are countless opportunities for moot court, trial team, and journal work,鈥 and 鈥渢he law school鈥檚 clinic program is excellent.鈥 Of particular note, 鈥渢he school goes out of its way to help those interested in Public Interest work,鈥 with numerous clinics devoted to affordable housing, community economic advocacy, and social justice. Over 50 percent of each graduating class works in private practice. Even so, some would also like to see the school build a 鈥渟tronger presence in the greater Buffalo community,鈥 and point out the campus鈥檚 isolated location in a northern suburb of the city. The events and culture generated from having over 24,000 undergraduate and graduate students on Buffalo鈥檚 campus should not be discounted, though.
When it comes to the teaching staff, students praise Buffalo鈥檚 鈥渢errific adjunct professors,鈥 saying they love being taught by 鈥渇aculty members who are still trying cases, rather than those who have been out of court for years.鈥 The school attracts a number of accomplished attorneys, and 鈥渟ome of the faculty [are] at the very pinnacle of their fields, with reputations that span the country.鈥 A current student enthuses, 鈥淥n multiple occasions, my professors have actually worked on the cases we cover in class.鈥 Despite their many accolades, 鈥渇aculty is hit or miss鈥 in the classroom. Because SUNY is a 鈥済reat research institution,鈥 it tends to attract 鈥減rofessors that are experts in their field with a significant amount of publishing in their background, but have no teaching skills and no ability to relate to the students.鈥 Outside of the classroom, teachers are diverse in the same manner. Some professors are friendly and student-oriented, while others 鈥渁re not always accessible because they are busy.鈥
Buffalo is a great choice for local lawyers, and the school maintains a great 鈥渞eputation in New York, particularly in western New York.鈥 For many local students, cost was also a major factor in their decision to attend SUNY Buffalo. New York state residents not surprisingly, comprise more than 90 percent of the school鈥檚 population, but the Law School offers competitive scholarships for qualified applicants whether in-state or out-of-state residents.
Buffalo offers 鈥減lenty of opportunity to get hands-on experience in legal jobs during law school.鈥 Traditional academics are augmented by 鈥渄iverse opportunities for experiential learning,鈥 including 鈥渘on-traditional course offerings like clinics and externships.鈥 Within the law school, 鈥渢here are countless opportunities for moot court, trial team, and journal work,鈥 and 鈥渢he law school鈥檚 clinic program is excellent.鈥 Of particular note, 鈥渢he school goes out of its way to help those interested in Public Interest work,鈥 with numerous clinics devoted to affordable housing, community economic advocacy, and social justice. Over 50 percent of each graduating class works in private practice. Even so, some would also like to see the school build a 鈥渟tronger presence in the greater Buffalo community,鈥 and point out the campus鈥檚 isolated location in a northern suburb of the city. The events and culture generated from having over 24,000 undergraduate and graduate students on Buffalo鈥檚 campus should not be discounted, though.
When it comes to the teaching staff, students praise Buffalo鈥檚 鈥渢errific adjunct professors,鈥 saying they love being taught by 鈥渇aculty members who are still trying cases, rather than those who have been out of court for years.鈥 The school attracts a number of accomplished attorneys, and 鈥渟ome of the faculty [are] at the very pinnacle of their fields, with reputations that span the country.鈥 A current student enthuses, 鈥淥n multiple occasions, my professors have actually worked on the cases we cover in class.鈥 Despite their many accolades, 鈥渇aculty is hit or miss鈥 in the classroom. Because SUNY is a 鈥済reat research institution,鈥 it tends to attract 鈥減rofessors that are experts in their field with a significant amount of publishing in their background, but have no teaching skills and no ability to relate to the students.鈥 Outside of the classroom, teachers are diverse in the same manner. Some professors are friendly and student-oriented, while others 鈥渁re not always accessible because they are busy.鈥
Buffalo is a great choice for local lawyers, and the school maintains a great 鈥渞eputation in New York, particularly in western New York.鈥 For many local students, cost was also a major factor in their decision to attend SUNY Buffalo. New York state residents not surprisingly, comprise more than 90 percent of the school鈥檚 population, but the Law School offers competitive scholarships for qualified applicants whether in-state or out-of-state residents.
Career overview
From The School
Through student interview programs, career panel discussions, and one-on-one counseling, the (CSO) helps students prepare for a successful and satisfying legal career. Students and alumni have access to an online platform that is used to post employment opportunities, schedule interviews, and provide resume writing and interviewing resources. An extensive network of alumni participate in mentoring programs that provide professional advice and guide students throughout their law school career.
% of graduates who are employed within ten months of graduation
92%
% of job accepting graduates providing useable salary information
64%
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
80
Employers who most frequently hire graduates
M & T Bank, Bond, Schoeneck & King, LLP, Bronx County District Attorney, City of Buffalo Law Department, Barclay Damon LLP, Center for Elder Law & Justice, Erie County District Attorney's Office, Gibson McAskill & Crosby, LLP, Hamberger & Weiss, Harris Beach, LLP, Harter Secrest & Emery, Hodgson Russ, LLP, Hurwitz & Fine, PC, Kings County District Attorney, Legal Aid Bureau of Buffalo, Inc., LawNY, Lippes Mathias Wexler Friedman, LLP, Lipsitz Green Scime Cambria LLP, Monroe County District Attorney's Office, Neighborhood Legal Services, Inc., Appellate Div, 3rd Dept, NYS Appellate Div, 4th Dept, Phillips Lytle LLP, Rupp Baase Pfalzgraf, Woods Oviatt Gilman, LLP, Citigroup, Liberty Mutual, Fried Frank, Davis Polk, NYS Excelsior Fellowship Program.
Graduates Employed by Area
50%
Private Practice
17%
Government
16%
Public Interes
4%
Judicial Clerkships
3%
Business/Industry
3%
Academic
Graduates Employed by Region
83%
Mid-Atlantic
5%
South
2%
MidWest
1%
International
1%
South West
1%
Pacific
1%
New England
Prominent Alumni
Hon. Julio M. Fuentes '75 (Ret.)
US Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit
Elizabeth De Le?n Bhargava ?03
Assistant Secretary for Administration at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Jonathan S. Beane '98
NFL Senior VP and Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer
J. Mason Davis, Jr. '59
Civil Rights Attorney and Activist, Law Professor, in Alabama
Elizabeth Kim '94
Director, Office of Ocean and Polar Affairs, US Department of State
Overview
From The School
2023/24 New York State Residents:
$26,170 Tuition
$3,078 University Fees
$22,762 Room, Board, Living Allowance
$52,010 Total
2023/24 Non-New York State Residents:
$31,160 Tuition
$3,078 University Fees
$22,762 Room, Board, Living Allowance
$57,000 Total
After living in the state for 12 months, domestic non-New York state residents can apply for in-state residency.
Financial Aid:
Federal loans are available to domestic students who complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Eighty-nine percent of incoming three-year JD students received merit-based scholarships in 2023, ranging from $2,000 per year to full tuition. All merit scholarships last for the duration of the academic program, provided students are enrolled full-time and remain in good academic standing.
Dates
Financial Aid Rating
Mar 1
Application Deadlines
Mar 15
Financial Aid Statistics
Average Annual Total Aid Package Awarded
$35,293
% Students Receiving Some Aid
93%
Expenses per Academic Year
In-State Tuition
$26,170
Out-Of-State Tuition
$31,160
Estimated On-Campus Room and Board
$22,762
Estimated Off-Campus Room and Board
$22,762
Estimated Cost for Books / Academic Expense
$22,762
Fees
$3,078
Overall
From The School
UB law students experience a collegial and collaborative atmosphere. are an integral part of the UB Law experience, providing students with an opportunity to gain new skills, and contribute time and talent in ways that are both personally and professionally gratifying.
Student Body Profile
Total Enrollment
431
Parent Institution Enrollement
31,923
Number of Foreign Countries Represented
15
Average Age at Entry
24
% Out-of-State
6%
% International
5%
Demographics
20.00%
% Under-represented Minorities
100% are full time
0% are part time
59% female
41% male
Campus Life
Students Say
Students seeking a 鈥渟erious, but not overly competitive environment鈥 will find a good match at SUNY Buffalo, where academic rigors are balanced by a 鈥渟trong sense of community and camaraderie among the students.鈥 Most students are serious about their education and 鈥渃ome ready to work every day.鈥 However, that sense of purpose never overrides the generally low-key and friendly atmosphere within the law school. A current student elaborates, 鈥淲hile we are all competitive, there is a "no 1L left behind," feeling to all of the classes. If you are having trouble with the material there are always countless students willing to sit down and thoroughly discuss the material until you grasp it.鈥 Both socially and professionally, the collegial atmosphere pays off. Here, 鈥渘etworking is easy at UB because everyone is already your friend.鈥
Within the law school, there are 鈥渕yriad, valuable student organizations.鈥 Socially, one student proclaims, 鈥淭here are always SO many events going on, it is literally impossible to keep up,鈥 especially since the law school is located on the University at Buffalo campus with an enrollment of over 24,000. In contrast, there isn鈥檛 much happening in the surrounding area. Located in 鈥渟uburban hell,鈥 campus is north of Buffalo proper with鈥渘othing in walking distance. You have to drive everywhere to get or do anything.鈥 Not only is 鈥渢here is no 鈥榗ollege town鈥 feel,鈥 students remind us that 鈥渢he heart of Buffalo's legal community, including the state and federal courthouses and the major law firms, remains in downtown Buffalo.鈥
Within the law school, there are 鈥渕yriad, valuable student organizations.鈥 Socially, one student proclaims, 鈥淭here are always SO many events going on, it is literally impossible to keep up,鈥 especially since the law school is located on the University at Buffalo campus with an enrollment of over 24,000. In contrast, there isn鈥檛 much happening in the surrounding area. Located in 鈥渟uburban hell,鈥 campus is north of Buffalo proper with鈥渘othing in walking distance. You have to drive everywhere to get or do anything.鈥 Not only is 鈥渢here is no 鈥榗ollege town鈥 feel,鈥 students remind us that 鈥渢he heart of Buffalo's legal community, including the state and federal courthouses and the major law firms, remains in downtown Buffalo.鈥
More Information
% of Classrooms with Internet Access
100%
Admissions Office Contact
From The School
Campus and Location
The School of Law is located on UB's North Campus in suburban Amherst, N.Y., approximately 11 miles northeast of downtown Buffalo, and 19 miles southeast of Niagara Falls. The land on which the University at Buffalo operates is the territory of the Seneca Nation, a member of the Haudenosaunee/Six Nations Confederacy.
With an enrollment of over 32,000, UB is the largest and most comprehensive campus in the SUNY system. Home to just 445 students, the School of Law has a small-school feel with all the advantages of a large interdisciplinary university.
As the second-largest city in New York State, Buffalo offers a wide variety of social and cultural activities, and easy access to Canada. Voted America's Friendliest City by Travel & Leisure Magazine, Buffalo is known as the City of Good Neighbors, as well as one of the most affordable cities in the United States.
Facilities
UB School of Law is housed in John Lord O'Brian Hall. The Charles B. Sears Law Library and the Francis M. Letro Courtroom are both located in the law school. Recent renovations to O'Brian Hall include three new state-of-the-art classrooms, and a new dressing room facility where students can prepare for job interviews or mock trial competitions. Exclusive law student space is also available on campus including a student lounge on the first floor of O'Brian Hall. Abundant green spaces complement the 125-building campus including Lake LaSalle and Letchworth Woods.
Contact
Lindsay J. Gladney
Vice Dean for Admissions
Vice Dean for Admissions
Address
408 O'Brian Hall
Buffalo, NY 14260
Buffalo, NY 14260
Phone
716-645-2907
Email
law-admissions@buffalo.edu
