Overview

Applicants
620
Acceptance Rate
52%
Median Undergrad GPA
3.49
Accepted Applicants Who Attend
139

Test Scores

LSAT
25th-75th percentile
(enrolled students)
152 - 157

Application Process

Rolling Admissions
Yes

Application Fee
$60

CAS Service Used
Yes

Applicants accepted in terms other than fall
Yes

Transfer Applicants Accepted
Yes

Deferred Admission
Yes

Other Admission Factors

Academic

LSAT Score
Undergraduate GPA
Essay / Personal Statement

Selectivity Rating

Faculty Information

Student/Faculty
9:1
Total Faculty
74

51.11
Female
6.75
Underrepresented Minorities


Students Say

The University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law provides an affordable education via advanced technology and the seamless integration of practical experience and high-level theory. With only around 336 enrolled students, this student body is able to easily interact with professors and scholars in a tight-knit program where everyone "know[s] each other well and that fosters an intimate atmosphere at the school." UMKC Law tops it off with two state-of-the-art courtrooms, six clinics, study abroad and international opportunities, and a curriculum that is "rewarding and stimulating in all respects." "All my classes leave me wanting more," says a student. UMKC Law is "a great academic setting wherein critical thinking strategies are emphasized and fostered." Classroom and facilities are "up to speed" though many suggest they could use some renovation, but "the library is the crown jewel and is the most updated part of the school." Many do wish there was more of a stress on writing, as "if a student doesn't participate in moot court or work for a firm outside school they get little legal writing experience." Students say that in order to distinguish oneself, "one really has to go beyond the materials in class and network and find opportunities for yourself." The school's location directly in the heart of Kansas City ("one of the most vibrant legal communities in the country") is strategic, and "students have outstanding opportunities for experiential learning while also taking classes during the semester." It also allows for "one of the most impressive, diverse group of adjunct professors and stakeholders in the community that help make UMKC Law great."

Law professors are excellent and "a great resource for advice and insight into different areas of law." They are "very available to students" and happy to discuss various issues with them, such as "grades and any aspects of school that are causing undue stress." They are very accommodating "both helping with material as well as job placement," and are also "very involved in the community." The "very honorable" faculty participate in extracurricular activities for students and "are not just there to teach and run a law school": They "care deeply about the students and their success." The administration takes the time to hear and entertain student concerns, as does the governing body, the Student Bar Association. "I have never been to a school that so adamantly expressed their desire to hear all issues as much as UMKC Law," says one student. From the dean to professors to students and faculty within the school, everyone seems committed to "creating a high-energy [and] dynamic learning environment that is still grounded in a positive atmosphere."

Career overview

Pass Rate for First-Time Bar Exam
75%
Median Starting Salary
$60,000
% of graduates who are employed within ten months of graduation
89%
% of job accepting graduates providing useable salary information
58%

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
65

Employers who most frequently hire graduates
Armstrong Teasdale LLP Baty Otto Coronado Scheer Berkowitz Oliver Brown Immigration Law Brown & Ruprecht Bryan Cave, LLP Buchanan County Prosecuting Attorney?s Office City of Kansas City, MO Clay County Prosecuting Attorney's Office Department of Homeland Security DiPasquale Moore Dollar Burns & Becker Dysart Taylor Cotter McMonigle & Montemore, P.C. Erise IP Gilmore & Bell Greene County Prosecuting Attorney's Office Heartland Center for Jobs & Freedom H&R Block Holman Schiavone, LLC Hovey Williams LLP Husch Blackwell LLP Jackson County, MO Jackson County Circuit Court Jackson County Prosecuting Attorney?s Office Johnson County, KS District Attorney?s Office Kansas Judicial Branch Kutak Rock Langdon & Emison Lathrop & Gage LLP Legal Aid of Western Missouri Legal Services of Southern Missouri Lewis Rice LLC McAnany, Van Cleave & Phillips, P.A. McCrummen Immigration Law Group Mdivani Corporate Immigration Law Firm Missouri Attorney General's Office Missouri Court of Appeals – Western District Missouri Department of Social Services Missouri State Public Defender System Missouri Supreme Court Montee Law Firm Platte County Prosecuting Attorney's Office Polsinelli PC Ritchie Soper & Schutt Sandberg Phoenix & Von Gontard P.C. Sanders Warren Russell LLP Seigfreid Bingham, P.C. 16th Circuit Court of Jackson County, MO Shook, Hardy & Bacon L.L.P. Spencer Fane Stinson LLP Unified Government of Wyandotte County & Kansas City, Kansas U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development U.S. Department of Labor U.S. District Court, District of Kansas U.S. District Court, Western District of Missouri U.S. Marine Corps U.S. Navy Wagstaff & Cartmell, LLP Wallace Saunders Wyandotte County District Attorney?s Office

Graduates Employed by Area

43%
Private Practice
15%
Business/Industry
13%
Government
9%
Judicial Clerkships
6%
Public Interes
2%
Academic

Graduates Employed by Region

88%
MidWest
7%
South
2%
Mountain
1%
International
1%
South West
1%
New England

Prominent Alumni

Harry S. Truman
President of the United States

Charles E. Whittaker
U.S. Supreme Court Justice

Clarence Kelley
FBI Director

Lyda Conley
First Native American Woman Lawyer

Don Fehr
Executive Director, N.H.L. Players Association

Dates

Financial Aid Rating
Mar 1

Financial Aid Statistics

Average Annual Total Aid Package Awarded
$34,301

% Students Receiving Some Aid
98%

Expenses per Academic Year

In-State Tuition
$21,060
Out-Of-State Tuition
$27,060
Estimated On-Campus Room and Board
$14,507
Estimated Off-Campus Room and Board
$12,270
Estimated Cost for Books / Academic Expense
$1,034
Fees
$2,295

Student Body Profile

Total Enrollment
416
Parent Institution Enrollement
16,420

Number of Foreign Countries Represented
9
Average Age at Entry
27

% Out-of-State
32%
% International
2%

Demographics

16.08%
% Under-represented Minorities

83% are full time
17% are part time
55% female
45% male

Campus Life

Students Say

At this urban public law school, everyone is "very accepting" of one another and most students "are friendly with each other outside of the normal cliques that form in all places of society." UMKC Law is "very welcoming and that transfers to the legal community after school." There are "lots of opportunities to get close to fellow students since the law school is small," including numerous school-sponsored social and networking events. UMKC Law boasts an overall "fun environment, [is] reasonably social, and provides opportunities if you want to engage as well as a variety of clubs." The location of the law campus provides "an accessible legal market to tap into during the year in Kansas City without having to worry about commutes." Additionally, it provides "a plethora of opportunities for internships without much competition from other law schools" while still being in "an amazing yet affordable city." A healthy competitive atmosphere "definitely exists," but "not to the extent that it makes classes less fun or uncomfortable." UMKC Law is "an anchor to the strong legal community in Kansas City," and "almost every single day there is a speaker or presentation regarding a practice area" nearby.

More Information

% of Classrooms with Internet Access
97%

Admissions Office Contact

Contact
Lauren Butler
Director of Admissions

Address
500 East 52nd Street
Kansas City, MO 64110

Phone
816-235-1651

Email
law@umkc.edu


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