2023-2024 JD Program Viewbook

The University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School has been at the forefront of legal education for nearly two centuries, training lawyers for dynamic careers addressing today’s most urgent legal questions and anticipating emergent issues worldwide. Our alumni are changemakers, leveraging their Penn Carey Law experience to practice law, lead, and serve at the highest levels.

A national leader in interdisciplinary legal education, Penn Carey Law’s rigorous curriculum and experiential learning model prepares students to launch impactful careers in a wide variety of legal specialties and sectors. Our inclusive, vibrant community encourages students to take intellectual risks, explore innovative approaches, and collaborate to achieve unrivaled scholarly impact.

STUDENT PROFILE CLASS OF 2026*

BEGINS HERE

MEET THE CLASS

Members of the Class of 2026 come from 34 states, the District of Columbia, and across the globe (including Canada, China, South Korea, United Kingdom, and Vietnam), and 122 undergraduate colleges and universities, with 60 different undergraduate majors, 29% of which are STEM majors. Overall, the JD student body comes from 239 undergraduate institutions.

*This profile reflects the class as of August 31, 2023.

We believe the next generation of lawyers must be superbly trained in law and have a robust grounding in business, communications, healthcare, technology, international studies, social work, education, and other related fields that complement and enhance their legal expertise.

Penn Carey Law’s cross-disciplinary academic programs are fully integrated with the University of Pennsylvania’s world-class institutions, including the Wharton School, Perelman School of Medicine, Fels Institute of Government, and six other partner schools. This collaboration provides our students with unparalleled opportunities to prepare for successful careers and engage with every major issue facing our society.

CLASS OF 2023

16% earned a joint degree

Over 35 Joint Degrees and Certificate Programs offered in conjunction with other Penn schools and departments

42% earned a certificate of study

LEARNING BEYOND THE CLASSROOM A CROSS-DISCIPLINARY EDUCATION

1 Campus in Philadelphia linking all of Penn’s schools

EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING

From clinical legal studies and field placements to the Legal Practice Skills program, Penn Carey Law’s experiential learning opportunities enhance the JD curriculum and empower students to experience what it means to be a lawyer. As early as their second year, students can choose from an array of courses to explore practice areas, apply their analytical skills, and work with clients in real-life legal settings.

The Gittis Legal Clinics, the Law School’s teaching law firm, puts students on the front lines of representing clients with complex legal concerns under the close supervision of dedicated seasoned attorneys. Students can also choose from numerous field placements and externships at governmental agencies and nonprofit organizations to train in a wide variety of legal work outside the Law School.

The Legal Practice Skills program involves year-long simulation courses that teach fundamental lawyering skills through case studies, hypothetical exercises, and real-world lawyering assignments.

GITTIS LEGAL CLINICS

Advocacy for Racial and Civil (ARC) Justice Clinic

Civil Practice Clinic

Criminal Defense Clinic

Detkin Intellectual Property & Technology Legal Clinic

Entrepreneurship Legal Clinic

Interdisciplinary Child Advocacy Clinic

Legislative Clinic

Transnational Legal Clinic

Near the U.S.-Mexico border, student volunteers from the Transnational Legal Clinic counsel migrant asylum-seekers through a fence.

Penn Carey Law graduates lead in all corners of the global legal market, including private practice, government, public interest, business/industry, clerkships, and more. We provide comprehensive career support to our students and alumni, enabling graduates to forge unique and fulfilling careers. Whatever your path, our experienced counselors in the Office of Career Strategy can help you understand the possibilities, explore your interests, and achieve your career goals.

Penn Carey Law’s Future of the Profession Initiative (FPI) leads essential, forward-thinking interdisciplinary discourse on the dynamic forces driving change in the legal profession. The Future of the Profession Lab tackles emerging issues in the profession and applies human-centered design to solve complex problems within the U.S. legal system.

99% of the Class of 2022 graduates are either employed or enrolled in full-time graduate studies

Our 2022 graduates work in the following geographic regions:

417 students and alumni received judicial clerkships in the last five years

Our 2022 graduates are working in the following fields:

EMPLOYMENT STATISTICS REAL-WORLD CAREER SUCCESS

Law Firm Judicial Clerkships Public Interest Business Government Education

Our vibrant community views service as a core value and responsibility. Home to one of the first pro bono requirements in the country, Penn Carey Law centers pro bono as an integral, galvanizing aspect of legal education. Moreover, we encourage students to incorporate service into their professional identities, regardless of career path, sector, or legal specialty.

The Toll Public Interest Center (TPIC) houses the Law School’s pro bono program and oversees robust programming to support students’ development as practice-ready, civically engaged leaders who embrace service. All JD students engage in a 70-hour pro bono program and can take advantage of exceptional learning opportunities through more than 20 student-led pro bono projects across six practice areas and a Mobile TEAMS Initiative that connects students to clients near and far.

TPIC also works closely with students and alumni interested in leveraging their law degrees to effect positive change. Flagship initiatives like the Toll Public Interest Scholars, the Toll Public Interest Fellows, and the TolLRAP loan repayment program ensure Penn Carey Law graduates can actualize their public interest goals.

The Leo Model Foundation Government Service & Public Affairs Initiative prepares students for leadership in government and policymaking, and the Cozen Family Voting Rights Fellowship supports graduates working to advance and protect voting rights.

350+ national and international pro bono community partners

10% of graduates launch careers in public interest and government

AN ETHOS OF SERVICE

8 full-time staff members dedicated to pro bono and public interest programs

90% or more of each graduating class exceeds the pro bono requirement

PIONEERING SCHOLARSHIP

Penn Carey Law faculty are among the most influential voices in law. As experts in law and technology, administrative law, corporate law, health law, national security, intellectual property, human rights, and many other areas, our faculty enact positive change in the classroom and the greater world.

Faculty engage policymakers on issues ranging from regulation to international law and expand students’ knowledge and experience through innovative courses and collaborative cross-disciplinary research. Our 10 centers and institutes cultivate cutting-edge legal research and position Penn Carey Law at the helm of thought leadership on today’s most pressing legal issues.

ACADEMIC CENTERS & INSTITUTES

Center for Asian Law

Center for Tax Law & Policy

Center for Technology, Innovation & Competition

Criminal Law Research Group

Institute for Law & Economics

Institute for Law & Philosophy

Legal History Consortium

Penn Program on Documentaries & the Law

Penn Program on Regulation

Quattrone Center for the Fair Administration of Justice

All Penn Carey Law students enjoy myriad opportunities to explore academic and professional interests around the globe.

Partnerships with premier institutions like the London School of Economics, Sciences Po, Hong Kong University, and Hebrew University offer students cross-cultural experiences and a deeper engagement with foreign law.

Signature programs such as our Global Research Seminars provide rich international learning experiences covering a wide range of cuttingedge legal topics. The Law School’s robust selection of 45+ courses on international, foreign, and comparative law empower students to pursue a global legal education without even leaving Philadelphia. Our students engage with distinguished international scholars and influential global leaders, take part in internationally focused research projects and fact-finding missions, and participate in conferences, consortia, and symposia around the world.

Penn Carey Law will prepare you to break new paths, challenge assumptions, and engage with today’s most pressing global issues.

A COLLEGIAL CULTURE

Penn Carey Law is known for our collegial, collaborative community. Our faculty, staff, and students strive to cultivate a culture that affirms diverse identities and lets students truly own their law school experience. Penn Carey Law alumni are deeply engaged with the Law School and regularly support student work, such as annual symposia.

Law school is rigorous yet rewarding. Life at Penn Carey Law is supportive, encouraging, and dynamic—a place where you can fully develop your personal and professional potential.

Penn Carey Law’s small classes mean our students enjoy individual attention and support from faculty and staff, and our students and genuinely encourage and celebrate each other’s success.

Penn Carey Law celebrates the wide range of lived and professional experiences that every individual brings to our community. We learn from one another in classrooms and through scholarly collaboration, student groups, journals, programs, and pro bono projects.

The Office of Equity & Inclusion (E&I) is a partner for students, staff, faculty, and alumni in advancing inclusive excellence. E&I offers programming, workshops, and resources to support all members of the Penn Carey Law community in developing the professional skills and substantive knowledge necessary to engage on matters of equity and justice, cultivate meaningful community, and nurture a deep sense of belonging for all.

E&I also works closely with members of communities that have been historically underrepresented in the legal profession to ensure access, equity, and support.

THRIVE IN PHILADELPHIA

The birthplace of the United States, Philadelphia is an international city with convenient access to Washington, D.C., and New York City. Attending Penn Carey Law puts you in the midst of everything Philadelphia has to offer, from its revolutionary roots to award-winning restaurants.

Boasting a 9,200-acre park system, Philadelphia is home to idyllic settings such as Penn’s Morris Arboretum and Fairmount Park. Sports fans, artists, and music enthusiasts flock to the city, where the next world-class performance, gallery, or championship game is a short walk or subway ride away.

The city’s historical neighborhoods and diverse communities blend smalltown warmth with the energy of an urban center on the East Coast. A city where people enjoy sharing their traditions with newcomers, Philadelphia is a place you can make your own.

Penn Carey Law is fully invested in your future. The Law School is committed to guiding applicants through the financial aid process and helping students develop a sound financial plan for their legal education.

We provide generous assistance to qualified students through a variety of grants, scholarships, and loans. Penn Carey Law also offers targeted support for students who demonstrate a commitment to public interest, as well as a loan repayment assistance program for graduates entering public interest careers. Students also may be eligible for federal and private loans.

Visit our website for more information: https://www.law.upenn.edu/admissions/financing.

FINANCING YOUR EDUCATION

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Penn Carey Law’s program of legal education, combining our rich, interdisciplinary curriculum, varied co-curricular activities, and pro bono responsibilities, prepares our students for admission to the bar and to serve as effective, ethical, and responsible members of the legal profession. Each student will be able to do the following:

Demonstrate a core knowledge and understanding of substantive and procedural law in a number of different subject areas;

Engage in legal analysis and reasoning, conduct efficient and effective legal research, apply problem-solving skills, and present findings, analyses, and recommendations efficiently and effectively in both written and oral communication;

Work collaboratively;

Demonstrate an understanding of the interdisciplinary nature of law and the contributions and benefits to legal analysis and problem-solving that other disciplines can make;

Exercise proper professional judgment and fulfill ethical responsibilities to clients, the profession, and society in general; and

Utilize a range of professional skills that facilitate active, competent, and ethical participation in the legal profession.

University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School

3501 Sansom Street

Philadelphia, PA 19104-6204

Office of JD Admissions & Financial Aid

JD Admissions Office: 215.898.7400

Financial Aid: 215.898.7743

Fax: 215.898.9606

JD Admissions Office Email: contactadmissions@law.upenn.edu

Financial Aid Email: finaid@law.upenn.edu

UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY STATEMENT

The University of Pennsylvania values diversity and seeks talented students, faculty and staff with diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. The University of Pennsylvania does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, creed, national or ethnic origin, citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status or any other legally protected class status in the administration of its admissions, financial aid, educational or athletic programs, or other University-administered programs or in its employment practices. Questions or complaints regarding this policy should be directed to the Executive Director of the Office of Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Programs, Franklin Building, 3451 Walnut Street, Suite 421, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6106; or (215) 898-6993. The University’s security policies and annual report is available at https://www.publicsafety.upenn.edu/clery/. The University of Pennsylvania must reserve the right to make changes affecting policies, fees, curricula, or any other matters announced in this publication or on its website.