These represent some of the frequently asked questions about the law school. We hope you find answers to your questions. If not, please feel free to contact the Office of Law Admissions at (877)452-9668.
Q: Admissions: What are your admissions requirements?
- A: You must have a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university before attending law school. Prior experience indicates that the most reliable indicators of success in law school are the applicant's undergraduate grade-point average (GPA) and the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) score. Great weight is given to the GPA and LSAT by the Admissions Committee. Other factors also weigh in admissions decisions.
Q: Application fees?
- A: Our application is free online! Visit: www.law.onu.edu
Q: Areas of practice?
- A: 50 percent of our students go into private practice. Others choose to practice in government positions, judicial clerkships, business law, and public interest law.
Q: Career placement?
- A: 94% of our 2009 graduates were employed within 9 months of graduation.
Q: Clinics?
- A: For information about our clinical programs, go to http://www.law.onu.edu/ and click on Academics, and then Clinical Programs. This includes a summary and description of the different clinical programs we offer.
Q: Debt - what is the average debt?
- A: The average debt of our law students after three years is $78,000.
Q: Demographics - men to women, age, minorities?
- A: In the entering 2009 class, 60% were men with 40% women. Our ages range from 24-57. And we have an average of 17% minorities.
Q: Fees and tuition.?
- A: Tuition for 2010-2011 is $30,964. That includes Student Bar Association Dues of $40 and a tech fee of $210 per year. In addition, Law Review Dues are $20, the parking decal is $45.
Q: Financial aid?
- A: 89% of our current law students are receiving some type of financial aid.
Q: Geographical location?
- A: 43% of our graduates stay in the East North Central region. 27% in the South Atlantic region and 8% are in the East South Central region. Click to where our alums are located. (insert hyperlink)
Q: GPA averages?
- A: The median GPA for the 2009 class is 3.5. The 75th percentile is 3.7, and the 25th percentile is 3.1.
Q: Housing?
Q: Library?
- A: Our law library has 420,000 volumes, 30,000 square feet, 306 seats, and 25 computers, which is very competitive for a school our size. For more information, and hours of operation go to http://www.law.onu.edu/ and click on Library and Research.
Q: Location?
- A: Ohio Northern University is located in Ada, OH. Ada is in between Toledo and Dayton, 20 minutes east of Lima. The town itself has 5500 residents, making it a small college town. The environment is very conducive to study.
Q: LSAT averages?
- A: The median LSAT for the 2009 entering class is 155.
Q: Scheduling/classes?
- A: The first year at any law school consists of courses like criminal law, property, torts, civil procedure, etc. After your first year at ONU, you meet with your advisor in determining your areas of interest within the law. You can take classes in any area that interest you.
Q: Scholarships?
- A: Depending on your combination of your LSAT score, GPA, employment history, academic achievements and community involvement, you may qualify for a scholarship that is renewable for 3 years with a 3.0 GPA in law school. We awarded over 3 million dollars in scholarship money for the 2008-2009 school year.
Q: Student/faculty ratio?
- A: We currently have approximately 320 students in our law school, which provides us with a 10:1 student faculty ratio.
Q: Summer Starter Program?
- A: We have a Summer Starter Program for people with a lower LSAT score (usually in the upper 140’s) and a higher GPA (over 3.5). This program consists of 2 classes totaling 8 credit hours, which are attended for 8 weeks prior to the first semester of law school. Students are tutored 3 times a week and tested every 2 weeks. It's a great way to get a jump start in law school to make sure that you do well.
Q: What are the three years like?
- A: The first year is the most anxiety filled. The second year is more academically demanding, and the third has the additional pressures of preparing for the bar and for employment after graduation, so each has its claim as the most difficult.
Q: What percentage of your student body is from out-of-state?
- A: Two-thirds of the student body hail from outside of Ohio. We have 49 states represented.
Q: When will I hear from ONU College of Law with a decision?
- A: We make every effort to be in contact with all applicants within 6-8 weeks of applying, but this is not necessarily with a final decision.
Q: Is there a suggested reading list?
Q: Are laptops required or recommended? What specifications?
