Wake Forest University School of Law, Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Overview

The Wake Forest University School of Law was established in 1894. The main feature of the law school’s education program is its all-out effort to prepare individual students to meet the challenges of practicing law in the United States. The school also endeavors to implant in every student respect for law as a profession, devotion to the ideals of public service, and a commitment to basic professional values: honesty, diligence, competence, intelligence, and civility. Additionally, it stresses the development of fundamental skills for the practice of law.

The law school’s course curriculum has been designed to impart the finer nuances of legal knowledge and skills—those that can help its graduates build their lives within the legal profession. Its programs are small in design, giving equal weight to legal analysis and critical thinking. In addition, students are encouraged to consider the range of social and economic settings in which legal principles and rules, as well as lawyers, have to operate.

The Academic Success Program of the law school helps first year students to figure out the best way to learn the law and to assist them in fulfilling their academic potential. Persuasive communication and clear communication being the two cutting-edge tools for lawyers, the law school emphasizes the development of both written and oral communication abilities in order to produce sharp and confident lawyers who are broadly educated in the skills, traditions, and ethics of the practice of law.

Students at the law school are divided into well-integrated learning groups of 40 each. Along with encouraging questions and debate, faculty members also stress the involvement of students in research. The school has a comprehensive research and writing program that is very challenging and effective.

Student-Faculty Ratio 9.6:1

Admission Criteria

	LSAT	GPA
25th-75th Percentile	160-164	3.20-3.80
Median*	163	3.60

The above LSAT and GPA data pertain to the fall 2011 entering class.
Medians have been calculated by averaging the 25th- and 75th-percentile values released by the law schools and have been rounded up to the nearest whole number for LSAT scores and to the nearest one-hundredth for GPAs.

Admission Statistics

Approximate number of applications	2,632
Number accepted	948
Percentage accepted	36.0%

The above admission details are based on fall 2011 data.

Class Ranking and Grades

A student’s class rank is available only upon the student’s written request. After the student submits the request on a form provided by the registrar, the registrar will mail class rank information to the student. Individual ranks are calculated for those in the top 50% of the class only. Percentile rankings (in 5% increments) are assigned to all other students.

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Wake Forest University School of Law uses the following numerical grading system:

A	90 to 100
B	80 to 89
C	70 to 79
D	66 to 69
F	Below 66

Normally grades range from 61 to 98, but in exceptional circumstances a student may receive a 100 at the high end or a 59 at the low end. A cumulative weighted grade average of 73.00 or above is required of every student at the end of the first year and at the end of every academic year thereafter in order to remain in law school and to graduate.

Grades earned in second- and third-year courses will be weighted at twice the value of first-year grades for the purpose of computing a student’s cumulative GPA for graduating classes prior to May 2012.

Grade of Incomplete
If a student receives authorization to miss an examination or not to complete work in a course within the prescribed time due to illness or emergency, he or she will be given a grade of I (incomplete) instead of an F. If a student fails to remove an “I” within the prescribed time, the “I” automatically will be changed to an “F”.

Pass/Fail option
A student may take certain upper-level, non-required courses on a Pass/Fail basis. A student may not take more than three hours of course work on a Pass/Fail basis in any one semester.

A student who is registered for a course in which a Pass/Fail option is available may not change from the Pass/Fail to the grade option or vice versa during the final two weeks of the semester.

Grade normalization (Curve)

A cumulative weighted grade point average of 73.00 or above is required of every student at the end of the first year and at the end of every academic year thereafter in order to remain in the Wake Forest University School of Law and to graduate. All courses should have a mean or average grade of 85. This uniform grading policy does not apply to non-multiple-section upper-level elective courses taught by full-time members of the faculty when the class has fewer than 20 students or is a paper course.

Minimum Grades Required (Based on May 2010 graduation class)

Minimum grade required to fall within the top 10% of the class	90.8
Minimum grade required to fall within the top 25% of the class	88.5
Minimum grade required to fall within the top 33% of the class	87.8
Minimum grade required to fall within the top 50% of the class	86.5
Minimum grade required to fall within the top 75% of the class	83.8
Minimum grade required for graduation	73.0

Honors
Prior to the Class of 2012

Honor	Criteria
Order of the Coif	Top 10%
summa cum laude	GPA of 95 or higher
magna cum laude	GPA of 91 – 94.99
cum laude	GPA of 90.00 – 90.99

Beginning with the Class of 2012

Honor	Criteria
Order of the Coif	Top 10%
summa cum laude	GPA of 94 or higher
magna cum laude	GPA of 92 – 93.99
cum laude	GPA of 90.00 – 91.99

Awards

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Name of Award	Description
American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers Award	Awarded to a student with high professional standards and an interest in family law
American Bankruptcy Institute Award	Awarded to an outstanding student in debtor-creditor law
American Bar Association Section of Urban, State, and Local Government Award	Awarded for the highest grade in each course on local government and land use regulation
CALI Excellence for the Future Award	Awarded for the highest grade in each course at the law school
Robert Goldberg Award in Trial Advocacy	Awarded to the student or students showing the highest aptitude and ethics in trial advocacy
I. Beverly Lake Award	Awarded for the greatest proficiency in the study of constitutional law
National Association of Women Lawyers Award	Awarded for academic achievement, motivation, tenacity, and drive, as well as the promise of future contributions to the advancement of women in society and the presentation of a personable and professional image
North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers Award	Awarded to the student in each trial practice section recognized as the “most outstanding advocate”
North Carolina State Bar Student Pro Bono Award	Awarded to an individual who has performed pro bono law-related service for a student while in law school
Order of Barristers	Membership offered to third-year students for outstanding advocacy contributions
James A. Webster Jr. Faculty Award	Awarded for the greatest proficiency in property law
Faris Memorial Award	Awarded for high standards of character and scholarship
Forsyth County Women’s Attorney’s Award	Awarded to outstanding female graduate
ABA/BNA Award for Health Law	Awarded for excellence in Health Law
ABA and the Bureau of National Affairs Award in IP	Awarded for excellence in the study of  Intellectual Property
ABA/BNA Award for Excellency in Labor & Employment	Awarded for highest grade in Labor and Employment
The Dean’s Award	Awarded for demonstration of uncommon qualities in leadership
Laura J. Gendy Award	Awarded for demonstration of integrity and passion for others

Journals

The Wake Forest Law Review is a student-managed journal published five times per year. The Law Review also sponsors two symposiums. The fall symposium changes topics yearly but the spring symposium is dedicated to exploring business law. Consistent academic performance is a required factor for admission to the publication board. A writing competition is also held. Generally, the top 10% of students receive invitations to join the board. It offers several opportunities to students who seriously wish to make contributions to various studies and publications of critical importance. The review thus offers a significant platform to students wishing to analyze and mold future legal trends. Common Law is the online magazine of the Wake Forest Law Review.

The Wake Forest Journal of Business and Intellectual Property Law, (formerly the Wake Forest Intellectual Property Law Journal) publishes legal scholarship pertaining to a wide variety of topics within the field of intellectual property law and business law. The staff of the journal is selected based on academic performance, achievement in an annual writing competition, and in some cases prior experience in intellectual property law. It publishes legal scholarship authored by academic faculty, practitioners, and students. It covers topics such as trademarks, copyrights, patent, trade secrets, unfair competition, cyberlaw, Internet business law, or any other subject of intellectual property. The journal is published twice annually.

The Wake Forest Journal of Law and Policy is an interdisciplinary publication that explores the intersection of legal issues with public and social policy. The mission of the journal is to introduce, maintain, and advance discourse so as to uncover policies that will engender equality and the true administration of justice. The journal addresses various societal needs through legal doctrines and systems. While the journal primarily publishes legal analyses, it welcomes other scholarly works and social commentary that contribute to a diverse and dynamic intellectual dialogue. It publishes two issues annually.

Moot Court

Wake Forest University School of Law also runs a moot court program that allows students to gain appellate advocacy skills through intramural and interscholastic appellate advocacy competitions. Each year, the law school conducts two intramural moot court competitions. 1L students participate in the George K. Walker Moot Court Competition, and 2L and 3L students participate in the Edwin M. Stanley Moot Court Competition.

In addition, members of the Moot Court Board have the opportunity to travel to other law schools to compete in interscholastic moot court competitions against students from all over the country.

Clinical Programs

The clinical programs offered by Wake Forest University School of Law include:

The Appellate Advocacy Clinic represents low-income clients in all sorts of appeals, both civil and criminal, and in a variety of appellate courts, including the Fourth Circuit and the Seventh Circuit. Students handle an actual appeal from start to finish, with advice and assistance from their professor. Students also travel to Washington, DC, to observe arguments at the United States Supreme Court.

The Child Advocacy Clinic focuses on the representation of children in three settings: deciding the custody of children in high conflict cases, deciding the custody of children in civil domestic violence actions, and representing children of indigent parents in issues involving the public school system.

The Community Law & Business Clinic provides law and graduate business students with an opportunity to develop skills needed to practice in the increasingly complex legal and regulatory environment they will encounter as professionals.
The Innocence & Justice Clinic has its origins in the Innocence Project where Wake Forest students review and investigate claims of innocence to determine whether DNA evidence exists that could exonerate inmates. The I & J Clinic will expand the mission of the Innocence Project by providing students with the opportunity to review and investigate all types of innocence claims and pursue litigation when appropriate. The clinic offers students the unique opportunity to examine the legal, scientific, cultural and psychological causes of wrongful convictions.

The Elder Law Clinic was established in response to the rapid growth of the elder law sector. This clinic provides free legal assistance to moderate-income seniors and serves as a resource center for lawyers and other professionals. In a partnership with the Wake Forest University School of Medicine, the clinic offers law students a unique opportunity to learn about medical and health law issues of older clients.

The Litigation Clinic was established in 1981 as a legal services project. It incorporates the full spectrum of the practice of law. This clinic offers a good combination of both civil and criminal law. Students are placed with supervising attorneys in offices large and small, public and private, in a wide range of practice areas. The idea is for students to confront not only issues of property and money but life and liberty, while rounding out a skill set that will serve both the student and their future clients well.

Placement Facts

Starting Salaries (2010 Graduates employed Full-Time)

Private sector (25th-75th percentile)	$60,000-$115,000
Median in the private sector	$84,000
Median in public service	$45,000

Employment Details

Graduates known to be employed at graduation	52.8%
Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation	83.2%

Areas of Legal Practice

Graduates employed In	Percentage
Law Firms	46.3%
Business and Industry	17.9%
Government	12.7%
Public Interest Organizations	9.7%
Judicial Clerkships	10.4%
Academia	3.0%
Unknown	0%

Externships/Internships

Externships

Students participate in the Metropolitan externship based in Washington, DC. Third-year student can participate and they should complete all other graduation requirements, apart from the total credit hours requirement, before the starting date of the externship.

In the Judicial externship Program, students work as a law clerk for a state or federal judge, observing trials, conferences and hearings; researching law and procedure; and fulfilling the general role of a law clerk. A student must have completed their first year of law school in order to participate.

Student organizations

• AAJ Trial Team
• Black Law Student Association (BLSA)
• Civil Liberties Union
• Criminal Law Roundtable
• Domestic Violence Advocacy Center (DVAC)
• Environmental Law Society
• Federalist Society
• Guardian Ad Litem (GAL)
• Hispanic/Latino Law Students
• Honor Council
• Immigration Law Society
• Innocence Project
• International Law Society
• Joint Degree Society
• Moot Court
• NC Bar Association (NCBA)
• Older Wiser Law Students (OWLS)
• Outlaw
• Phi Alpha Delta
• Pro Bono Project
• Public Interest Initiative
• Sports and Entertainment Law Society (SELS)
• Student Animal Legal Defense Fund (SALDF)
• Student Bar Association (SBA)
• Student Trial Bar
• Teen Court
• Veterans Advocacy Law Organization (VALOR)
• Wake Forest Journal of Business & Intellectual Property Law
• Wake Forest Journal of Law and Policy
• Wake Forest Law Review
• Wake Intellectual Property Student Association
• Women in Law
• Youth Advocacy Group

References

• http://law.wfu.edu/
• http://www.top-law-schools.com/
• http://premium.usnews.com/
• http://studentlife.law.wfu.edu/
• http://www.nalplawschoolsonline.org/
• http://wakeforestlawreview.com/
• http://ipjournal.law.wfu.edu
• http://lawpolicyjournal.law.wfu.edu/
• http://mootcourt.law.wfu.edu/