Annette Clark, MD, JD, Dean
Paul Holland, JD, LL.M, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs
Donna Claxton Deming, JD, Associate Dean for Student Affairs
Degrees Offered
Juris Doctor (JD)
Juris Doctor/Master of Business Administration (JD/MBA)
Juris Doctor/Master of Professional Accounting (JD/MPAC)
Juris Doctor/Master of Science in Finance (JD/MSF)
Juris Doctor/Master in Sport Administration (JD/MSAL)
Juris Doctor/Master of Arts in Criminal Justice (JD/MACJ)
Juris Doctor/Master of Public Administration (JD/MPA)
Juris Doctor/Master of Arts in Transformational Leadership (JD/MATL)
Seattle University School of Law, the Pacific Northwest’s largest and most diverse law school, is dedicated to the twin goals of academic excellence and education for justice. The school enrolls more than 1,000 students representing more than 250 undergraduate schools and drawn from the top third of the national law school applicant pool. The only Washington law school with an evening program geared to meet the needs of working professionals, the school offers more than 100 courses during the fall, spring and summer terms and allows students to focus in one of 14 areas of interest, ranging from business law and estate planning to intellectual property and criminal practice. The School of Law also offers four joint degrees with the Albers School of Business and Economics and three joint degrees with the College of Arts and Sciences.
An especially distinctive feature of our law program is its flexible schedule. Entering students may begin legal studies in the summer or in the fall, take classes in the day or evening, and complete their first year in 9, 12, or 15 months, as described below:
Full-time Summer Entry
All entering students may choose to “start early” by completing a single class in the summer, thereby reducing their fall course loads. Three options are available: two meet in the late afternoon and the other in the evening, Monday through Thursday. Summer term is six weeks.
Full-time Fall Entry
Students who begin studies in the fall take 16 credits in the fall term and 14 credits in the spring term to complete their first-year legal studies over the traditional nine-month period. Classes convene between the hours of 8 a.m. and 6 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Part-time Summer Entry
This program of evening-only classes is designed for students with employment or personal obligations during the day. Law school commences in the summer with a single course, and the course load over the fall and spring terms is four classes each term for a total of 21 credits. The final first-year course is completed the second summer. Classes convene after 6 p.m., Monday through Thursday.
Admission Requirements
In determining those applicants who will be admitted to the School of Law, the Admissions Committee considers three primary factors:
- Performance on the Law School Admission Test (LSAT);
- Undergraduate academic record; and
- Personal accomplishments.
At least two evaluators review each application. In all cases, qualitative factors weigh heavily in the admission decision. These might include exceptional professional achievements, outstanding community service, or evidence of particular talents or backgrounds that will contribute especially and significantly to the law school community.
Seattle University embraces a wholly nondiscriminatory admission policy and philosophy. We welcome applications from all persons without regard to age, gender, race, religion, national origin, marital status, sexual or political orientation or disability.
Candidates for admission must have earned a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university prior to enrollment. In addition, applicants must have received a competitive score on the LSAT, and have registered with the Law School Data Assembly Service. Applicants should submit required application materials at the earliest possible date after they are available, and complete their applicant file no later than April 1 of the year they wish to attend.
Seattle University law students enjoy a premier learning environment. Sullivan Hall, home of the School of Law, is a five-floor, handsomely appointed structure that features a lengthy list of amenities that, taken together, represent a prototype for law schools of the future: wireless technology; street-front law clinic; state-of-the-art classrooms and study areas; a modern and impressive law library; a cutting-edge courtroom complex; and spacious student lounges and activity centers.