William & Mary Law School Welcomes New J.D. and LL.M. Classes
Welcome! William & Mary Law School welcomed new J.D., LL.M., transfer, and visiting students to the Marshall-Wythe community on August 19 at the Kimball Theatre. Photo by David F. Morrill
A new academic year has commenced at William & Mary Law School, and with it comes the J.D. Class of 2022 and LL.M. Class of 2020, ready to begin their studies where American legal education began.
The J.D. Class comprises 240 students from 42 states, the District of Columbia, and citizenship in six countries. Two students hold dual citizenship with the United States/Austria and the United States/Jamaica. Following Virginia, the most represented states are New York, Pennsylvania, Florida, Maryland and Texas.
“Our new students possess outstanding academic credentials and have records of leadership, service, and involvement,” said Associate Dean for Admission Faye Shealy, who will retire this fall after 37 years of service to the Law School. “We learned from their applications they have many reasons to learn the law and make an impact.”
Learn more about our new students:
| Educational Background | Academic Honors | Global Interest | ||
| Internships | Employment | Service, Education, Leadership | ||
| Athletics | Music & Theatre | Additional Accolades and Fun Facts |
Students have self-identified as 51 percent female and 49 percent male and 41 (17 percent) as minority-identifying students. Ages range from 21 to 40 with the average being 24. Thirty-five are first-generation college students. Matriculants to the first-year class have a median undergraduate GPA of 3.76 and a median LSAT score of 163 (87th percentile).
Read about some of the many reasons our students chose William & Mary Law School.
In addition to the J.D. Class of 2022, two transfer and two visiting students are joining the upper classes. The Law School also welcomes 39 new students in the LL.M. program, which serves students who have received their legal training outside of the United States. This Master of Laws degree allows law graduates and attorneys from around the world the opportunity to continue their education by either specializing in specific areas of law, or by broadening their knowledge of the American Legal System itself.
William & Mary is also pleased to greet the Law School’s new Associate Dean for Admission, Dexter Smith, who began his new role at the end of July. Most recently, Smith was Assistant Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid at Campbell Law in Raleigh, N.C., and, before that, Director of Admissions at Florida Coastal School of Law in Jacksonville, Fla.
“We have a wealth of riches to celebrate this year as we welcome both Dean Smith and the newest class of exceptional students to our law family,” said Davison M. Douglas, Dean of the Law School. “I have great aspirations for their success over the next three years and beyond.”
About William & Mary Law School
Thomas Jefferson founded William & Mary Law School in 1779 to train leaders for the new nation. Now in its third century, America’s oldest law school continues its historic mission of educating citizen lawyers who are prepared both to lead and to serve.