Overview
Applicants
1,315
Acceptance Rate
47%
Median Undergrad GPA
3.09
Accepted Applicants Who Attend
226
Test Scores
LSAT
25th-75th percentile
(enrolled students)
(enrolled students)
146 - 152
Deadlines
Application Deadlines
July 1
Application Process
Rolling Admissions
Yes
Application Fee
$0
LSDAS Service Used
Yes
Applicants accepted in terms other than fall
No
Transfer Applicants Accepted
Yes
Deferred Admission
Yes
Other Admission Factors
Academic
LSAT Score
Undergraduate GPA
Essay / Personal Statement
Selectivity Rating
Faculty Information
Total Faculty
94
46
Female
23
Underrepresented Minorities
Students Say
At the Shepard Broad Law Center, the focus is “more how to be a lawyer right out of school and less about the theoretical practice of law.” Students praise the school’s “practical application of the law”: “Every clerkship I have gone to I was ready for whatever was asked because the school prepares you to be able to do real world stuff.” NSU Law emphasizes the importance of clinical education; every student who meets the clinic criteria has the opportunity to participate in one of the school’s seven clinical programs, which include the Bankruptcy Clinic, the Environmental and Land Use Law Clinic, and the International Practice Clinic. NSU Law’s in-house clinics give qualified students the opportunity to gather practical skills in three specialized areas: alternative dispute resolution; children and family; and veterans law. Students begin their clinical semester with intensive classes that focus on advanced substantive law; for the rest of the term, faculty members supervise students while representing clients in NSU Law clinics, government agencies, nonprofits, and private law offices. Students interested in international law can take advantage of NSU Law’s host of study abroad programs, particularly the dual-degree law programs in Barcelona, Rome, or Prague that allow students to study American common law in addition to preparing to take the foreign nation’s bar exam (for those students that participate in the Spain and Italy program) or, for students in the Czech program, earn a LLM degree in either international human rights and environmental law or Central European and Czech law and business. Stateside, students generally praise the alumni network but say that the school could improve by paying more attention to its “[rank] and national reputation.”
Many students say their professors at NSU Law “are available and have an open-door policy. Their office hours feel like an extension of the classroom [but] much more personal,” with one student saying wistfully, “I wish I could clone the vigor and enthusiasm of my civil procedures teacher in all my future courses.” But not all NSU Law students speak so highly of the faculty, lamenting that “most of the professors are knowledgeable . . . however, most of them have no teaching skills of whatsoever. They are just proud of who they are and their own achievements.” Others wish for a less “sink or swim” attitude when it came to future success. The administration doesn’t earn high marks either, with students classifying it as “disorganized” and adding that “registering for classes is a nightmare.” One student goes so far as to say “the school administration is non-existent. In fact, I’ve been here 3 years and I have no idea who the administration is.”
The “facilities of the law school need serious work. We pay a lot in tuition that does not appear to be going to the law school.” One student notes that “more law students go to the public library than our own,” due to poor conditions, although another student counters that the NSU Law library “has all the resources we need but no one (at any law school) truly utilizes libraries anymore. They’re outdated and serve less and less any practical purpose.” Most research, say students, “is done online on our personal computer[s], not through the library,” though “if students want to use the library to go study, that is another matter. There’s plenty of study area in our library.”
Many students say their professors at NSU Law “are available and have an open-door policy. Their office hours feel like an extension of the classroom [but] much more personal,” with one student saying wistfully, “I wish I could clone the vigor and enthusiasm of my civil procedures teacher in all my future courses.” But not all NSU Law students speak so highly of the faculty, lamenting that “most of the professors are knowledgeable . . . however, most of them have no teaching skills of whatsoever. They are just proud of who they are and their own achievements.” Others wish for a less “sink or swim” attitude when it came to future success. The administration doesn’t earn high marks either, with students classifying it as “disorganized” and adding that “registering for classes is a nightmare.” One student goes so far as to say “the school administration is non-existent. In fact, I’ve been here 3 years and I have no idea who the administration is.”
The “facilities of the law school need serious work. We pay a lot in tuition that does not appear to be going to the law school.” One student notes that “more law students go to the public library than our own,” due to poor conditions, although another student counters that the NSU Law library “has all the resources we need but no one (at any law school) truly utilizes libraries anymore. They’re outdated and serve less and less any practical purpose.” Most research, say students, “is done online on our personal computer[s], not through the library,” though “if students want to use the library to go study, that is another matter. There’s plenty of study area in our library.”
Career overview
Median Starting Salary
$60,000
% of graduates who are employed within ten months of graduation
78%
Career Services
On campus summer employment recruitment for first year JD students
Yes
On campus summer employment recruitment for second year JD students
Yes
# of Employers that Recruit on Campus Each Year
50
Employers who most frequently hire graduates
Private law firms, local and state agencies, state attorney's offices, public defender offices
Graduates Employed by Area
67%
Private Practice
Graduates Employed by Region
Prominent Alumni
Melanie G. May
Justice, Fourth Disctrict Court of Appeal
Rob Brzezinski
VP Football Operations, Minnesota Vikings (NFL)
Jared Moskowitz
FLA House of Representative
Rex J. Ford
US Immigration Judge
Pete D'Alessandro
Former General Manager, Sacramento Kings (NBA)
Dates
Financial Aid Rating
Apr 15
Financial Aid Statistics
% Students Receiving Some Aid
35%
Expenses per Academic Year
Tuition
$41,200
Estimated Off-Campus Room and Board
$18,108
Estimated Cost for Books / Academic Expense
$1,418
Student Body Profile
Total Enrollment
636
Parent Institution Enrollement
20,000
Number of Foreign Countries Represented
16
Average Age at Entry
25
% International
10%
Demographics
47.00%
% Under-represented Minorities
79% are full time
21% are part time
53% female
47% male
Campus Life
Students Say
As a fairly large law school that’s associated with an even larger parent institution—Nova Southeastern University has roughly 27,000 students and the law school has around 925—NSU Law has the potential to offer its students multiple social opportunities, as well as academic ones: “[NSU Law] has strong community ties since it is the only law school in the county.” Opportunities to unwind certainly abound in Fort Lauderdale and nearby Miami, which is thirty miles away.
In terms of competition among students, one student was surprised that “there was certainly a cutthroat mentality when I was a 1L” and “plenty of phony outlines” circulated that were “purposely changed with false information. If that’s not cutthroat, I don’t know what is.”
In terms of competition among students, one student was surprised that “there was certainly a cutthroat mentality when I was a 1L” and “plenty of phony outlines” circulated that were “purposely changed with false information. If that’s not cutthroat, I don’t know what is.”
More Information
% of Classrooms with Internet Access
100%
Admissions Office Contact
Contact
William D. Perez
Assistant Dean for Admissions
Assistant Dean for Admissions
Address
3305 College Avenue
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33314
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33314
Phone
954-262-6119
Email
law-admissions@nova.edu