Quinnipiac University School of Law
The information on this page was provided by the law school.
Official Guide to ABA-Approved JD Programs
Quinnipiac Law is a dynamic law school located in the power corridor between New York City and Boston, with a rigorous program and highly personalized experience that prepares students to thrive in today鈥檚 exciting and complex legal landscape. The law school鈥檚 approach emphasizes educating the 鈥渨hole lawyer鈥 鈥 one who integrates personal and professional values, serves their clients with skill and compassion, and applies a thorough understanding of the law to make a measurable impact on society. Students learn in a collaborative environment designed to foster personal success and a strong sense of professional community, benefiting from an exceptional 5:1 student-to-faculty ratio and enthusiastic and expert faculty guidance. Students can earn their JD degree as a full-time or part-time student.
The JD Program
Curriculum: Integrating theory and practice
Quinnipiac Law combines strong academics with an extraordinary selection of hands-on experiences in a curriculum structured to provide a solid grounding in the theory and practice of law. The administration and faculty work closely with students to develop a course of study that matches their goals.
Many students choose the general program, while others opt to focus on a specialized area of the law through one of nine concentrations. Approximately one third of the law school's students choose a concentration. Courses in the concentrations are open to all Quinnipiac students who meet the course prerequisites, regardless of whether they are enrolled in the concentration. Concentrations include: Civil Advocacy and Dispute Resolution; Criminal Law and Advocacy; Cybersecurity and Information Privacy Law; Family Law; Health Law; Intellectual Property; International Law and Policy; Tax Law; and Workplace Law. Students can also work with faculty to develop an informal concentration in a variety of other fields.
Faculty: Accomplished and Accessible
Quinnipiac Law鈥檚 highly accessible faculty are distinguished scholars with backgrounds ranging from private practice to US Supreme Court clerkships; experience as public defenders, prosecutors, trial lawyers, and corporate attorneys; and academic credentials that span the nation鈥檚 leading institutions. They are leaders in scholarly research and legal advocacy in areas like disability and transgender rights, sentencing policy, and juvenile justice. Part-time faculty, many drawn from the ranks of the region鈥檚 top practicing attorneys and judges, bring a diversity of ideas and perspectives to the classroom.
The law school鈥檚 Distinguished Practitioners in Residence add another dimension to the learning experience. Highly accomplished practicing attorneys with established areas of expertise, the Distinguished Practitioners work closely with students in teaching, mentoring, and supervising research, and generously share field knowledge, practical insights, and career guidance.
Practical Experience: Clinics and Externships
Connecticut鈥檚 liberal student-practice rule allows law students, under the supervision of an attorney, to start gaining practical experience representing actual clients after their first year, ahead of students in most other states. As a result, Quinnipiac Law students can start building experience earlier and gain more experience overall during their law school careers.
Over the last three years alone, students in the law school鈥檚 clinics have provided more than 48i,000 hours of free legal services. The law school offers 350+ externship locations working with lawyers, judges, legislators, policy-makers, and mediators, and 19 clinic practice areas.
Clinic Practice Areas
- Constitutional Law
- Criminal Defense Appellate Practice
- Criminal Prosecution Appellate Practice
- Employment Law
- Family Law
- Human Trafficking Prevention Project
- Immigrants鈥 Rights Policy
- Immigration and Refugee Law
- Juvenile Justice
- Mediation
- Medical-Legal Partnership
- Negotiation
- Prisoner Reentry
- Prisoners鈥 Rights
- Tax
- Transgender Rights
- Veterans Advocacy
- Veterans Benefits and Status Law
- Women鈥檚 Rights
Externship Categories
- Business
- Corporate Counsel
- Criminal Justice
- Employment and Labor
- Environmental and Energy
- Family and Juvenile
- Health
- Immigration
- Intellectual Property
- Judicial
- Legal Services
- Legislative
- Mediation
- Private Practice
- Probate Law
- Public Interest
- Sports and Entertainment
- Tax
- Transactional Law
Every Quinnipiac Law student is guaranteed participation in at least one of these practical learning opportunities and many of our students take part in more than one. Through Quinnipiac Law鈥檚 clinical and externship programs, students put theory into practice meeting the challenges of actual clients in real-world settings, experiencing the difference they can make as a lawyer.
Quinnipiac Law clinic students have had a measurable impact on some of the most pressing issues of the day. The law school鈥檚 Human Trafficking Prevention Project, for example, partnered with the Connecticut Bar Association Committee on Human Trafficking and local nonprofits to advance an important anti-trafficking statute signed into law this spring. Civil Justice Clinic faculty and students filed a class-action suit on behalf of people incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Institution in Danbury, Connecticut, calling for an improved response to COVID-19, including review of medically vulnerable individuals for compassionate release to home confinement. The law school鈥檚 Homelessness Mitigation Mediation Project, part of the Negotiation Clinic, collaborated with inter-professional teams to facilitate dialogue between tenants, lessors, and other stakeholders to prevent evictions.
Quinnipiac Law externship students have also immersed themselves in advocacy for their clients and achieved impressive results: arguing cases before the Connecticut Appellate and Supreme Courts, helping draft proposed legislation that eventually became law, testifying before the state legislature, representing clients in matters before the state Board of Pardons and Paroles and the US Department of Defense, serving as second chair in a serious felony trial, drafting contracts, and handling cease and desist proceedings.
Bridge to Practice Program
This innovative program program brings more than 60 area attorneys and judges to campus to work firsthand with students in a series of structured workshops that build on coursework with real-world professional knowledge and expertise. During the immersive Gateway to Practice, 1L students work in simulated law firms with practicing attorneys on cases for mock clients, gaining a firsthand look at the complexities of real-time practice while connecting with members of the legal community. During the Business Concepts Bootcamp, rising 2Ls take part in panel discussions and small group workshops with practitioners from business, government, and nonprofit sectors, solidifying their understanding of business and financial concepts. 3L and 4L students, getting ready to step into their professional roles, delve into the business considerations of law and the keys to running a successful law practice during the Transition to Practice Workshop with lawyers from different employment settings.
Public Interest Opportunities
Quinnipiac Law students interested in engaging in public interest practice find an active community at the law school, with organizations like the Public Interest Law Project (PILP) and the International Human Rights Law Society. PILP raises funds in support of Quinnipiac Law students who want to work during the summer in the public interest area for organizations like New Haven Legal Assistance, Integrated Refugee and Immigration Services, the Children鈥檚 Law Center of Los Angeles, and the State of Connecticut鈥檚 Juvenile Public Defender鈥檚 Office. The International Human Rights Law Society, in partnership with the university鈥檚 Albert Schweitzer Institute, coordinates service travel opportunities during which students learn firsthand the legal and social issues facing their host community.
Dual Degrees and other special programs
Quinnipiac Law offers the following dual degrees and graduate options:
JD/MBA (Master of Business Administration)
JD/MSW (Master of Social Work)
JD/MERL (Master of Energy Regulation and Law)*
JD/MCEP (Master of Climate and Environmental Policy)*
JD/MPP (Master of Public Policy)*
*Master鈥檚 degree offered in partnership with Vermont Law & Graduate School
Preparing for the Global Marketplace: International Experiences and Study
Quinnipiac Law provides a slate of offerings that build advanced global understanding and skill in working across cultures, including a concentration in International Law and Policy. The concentration prepares students for work on the global stage through study in international human rights, tax, and criminal law. All eligible Quinnipiac Law students can participate in an array of international experiences including the World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates (Quinnipiac is the only law school represented); activities with the United Nations and the Oxford Human Rights Seminar; summer legal study abroad through Quinnipiac Law鈥檚 program at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland; service trips to Guatemala, and international externships.
Student Life
Student Activities: Journals, Competition Teams, Community
More than 30 student organizations give Quinnipiac Law students the chance to follow their interests alongside equally passionate fellow students 鈥 and step up to leadership. The organizations represent the full spectrum of professional and networking interests, with new student-led initiatives added every year. Among the opportunities are a dynamic Student Bar Association (SBA) and groups focusing on public service, organizations that hone in on a particular areas of the law, affinity groups, and groups focused on advocacy, professional networking, and recreation. The law school鈥檚 stellar competition teams鈥擬oot Court Society, Mock Trial team, and Society for Dispute Resolution鈥攑rovide participants the chance to practice skills and develop expertise through participation in regional and national competitions. Likewise, the Quinnipiac Law journals鈥擰uinnipiac Law Review, Health Law Journal, and Probate Law Journal鈥攐ffer the opportunity to delve into legal scholarship.
- American Constitution Society
- Asian Pacific American Law Students Association
- Black Law Students Association
- Business Law Society
- Cannabis Law Society
- Christian Legal Society
- Criminal Law Society
- Environmental Law Society
- Family and Juvenile Law Society
- Federalist Society
- Health Law Society
- Human Trafficking Prevention Project
- Intellectual Property Law Society
- International Human Rights Law Society
- Italian American Law Students Association
- Jewish Law Students Association
- Latinx Law Students Association
- Military Law Society
- Mock Trial Society
- Moot Court Society
- Muslim Law Students Association
- National Lawyers Guild
- OutLaws (LGBTQIA+ and allies)
- Phi Alpha Delta Legal Fraternity
- Public Interest Law Project
- QU Law Golf
- QU Law Hockey
- QU Law Soccer
- QU Law Softball
- Quinnipiac Health Law Journal
- Quinnipiac Law Review
- Quinnipiac Probate Law Journal
- Society for Dispute Resolution
- Sports & Entertainment Law Society
- Student Bar Association
- Tax Law Society
- Trivia Club
- Women鈥檚 Law Society
- Workplace Law Society
Day One Mentoring
A true open-door spirit pervades the law school and is enhanced by an innovative Day One Mentoring program that matches incoming students with peer and faculty mentors for guidance and support from before a student even begins at Quinnipiac Law and continuing through graduation and beyond. Incoming law students are paired with a peer mentor from the 2L or 3L class, and are also encouraged to participate in the optional faculty mentoring component of the program.
Peer mentors typically reach out to students starting the summer prior to the start of classes, ready to offer insights into everything from study tips and navigating 1L year to getting settled in the area. Faculty mentors are similarly available to assist in guiding students to uncover their interests and make the most of their experience. Many students report they find these relationships invaluable, providing an important foundation for a successful start to law school and enhancing their law school experience.
Our Location: The Power of Place
Quinnipiac Law鈥檚 beautiful, lively Northeast location is positioned within one of the largest concentrations of private law firms, corporations, and financial institutions in the country. The law school鈥檚 stunning School of Law Center is located on Quinnipiac University鈥檚 North Haven Campus, a robust environment of professional and graduate study and home to the university鈥檚 medical school and programs in health sciences, nursing, social work, and education. The connection to the university鈥檚 graduate community creates opportunities for cross-discipline collaboration and creative partnerships. Quinnipiac Law was ranked #2 best law school building in the country by The National Jurist preLaw Magazine. The law school continues to grow as a center of activity for the area鈥檚 legal community 鈥 a welcoming professional environment and a place where the vigorous exchange of ideas is embraced.
Quinnipiac Law is at the forefront of conversations in areas like immigration, health law, and social justice, and the law school hosts a year-round calendar of professional events, many of which are open to students. Quinnipiac Law students find themselves in a setting rich with opportunities for real-world experience, within reach of the Connecticut State Capitol in Hartford, the corporate headquarters of Stamford, and nearby New Haven, one of New England鈥檚 most vibrant small cities.
Career Placement and Bar Passage
Tuition and Aid
Approximately 94 percent of the student body receives some form of financial assistance. Every applicant is considered for merit-based scholarships up to full tuition. We suggest you submit your application by early March for optimal fall admissions and scholarship consideration but we accept applications until August 1. However, candidates for the full-tuition Dean鈥檚 Fellows scholarships must submit applications by February 1. Total institutional scholarships and grants for the 2024-2025 academic year exceeded $7 million.
Admission Decisions: Beyond the Numbers
At Quinnipiac University School of Law, our focus is on educating the whole lawyer. We empower you to retain your personal values and sense of self while teaching you to be skilled, knowledgeable, and ethical practitioners of the law. Quinnipiac Law has a responsibility to educate lawyers who will serve the legal needs of all members of society. With this responsibility in mind, we enroll students whose lived experience suggests that they have the capacity to make a substantial contribution to the learning environment of the law school and to distinguish themselves in serving the community through the practice of law, policy improvement, government service, legal scholarship, or other law-related activities. We aspire to educate lawyers who will serve the needs of communities that have been historically underserved by the legal profession.
While past academic performance and LSAT scores are important aspects of an application, we also consider additional factors including (but not limited to): letters of recommendation; the clarity and quality of writing (throughout the entire application); advanced degrees; employment history; commitment to community service; experience navigating social, educational, physical, or economic challenges; moral character; academic growth and improving grades; rigor of undergraduate curriculum; extracurricular activities; distinctions/honors achieved; and life experience.
Admitted Applicant Profile
