The verdict is in—the University of Miami School of Law is on the rise.
This year it received 4,700 applications, a 10 percent increase from last year, and the number of students who sent in the deposit indicating they planned to attend rose eight percent.
“This didn’t happen anywhere else,” Dean Trish White said. “People are excited about Miami. For us this is very good news.”
The numbers were so high that White sent out 700 letters to the students that sent in deposits asking them to make sure they were serious about law school.
This letter offered students a $5,000 scholarship if they delayed entry into the law school by one year and performed 120 hours of community service.
“I was afraid that so many people wanted to study law this year because they saw it as a safe field in the economic crisis,” White said. “I wanted them to know that the future of the legal profession is very uncertain right now.”
Thirty students accepted White’s offer.
The school used the same formula as in previous years to decide the number of students to accept in order to end up with about 420 students.
The average law student applies to about 12 universities, so law schools commonly accept substantially more students than they plan on hosting.
The semester began with 530 students and Dean White said the school is running smoothly. Extra professors, space, and student service employees have greatly enhanced the learning experience.
The law school is using a 170 person classroom in the Learning Center as well as space in the Dooly Memorial building for evening classes.
Next year, the school will aim for a smaller class and will accept fewer applicants.