Seton Hall University School of Law is the law school of Seton Hall University, and is located in downtown Newark, New Jersey. Seton Hall Law is the only private law school in New Jersey. The school confers three law degrees: Juris Doctor, Master of Laws, and Master of General Legal Studies. Founded in 1951, it is accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA), and is also a member of the Association of American Law Schools (AALS).[4]
On February 5, 1951, Seton Hall University School of Law opened on the old John Marshall site, 40 Journal Square, Jersey City with an entering class of 72 students.[4] The school was also fully accredited by the American Bar Association in the same year of its opening. Kathleen M. Boozang became Dean in 2015 succeeding Patrick E. Hobbs. Boozang stepped down from her position as dean effective January 1, 2023, at which time Kip Cornwell was named interim dean.
The J.D. degree program of 88 credits can be pursued as a full-time or a weekend student. Full-time students can complete the program in three years; weekend students can complete in four years or fewer if they accelerate their studies. Weekend students spend alternating weekends on campus each semester and engage in asynchronous online coursework while off-campus.
Seton Hall Law offers a Masters in Legal Studies (M.L.S.) with concentrations in Corporate Compliance, Health and Hospital Law, Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Law and Compliance, Gaming Regulation and Compliance, Privacy Law & Cyber Security, Sports Law and Compliance, or General Legal Studies. The Master's Degree in Legal Studies was named a Best Online Master of Studies in Law Program for 2024 by the Princeton Review.
AnOnline Master of Laws (LL.M.) is also offered only for those who already hold a J.D. (or its foreign equivalent) with concentrations in Financial Services Compliance, Health Law, and Intellectual Property Law. Seton Hall Law also offers the LL.M. in American Law - an in-person, 24-credit, one year program for foreign-educated lawyers seeking to practice law in the United States.
The school also offers several joint degree programs with other faculties of the University. For example, there is a combined J.D./M.A. (or MADIR) program with the University's Whitehead School of Diplomacy.
For 2023, the school admitted 45.58% of applicants with 27.98% of accepted applicants enrolling. The entering class had a median LSAT score of 160 and median undergraduate GPA of 3.66.[6] No LSAT or GRE is required for the non-J.D. programs.
Seton Hall University School of Law placed tied at 61 in the nation in the 2024 U.S. News & World Report rankings. The Law School’s Part-Time program was ranked #12 in the nation and the Health Law program at #10 by U.S. News & World Report.[7]
Seton Hall Law's overall bar passage rate for 2023 first-time test takers was 82.23%. Seton Hall Law's overall bar passage rate for New Jersey Bar exam first-time test takers was 81.18% (all ABA schools average pass rate was 65.77%). Seton Hall Law's overall bar passage rate for New York Bar exam first-time test takers was 90.91% (all ABA schools average pass rate was 82.96%). For remaining jurisdictions, Seton Hall Law's overall bar passage rate was 64.71% (all ABA schools average pass rate was 72.86%). The Ultimate Bar Pass Rate, which the ABA defines as the passage rate for graduates who sat for bar examinations within two years of graduating, was 89.95% for the class of 2021.[3]
Total employment rate for the Class of 2022 J.D. program was 94.42%. Bar passage required employment (i.e., as attorneys) totaled 82.74% and J.D. Advantage employment totaled 5.08%. Of graduates, 41.62% held positions in state, local, or territorial judicial clerkships, two students (1.02%) held federal clerkships, 31.47% were employed in law firms of various sizes, 10.66% were employed in business or industry, 5.58% employed by government, 2.03% in public interest, 1.02% in education, and 5.58% were unemployed.[8]
The tuition and fees for Seton Hall University School of Law are $54,848 for incoming full-time students and $41,136 for incoming part-time students for the 2019–20 academic year. However, 81% of incoming students in 2018 received scholarship funding, and 75%-85% of funded students typically renew scholarships after the first year.[9]
The median grant amount was $25,000 for full-time students and $19,400 for weekend students, bringing net-tuition (tuition less scholarship and grants) for those receiving the median grant amount to $27,206 for full-time students and $19,754 for weekend students.[10]
The interim dean is John Kip Cornwell. On November 9, 2022, the Office of the Provost announced that former dean Kathleen Boozang would be "stepping down as dean effective January 1, 2023 and returning to the faculty".
^Speiser, Matthew. "Jersey City honors trail blazing judge with post office dedication", The Jersey Journal, December 9, 2014. Accessed February 27, 2018. "Shirley A. Tolentino was a woman of many firsts.In 1976, she was the first female African-American Jersey City Municipal Court judge. In 1981, she became the first black female presiding judge of the Jersey City Municipal Court. And in 1984, she became the first female African-American Superior Court judge in the state.... She received her Juris Doctorate from Seton Hall Law School in 1971 as the only female African-American student in her class."
