Overview

Applicants
1,031
Acceptance Rate
36%
Median Undergrad GPA
3.51
Accepted Applicants Who Attend
119

Test Scores

LSAT
25th-75th percentile
(enrolled students)
154 - 158

Deadlines

Application Deadlines
June 1

Application Process

Rolling Admissions
Yes

Application Fee
$0

CAS 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
Letters of Recommendation
Essay / Personal Statement
Non-Academic

Extracurricular Activities
Work Experience
Other Factors

Selectivity Rating

Faculty Information

Student/Faculty
5:1
Total Faculty
72

38
Female
8
Underrepresented Minorities


Students Say

Two decades ago, Mercer University's School of Law—which was founded in 1873—resolved that no graduate would enter the legal profession without a solid grounding in practical legal skills. Enrolling around 140 students each year, the Macon-based law school educates future lawyers using the Woodruff Curriculum, which highlights ethics, professionalism, and practical skills (such as interviewing and counseling, negotiation, mediation, and trial advocacy). In addition, Mercer also features a renowned Legal Writing Program (including the nation's only Certificate in Advanced Legal Writing, Research, and Drafting). With an “emphasis on practice rather than theory,” around half of all Mercer students take part in clinical training through the school's Experiential Education program, incorporating clinical courses, moot court and mock trial competitions, and opportunities such as the Habeas Project, which offers a legal lifeline (and potential new trial) to people who have been wrongfully imprisoned. As one student shares, “At the start of my second year, I have already been sworn into the court and represented clients of my own.” Additionally, third-year students can take part in the Semester in Atlanta program, which allows the benefits of being in close proximity to the state capital: access to more classes available at the school's Atlanta campus as well as further externships. The school has “stayed up-to-date with current technology and implementing [it] in the classroom,” ultimately cultivating “a beautiful facility to work in.” Another student sums up the offerings by saying, “We have everything we need to be successful.”

The “faculty is the friendliest,” and is “supremely helpful, always available, and provides … everything we need resource-wise to be successful.” Furthermore, “they really care about the students” and “thoroughly enjoy the subject, [which] comes through in their teaching style.” Classes are filled with “teaching practical aspects of law and giving practice pointers for students.” This is possible because “most have … experience in [their] specific field and are very knowledgeable on the subject matter.” The dean and professors both “set great examples and help set the learning atmosphere to be cooperative and not cutthroat.” Career Services also “does a good job of listening to our interests prior to urging us to apply for jobs.” As one enrollee shares, “I never felt ‘pushed' into Big Law. I told them my goals and they told me of the opportunities available.” Plus, the school has “some of the most helpful, caring and knowledgeable alumni,” so “wherever you are looking to intern, … you can find a Mercer Law grad there.”

Career overview

Median Starting Salary
$60,000
% of graduates who are employed within ten months of graduation
94%
% of job accepting graduates providing useable salary information
64%

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
Atlanta Firms-King & Spalding; Alston & Bird; Troutman Sanders; Nelson Mullins, Riley & Scarborough; Dentons; Hall Booth Smith; Swift Currie McGhee & Hiers; Drew Eckl & Farnham; Moore, Ingram, Johnson & Steele Macon, GA firms: Sell & Melton; Martin Snow, LLP, James Bates; Chambless Higdon Richardson Katz & Griggs; Jones Cork & Miller

Graduates Employed by Area

50%
Private Practice
18%
Government
10%
Judicial Clerkships
10%
Public Interes
6%
Business/Industry
1%
Academic

Graduates Employed by Region

88%
South
2%
South West
1%
Mid-Atlantic
1%
Mountain

Prominent Alumni

Griffin Bell
Former Attorney General of the United States

Honorable Hugh Thompson
Former Chief Justice, Georgia Supreme Court

Nathan Deal
Governor of Georgia

Honorable W. Louis Sands
US District Court Judge, Middle District of Georgia

Honorable Sara Doyle
Chief Judge, Georgia Court of Appeals

Dates

Financial Aid Rating
May 1

Financial Aid Statistics

Average Annual Total Aid Package Awarded
$48,118

% Students Receiving Some Aid
98%

Expenses per Academic Year

Tuition
$41,992
Estimated On-Campus Room and Board
$13,482
Estimated Off-Campus Room and Board
$13,482
Estimated Cost for Books / Academic Expense
$5,561
Fees
$300

Student Body Profile

Total Enrollment
390
Parent Institution Enrollement
8,800

Number of Foreign Countries Represented
4
Average Age at Entry
24

% Out-of-State
20%
% International
1%

Demographics

24.00%
% Under-represented Minorities

100% are full time
0% are part time
51% female
49% male

Campus Life

Students Say

The ambitious students at Mercer are “deeply and widely involved,” so “there is no shortage of people who are presidents of organizations who are also participating in externships.” That widespread involvement leads to a place where “everyone smiles and greets each other” and a community that is “very tight knit and has good open communication.” One of the school's greatest strengths is “how everyone works together to succeed instead of sabotaging each other.” The environment at Mercer “is friendly, yet there is room for appropriate debate,” and “students treat each other with dignity and respect.” That respect is even more admirable here as there “is a good mix of students from a wide social strata.” One student says, “There is a strong sense of ‘we are all in this together' on campus.” As for the surrounding area, the school has a “great reputation amongst the community” and “good connections throughout the state of Georgia.” Surrounding Macon is “going through a modern revival and restoration,” so it has plenty of “music venues and bars” for those looking to blow off some steam.

More Information

% of Classrooms with Internet Access
90%

Admissions Office Contact

Contact
Marilyn E. Sutton
Asst. Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid

Address
1021 Georgia Avenue
Macon, GA 31207

Phone
478-301-2605

Email
admissions@law.mercer.edu


Articles & Advice