New Bearcats, Big Dreams: UC Law welcomes the Class of 2025

The University of Cincinnati College of Law is buzzing with new faces this fall as 160 students and attorney-students begin their legal journey at UC Law - 138 first-year JD students plus two transfer students, 18 LLM students, one exchange student to the LLM program, and one Graduate Certificate student joining the Bearcat family.

On paper, the Class of 2025 is impressive. They come in with a median GPA of 3.8 and a median LSAT of 159, a notch higher than the previous class. But stats only tell part of the story.

The average student age is 24, but the range runs from 21 to 66. Some are fresh out of undergrad, while others are bringing decades of life experience. Four students have served in the military.

UC itself continues to be the top undergraduate feeder, with 27 Double Bearcats who stayed to keep building their careers here. Altogether, the entering class comes from 63 different colleges and 40 different majors, demonstrating there's no single path to law school.

The Class of 2025 takes a photo with the Bearcat. | photo: Joey Yerace

Geographically, UC Law's reach is growing. While most students come from Ohio and Kentucky, the class represents 24 states and even Ontario, Canada. Places like Arizona, Texas, New Jersey, and Colorado are all on the map. Still, more than half (58%) call Ohio home.

And when asked what areas of law they're drawn to, the new students overwhelmingly point to criminal law, public interest, and business/corporate law.

It's a group that's smart, varied, and ready to dive into their studies. With so many perspectives in the classroom, the UC Law community is looking forward to an exciting year ahead.

Family and friends celebrate with Class of 2025 and the Bearcat. | photo: Joey Yerace

UC Law celebrates 13th LLM cohort

Our incoming class includes 18 LLM students, one exchange student, and one Graduate Certificate student, for a total of 20 students from 12 countries and four continents. A new country represented this year is Haiti. Additionally, the program has 12 students coming from partner universities in Colombia, France, Ecuador, and Italy, as well as one Fulbright student from North Macedonia.

About the University of Cincinnati College of Law

Founded in 1833, the University of Cincinnati College of Law is the fourth-oldest law school in the United States, behind only Harvard, Yale, and the University of Virginia. With a legacy of producing influential leaders in government, the judiciary, major law firms, Fortune 500 companies, and non-governmental organizations, the University of Cincinnati College of Law is also a pioneer in legal education. It was the first law school to establish a center dedicated to the study of international human rights and is home to one of the most successful Innocence Projects globally, working to combat wrongful convictions.

Training lawyers for nearly two centuries, the law college remains steadfast in its mission to provide a top-tier legal education that inspires students to pursue justice and advance the role of law in society.

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