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UGA School of Law enrolls talented and diverse first-year class

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Tuesday, August 15, 2006

WRITER: Heidi Murphy, 706/542-5172, hmurphy@uga.edu CONTACT: Giles Kennedy, 706/542-7060, gkennedy@uga.edu

UGA School of Law enrolls talented and diverse first-year class

ATHENS, Ga. -- Today, an academically gifted and diverse group of students will begin the three-year pursuit of a law degree at the University of Georgia School of Law. The Class of 2009, comprised of 232 students, boasts a median Law School Admissions Test score of 163, which ties the record high and reflects a score that places them in the top 10 percent of test takers nationwide. The median undergraduate grade point average for these first-year students is 3.62. Additionally, the top quarter of the class scored a 164 or higher on the LSAT and achieved a 3.85 or better undergraduate GPA.

Just over one-quarter (25.4 percent) of the entering class indicated they are members of a minority group, making this class among the most diverse in law school history. Of the 59 minority students enrolled in the Class of 2009, 37 are African Americans. Enrolling a talented and diverse student body that will excel in a very challenging academic environment is our goal each year, Georgia Law Director of Admissions Giles W. Kennedy said. Over the past 12 months, we have reviewed more than 2,400 applications. While reading files, members of the admissions committee closely consider the strengths and accomplishments of each applicant. Acceptance is granted to those whom we feel will perform well in law school and eventually as members of the legal profession."

In keeping with the law school's commitment to provide the finest legal education to people from the state of Georgia, 85 percent of first-year students are classified as residents. The entering class includes 128 males and 104 females. The average age of the students is 24.

The Class of 2009 includes residents from 19 different states who are graduates from 80 institutions. The schools supplying the largest number of students include the University of Georgia (87), the Georgia Institute of Technology (15), Emory University (8), Georgia State University (5), the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (5), Furman University (4) and Vanderbilt University (4).

Georgia Law is currently ranked as one of the top 13 public law schools in the nation by U.S.News & World Report .

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