University of Pittsburgh School of Law: A Comprehensive Overview of Programs, Rankings, and Opportunities

The University of Pittsburgh School of Law (Pitt Law) has a long-standing tradition of producing well-educated and practice-ready attorneys. Located in Pittsburgh's vibrant Oakland neighborhood, the school maintains high standards of excellence. This article delves into the various aspects of Pitt Law, including its history, academic programs, rankings, and the opportunities it offers to its students.

A History of Excellence

Founded in 1895, Pitt Law quickly became a charter member of the Association of American Law Schools in 1900. The law department's origins trace back to 1843, making it one of the 17 schools within the University of Pittsburgh. The first law degrees were awarded in 1847. Early classes faced disruptions due to fires, but instruction continued resiliently. Although attempts to reestablish law instruction began in 1862, a permanent law school was not established until 1895. The first classes in the permanently established school were conducted in the orphans' court rooms in the old Allegheny County courthouse. In 1897, the school moved into the old university building at Ross and Diamond streets that had been sold to the county in 1882. The school's primary facility is the Barco Law Building.

Pioneering Computer-Assisted Legal Research

During the 1950s and 1960s, the School of Law's Health Law Center was an early pioneer in the field now known as computer-assisted legal research (CALR). Attorney and researcher John Horty, astounded by the variation in hospital administration laws across states, initiated a computer database to track these differences.

Academic Programs and Concentrations

Pitt Law offers four degrees: Master of Studies in Law, Juris Doctor, Master of Laws for international students, and the Doctor of Juridical Science. Those who want to focus or broaden their expertise can enroll in one of seven joint degree programs (including two partnerships with Carnegie Mellon University) or five certificate programs, which come with possibilities for international externships, skills instruction by teams of practicing litigators, or membership on an intellectual property moot court team.

The school's curriculum is designed to develop critical thinkers, skilled advocates, and practice-ready professionals. Beyond international law, Pitt Law offers concentrations and certificates in areas such as health law, intellectual property, environmental law, and public interest practice. Students benefit from clinical opportunities that serve underserved communities and involve working with real clients under the supervision of faculty.

Pitt Law students have access to the academic resources of the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University, encouraging collaboration in fields such as public policy, technology, business, and global studies. Pitt Law students can expand their perspectives by enrolling in courses through Pitt Global and the University Center for International Studies. Coursework in foreign languages, global legal cultures, and comparative politics equips future lawyers with the skills needed for international and transnational practice.

Rankings and Scholarly Impact

Pitt Law's news ranking reflects the School’s growing scholarly influence. Several Pitt Law subject areas ranked among the top 50 nationally, underscoring the strength and breadth of the School’s academic programs:

#33 Health Law
#35 Courts and Jurisprudence
#44 Education
#49 Human Rights Law
#49 International and Comparative Law

A number of Pitt Law faculty members were recognized on HeinOnline’s Most-Cited Authors by Subject lists, reflecting the real-world impact of their scholarship:

Deborah Brake: #75 in Social Justice and Public Interest; #98 in Education
William M. Carter, Jr.: #53 in Human Rights Law
Mary Crossley: #82 in Health Law
Greer Donley: #11 in Health Law; #79 in Legal Education and Practice; #81 in FDA Law
David Harris: #17 in Courts and Jurisprudence; #87 in Criminal Law and Justice
Jules Lobel: #90 in International and Comparative Law

The School’s flagship journal, University of Pittsburgh Law Review, was also recognized, ranking #43 among all flagship law reviews nationwide.

Built on HeinOnline’s comprehensive multidisciplinary legal database, the Scholarly Impact Rankings offer a transparent and evolving view of how legal scholarship is cited and used.

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Global Engagement for an International Practice

The University of Pittsburgh School of Law (Pitt Law) prepares students to thrive in a global legal marketplace through rigorous academic programs, hands-on professional experience, and unparalleled international opportunities. From the moment of enrollment through commencement and beyond, Pitt Law matches the commitment of its students by supporting their academic, professional, and personal development. Pitt Law’s partnerships and programs span more than 25 countries, offering opportunities in Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas. These opportunities allow students to prepare for careers in diplomacy, conflict resolution, international trade, human rights advocacy, and transnational business.

A global economy demands a broad outlook and a strong foundation in international law. Pitt Law’s distinguished faculty brings unparalleled practical and scholarly expertise in international commercial law and trade, international arbitration, international human rights, and comparative legal systems. Central to this mission is the Center for International Legal Education (CILE), which has served both American and international students, alumni, and the broader legal community for three decades.

CILE supports a full range of on-campus courses, summer study programs abroad, and practical training opportunities. Pitt Law students frequently participate in the Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot, one of the most prestigious international competitions in the field, honing advocacy and cross-cultural negotiation skills. Global internships, clerkships, and field placements often open doors to permanent careers in international practice, multinational organizations, and government service.

Location and Environment

As a city situated at the edge of the industrial Midwest yet within reach of the East Coast corridor, Pittsburgh offers students a unique vantage point from which to study international law. The modern history of Pittsburgh is inextricably linked to the history of global commerce. For most of the 20th Century, the steel mills of Western Pennsylvania produced the steel that built the post-war world. Today, Pittsburgh is home to more than half a dozen companies on the Fortune 500 list. The transformation of the local economy from a global steel producer to a hub of banking, healthcare, and high-tech sectors has been, in the words of President Barack Obama, “a bold example of how to transition… to a 21st century economy.” Pittsburgh’s history has helped shape the global focus of Pitt Law. While our curriculum is comprehensive, our programming places a particular emphasis on international business transactions, international arbitration, and the interaction between private commercial interests and the global legal system. These are the trades of a worldwide lawyer, and Pitt Law’s international curriculum is designed to be both practical and cutting-edge.

Pittsburgh “is pretty much the perfect city for law school” (“the city as a whole is united around the sports teams”), and the school’s location is in a neighborhood known for being the city’s bustling academic and cultural center.

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Facilities and Resources

Barco Law Library is housed on the third, fourth, and fifth floors of the Barco Law Building. The library was renovated in 2004, and the current collection numbers some 450,000 volumes and volume equivalents and has a seating capacity, in both the individual carrels and in private reading areas, of over 400. The school goes out of its way to “ensure that we have access to a wide breath of electronic resources.” Also, “professional research librarians are always on duty to help whenever the library is open.”

Located on the ground floor, the moot courtroom, named for the late Benjamin H. Teplitz, includes a seven-seat judges' bench, jury and press boxes, counselors' tables, judges' chambers, and a jury room. It is used primarily by trial tactics classes and by the growing number of moot court programs. Other design features of the Law Building include a pedestrian bridge connecting the School of Law with Litchfield Towers dormitories, Lawrence Hall, and Wesley W. Posvar Hall.

Moot Court and Lawyering Skills Competitions

The law school also hosts and facilitates multiple moot court and lawyering skills competitions for law students. The law school's Moot Court Board administers three intramural competitions each year: the Appellate Moot Court Competition, the Murray S. Love Trial Moot Court Competition, and the Negotiations Competition. The school also assembles teams to compete at multiple interscholastic and international moot court competitions covering specialized areas such as Energy Law, Environmental Law, Health Law, International Arbitration and International Law, Workers' Compensation Law, Client Counseling, and Intellectual Property. The school's Mock Trial Program recruits adjunct coaches from the local practicing bar to assemble law student teams to participate in mock trial competitions throughout the country.

Semester in D.C. Program

The law school's Semester in D.C. Program allows spring semester second- and third-year students to pursue a full-time externship for an employer in Washington, D.C. The Semester in D.C. combines full-time work for academic credit with a small seminar class held at the law school's dedicated Washington Center to fulfill a full semester credit load.

JURIST

JURIST is the world's only law school-based comprehensive legal news and research service. Its professionally trained staff of law faculty and law students report and research the latest legal developments in real time for members of the legal community and the public at large. Pitt Law students can also serve as editors at JURIST, the world's only web-based, student-powered legal news source, which is based at the law school.

Admissions and Value

Admissions to the University of Pittsburgh School of Law are conducted on a rolling basis, with an acceptance rate of slightly less than 30%. Pitt Law was one of only 53 law schools out of over 200 nationally (and one of only three in Pennsylvania) to be ranked as a 2014 Best Value by The National Jurist.

The financial aid and admissions offices “are run more smoothly than any other school of which I know,” according to a student.

Community and Support

One of the greatest boons to Pitt Law life is the “strength of the community,” in which one’s peers “can routinely be described as collaborative.” “The goal is to learn the material, not to beat each other,” says a 2L.

Pitt Law’s mission extends beyond legal training to include the cultivation of an inclusive, equitable, and supportive community. Our faculty and alumni actively mentor students, introducing them to new and emerging fields of practice while fostering professional networks worldwide.

Cost of Attendance

Law school tuition at University of Pittsburgh Law School is $106k annually (calculated from semester costs).

Career Opportunities and Employment

Pitt Law’s location is in the heart of a thriving legal market that gives students career opportunities in areas like corporate law, intellectual property, and healthcare law.

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