SANTA CLARA, Calif., Sept. 3, 2024 —Santa Clara University School of Law welcomed its newest class on Monday, Aug. 19, including 192 new full-time and a record 54 new Flex part-time first-year students. Another six students joined this year to pursue advanced LL.M. degrees.
The new class is both academically strong and rich in the diversity for which Santa Clara Law has long been known:
- 54.5% identify as persons of color, including international students.
- 27% were the first in their families to attend four-year college.
- 62% are women.
- 22% are attending part-time, more than triple the number from 2022-23, thanks to the school’s acclaimed new Flex J.D. program.
“Our innovative Flex J.D. program and commitment to inclusive excellence has brought to our law school community working professionals from all walks of life, all parts of the country, and every stage of their careers, who would not otherwise have been able to pursue a law degree,” said Santa Clara Law Dean Michael Kaufman. “These students bring not just academic strength, but also energy, vibrancy, and life experiences that enrich our classrooms and our entire community.”
The students hail from 110 undergraduate schools; 17 states; and seven foreign countries. Their ages range from 20 to 57.
Forty-six first-year students—the most ever— were enrolled into the highly competitive Tech Edge J.D. program. This high-touch program, launched in fall 2018, has a demonstrated ability to attract top talent to the law school, yielding higher bar passage and post-graduation employment rates, with many graduates securing coveted positions in leading Silicon Valley companies and firms.
Additionally, 11 students joined the Public Interest J.D. program, and six joined the LL.M. program.
About Santa Clara University School of Law
Santa Clara University School of Law, one of the nation’s most diverse law schools, is dedicated to educating lawyers who lead with a commitment to excellence, ethics, and social justice. Santa Clara Law offers students an academically rigorous program including certificates in high tech law, international law, public interest and social justice law, and privacy law, as well as numerous graduate and joint degree options. Located in the heart of Silicon Valley, Santa Clara Law is nationally distinguished for its faculty engagement, preparation for practice, and top-ranked programs in intellectual property. For more information, see law.scu.edu.
About Santa Clara University
Founded in 1851, Santa Clara University sits in the heart of Silicon Valley—the world’s most innovative and entrepreneurial region. The University’s stunningly landscaped 106-acre campus is home to the historic Mission Santa Clara de Asís. SCU has among the best four-year graduation rates in the nation and is rated by PayScale in the top 1 percent of universities with the highest-paid graduates. SCU has produced elite levels of Fulbright Scholars as well as four Rhodes Scholars. With undergraduate programs in arts and sciences, business, and engineering, and graduate programs in six disciplines, the curriculum blends high-tech innovation with social consciousness grounded in the tradition of Jesuit, Catholic education. For more information see www.scu.edu.
Media Contact
Deborah Lohse | SCU Media Communications | dlohse@scu.edu | 408-554-5121