Stanford Law School - Ranking, Courses, Fees, Requirements

Established in 1893, Stanford Law School (SLS) is the Law School of Stanford University which is a private university situated in Stanford, California, United States. Stanford Law School is one of the oldest Law Schools in the United States which is still in operation after 132 years of establishment.

Stanford Law School provides courses across many domains, including JD, JSD, LLM, MSL, and PhD which are considered advanced degrees. The school started offering a curriculum in 1893 when Stanford hired its first two Law professors: Nathan Abbot and former US president Benjamin Harrison. The school shifted its focus to professional training and the school implemented its first three-year curriculum. Additionally, it became one of 27 charter members of the Association of American Law School (AALS) in the year 1901. The first degree that was offered by Stanford Law School was the Bachelor of Laws (LLB).

This Law School enrolls 200 students each year and is known for a very low acceptance rate in the US. Stanford Law School is accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA), which it received in 1923.

SLS students are involved in publishing and preparing the Stanford Law Review the most highly cited university law review which is ranked by the US News and World ranking body in 2024.

The students of Stanford Law School have worked on 290 US Supreme Court cases since Spring 2004. SLS students are also made well equipped with Stanford Law School full-time clinics. The school hosts 180+ students each year. Out of all the students, 51% of the students are working on Law reviews and journals on 12 student publications and law reviews.

The Stanford Law campus comprises the Crown Quadrangle, William H. Neukom Building, and other buildings like the Thomas Welton Stanford Library which was originally the Law school building from 1900 to 1919. With 65 core faculty members, the student-to-faculty ratio is 4.3:1 at Stanford Law which indicates the level of attention these SLS students receive from their faculty. With an extreme focus on high employability skills, according to the American Bar Association, 95.9% of Stanford School graduates were able to pass the Bar exam in 2024.

Every year in August, 200 employers representing 500 offices in the US conduct interviews for Summer & permanent positions. The median salary for an SLS graduate in the class of 2023 (private sector) was USD 225,000 (INR 1.93 Cr).

Stanford Law School gave 199 graduates in the year 202, out of which 178 students were able to secure placements which gives us a Stanford Law School placement rate of 97.2%. This Law school under Stanford University is ranked No. 1 among the best 196 Law schools around the world, according to the rankings released by the US World and News 2025.

Things to Know about Stanford Law School

Stanford Law School is known for its large network of over 12,000 alumni scattered all over the world. This Law School is considered quite competitive to get into as the school received 4,863 applications, and only 352 students were extended an offer, which gives a Stanford Law School acceptance rate of 7.26% for JD Class 2027.

Here are some more highlights for Stanford Law School:

(USD 1 = INR 85.88)

Stanford Law School is committed to inclusion and promoting diversity on its campus. The J.D. class of 2027 comprised 56% women, followed by students of color at 50%, with a collective representation from 78 countries.

According to official data from the Law School, 97 Stanford Law graduates secured placements at Law firms for 2023.

Below are the detailed Job Sectors in which the Stanford Law School graduates were placed after graduation:

Admissions at Stanford Law School are done on an intake basis. The deadlines for the same are mentioned in the table below:

Stanford Law School is considered quite competitive to get into the, where the school received 4,863 applications, and only 352 students were extended an offer, which gives a Stanford Law School acceptance rate of 7.26%. meaning out of every 100 applications, only 7 to 8 are accepted making it an ambitious school to get into.

However, a student can get admission to this B-School by fulfilling the below-mentioned requirements:

Stanford Law School JD Requirements as an International Student:

• A four-year Bachelor’s Degree from an Accredited university
• Scanned copies of all the Academic Records
• An online application done through the Law School Admissions Council (LSAC)
• Letters of recommendations
• Essay
• Standardized entrance test scores (LSAT/GRE)
• English language proficiency (TOEFL)

Stanford Law School LLM admissions requirements for International students:

• Law Degree (Have a Juris Duty) from an ABA-approved US Law School or a first Law degree from a foreign law school
• English proficiency test scores (TOEFL)
• An online application
• Letters of recommendation (At least 2, from superiors who can assess the qualitative skills of the candidate)
• Standardized tests (LSAT/GRE)
• Statement of purpose
• Certification of finances
• Work experience
• Graduate Records Examination (GRE) general
• Essay
• Resume/CV
• Registration for LSAC’s LLM Credential Assembly Service (CAS)

Stanford Law School Admission Process 2025:

Step 1-Choose a program.

Step 2- Fill out the application form on the Law School’s Admissions Council (LSAC) website,

Step 3-Pay application fee: Students must pay the application fee of USD 85 (INR 7,296) for the LLM programs and USD 90 for JD programs.

Step 4-Wait for a response

Step 5-Attend Interview: Stanford Law School conducts interviews for a very small percentage of students so it’s only on an invitation basis for the JD Program, but not for the LLM program.

(USD 1 = INR 85.88)

Located in Palo Alto, Stanford Law School takes pride in its rich cultural history. With 65 core faculty members, the student-to-faculty ratio is 5:1 at Stanford Law School which indicates the level of attention these SLS students receive from their faculty.

There are over 50 student organizations and many choices for the students to choose from. Stanford University provides a wide range of subsidized on-campus housing options for students studying Law. The SLS students are given options to choose from furnished single dormitory rooms to four-bedroom apartments facilitated with full kitchens.

Below are the on-campus housing options, Stanford University gives to students:

• The Munger Graduate Residence
• Escondido Village
• Lyman Apartments
• Rains Houses
• Schwab Center and Highland Hall
• Mirrielees House

Please note that the on-campus housing is cheaper than off-campus housing at Stanford, but is the students want to opt for off-campus housing, then the below mentioned are the options located within 10 miles of campus:

• Atherton
• East Palo Alto
• Los Altos/Los Altos Hills
• Menlo Park
• Mountain View
• Palo Alto
• Portola Valley
• Redwood City
• Woodside