JD Program 2026-2027

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Table of Contents

Your Future Begins Here
1
Learning Across Disciplines
2
Experiential Learning
3
Real-World Career Success
4
An Ethos of Service
5
Pioneering Scholarship
6
A Global Legal Education
7
A Collegial Culture
8
Our Welcoming Community
9
Thrive in Philadelphia
10
Financing Your Education
11
Learning Outcomes
12
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Your Future Begins Here

With roots dating to 1790, the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School builds on a rich tradition of interdisciplinarity, collegiality, and service, combined with a strong commitment to access and innovation. Together, these defining strengths prepare students to chart their own path in a rapidly evolving legal landscape—whether leading at the intersection of law and technology, serving the public interest, shaping business and policy, or pursuing new opportunities across the profession.

Drawing on the breadth of the University of Pennsylvania and a deeply connected community, students are encouraged to approach complex legal and societal challenges from multiple perspectives. Through rigorous academics, experiential learning, and close collaboration across disciplines, students develop the intellectual agility, practical fluency, and leadership needed to shape the future of the legal profession.

Meet the Entering Class

Class of 2026

65%
earned a joint degree or certificate at a penn sister school/program
Over 35
joint degrees and certificate programs offered in conjunction with 11 penn schools and departments
1 Campus
in Philadelphia linking all of Penn’s schools

Learning Across Disciplines

A Cross-Disciplinary Education

Technological advances and increasingly complex societal challenges are reshaping the legal profession in real time. At Penn Carey Law, we believe the next generation of lawyers must combine rigorous legal training with interdisciplinary fluency across fields such as business, communications, education, healthcare, international studies, social work, and technology. This broader perspective prepares graduates to navigate complexity, collaborate across sectors, and lead in a rapidly evolving profession.

Penn Carey Law’s cross-disciplinary academic programs are fully integrated with the University of Pennsylvania’s world-class institutions, including the Wharton School, Perelman School of Medicine, Fels Institute of Government, and eight other partner schools. This collaboration provides our students with unparalleled opportunities to prepare for successful careers and engage with the complex issues facing society.

Joint Degrees & Certificates
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Experiential Learning

From clinical legal studies and field placements to the Legal Practice Skills program, Penn Carey Law’s experiential learning opportunities enhance the JD curriculum and empower students to experience what it means to be a lawyer. As early as their second year, students can choose from an array of courses to explore practice areas, apply their analytical skills, and work with clients in real-life legal settings. Additional experiential offerings include civil discourse training and interactive workshops that develop skills for constructive conversation across difference.

The Gittis Legal Clinics, the Law School’s teaching law firm comprised of nine in-house clinics, puts students on the front lines of representing clients with complex legal concerns under the close supervision of dedicated, seasoned attorneys. Students can also choose from numerous field placements and externships at governmental agencies and nonprofit organizations to train in a wide variety of legal work outside the Law School.

The Legal Practice Skills program combines legal research, writing, and classroom instruction with year-long simulation courses that teach fundamental lawyering skills through case studies, hypothetical exercises, and real-world assignments.

Gittis Legal Clinics and Externships
Spring 2025 Criminal Defense Clinic students outside the Criminal Justice Center after representing their clients.
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Instructor smiling at a conference table while students present a slide deck behind her.
Colleen F. Shanahan, Practice Professor of Law, Justice Lab

Gittis Legal Clinics

Advocacy for Racial and Civil (ARC) Justice Clinic

Civil Practice Clinic

Criminal Defense Clinic

Detkin Intellectual Property and Technology Legal Clinic

Entrepreneurship Legal Clinic

Interdisciplinary Child Advocacy Clinic

Justice Lab

Legislative Clinic

Transnational Legal Clinic

Real-World Career Success

Penn Carey Law graduates excel in the global legal landscape, leading across private practice, government, public interest, business, industry, and judicial clerkships. We provide comprehensive career support to our students and alumni, enabling graduates to forge unique and fulfilling careers. Whatever your path, our experienced counselors in the Office of Career Strategy can help you understand the possibilities, explore your interests, and achieve your career goals.

Employment Statistics

our 2025 graduates are working in the following
fields
Horizontal bar chart breaking down employment outcomes by industry sector percentages.
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100%
of the class of 2025 graduates are employed
our 2025 graduates work in the following
geographic regions
*other states/countries:
Alaska, Colorado, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Dubai, UK
456
students and alumni received judicial clerkships in the last five years
Employment Statistics
Infographic featuring color-coded percentage statistics paired alongside a regional distribution donut chart.
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90%
or more of each graduating class exceeds the pro bono requirement

An Ethos of Service

At Penn Carey Law, service is a defining principle woven into the fabric of our community and our approach to legal education. As the first national law school to establish a pro bono requirement, we have long treated service as central to the formation of lawyers who not only excel in practice, but also advance justice and contribute meaningfully to the public good. Students are encouraged to integrate this commitment into their professional identities, regardless of their chosen path or sector.

The Toll Public Interest Center (TPIC) is the institutional heart of service. Home to the Law School’s pro bono program, TPIC cultivates practice-ready, civically engaged leaders through a wide range of experiential opportunities. All JD students complete a 70-hour pro bono requirement—the most extensive commitment of its kind in the country—while engaging in real-world legal work across more than 20 projects spanning six distinct practice areas.

Through signature programs such as the Toll Public Interest Scholars, Toll Public Interest Fellows, and the TolLRAP loan repayment program, TPIC provides critical pathways for students and graduates to pursue and sustain careers in public interest law. Via TPIC’s comprehensive scholarships and programmatic supports, Penn Carey Law works tirelessly to reduce barriers to public interest careers for all interested students.

8
full-time staff members dedicated to pro bono and public interest programs
Student consulting with a staff member at a desk in the TPIC office.
350+
national and international pro bono community partners
10.3%
of class of 2025 launched careers in public interest and government
TPIC partners closely with the Office of Career Strategy to deliver holistic, integrated support for public interest-minded students. Together, they align advising, funding, and professional development to ensure that service-minded students are not only prepared for impact but positioned to launch and sustain meaningful careers. Through targeted initiatives such as the Leo Model Foundation Government Service & Public Affairs Initiative and the Cozen Family Voting Rights Fellowship, Penn Carey Law students gain access to a robust ecosystem of summer and post-graduate public interest employment opportunities.
Toll Public Interest Center

ACADEMIC CENTERS & INSTITUTES

Center for Asian Law

Center for Ethics and the Rule of Law

Center for Tax Law & Policy

Center for Technology, Innovation & Competition

Criminal Law Research Group

Institute for Law & Economics

Institute for Law & Philosophy

Legal History Consortium

Penn Program on Documentaries & the Law

Penn Program on Regulation

Quattrone Center for the Fair Administration of Justice

Pioneering Scholarship

Penn Carey Law faculty are leading scholars producing work that shapes the legal landscape. Their scholarship spans fields including law and technology, constitutional law, corporate law, health law, intellectual property, human rights, and national security while engaging broader questions about governance, innovation, markets, and public life. In the classroom and beyond, faculty challenge students to engage complex legal and societal questions with intellectual rigor, creativity, and practical insight.

Faculty contribute regularly to legal, policy, and public conversations while bringing those perspectives directly into the classroom through innovative courses, interdisciplinary collaboration, and experiential learning opportunities.

Across the Law School’s centers and institutes, students and faculty examine urgent questions at the intersection of law, technology, business, governance, and society—advancing scholarship and ideas that shape the future of the profession and public life.

Faculty

A Global Legal Education

With the support of the Office of Global Engagement (OGE), Penn Carey Law students have access to abundant opportunities to globalize their education.

Through the Law School’s partnerships with several world-renowned overseas institutions, including the London School of Economics, Sciences Po, Hong Kong University, and Waseda University, our students gain a deeper understanding of foreign law and engage in transformative cross-cultural experiences.

Signature programs such as our Global Research Seminars provide immersive international learning experiences that examine cutting-edge legal topics. Other programs promote language-learning, international networking, and legal research abroad. Additionally, our robust selection of more than 45 courses in international, foreign, and comparative law empowers students to pursue a comprehensive global legal education without leaving Philadelphia.

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Penn Carey Law students enrolled in a Global Research Seminar on reproductive justice traveled to Kingston, Jamaica, with Professor Dorothy Roberts during Spring Break 2026 to do firsthand research on the topic, meeting with lawyers, scholars, activists, and community members.
Our students collaborate with distinguished international scholars and global leaders, engage in internationally focused research projects and fact-finding missions, and participate in conferences, consortia, and symposia worldwide. Penn Carey Law prepares graduates to challenge assumptions, lead across borders and disciplines, build a global network, and engage with today’s most pressing international issues.
Global Engagement
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A Collegial Culture

Collegiality is a defining characteristic of the Penn Carey Law experience. Students, faculty, staff, and alumni contribute to a culture that values intellectual engagement, collaboration, and mutual support across differences in background, perspective, and experience.

Small class sizes foster meaningful relationships and close engagement with faculty and peers, creating an environment where students are encouraged to challenge ideas, take intellectual risks, and celebrate
shared success.

That sense of connection extends beyond the classroom. Alumni remain deeply engaged with the Law School, regularly supporting student initiatives such as annual symposia and mentoring, strengthening a community that supports students throughout law school and across their professional lives.

Student Affairs

Our Welcoming Community

Penn Carey Law values the unique perspective that each student brings to our law school community. We learn from each other in classrooms, clinics, externships, journals, pro bono projects, symposia, student groups, and countless other settings that foster engagement. With more than 90 student organizations and groups, the Law School offers space for a broad spectrum of interests, affiliations, and pursuits, helping every student find community, connection, and purpose.
Student Organizations
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Thrive in Philadelphia

The birthplace of the United States, Philadelphia is an international city with convenient access to Washington, D.C., and New York City. Attending Penn Carey Law puts you in the heart of a city rich in revolutionary landmarks, world-class museums, and a vibrant dining scene—perfect for exploring outside the classroom.

One of the oldest and largest urban park systems in the country weaves green space throughout the city. Penn’s Morris Arboretum & Gardens and Fairmount Park offer peaceful retreats for study breaks or outdoor recreation just minutes from campus. Sports fans, music lovers, and culture seekers will find plenty to enjoy, with galleries, performances, and championship games just a short walk or SEPTA ride away.

Historic neighborhoods and diverse communities give Philadelphia its distinctive character. From the Mummers Parade to Reading Terminal Market, local traditions and a rich cultural life create a welcoming environment for newcomers while preserving the city’s unique identity.

Visiting Penn Carey Law

Financing Your Education

Penn Carey Law is fully invested in your future. The Law School is committed to guiding applicants through the financial aid process and helping students develop a sound financial plan for their legal education.

We provide generous assistance to qualified students through a variety of grants, scholarships, and loans. Penn Carey Law also offers targeted support for students who demonstrate a commitment to public interest, as well as a loan repayment assistance program for graduates entering public interest careers. In addition, we are a proud participant in the Yellow Ribbon program, which provides generous funding for our qualifying veterans. Students may also be eligible for federal and private student loans.

Financing Information
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Learning Outcomes

Penn Carey Law’s program of legal education—which combines our rich, interdisciplinary curriculum, varied co-curricular activities, and pro bono responsibilities— prepares our students for admission to the bar and to serve as effective, ethical, and responsible members of the legal profession.

Each student will graduate with the skills to:

  • Demonstrate a core knowledge and understanding of substantive and procedural law in a number of different subject areas;
  • Work collaboratively;
  • Engage in legal analysis and reasoning, conduct efficient and effective legal research, apply problem-solving skills, and present findings, analyses, and recommendations efficiently and effectively in both written and oral communication;
  • Demonstrate an understanding of the interdisciplinary nature of law and the contributions and benefits to legal analysis and problem-solving that other disciplines can make;
  • Exercise proper professional judgment and fulfill ethical responsibilities to clients, the profession, and society in general; and
  • Utilize a range of professional skills that facilitate active, competent, and ethical participation in the legal profession.
Learning Outcomes

University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School

3501 Sansom Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104-6204

Office of JD Admissions & Financial Aid

JD Admissions Office:
Financial Aid:
JD Admissions Office Email:
Financial Aid Email:
215.898.7400
215.898.7743
contactadmissions@law.upenn.edu
finaid@law.upenn.edu
University of Pennsylvania Non-Discrimination Policy and Safety Statement

The University of Pennsylvania seeks talented students, faculty, and staff with a wide variety of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. The University of Pennsylvania does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, creed, national origin (including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics), citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status or any other class protected under applicable federal, state, or local law in the administration of its admissions, financial aid, educational or athletic programs, or other University-administered programs or in its employment practices. Questions or complaints regarding this policy should be directed to the executive director of the Office of Equal Opportunity Programs; Franklin Building, 3451 Walnut Street, Suite 421, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6106; or (215) 898-6993.

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