Just over 200 students have started their studies at the University of Georgia School of Law for the new academic year. The incoming group includes 186 Juris Doctor (J.D.) candidates, 14 Master of Laws (LL.M.) candidates, and six students in the Master in the Study of Law program.
The J.D. Class of 2028 is described as the most academically qualified in the school’s history, with a median LSAT score of 169 and a median undergraduate GPA of 3.92. Of these students, 76% are from Georgia, but the class also represents 20 states and graduates from 66 different colleges and universities. About 15% are first-generation college graduates, while 67% are the first in their families to attend law school. Two military veterans are among those enrolled.
Approximately 72% of this J.D. class received scholarships funded by alumni and supporters. All first-generation college graduates and veterans were awarded at least a one-quarter scholarship through various funds dedicated to supporting these groups. Notable donors include Kathelen V. Amos (class of 1982) and the Daniel P. Amos Family Foundation, E. David Hart Jr. (class of 1980) and the Hart Family Foundation, as well as James E. “Jim” Butler Jr. (class of 1977).
Fourteen foreign-trained lawyers from eleven countries across Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas have joined as LL.M. candidates this year. Among them are a judge, two Fulbright Scholars, and four individuals who already hold advanced degrees.
The Master in the Study of Law program welcomed six new students with backgrounds ranging from insurance to software engineering to astrophysics; they will complete their degrees through both in-person and online study.
“We are delighted to be welcoming all of these outstanding students to the UGA Law community,” School of Law Dean Usha R. Rodrigues said. “As the number one best value law school in the nation, we are pleased to once again be matching excellence with access and, as a result, be redefining what it means to be a great national public law school. We look forward to helping these students become well-rounded professionals who will succeed – and thrive – as future leaders for our state, nation and world.”
In addition to its graduate programs, UGA School of Law offers an Undergraduate Minor in Law, Jurisprudence, and the State; last year nearly 450 undergraduates enrolled in this minor program.
All statistics are current as of August 14, 2025.