Just over 200 students began their academic journey to earn a law degree from the University of Georgia School of Law last week. Counted among them are 186 Juris Doctor, 14 Master of Laws and six Master in the Study of Law candidates.
Most academically qualified Juris Doctor class
While a record number of applications (nearly 4,700) were reviewed, 186 students arrived in Athens for first-year orientation on Aug. 14, 2025. Collectively, these students are the most academically gifted in School of Law history. The Class of 2028 boasts a 169 median LSAT score and a median 3.92 undergraduate GPA. While 76% are Georgia residents, the class represents 20 states and holds degrees from 66 colleges and universities. Approximately 15% are first-generation college graduates, while 67% are the first in their families to attend law school. Two military veterans are also part of this class.
Roughly 72% of the Class of 2028 were awarded scholarships funded by alumni and friends. This includes all first-generation college graduates and veterans who received a minimum of a one-quarter scholarship courtesy of a range of funds supporting these two cohorts. Key catalytic donors involved in supporting these students include 1982 alumna Kathelen V. Amos and the Daniel P. Amos Family Foundation, 1980 alumnus E. David Hart Jr. and the Hart Family Foundation, and 1977 alumnus James E. “Jim” Butler Jr.
Master of Laws candidates
Fourteen foreign-trained lawyers are beginning their pursuit of a Master of Laws. These students come from 11 countries in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas. Counted among this cohort are a judge, two Fulbright Scholars and four holders of other advanced degrees.
Master in the Study of Law students
The Master in the Study of Law program also welcomed six new students who seek to merge the study of law with their professional interests. This group includes an insurance professional, an archivist, a software engineer, a paralegal, a recent college graduate with an interest in sports management, as well as a recent college graduate with a degree in astrophysics. They will earn their degrees studying both in-person and online.
“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.”
Additionally, the School of Law offers an Undergraduate Minor in Law, Jurisprudence, and the State. Nearly 450 undergraduate students were enrolled in the program last year, making it one of the five most popular minors at UGA.
All statistics as of 8/14/25.