The Rutgers-Camden campus, in the greater Philadelphia area, is a public research university offering a wide variety of undergraduate and graduate programs. The law school faculty has a strong reputation in the areas of corporate, health, criminal and Constitutional law. Rutgers-Camden offers a three-year course of study for full-time students and a four-year program for students studying part-time, with both leading to law degrees. For the 2009-10 academic year, tuition was $21,486 for New Jersey residents and $31,986 for residents of other states. The average total enrollment each year is between 800 and 900 students.
The Rutgers School of Law in Newark was the first law school in the state, opening its doors in 1908 as the New Jersey Law School. Like its Camden counterpart, Rutgers-Newark offers three- and four-year programs. Rutgers-Newark has one of the largest clinical programs in the country, with second- and third-year students receiving credit for hands-on legal experience in real cases involving under-represented clients, causes or communities. Tuition in 2010-11 is $22,344 for in-state residents and $33,264 for out-of-state residents.
Seton Hall University School of Law is the only private law school in New Jersey. It is known for its programs in intellectual property law, health and pharmaceutical law, international and corporate practice and public interest and government service. Both day and evening programs are offered. Enrollment is normally 300 to 400 students. Tuition and fees, as of 2010-11, ranged from $45,048 for full-time students to $33,981 for part-time students.
The requirements for all three law schools in New Jersey are similar. Seton Hall requires applicants to hold a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college or university or a foreign equivalent. It also requires the Law School Admission Test and a Credential Assembly Service subscription. At Camden and Newark, a bachelor's degree in a college or university accredited by an appropriate regional accrediting association is required. The LSAT also is required, but prospective students may indicate that they want their application considered primarily on factors that include educational and employment experiences, personal and academic accomplishments and socio-economic background.