2019 2019: UMass Law ranked among the best in the east for black students

Black Student’s Guide to Law Schools & Firms applauds Commonwealth’s public law school for high percentage of black students earning a JD

In its recently released 2019 edition, the Black Student’s Guide to Law Schools & Firms has ranked UMass Law at UMass Dartmouth as one of the top five law schools for black students in the east, noting its high percentage (8%) of black students earning a JD.

UMass Law shared the honor with the City University of New York School of Law, the University of Connecticut School of Law, Rutgers Law School, and the University at Buffalo School of Law.

UMass Law consistently has one of the highest percentages of students of color among the 15 law schools in New England. In 2018, UMass Law (31 percent overall, 32 percent among first-year students) was ranked third in this category.

“We believe it is critical that our graduates reflect the communities where they will pursue justice as lawyers,” UMass Law Dean Eric Mitnick said. “The diversity of our student body enriches the teaching and learning at UMass Law by bringing a wide spectrum of perspectives and experiences to our classrooms and community outreach clinics.”

UMass Law has an active Black Law Student Association while UMass Dartmouth is home to a student NAACP Chapter that was ratified in 2017 and is one of just a few in New England. In 2018, the Massachusetts Black Lawyers Association (MBLA) awarded law student Jalessa Almonacy with its Honorable Reginald Lindsay Public Service Award and scholarship. The MBLA also honored Dean Eric Mitnick with an “Excellence in Academia” award in 2017.

UMass Law’s pass rate for first-time takers of the July 2018 Massachusetts Bar Exam was 92.6%, which was third in the state. UMass Law's focus on public and community good has resulted in more than 120,000 hours of pro bono legal services to the community since 2010.

The full report can be found here.