LSU Law Welcomes Record 2025 Incoming Class

September 23, 2025 |By Kelly Hite

LSU Law Welcomes Record Incoming Class - LSU Law 1L Class at Orientation fall 2025

NEW ORLEANS — LSU Law marked the start of the 2025–26 academic year on Aug. 18 with a surge in enrollment, welcoming its largest first-year class in years. The milestone highlights a steady climb in law students at the Baton Rouge campus, where total enrollment has also continued to rise. At the same time, law

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At the same time, law schools in New Orleans are also seeing growth. Tulane Law expanded its entering class to 241 students, up from 204 a year earlier. Loyola University New Orleans continues to enroll more than 200 new students annually while also broadening access through a hybrid evening J.D. program.

Enrollment Trends and Student Profile

At LSU, the incoming class of 231 students represents a steady climb from 228 last year and 211 two years ago. Total enrollment across all programs has also risen, with 656 students registered this fall compared to 644 a year ago.

The first-year LSU class posted stronger academic credentials than last year’s cohort, with the median LSAT score increasing by one point to 157 and the median GPA edging up to 3.71. The group is also among the most diverse in recent memory, with students representing 79 undergraduate institutions, 28 states, and three foreign countries. Sixty percent are women, and 61 percent are Louisiana residents. More incoming students earned their undergraduate degrees at LSU than at any other institution.

This year’s class also brings the largest group yet from LSU’s 3+3 Program, which allows students to complete their undergraduate and law degrees in six years instead of seven. Nineteen first-years are enrolled through the accelerated program, the highest since its launch in 2015.

The law center also continues to attract international students. Sixteen are pursuing a Master of Laws (LLM) degree, representing France, Trinidad and Tobago, Nepal, Brazil, Kenya, and Mexico.

Experiential Learning and Training

Beyond academics, LSU Law continues to emphasize practice-based learning. Nearly 100 third-year students took part in the annual Trial Advocacy Program, an intensive, optional three-day training that simulates real courtroom practice.

“Among other things, LSU Law’s extensive experiential learning opportunities and bijural curriculum prepare our graduates to practice law or launch adjacent professional careers immediately upon their graduation,” said Gwendolyn Ferrell, LSU Law Director of Career Services.

Designed to bridge the gap between theory and practice, the program gives students hands-on experience in trial work, from opening statements and witness examinations to cross-examination and closing arguments. Local attorneys, judges, and faculty serve as instructors and evaluators, offering feedback to sharpen students’ litigation skills. For many, the program is a capstone before entering the profession, reinforcing LSU Law’s emphasis on producing practice-ready graduates.

Although classes remain centered in Baton Rouge, LSU Law students regularly gain experience in New Orleans through externships and clinics. Students serve as judicial externs at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, the Louisiana Supreme Court, and the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana. The school’s Immigration Law Clinic also places students in proceedings before immigration courts in Oakdale and New Orleans, giving them direct exposure to high-level legal practice in the state’s largest legal hub.

Pipeline and Economic Impact

Though they do not have law schools, the University of New Orleans and Southern University at New Orleans contribute to the city’s pre-law pipeline through partnerships and dual-degree offerings that connect legal study with public administration and urban planning.

Louisiana’s business climate depends heavily on a steady supply of lawyers who understand the state’s distinctive civil law system, rooted in the Napoleonic Code. Locally trained attorneys are uniquely prepared to guide companies through complex issues ranging from real estate and energy development to mergers, acquisitions, and regulatory compliance.

“The vast majority of our graduates find professional employment within 10 months of earning their degree, and while approximately 60 percent of them go into private practice, on average, roughly one-quarter of them go into work in business, industry, public interest, or government positions each year,” Ferrell said.

The law student pipeline also shapes the state’s economic trajectory. Many LSU Law graduates move into leadership positions in government, judiciary, and corporate counsel offices, directly influencing public policy and business regulation. For industries investing in Louisiana—from shipping to health care—the availability of practice-ready lawyers ensures that legal needs can be met efficiently within the state.

“You will find LSU Law alumni in leadership positions in virtually every employment sector in Louisiana, and we are proud to play a leading role in helping ensure there is a healthy pipeline of professionals in our state,” Ferrell said.

The presence of LSU Law students in New Orleans courts further strengthens ties between the academic pipeline and Louisiana’s largest commercial hub. Their work on commercial litigation, administrative law, and regulatory cases connects classroom study to the same legal frameworks businesses navigate daily.

By combining a growing student body with strengthened academic profiles, immersive training opportunities, and a direct link to the state’s legal and business centers, LSU Law continues to position itself as a leading force in preparing the next generation of lawyers and, by extension, strengthening Louisiana’s broader economic environment.