Why Wayne Law?
At Wayne Law, students train for legal careers in a diverse set of environments. Whether you're passionate about the courtroom or working for a nonprofit or corporation, the Law School's practical legal training prepares you for a successful career. Our location in Detroit also provides students with unique opportunities to put their legal training into practice from day one.
Training
Students gain the knowledge needed to secure meaningful employment upon graduation thanks to rigorous classroom instruction with faculty scholars who are sought internationally for their legal opinions.
- Wayne Law is No. 47 in the country for placing recent graduates in full-time, long-term jobs that require bar passage or for which a J.D. is an advantage, according to an analysis of the American Bar Association's 2020 employment data.*
- Our 2023 U.S. News and World Report rankings No. 58 overall and No. 2 in Michigan, and No. 17 in part-time law show why so many students choose Wayne Law.
- Wayne Law's Office of Career and Professional Development works with students early on to help them prepare for a successful career. This includes personalized counseling, access to recruitment programs, networking opportunities, mock interviews and more.
Experience
- Today's employers are looking for candidates who excel in both theory and legal practice. For this reason, Wayne Law has eight live-client clinics including our Legal Advocacy for People with Cancer Clinic a medical-legal partnership that preLaw magazine named one of the country's most innovative clinics.
- Wayne Law has four externships that provide firsthand, in-the-field experience, supporting the work of attorney mentors and judges.
- Co-curricular programs allow students to sharpen their skills outside of traditional classroom instruction. Among these opportunities are our Jessup International Law Moot Court team, which placed 16th in the world in 2018 and in the top 50 in 2021, and our Jaffe Transactional Law Competition, which permits students to negotiate and draft merger agreements in front of Metro Detroit transactional law attorneys.
- Students also have the opportunity to study around the world through our Program for International Legal Studies, which includes classes, summer internships abroad and co-curricular activities.
Location
Wayne State University is in the heart of Detroit a city whose history, culture and economic resurgence make it one of the most fascinating places in the world to live, learn, work and play. Every day, students and faculty participate in the reinvention of a great American city while enjoying a beautiful campus surrounded by world-class medical centers, museums, cultural institutions, eateries, and sports and entertainment venues.
- Wayne State is ranked among the 50 safest campuses in the United States by BestColleges.com, offering more than 200 acres of green space and walking paths in the middle of a bustling city.
- Nearly 3,000 students live on campus in three residence halls and three apartment buildings.
- The Wayne State University Police Department, our dedicated 60-officer police department, patrols campus and the surrounding neighborhoods 24/7.
- Countless business, employment and community engagement opportunities are available thanks to the university's decades of relationship-building in the urban and metropolitan Detroit areas.
Ready to take the next step at Wayne Law?