For release: August 19, 2011
Contact: Chelsea Dubey, (901) 678-1562

The 2011-2012 academic year commence on Monday, August 22 at The University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law. Memphis Law welcomes 145 first-year students and 280 upperclassmen.

The reported LSAT median for the entering class was a 155 and the median undergraduate grade point average was 3.41, while the 25%/75% of the LSAT was 153/158 and the undergraduate grade point average 25%/75% was 3.08/3.62 respectively. 

The majority of the new students call Tennessee home, but non-residents represent 11 different states.  The other states represented include Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Texas, and Virginia.  

The average age of the entering class is 25, while the range is 21 to 46.  The majority of the students graduated from a Tennessee state-assisted university.  The University of Memphis remains the number one undergraduate feeder institution followed closely by the University of Tennessee at Knoxville and Middle Tennessee State University.  Slightly more than half of the class (57%) graduated from one of the state-assisted universities in Tennessee.  Eleven of Tennessee’s private colleges and universities are represented, including Belmont University, Bethel University, Carson Newman College, Christian Brothers University, David Lipscomb University, Freed Hardeman University, Lambuth University, Milligan College, Rhodes College, Union University, and Vanderbilt University.

Rhodes College is the most represented among the Tennessee private schools with six students, followed closely by Christian Brothers University with five students.  One historically black university, Tennessee State University, is also represented.  While most of our students were educated in Tennessee, fifty-four different colleges and universities are represented from seventeen different states. 

Females represent 39% of the entering class while the males compose 61%.  The student of color enrollment is 14%.  Of diverse students, the majority is African-American.  Also represented are Hispanic, Asian, and American-Indian students.

Memphis Law students’ academic training varied with academic majors ranging from Accounting to Sociology.  All together there are thirty-six different undergraduate majors represented.  The most popular major continues to be Political Science, followed closely by Psychology, and a two-way tie between Business Administration and English.  Twelve percent of the entering students have advanced degrees. The most common advanced degree is a Master of Business Administration.

In addition to the diverse majors, Memphis Law students have had various career and life experiences prior to enrolling in law school.  Some were teachers at the elementary and college level, government employees, nurses, city planners, businessmen and women, military officers and a civil rights advocate. Several students are children of immigrants and first in their families to earn a college degree. Eleven students have legacy connections to Memphis Law.   

First-year orientation was held August 17-19 and covered life at law school, introductions of the faculty and staff, downtown and student organization fairs and their first legal methods class. Official orientation concluded with a Swearing-In Ceremony and the inaugural signing of the honor code by all first-year students. Friday evening the class was invited to attend a reception at the Belz Museum of Asian & Judaic Art in downtown Memphis where they were able to network with members of the legal community, bench and bar, law alumni, faculty and staff. The reception was generously supported by  Mr. Jack Belz, Belz Enterprises, and the law firm of Glassman, Edwards, Wyatt, Tuttle & Cox, P. C.

Memphis Law is celebrating 50 years as the Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law this academic year, 2011-2012.

Photo caption: The Honorable Robert L. Childers (JD 76) conducted the Swearing-In Ceremony on Friday, August 19.Photo courtesy of Chelsea Dubey.