History
19th century
On December 12, 1842, following discussion in the North Carolina legal community, the trustees of the University of North Carolina authorized the university's president David L. Swain to review and establish a law professorship. In 1845, William Horn Battle was named the first professor of law, and legal instruction began at the university. In the years following, assistant professors and later an organized faculty and law library were added.20th century
In 1915, Margaret Berry became the first woman to graduate from the law school. In the 1920s, the school began taking on much of the character of a modern law school, after theRankings and reputation
As of 2025, the University of North Carolina School of Law is ranked 18th (tied with Cornell Law School) in the nation by '' U.S. News & World Report''.Admissions
For the class entering in 2023, the school accepted 16.27% of applicants, with 37.99% of those accepted enrolling. The average enrollee had a 166 LSAT score and 3.78 undergraduate GPA.Facilities
The law school is currently located in Van Hecke-Wettach Hall, towards the southeastern side of the Chapel Hill campus, neighboring the School of Government, Eddie Smith Field House, Dorrance Field, and other athletic facilities. Van Hecke-Wettach Hall is roughly a square shape with a central courtyard or quadrangle. The main entrance portico is on the northeastern side of the building, facing Ridge Road. Most of the west side of the building consists of the Kathrine R. Everett Law Library, located on the first four floors.Centers and programs
The UNC School of Law is home to several centers that focus on issues of state and national interest: * Center for Banking and Finance - Lissa Broome, Director * Center for Civil Rights - Theodore Shaw, Director. * Center for Climate, Energy, Environment & Economics - Jonas J. Monast, Director * North Carolina Coastal Resources Law, Planning and Policy Center * UNC Center for Media Law and Policy - David Ardia, Co-Director * Director Diversity Initiative * Intellectual Property Initiative * UNC School of Law Medical Child Abuse Initiative * Prosecutors and Politics Project * N.C. Poverty Research FundClinics
Clinics provide students with the opportunity to learn legal theory and put the legal theory to practice. * Civil Legal Assistance Clinic * Community Development Law Clinic * Consumer Financial Transactions Clinic * Domestic and Sexual Violence Clinic * Immigration Clinic * Intellectual Property Clinic * Military and Veterans Law Clinic * Youth Justice ClinicLaw journals
The school is home to six student-edited law journals. Founded in 1922, the ''North Carolina Law Review'' is the oldest law journal in the state. * '' First Amendment Law Review'' * ''North Carolina Banking Institute Journal'' * ''North Carolina Civil Rights Law Review'' * '' North Carolina Journal of International Law'' * '' North Carolina Journal of Law & Technology'' (NC JOLT) * '' North Carolina Law Review''Bar examination passage
In 2023, the overall bar examination passage rate for the law school’s first-time examination takers was 92.00%. The Ultimate Bar Pass Rate, which the ABA defines as the passage rate for graduates who sat for bar examinations within two years of graduating, was 94.33% for the class of 2021.Employment
According to the employment disclosures required by theCosts
The total cost of attendance, including tuition, fees, and living expenses, at UNC for the 2017-2018 academic year was $49,562 for North Carolina residents and $66,193 for out-of-state students. The Law School Transparency estimated debt-financed cost of attendance for three years is $176,368 for residents and $243,846 for nonresidents.Notable alumni
There are more than 10,000 alumni of the University of North Carolina School of Law since its founding. Roughly 40 percent of practicing North Carolina attorneys are Carolina Law graduates, more than any other law school in North Carolina. Many have gone on to notable roles, including government offices, such as former US Senator and 2004 Vice Presidential candidate John Edwards, and former Chief of Staff to the President of the United States and former US Congressman, Mick Mulvaney. Additionally, many have served in positions in the North Carolina state government. Among these are the current and recent North Carolina governors ( Cooper, Hunt, Holshouser, Moore, and Sanford) and (as of the 2021 term) three of seven North Carolina Supreme Court justices ( Barringer, Newby, and Hudson) as well as one alumn currently serving on the Court of Appeals of Virginia ( Frucci).Leadership
* William Horn Battle, 1845-1868; 1877-1879 (as professor of law) * Kemp Plummer Battle, 1879-1881 (as professor of law) * John Manning Jr., 1881-1899 (as professor of law) * James C. MacRae, 1899-1909 (as dean) * Lucius Polk McGehee, 1910-1923 (as dean) * Merton Leroy Ferson, 1924-1926 * Charles T. McCormick, 1927-1931 * Maurice Taylor Van Hecke, 1931-1941 * Robert Hasley Wettach, 1941-1949 * Henry Brandis Jr., 1949-1964 * James Dickson Phillips Jr., 1964-1974 * Robert Gray Byrd, 1974-1979 * Kenneth S. Broun, 1979-1987The University of North Carolina School of Law: A Sesquicentennial History, ''North Carolina Law Review'' 73. * Judith Welch Wegner, 1989-1999 * Gene Nichol, 1999-2005 * John "Jack" Charles Boger, 2006-2015 * Martin H. Brinkley, 2015–PresentReferences
{{authority control 1845 establishments in North Carolina Law schools in North Carolina University of North Carolina