Students head to first day of classes.
By the numbers
Here is a first-day snapshot of the Class of 2022:
LL.M. students
The LL.M. program comprises 53 students, including 29 foreign-trained attorneys and 24 from the U.S. The class includes 27 women and 26 men. The foreign students come from 17 countries and collectively speak 14 different languages in addition to English.
Aug. 22, 2019 — Classes began Monday for more than 200 aspiring lawyers who arrived at the University of Houston Law Center with varied backgrounds, high academic credentials, and even higher expectations of a successful career in the law. Applications were up and fewer than one-third of applicants were accepted. The incoming group matched last year’s record-setting median GPA and median LSAT score, and the percentage of women broke last year’s record when they first became the majority.
“I am very proud that we have been able to admit a first-year class with outstanding credentials and very diverse backgrounds,” said Dean Leonard M. Baynes. “As we can see, it is possible to have diversity and excellence at the same time.”
Members of the class come from 13 states and eight countries, collectively speak at least 23 languages in addition to English, and graduated from more than 90 universities with more than 50 different majors, political science being the most popular.
Students arrived with impressive resumes of work experience and political and social activism. The class includes a number of teachers and professors, including a neuroscience professor at Rice University, a U.S. Army “cryptologic linguist,” two NASA employees, a professional videogame writer, many entrepreneurs who started a variety of successful businesses, and one fight club trainer. At least nine students served in the armed forces.
A large number of students brought political experience as interns at various levels of government and campaign workers while others gained hands-on experience at private law firms. Many volunteered with social service agencies and programs, ranging from Big Brothers Big Sisters to organizations helping victims of sexual and domestic violence and those with physical and mental disabilities. Animal lovers volunteered at various shelters and at least one worked with therapy dogs.
Outside the classroom, members of the class relax with a variety of leisure activities. In addition to participating in every imaginable team sport, some students enjoy climbing mountains, running marathons, playing ultimate Frisbee, practicing martial arts, enduring ironman triathlons and ballroom dancing.
