UC Davis School of Law (King Hall): 2026 Guide

What Is UC Davis School of Law Known For?

UC Davis School of Law is known for environmental law, immigration law, civil rights, and public interest work. Its environmental law program ranks in the top 20 nationally, and the school ranks fourth in the country for the share of graduates who enter public interest law. Small class sizes support a collaborative culture.

The school is called King Hall, after the building named for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. That name is not decoration. It reflects a mission built around social justice, public service, and access to the law, which runs through the curriculum, the clinics, and the careers its graduates choose.

With about 600 JD students and a student-faculty ratio of 8.3 to 1, King Hall is one of the smaller top-50 law schools. Students consistently describe a collegial rather than cutthroat environment. It ranks among the strongest California law schools and sits 20 minutes from Sacramento, the state capital.

That location is a practical asset. Students extern with the California Legislature, the state attorney general, state agencies, and the courts, all within a short drive. The Bay Area sits about an hour away, which widens the range of firms and public interest organizations that hire King Hall graduates.

Why Is UC Davis Law Called King Hall?

UC Davis Law is called King Hall because its building is named for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. King was assassinated on April 4, 1968, during the school’s second year of instruction. Students and faculty successfully petitioned administrators to name the new building in his honor, and it was dedicated on April 12, 1969.

The dedication ceremony featured a speech by Earl Warren, the former Chief Justice of the United States. A life-size terracotta sculpture of Dr. King by artist Lisa Reinertson, unveiled in 1987, stands in the building’s lobby beside a digital exhibit on his life and legacy.

The naming shaped the school’s identity. Faculty and students who lobbied for it tied the institution to King’s ideals of public service and justice, and that founding decision still guides the school’s emphasis on civil rights, immigration, and public interest law today.

The school itself is young by comparison with its UC peers. The Regents approved it in 1962, founding dean Edward L. Barrett Jr. opened it in fall 1966 with an entering class of 78 students and a faculty of four, and the school ran out of temporary structures until the permanent building was finished. A $30 million expansion completed in 2011 added a wing and an appellate courtroom used by the Ninth Circuit, the California Supreme Court, and the California Court of Appeal.

What Is UC Davis Law School’s Ranking?

UC Davis School of Law ranks No. 52 (tie) among U.S. News Best Law Schools. Its environmental law program ranks in the top 20 nationally, and the school also earns recognition in constitutional law, criminal law, and immigration law. Faculty scholarly impact ranks around #18 in the country.

The specialty numbers matter more than the overall rank for many applicants. A top-20 environmental program, national recognition in immigration and civil rights, and the fourth-highest rate of graduates entering public interest law tell you exactly what this school does well.

Compare its position against peers using the broader law school rankings guide, and review the specialty field through the environmental law school and immigration law school hubs.

Rankings are one input, not a verdict. A school in the #50 band competes in a crowded field, and small shifts in bar passage or employment can move several spots in either direction. Weigh the specialty depth, the clinic access, and the California employment reach alongside the raw number before you decide.

How Hard Is It to Get Into UC Davis Law?

UC Davis Law is selective. The 2025 entering class reported a median LSAT of 165, with a 25th-to-75th-percentile range of 160 to 167, and a median undergraduate GPA of 3.70, ranging from 3.49 to 3.87. The acceptance rate was about 16%, from 3,896 applications and 622 offers.

Selectivity tightened in the most recent cycle. Some sources still publish an older median of 163 and an acceptance rate above 30%, so use the current figures above when you benchmark your odds. About 205 students enrolled in the most recent first-year class.

The small class size shapes admissions. With roughly 200 seats, King Hall can be choosy, and it fills the class with students who fit its public service mission. Applications that show a genuine commitment to service, advocacy, or a specific field like environmental or immigration law read well here.

What LSAT and GPA Do You Need for UC Davis Law?

To be competitive at UC Davis Law, aim for an LSAT score of 165 or higher and an undergraduate GPA of 3.70 or higher. Numbers at or above the medians strengthen an application. Applicants below the 25th-percentile marks of 160 LSAT and 3.49 GPA need strong essays, work experience, or a compelling record of service.

UC Davis accepts the GRE in place of the LSAT, and scores must be from within the past five years. The school reviews applications holistically, weighing academic ability alongside economic or other disadvantages an applicant has overcome, which gives real weight to background and life experience.

Study the LSAT format early and target an LSAT score above the median to improve both admission and scholarship odds. Review the general law school admission requirements, then follow a structured process to apply to law school.

Apply early in the cycle. The deadline runs to June 1, but seats and scholarship money go faster than that date suggests, so a complete file submitted in the fall improves your position. A specific, carefully written personal statement of two to four pages carries real weight when applicants share similar numbers.

How Much Does UC Davis Law Cost?

UC Davis Law tuition is about $59,870 for California residents and $72,115 for non-residents for 2025-26. The estimated total cost of attendance runs near $90,457 for residents and $102,702 for non-residents. The school charges no application fee and offers generous merit and need-based aid.

As a public school, UC Davis charges residents meaningfully less than non-residents, and many students establish California residency after the first year to lower the cost. The application deadline is June 1, and the financial aid deadline is March 2, so file early to be considered for the full range of aid.

Aid is a genuine strength here. UC Davis awards among the most financial aid in the country. Compare programs using the guide to law school cost and the overview of law school scholarships.

Weigh the net price rather than the sticker tuition. Between resident rates, merit awards, and need-based grants, many students pay far less than the published figure. Lower debt also expands your career options after graduation, which matters at a school that sends so many graduates into public service roles.

Does UC Davis Law Help with Public Interest Debt?

Yes, UC Davis Law runs the King Hall Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP). Founded in 1990, it was the first loan repayment assistance program at any University of California law school. It helps graduates working in lower-paying public service legal careers repay their student loans, which supports the school’s public interest mission.

The program matters because King Hall sends more graduates into public interest law than nearly any school in the country. Loan assistance makes those careers financially realistic, so students who want to work in legal aid, immigration advocacy, or government are not forced into higher-paying jobs to service their debt.

Loan assistance pairs with federal public service loan forgiveness for graduates in qualifying government and nonprofit roles. Together, these programs make a King Hall degree a practical route into legal aid, immigration advocacy, and government work, which is exactly the kind of career the school was built to support.

What Programs and Clinics Does UC Davis Law Offer?

UC Davis Law offers a three-year JD, an LL.M. for foreign-trained lawyers, and joint degrees, supported by clinics in immigration, prison law, civil rights, and family protection. Its Immigration Law Clinic was one of the first in the United States, and students also work through eight externship programs.

The signature clinics and programs at King Hall include:

• Immigration Law Clinic: one of the first in the country, serving the Central Valley’s large immigrant community.
• King Hall Immigration Detention Project: represents detainees and litigates detention issues of national impact.
• Prison Law Clinic: assists people incarcerated in California state prisons.
• Civil Rights Clinic: handles civil rights litigation and advocacy.
• Family Protection and Legal Assistance Clinic: represents survivors of intimate partner violence and sexual assault.
• UCDC Law Program: a semester in Washington, D.C., shared across UC law schools.

Students publish five journals, including the UC Davis Law Review and Environs, the school’s environmental law and policy journal. Research centers include the California Environmental Law and Policy Center and the California International Law Center. Explore the core degree through the Juris Doctor path, and the advanced credential through the Master of Laws guide.

The school’s academic strengths map onto its clinics. Applicants drawn to its flagship fields can explore environmental law, immigration law, and human rights law school options, along with intellectual property study for students interested in the school’s IP externships.

The clinics are the heart of the experience. Students represent real clients under faculty supervision, appearing in immigration court, negotiating with prison officials, and securing restraining orders for survivors of abuse. Popular clinics fill quickly, so many students wait until their third year for a top choice, but the hands-on courtroom experience they gain is a major reason applicants choose King Hall.

What Are UC Davis Law’s Bar Passage and Employment Outcomes?

UC Davis Law graduates posted a first-time California bar pass rate of about 89%, roughly 11 points above California’s overall rate of about 78%. The two-year ultimate pass rate reaches about 93%. Around 91% of graduates were employed within 10 months, with about 82% in bar-required roles.

The bar gap is the number to notice. Beating the California statewide rate by roughly 11 points signals strong academic preparation and bar support, and California administers one of the harder bar exams in the country. Compare state and national figures on the bar exam passing rate page and build a plan through the guide on how to prepare for the bar exam.

Employment concentrates in California. Graduates move into Sacramento and Bay Area firms, state government, judicial clerkships, public interest organizations, and legal aid.

Public interest placement is unusually strong. King Hall ranks fourth nationally for the share of graduates entering public interest law, a direct result of its clinics, its loan repayment program, and a student body that arrives already committed to service. Graduates who want large-firm work still find it, though the pipeline is smaller than at higher-ranked schools.

Who Are Notable UC Davis Law Alumni?

Notable UC Davis Law alumni include Tani Cantil-Sakauye, the 28th Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of California, and Darrell Steinberg, former California Senate President pro Tem and mayor of Sacramento. Both graduated in 1984. The alumni network exceeds 8,000 members.

The school’s faculty roster is equally notable. Cruz Reynoso, an associate justice of the California Supreme Court and a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, taught at King Hall as a professor rather than attending as a student. Dean Kevin Johnson is a nationally recognized immigration law scholar.

The alumni base concentrates in Sacramento and Northern California, which gives graduates a strong pipeline into state government, the California judiciary, and the public interest bar. For students who plan to practice in California, that network is a practical, lasting asset.

The alumni base now exceeds 8,000 lawyers. Because the school is small, the community stays close, and graduates are known for helping current students find internships, clerkships, and first jobs. In a state as large as California, that tight and loyal network punches above the size of the school.

Is UC Davis School of Law Worth It?

UC Davis Law is worth it for students who want a California legal career, especially in environmental, immigration, civil rights, or public interest law. Strong bar passage, a small collegial community, and generous financial aid support its value. Applicants targeting national biglaw should compare higher-ranked options.

Compare UC Davis with California peers before you commit. Options include UC Berkeley, UCLA, UC Irvine, UC Law San Francisco, USC Gould, and the University of San Diego.

The decision comes down to fit. Choose King Hall for public service, a specialty in environmental or immigration law, a supportive community, and access to Sacramento. Start your research from the main law school hub and the top law schools in the West region, and when you are ready to hire counsel, use the Lexinter law directory.