The University of Tulsa College of Law is always a vibrant place. But this year its classrooms, corridors and lounges are positively humming with the arrival of the largest 1L class since 2010. As of fall 2019, TU Law’s entering class is up 19% over the previous year.
Dean Lyn Entzeroth attributes much of this growth to the college’s dedicated Admissions team as well as the fact that word has spread near and far about the high-quality education and student support TU Law offers.
“My colleagues in Admissions do a masterful job helping prospective students understand the process of applying to law school and the elements that make our college a perfect fit for many of them, including our low student-to-faculty ratio, personalized approach to teaching and mentoring as well as our professional development services,” Entzeroth remarked. “The past 12 months have also seen TU Law recognized publicly for factors that are critical to prospective students, including bar passage and job placement rates. Without our dedicated faculty and staff members, none of this would be possible.”
Texans living on Tulsa time
Two of the students who recently joined TU Law are Kristin Rodriguez and Trevion Freeman. Both of them hail from Texas and completed bachelor’s degrees majoring in political science (Rodriguez at the University of Oklahoma and Freeman at the University of Texas at Austin). As they contemplated where to attend law school, both of them envisioned studying somewhere in Texas.
“I love it there, and I am 100% Texan through and through,” Rodriguez said. Born and raised in Waco, Freeman had much the same thought: “Although I’d heard many good things about TU Law, I honestly did not see myself moving away from Texas.”
Part of what motivated Rodriguez to bid a temporary farewell to her home state was how impressed she was with TU Law’s recruitment process. “They were the only school that sent mail and email as well as called me,” she said. “TU Law was also the only school that called to let me know I had been accepted. I was actually finishing up an on-campus tour at another school and meeting with their dean when my watch buzzed with the call from Miss Janet at TU Law. She seemed overjoyed for me. I felt wanted. And Tulsa feels like Austin, but with no traffic!”
For his part, Freeman said, “TU Law was the first school that contacted me after I applied, letting me know that I was accepted. After visiting Tulsa and the College of Law and learning that my friend Harry from UT Austin had also been admitted, I decided to step outside my comfort zone and continue my education up here.”
Beyond the thoughtfulness of the Admissions team plus Tulsa’s cool vibe and livable scale, Rodriguez and Freeman were also swayed to accept TU Law’s offer because of several critical reputational factors. Most important among these, they noted, are the school’s Top 100 status, high bar passage rate within two years of graduation (92.96%) and excellent job placement rate (#10 in the United States). It didn’t hurt, too, that TU Law is among the Top 25 Best Value private and public law schools and, at #2 in the national rankings, TU Law is among the top Best Value private law schools. 
A supportive, engaged community
So, 12 weeks in and did TU Law live up to its promise and Rodriguez and Freeman’s expectations?
“It’s been hard, but rewarding,” Rodriguez said. “I’ve written two mid-terms so far, and they’ve gone well. In addition, all my professors have an open-door policy if you have questions or need to talk about anything.”
Freeman, meanwhile, characterized his first semester at TU Law as “extraordinary.” In his words, “all my professors and the administrative staff have shown on a daily basis that they want me and my fellow students to succeed. Law school is a challenging journey, but it helps when you know that there are people who care and who are willing to help with anything.”
Another element that has enhanced the law school experience for both Rodriguez and Freeman has been their involvement in TU Law’s vibrant student organizations. Rodriguez recollected, “as an undergrad, the only thing I joined was a sorority, and I did the bare minimum with them. But I told myself going into law school I wanted to be involved. One of the first things I did was join the Student Bar Association (SBA), where I was elected as a 1L delegate to represent my 1L class. That’s been a real honor. I’ve met upperclassmen through the SBA and gotten to know the other 1L delegates.”
In addition, Rodriguez stepped up to become the secretary of the Latino Law Students Association and the Law and Medicine Society. Likewise, Freeman was elected to be a delegate to the SBA, representing the class of 2022. “That moment,” he said, “affirmed for me that TU Law was the place I belonged.”
“I definitely made the right choice,” Rodriguez echoed. “TU Law is a community of people who want you to succeed. Even in my 1L class, everyone is incredibly kind and uplifting. And I love how diverse it is and that I’ve been able to meet people from all over the country.”
If you are thinking about a career in law, consider earning your juris doctorate at The University of Tulsa College of Law – one of the country’s Top 100 law schools.