Nearly Half Of New Law School Class In Newark-Camden Are Students Of Color

NEWARK, NJ — The following news release comes courtesy of Rutgers Law School. Find out how to post announcements or events to your local Patch site.

Rutgers Law School recently marked another major milestone by welcoming its largest-ever joint Camden/Newark first-year class. Nearly 500 incoming 1L students began their law school journeys in Newark and Camden in late August.

This year’s class includes 494 full-time and part-time students, selected from a competitive pool of 4,360 applicants for the 2025–2026 academic year. The cohort reflects Rutgers Law’s deep commitment to access in legal education.

A remarkable 91% of 1Ls are first-generation law students, underscoring the school’s mission to expand opportunities in the legal profession. In addition, the entering class has achieved the highest GPA profile in school history for the third consecutive year. The class also boasts impressive diversity:

• 46% identify as students of color
• 21% identify as LGBTQIA+
• 27% are first-generation college graduates
• Students represent 35 countries
• Ages range from 20 to 54

The fall 2025 entering class continues Rutgers Law's record-breaking streak by having the largest representation of women and students of color in school history. Last year, Rutgers Law set a record for the highest number of female students enrolled (248), surpassing the previous year’s milestone.

Rutgers Law Dean Johanna Bond welcomed the new students at Orientation opening sessions in Newark on August 18 then in Camden on August 19. Events included campus tours, receptions, numerous sessions and workshops, and a student organization and vendor fair to help 1Ls acclimate to law school.

“On some level, the thing that unites us is the desire to use the law to have an impact on our world,” Dean Bond told the incoming class. She later added, “We have a shared commitment to use the law to pursue justice, however we each define that term.”

Rutgers Law is also welcoming four new faculty and launching two new clinics; the Ruth Bader Ginsburg Women’s Rights and Gender Justice Clinic in Newark and the Criminal Defense & Advocacy Clinic in Camden.

Click here for the full story and links to Orientation photo galleries

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