Wayne State University Law School

What Wayne State University Law School does

Wayne State University Law School is an ABA-accredited public law school founded in 1927 in Detroit, Michigan, operating as a component of Wayne State University. It offers a J.D. program in both full-time (three-year) and part-time (four-year, evening) formats, LL.M. concentrations in Corporate and Finance Law, Labor and Employment Law, and Taxation, and an M.S.L. program for non-lawyers. The school has been continuously ABA-accredited since 1937 and currently enrolls students supported by 85+ employer recruiting relationships and a 12,450+ alumni network across the U.S. and 19 countries.

The school's core product is experiential legal education, delivered through seven client-facing clinics (Asylum and Immigration Law, Business and Community Law, Community Advocacy, Disability Law, Immigration Appellate Advocacy, Legal Advocacy for People with Cancer, and Appeal and Post-Conviction Advocacy), five externship tracks (Corporate Counsel, Holistic Defense, Judicial, Public Service, and Lawyering in the Nation's Capital), and co-curricular competitions including Moot Court (with a top-3% worldwide finish at the 2026 International Jessup Competition), Mock Trial, and Transactional LawMeet. The curriculum is supported by three student-edited journals (Wayne Law Review, Journal of Business Law, Journal of Law in Society) and two research centers: the Damon J. Keith Center for Civil Rights (with a Detroit Equity Action Lab) and the Levin Center for Oversight and Democracy. Library services are provided through the Arthur Neef Law Library.

The business model is tuition-driven, with the school consistently holding the lowest tuition among Michigan law schools — a positioning reinforced by $8.2M+ in annual scholarships and 12+ years of "Best Value Law School" recognition. Secondary revenue and in-kind support come from external foundation grants (W.K. Kellogg Foundation, MacArthur Foundation), alumni and donor contributions, and cross-disciplinary partnerships with Lakeshore Legal Aid, Neighborhood Legal Services, Karmanos Cancer Center, the Michigan State Appellate Defender Office, and Wayne State's School of Social Work. The school also provides pro bono legal services to the metro Detroit community through its clinical programs, with students contributing over 13,000 hours of voluntary pro bono work annually, which functions as both a community-impact output and a reputational asset. The school is led by Acting Dean Lance Gable following the 2025 departure of Dean Richard A. Bierschbach, and employs between 51 and 100 staff and faculty in support of the academic mission.

Name

Wayne State University Law School

Legal name

Wayne State University Law School

Website

https://law.wayne.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1927

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Wayne State University Law School is an ABA-accredited public law school in Detroit, founded in 1927, offering J.D., LL.M., and M.S.L. programs with extensive experiential learning through seven client clinics, externships, moot court, and two research centers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

ABA-Accredited JD-Granting Law Schools (EDAHAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

LLM & Post-JD Graduate Law Programs (EDAHAIAC), Law School Research Centers & Institutes (e.g., Law & Economics, Human Rights) (EDAHAIAJ), Law School Continuing Legal Education (CLE) & Executive Programs (EDAHAIAH)

Keywords

• Legal education
• Law degree programs
• Juris doctor
• Experiential learning
• Legal clinics

Headquarters

HQ city

Detroit

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Infrastructure

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

Wayne State University Law School is an ABA-accredited law school that confers the Juris Doctor (J.D.), Master of Laws (LL.M.), and Master of Studies in Law (MSL) degrees. The curriculum is anchored in experiential learning, with seven client-facing clinics, multiple externship tracks, moot court and mock trial competitions, and three student-edited law journals, supported by the Arthur Neef Law Library.

Product overview

Wayne State University Law School is a legal education institution offering a portfolio of degree programs and experiential learning opportunities. The core academic offerings include the three-year J.D. Program (full-time) and four-year J.D. Program (evening/part-time), the LL.M. Program with concentrations in Corporate and Finance Law, Labor and Employment Law, and Taxation, and the MSL Program for non-lawyers. Experiential education is central to the curriculum, delivered through seven client clinics (Asylum and Immigration Law Clinic, Business and Community Law Clinic, Community Advocacy Clinic, Disability Law Clinic, Immigration Appellate Advocacy Clinic, Legal Advocacy for People with Cancer Clinic, and Appeal and Post-Conviction Advocacy Clinic), multiple externship programs (Corporate Counsel, Holistic Defense, Judicial, Public Service, and Nation's Capital), and co-curricular programs (Moot Court, Mock Trial, and three student law journals: Wayne Law Review, Journal of Business Law, and Journal of Law in Society). Research centers include the Damon J. Keith Center for Civil Rights and the Levin Center for Oversight and Democracy. The institution also provides bar exam preparation support, academic success programming, and career services through the Office of Career Success.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• J.D. Program (Juris Doctor)
• LL.M. Program (Master of Laws)
• MSL Program (Master of Studies in Law)
• Seven Client Clinics
• Free Legal Aid Clinic (FLAC)
• Externship Programs
• Damon J. Keith Center for Civil Rights
• Levin Center for Oversight and Democracy
• Arthur Neef Law Library

Quantifiable outcome

• 94.9% employment rate for Class of 2024 graduates in full-time, long-term positions requiring bar admission or where JD is an advantage
• +4 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Lakeshore Legal AidcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Free Legal Aid Clinic providing legal assistance to low-income individuals in Wayne County through student-supervised clinical work
• Neighborhood Legal ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Free Legal Aid Clinic providing legal assistance to indigent people through student clinical programs
• Karmanos Cancer CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare partnership for Legal Advocacy for People with Cancer Clinic, where law students work with healthcare professionals to resolve legal issues affecting patient care
• Institute of Continuing Legal EducationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint initiative with University of Michigan Law School formed in 1960 to provide Michigan lawyers with continuing legal education and resources
• Oakland UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership allowing students to earn bachelor's degree and law degree in six years instead of seven
• Wayne State University College of Liberal Arts and SciencesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership allowing students to earn bachelor's degree and law degree in six years instead of seven
• Michigan State Appellate Defender OfficecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Appeal and Post-Conviction Advocacy Clinic where students prepare briefs for indigent clients with pending felony appeals
• Wayne State University School of Social WorkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCross-disciplinary partnership for Holistic Defense Externship combining legal and social work approaches to criminal justice representation

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• DePaul University College of Law: ABA-accredited Chicago-based law school with a comparable urban mission and tuition-value positioning. Direct competitor for Midwestern applicants prioritizing practical training and lower debt.
• Loyola University Chicago School of Law: ABA-accredited Midwestern law school with a strong social justice and clinical mission. Comparable to Wayne Law in size, ranking tier, and emphasis on experiential learning for urban populations.
• Michigan State University College of Law: ABA-accredited law school in East Lansing, Michigan. Direct peer for in-state applicants and J.D./LL.M. programs; competes closely on tuition-value positioning and employment outcomes in the Michigan market.
• University of Michigan Law School: Top-10 nationally ranked ABA-accredited law school located in Michigan. Most direct peer — same ABA accreditation, same J.D./LL.M. offerings, and competes for the same Michigan applicant pool, though at the opposite end of the prestige spectrum.
• Indiana University Maurer School of Law: ABA-accredited public law school at a Big Ten peer university with a comparable tier ranking and similar mix of J.D., LL.M., and clinical programs. Comparable in size, ranking range, and Midwestern applicant draw.
• Ohio State University Moritz College of Law: ABA-accredited public Big Ten law school in Columbus, Ohio. Direct peer in the same public-research-university category with overlapping Midwestern applicant base and similar J.D./LL.M. portfolio.
• University of Detroit Mercy School of Law: ABA-accredited private law school located in downtown Detroit. Direct geographic and curricular peer sharing Wayne Law's Detroit metro applicant base and a similar mission orientation toward social justice and practical training.
• Western Michigan University Cooley Law School: ABA-accredited law school with Michigan campuses. Direct peer offering J.D. and LL.M. programs; competes for Michigan and national applicants, particularly on affordability and bar passage.
• Cleveland State University College of Law: ABA-accredited public urban law school in Cleveland. Closely comparable to Wayne Law on mission, size, ranking tier, and emphasis on public interest and clinical training in a Rust Belt urban setting.
• University of Wisconsin Law School: ABA-accredited public law school at a Big Ten university. Comparable in size, ranking tier, and mission; competes for similar regional applicants and has a comparable mix of clinical and LL.M. programs.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/_WayneLaw
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCw12VoH9dNAapi1BEoFo24g
• Facebookfacebook.com/WayneStateLawSchool
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wayne-state-university
• Instagraminstagram.com/waynelawschool

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Wayne State University Law School