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W&L Law Welcomes Impressive Law Class of 2029 The class includes 130 students from 30 states and D.C. and nine countries, representing 85 undergraduate institutions.

By Law Communications
August 20, 2026

Members of the Law Class of 2029 taking the Professionalism Oath during orientation.

On Monday, August 17, Washington and Lee University School of Law enrolled 130 students in the Class of 2029.

“We warmly welcome these exceptional students to W&L Law,” said Dean Melanie Wilson. “I have every confidence that they possess the talent and commitment to succeed with the guidance and support of our dedicated faculty and staff.”

The entering class boasts the strongest academic profile in the history of the law school. The median LSAT score for the class is 168, and the class’s median undergraduate grade point average is 3.81. The members of the class earned undergraduate degrees from 85 different institutions.

Nearly 80 percent of the class have a year or more of post-graduate experience before entering law school, working in fields such as business, politics, and the military. Fifty-one percent of the incoming students either completed a legal internship or have other law-related work experience, and 30 percent have experience working in politics or serving with a political campaign.

Why W&L Law? First year law students share what brought them to Lexington.

The median age of class members is 24, with ages ranging from 21 to 45. The class is 49 percent female, and 33 percent of the class identifies as racially or ethnically diverse. Fifteen percent are first-generation college students, and 75 percent are the first in their immediate family to attend law school.

Seven members of the class already hold graduate degrees from other institutions. The class includes eight Eagle Scouts and eight members of Phi Beta Kappa.

The first-year students hail from 30 states, the District of Columbia, and nine foreign countries, including Brazil, China, Germany, India, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, and the United Kingdom. The U.S. state with the greatest representation is Virginia, followed by California and Texas. Seventy-five percent are from outside Virginia.