Every fall, a new group of students arrives at Temple Law and begins the work of becoming Temple Lawyers. The Entering Class of 2026 brings strong academic credentials, wide-ranging life experience, and a shared commitment to impactful lawyering that advances justice, strengthens communities, and shapes the profession. 

A total of 255 new J.D. students joined Temple Law this fall, including 225 in the Day Division and 30 in the Evening Division — one of the largest entering classes in recent years. 

The incoming students arrive with a median undergraduate GPA of 3.77 and a median LSAT score of 165, with middle-50% ranges of 3.60 to 3.89 and 162 to 167. The class has an average age of 26. 

They also arrive at a moment of transition for the law school. Lonnie T. Brown, Jr. began his tenure as the Kean Family Dean weeks before orientation, making the Entering Class of 2026 the first class he will accompany from their first day through graduation.  

Diverse Perspectives, Shared Purpose 

Temple Law students are encouraged to bring their whole selves to the law school community. Beyond academic credentials, here is some of what this class has shared about itself: 

Students in the LL.M. for Foreign-Trained Lawyers program at orientation.
  • 19% are the first in their families to attend college. 
  • 36% identify as students of color. 
  • 55% identify as women, 41% as men, and 4% identify otherwise. 
  • Eighteen students identify as LGBTQ+. 
  • 53% are Pennsylvania residents, and 47% come from outside the Commonwealth. 
  • 141 students speak more than one language. 

Students earned undergraduate degrees from 134 colleges and universities across 33 states and countries. Ten percent of the class already holds an advanced degree. The largest groups come from Temple (22), the University of Pittsburgh (11), Penn State (10), the University of Pennsylvania (9), and William & Mary (7). Their fields of study span the expected and the unexpected: 45 studied political science, 15 history, 15 English, and 6 biology, alongside classmates who earned degrees in majors such as urban studies, supply chain analytics, philosophy, journalism, theater arts, and anthropology. 

Experience Beyond the Classroom 

Temple’s incoming students bring more than academic achievement; they bring lived experience and leadership. 

Thirty students started law school this fall in our Evening Division — building legal careers while working, raising families, and everything in between.

Seventy-eight percent of the class — 198 students — spent at least a year out of college before starting law school. Fifty worked or studied abroad, in countries including Spain, Morocco, Germany, Egypt, Ireland, Greece, Italy, England, and the Turks and Caicos. Others have served their communities through AmeriCorps, the Peace Corps, the Jesuit Volunteer Corps, and Teach for America, and five have served the country in the Air Force, the Army Reserve, the Marines, and the Navy. 

Fourteen students — 5.5% of the class — come to Temple with family ties to Temple Law alumni, continuing a tradition across generations. 

Their talents also extend well beyond the classroom. The athletes among them include runners, boxers, powerlifters, rugby players, roller derby skaters, swimmers, field hockey and lacrosse players, soccer players, skiers, rowers, and competitive table tennis players. The artists include singers, dancers, filmmakers, pianists, violinists, poets, bass guitarists, knitters, painters, drummers, woodworkers, and photographers. 

Carrying Temple Law’s Mission Forward 

These students begin their legal education at a moment when the rule of law, and the profession’s duty to uphold it, carries particular weight. Temple Lawyers have long held a reputation for meeting that obligation — for understanding that a law degree is an instrument of public service as much as personal advancement. The Entering Class of 2026 arrives prepared to take up that work.