Solo practice: every U.S. law school, ranked

Across the 195 ABA-accredited U.S. law schools that report solo practice, the median is 0.4%. Values span from 6.4% at Lincoln Memorial University School of Law to 0% at Washington University (St. Louis) School of Law, drawn from the most recent ABA Standard 509 disclosure cycle.

Schools reporting 195
Median 0.4%
25th–75th 0% – 1%
Range 0% – 6.4%

Distribution across 195 schools · median marked

Definition

What it is: Share of graduates working as solo practitioners.
Reported by: The American Bar Association, in each school’s annual Standard 509 Required Disclosure.
Unit: Percent

How to read it

Solo practice straight out of school usually signals a thin employer market rather than entrepreneurial choice; it is low almost everywhere.

Every school, ranked

#	Law school	State	Solo practice
1	Lincoln Memorial University School of Law	Tennessee	6.4%
2	Willamette University School of Law	Oregon	4.8%
3	Appalachian School of Law	Virginia	4.7%
4	St. Thomas University (Miami) School of Law	Florida	4.1%
5	Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico School of Law	Puerto Rico	4.1%
6	St. Mary's University School of Law	Texas	3.9%
7	Faulkner University School of Law	Alabama	3.4%
8	Northern Kentucky University School of Law	Kentucky	3.1%
9	Atlanta's John Marshall Law School	Georgia	3%
10	Samford University School of Law	Alabama	2.9%
11	University of North Dakota School of Law	North Dakota	2.7%
12	University of Nevada-Las Vegas School of Law	Nevada	2.6%
13	Mitchell/Hamline School of Law	Minnesota	2.5%
14	California Western School of Law	California	2.4%
15	University of Maine School of Law	Maine	2.3%
16	Texas Tech University School of Law	Texas	2.2%
17	University of Dayton School of Law	Ohio	2.2%
18	West Virginia University School of Law	West Virginia	2.2%
19	Western State, Westcliff University School of Law	California	2.2%
20	Oklahoma City University School of Law	Oklahoma	2.2%
21	University of Toledo School of Law	Ohio	2.1%
22	Ohio Northern University School of Law	Ohio	2%
23	Regent University School of Law	Virginia	1.9%
24	University of Tulsa School of Law	Oklahoma	1.8%
25	University of Richmond School of Law	Virginia	1.7%
26	University of Louisville School of Law	Kentucky	1.7%
27	University of North Texas at Dallas School of Law	Texas	1.7%
28	Capital University Law School	Ohio	1.7%
29	Pepperdine University School of Law	California	1.6%
30	University of Tennessee School of Law	Tennessee	1.6%
31	University of Pittsburgh School of Law	Pennsylvania	1.6%
32	University at Buffalo School of Law	New York	1.5%
33	University of Akron School of Law	Ohio	1.5%
34	Elon University School of Law	North Carolina	1.5%
35	University of Arkansas at Little Rock School of Law	Arkansas	1.5%
36	North Carolina Central University School of Law	North Carolina	1.5%
37	Syracuse University School of Law	New York	1.4%
38	University of St. Thomas (Minnesota) School of Law	Minnesota	1.3%
39	Barry University School of Law	Florida	1.3%
40	Indiana University-Bloomington School of Law	Indiana	1.2%
41	New England Law/Boston	Massachusetts	1.2%
42	University of District of Columbia School of Law	District of Columbia	1.2%
43	University of Mississippi School of Law	Mississippi	1.1%
44	University of Detroit Mercy School of Law	Michigan	1.1%
45	University of Memphis School of Law	Tennessee	1.1%
46	University of Texas School of Law	Texas	1%
47	Santa Clara University School of Law	California	1%
48	Seattle University School of Law	Washington	1%
49	University of New Mexico School of Law	New Mexico	1%
50	Southwestern Law School	California	1%
51	University of Baltimore School of Law	Maryland	1%
52	Washburn University School of Law	Kansas	1%
53	Charleston School of Law	South Carolina	1%
54	Mississippi College School of Law	Mississippi	1%
55	Inter American University of Puerto Rico School of Law	Puerto Rico	1%
56	Florida A&M University School of Law	Florida	0.9%
57	Northern Illinois University School of Law	Illinois	0.9%
58	Texas A&M University School of Law	Texas	0.8%
59	Belmont University School of Law	Tennessee	0.8%
60	University of Missouri School of Law	Missouri	0.8%
61	University of Cincinnati School of Law	Ohio	0.8%
62	Hofstra University School of Law	New York	0.8%
63	University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law	Missouri	0.8%
64	Suffolk University School of Law	Massachusetts	0.8%
65	University of Alabama School of Law	Alabama	0.7%
66	University of Oregon School of Law	Oregon	0.7%
67	University of the Pacific School of Law	California	0.7%
68	University of Idaho School of Law	Idaho	0.7%
69	Cooley Law School	Michigan	0.7%
70	Vanderbilt Law School	Tennessee	0.6%
71	George Mason University School of Law	Virginia	0.6%
72	University of Colorado School of Law	Colorado	0.6%
73	University of Iowa School of Law	Iowa	0.6%
74	University of Oklahoma School of Law	Oklahoma	0.6%
75	Marquette University School of Law	Wisconsin	0.6%
76	Saint Louis University School of Law	Missouri	0.6%
77	Campbell University School of Law	North Carolina	0.6%
78	Roger Williams University School of Law	Rhode Island	0.6%
79	Texas Southern University School of Law	Texas	0.6%
80	Boston University School of Law	Massachusetts	0.5%
81	University of California-Davis School of Law	California	0.5%
82	University of Miami School of Law	Florida	0.5%
83	Villanova University School of Law	Pennsylvania	0.5%
84	Louisiana State University School of Law	Louisiana	0.5%
85	Indiana University-Indianapolis School of Law	Indiana	0.5%
86	University of New Hampshire School of Law	New Hampshire	0.5%
87	Nova Southeastern University School of Law	Florida	0.5%
88	Widener University Delaware Law School	Pennsylvania	0.5%
89	University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School	Pennsylvania	0.4%
90	Duke University School of Law	North Carolina	0.4%
91	University of Wisconsin School of Law	Wisconsin	0.4%
92	Emory University School of Law	Georgia	0.4%
93	University of San Diego School of Law	California	0.4%
94	Loyola University-Chicago School of Law	Illinois	0.4%
95	University of Denver School of Law	Colorado	0.4%
96	Penn State Dickinson Law	Pennsylvania	0.4%
97	Pace University School of Law	New York	0.4%
98	University of Illinois-Chicago School of Law	Illinois	0.4%
99	Southern University School of Law	Louisiana	0.4%
100	Loyola Marymount University-Los Angeles School of Law	California	0.3%
101	South Texas College of Law Houston	Texas	0.3%
102	Washington University (St. Louis) School of Law	Missouri	0%
103	University of Chicago Law School	Illinois	0%
104	Harvard Law School	Massachusetts	0%
105	Yale Law School	Connecticut	0%
106	Columbia Law School	New York	0%
107	Cornell Law School	New York	0%
108	Northwestern Pritzker School of Law	Illinois	0%
109	Stanford Law School	California	0%
110	University of Virginia School of Law	Virginia	0%
111	New York University School of Law	New York	0%
112	UCLA School of Law	California	0%
113	Georgetown University Law Center	District of Columbia	0%
114	University of Michigan Law School	Michigan	0%
115	University of Minnesota School of Law	Minnesota	0%
116	Brigham Young University School of Law	Utah	0%
117	UC Berkeley School of Law	California	0%
118	University of Notre Dame School of Law	Indiana	0%
119	University of California-Irvine School of Law	California	0%
120	University of Florida School of Law	Florida	0%
121	University of Georgia School of Law	Georgia	0%
122	University of Southern California School of Law	California	0%
123	Boston College School of Law	Massachusetts	0%
124	Fordham University School of Law	New York	0%
125	The George Washington University School of Law	District of Columbia	0%
126	University of North Carolina School of Law	North Carolina	0%
127	The Ohio State University School of Law	Ohio	0%
128	Southern Methodist University School of Law	Texas	0%
129	Washington and Lee University School of Law	Virginia	0%
130	Florida State University School of Law	Florida	0%
131	University of Illinois School of Law	Illinois	0%
132	University of Utah School of Law	Utah	0%
133	Wake Forest University School of Law	North Carolina	0%
134	William & Mary School of Law	Virginia	0%
135	Arizona State University School of Law	Arizona	0%
136	Cardozo, Yeshiva University School of Law	New York	0%
137	Temple University School of Law	Pennsylvania	0%
138	University of Washington School of Law	Washington	0%
139	Baylor University School of Law	Texas	0%
140	University of Maryland School of Law	Maryland	0%
141	Northeastern University School of Law	Massachusetts	0%
142	St. John's University School of Law	New York	0%
143	Wayne State University School of Law	Michigan	0%
144	University of Arizona School of Law	Arizona	0%
145	Chapman University School of Law	California	0%
146	University of Houston School of Law	Texas	0%
147	American University School of Law	District of Columbia	0%
148	Case Western Reserve University School of Law	Ohio	0%
149	University of Connecticut School of Law	Connecticut	0%
150	University of Kansas School of Law	Kansas	0%
151	Michigan State University School of Law	Michigan	0%
152	University of South Carolina School of Law	South Carolina	0%
153	Brooklyn Law School	New York	0%
154	University of California-San Francisco School of Law	California	0%
155	The Catholic University of America School of Law	District of Columbia	0%
156	Chicago-Kent, Illinois Institute of Technology School of Law	Illinois	0%
157	Florida International University School of Law	Florida	0%
158	Lewis & Clark Law School	Oregon	0%
159	Seton Hall University School of Law	New Jersey	0%
160	Tulane University School of Law	Louisiana	0%
161	Drexel University School of Law	Pennsylvania	0%
162	Georgia State University School of Law	Georgia	0%
163	University of Nebraska School of Law	Nebraska	0%
164	University of Kentucky School of Law	Kentucky	0%
165	Stetson University School of Law	Florida	0%
166	Albany Law School	New York	0%
167	University of Arkansas School of Law	Arkansas	0%
168	DePaul University School of Law	Illinois	0%
169	University of Hawaii School of Law	Hawaii	0%
170	Rutgers University School of Law	New Jersey	0%
171	Duquesne University School of Law	Pennsylvania	0%
172	Mercer University School of Law	Georgia	0%
173	New York Law School	New York	0%
174	Drake University School of Law	Iowa	0%
175	Howard University School of Law	District of Columbia	0%
176	University of Montana School of Law	Montana	0%
177	University of Wyoming School of Law	Wyoming	0%
178	Jacksonville University School of Law	Florida	0%
179	Ave Maria School of Law	Florida	0%
180	City University of New York School of Law	New York	0%
181	Cleveland State University School of Law	Ohio	0%
182	Gonzaga University School of Law	Washington	0%
183	Quinnipiac University School of Law	Connecticut	0%
184	University of San Francisco School of Law	California	0%
185	Liberty University School of Law	Virginia	0%
186	Loyola University-New Orleans School of Law	Louisiana	0%
187	Creighton University School of Law	Nebraska	0%
188	Touro University School of Law	New York	0%
189	Western New England University School of Law	Massachusetts	0%
190	University of Massachusetts/Dartmouth School of Law	Massachusetts	0%
191	University of Puerto Rico School of Law	Puerto Rico	0%
192	University of South Dakota School of Law	South Dakota	0%
193	Vermont Law School	Vermont	0%
194	Widener University Commonwealth Law School	Pennsylvania	0%
195	Southern Illinois University School of Law	Illinois	0%

At the extremes

Top: Lincoln Memorial University School of Law (6.4%) · Willamette University School of Law (4.8%) · Appalachian School of Law (4.7%) · St. Thomas University (Miami) School of Law (4.1%) · Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico School of Law (4.1%)

Bottom: University of Puerto Rico School of Law (0%) · University of South Dakota School of Law (0%) · Vermont Law School (0%) · Widener University Commonwealth Law School (0%) · Southern Illinois University School of Law (0%)

FAQ

What is solo practice?

Share of graduates working as solo practitioners.

What is the median solo practice across U.S. law schools?

0.4%, across the 195 ABA-accredited schools that report it in the most recent ABA Standard 509 cycle.

Which law school has the highest solo practice?

Lincoln Memorial University School of Law, at 6.4%.

What counts as a strong solo practice?

There is no single 'good' figure; the middle half of schools fall between 0% and 1%.

How should I read solo practice?