UC College Of Law Welcomes Strong Class Of 2005

Ohio State may be creating a buzz by coming to town to play football against UC this fall, but the Fighting Irish will take center stage as the University of Cincinnati College of Law opens Wednesday, Aug. 21.

Among the characteristics of another strong incoming class is a distinct Notre Dame influence. Seven of the 126 members of the class are students who earned undergraduate degrees from Notre Dame. Included on that list is Adam Urra, who once served as Notre Dame's famous Leprechaun mascot.

This class is among the most qualified in the college's history. The Class of 2005 was selected from a pool of 1,176 applicants, the largest applicant pool in the last six years. It features a median undergraduate grade point average of 3.51 -- an improvement over last year's mark of 3.44 -- and matches last year's median LSAT test score of 160 (out of a possible 180), which was the highest since 1997.

"This is really the strongest class we've had since 1997," says Al Watson, assistant dean for admissions and financial aid. "We're very pleased with everything about this class -- its size, academic credentials, and its diversity."

Approximately 18.5 percent of the class are students of color, up from 15 percent a year ago. In recent years, the college has been among the national leaders in overall minority enrollment.

Urra comes to Cincinnati as the inaugural winner of the Michael J. Burke Memorial Scholarship. This full scholarship will be awarded annually in recognition of Michael J. Burke, a managing partner of the law firm Keating, Muething & Klekamp, P.L.L. who was a graduate of Notre Dame and the UC College of Law. Cancer claimed Burke's life last December.

Among those eligible to apply for the scholarship are Notre Dame graduates, students with experience with the Boys Hope/Girls Hope organization or a deserving student from Northern Kentucky.

A reception to recognize Urra and the establishment of the Burke Scholarship will be held at the college from 6-7:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 23.

This is the 170th year for the UC College of Law, the fourth oldest continually operated law school in the United States. The school year continues through the college's Hooding Ceremony May 17, 2003.