Location: Newark and Camden, New Jersey
Founded: 1908
Joined AALS: 1946
Dean: Johanna Bond
Rutgers Law School, New Jersey’s flagship public law school, is committed to expanding access to legal education, advancing scholarly excellence, and preparing lawyers to serve their communities with integrity and purpose. With locations in both Camden and Newark, Rutgers Law combines the resources of a major public research university with a longstanding commitment to public service, social mobility, and experiential learning. Its internationally recognized faculty produce influential scholarship across a wide range of legal fields, and HeinOnline recognized the school among the nation’s leaders for scholarly impact in 2026.
Experiential education is central to the Rutgers Law experience. Through more than 20 clinics, students gain practical skills by representing real clients and working on matters ranging from immigration and entrepreneurship to constitutional rights, housing justice, and veterans advocacy. Complementing the clinical program, extensive externship and field placement opportunities allow students to work in federal and state courts, government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and private practice settings across New Jersey, the region, and beyond.
Rutgers Law is also recognized for its commitment to creating pathways to success for aspiring lawyers. Programs such as Summer Jump Start help students transition into legal education by building academic confidence and community before the first year begins. The law school’s Minority Student Program provides academic support, mentoring, professional development, and networking opportunities for students who have overcome socioeconomic or educational barriers or who come from groups historically underrepresented in the legal profession. Together, these programs reflect Rutgers Law’s broader mission of ensuring that talented students from all backgrounds can thrive.
As part of Rutgers University, a leading public research institution, Rutgers Law fosters interdisciplinary collaboration and policy innovation through a network of faculty-led centers and institutes. These centers advance scholarship, convene thought leaders, influence public policy, and engage students in addressing pressing legal and societal challenges. Areas of focus include corporate governance, gender justice, youth rights, immigrant justice, information policy, law and philosophy, and metropolitan equity. By connecting rigorous academic study with practical problem-solving, Rutgers Law prepares graduates to lead in the legal profession and contribute meaningfully to the pursuit of justice.
Rutgers Law School’s new Online J.D. Program reflects the law school’s longstanding mission of expanding access to legal education while maintaining the rigor and excellence of a Rutgers legal education. This part-time, mostly online J.D. program was designed for working professionals, caregivers, military service members and veterans, and other talented individuals whose personal or professional commitments may make a traditional law school schedule difficult to pursue.
The program, which will welcome its first cohort in fall 2027, will combine live, interactive online coursework with periodic in-person residential experiences, allowing students to engage directly with faculty and classmates while maintaining flexibility in where they live and work. Students complete the same curriculum as Rutgers Law’s residential J.D. students. Future students will be taught by the same nationally recognized faculty, ensuring graduates receive the same Rutgers Law degree and are prepared to meet the demands of legal practice.
As New Jersey’s flagship public law school, Rutgers Law views the Online J.D. as an important pathway to broaden access to the legal profession and reach populations historically underserved by traditional legal education models. The program is expected to attract students from a wide range of professional backgrounds and geographic locations, creating a dynamic learning environment enriched by diverse perspectives and experiences.
“Students can now pursue their law degree without putting their careers or personal commitments on hold,” said Johanna Bond, dean and professor of Rutgers Law School. “This new Online J.D. program represents the next evolution of Rutgers Law School’s commitment to access, affordability, and opportunity, core pillars of our Strategic Plan. Through a flexible but rigorous online format, complemented by periodic weekend intensives in the Philadelphia / South Jersey area, we are opening new doors for working professionals, caregivers, and other busy adults whose schedules may not accommodate a traditional law school experience. This is more than a new program. It is a new pathway to leadership.”
