This fall, Northwestern Pritzker Law welcomed a new JD class with the highest combination of LSAT and GPA medians in the Law School’s history. The Class of 2029 arrived with a 174 LSAT median and a 3.95 GPA median. Eighty-nine percent spent at least one year working between college and law school, bringing the professional experience that has long distinguished Northwestern Pritzker Law students. The class includes a former U.S. Space Force officer, a music producer, a Fulbright researcher, a professional violinist, a kung fu national champion, and a former investment banker, among many others.
The 253 students in the Class of 2029 were chosen from 8,050 applicants. They come from 124 colleges and universities, 10 international jurisdictions, and 37 U.S. states, with nearly 70 percent coming from outside the Midwest. Fifteen percent hold an advanced degree, 15 percent are first-generation college students, and 51 percent identify as women.
“Our 2026 entering class continues our longstanding tradition of enrolling students with exceptional intellectual ability, strong interpersonal and communication skills, demonstrated leadership, and substantial work and life experience,” said Don Rebstock, associate dean for admissions and career services.
Northwestern Pritzker Law also welcomed 102 LLM students from 21 jurisdictions and 46 full-time Tax LLM students. The newest Master of Science in Law cohort includes 82 students, 40 full-time and 42 online, representing 21 states and 12 international jurisdictions.
Five members of the incoming class share what brought them to law school and what they hope to pursue:
Johnny Valentine served as an officer in the U.S. Space Force, where he worked across satellite production, space launch, and venture capital partnerships before completing his service in the special operations and special programs communities.
“While I imagine my time in the Space Force will come up in conversation, I believe my experience building partnerships between the public and private sectors will shape how I engage with my classmates. We have varied interests and will go on to as many different organizations following school as we came from, but I have seen how connections made in the classroom turn into professional touchpoints that will support us throughout our careers.”
Luke Swirsky is a music producer who has written and produced for Atlantic, Republic, Interscope, and Warner Records; produced and engineered Elton John’s “The Lockdown Sessions” album; and serves as a voting committee member for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
“I was inspired to pursue a legal education because I realized that the law underpins the fields I’d worked in: music, technology, and public policy. I saw that lawyers were at the center of how those fields grow and change. Northwestern Pritzker Law stood out for its interdisciplinary culture, its faculty, and its place in Chicago’s legal community. When I got accepted, attending was a no-brainer.”
Rosalie Bull completed a Fulbright research grant in Puyo, Ecuador, focused on eco-restoration along the Amazonian Route of Hope.
“I hope to explore international movement lawyering in depth through the clinics at the Center for International Human Rights. I would love to get involved in environmental justice work in Chicago as well as the regional push to recognize the rights of the Great Lakes. I’m eager to strengthen my research and trial skills through the Senior Research Program and the Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition.”
Kelly Seward was a member of the Penn State varsity women’s ice hockey team; signed with the National Women’s Hockey League; was cast as a paid extra in a Hallmark holiday film; and most recently worked as a senior manager of new stadium relations for the Buffalo Bills.
“My interest in law grew through my work on the Buffalo Bills’ new stadium project, where I saw how legal teams help navigate complex business, government, and community interests. Northwestern’s collaborative culture, practical approach to legal education, and emphasis on real-world experience and long-term professional development made it an ideal fit.”
Paloma Loudermilk Bhatia worked as an investment banking analyst for the Royal Bank of Canada prior to law school and volunteered in the Philippines with the Foundation for the International Medical Relief of Children.
“The critical analysis, legal reasoning, and problem-solving skills developed through a legal education are unique and unparalleled for my future career. I came to Northwestern Pritzker Law for its focus on career opportunities and its supportive atmosphere. I enjoy being in a classroom with other students who have a wide variety of work experience.”
In classrooms, clinics, and student organizations, these students will work alongside classmates whose paths to law school differ from their own. Over the next three years, they will learn from one another and from Northwestern Pritzker Law’s distinguished faculty, building the knowledge, skills, and relationships that will prepare them to pursue a wide range of careers and to contribute meaningfully to the legal profession and their communities.
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