Legal education at the University of Pennsylvania began when James Wilson gave a series of law lectures at the school in 1790, though the University of Pennsylvania Law School wasn't formally established until 60 years later. Penn Law's emphasis is on interdisciplinary studies, and the school encourages students to explore the university's other graduate programs by counting up to four outside classes towards a JD. The school also administers 26 dual degree programs, ranging from the more conventional JD/MBA with the Wharton School to a JD/MS in historic preservation and a JD/PhD in communications.

Unlike most law schools, first-year students are allowed to take two electives courses their first year, with requirements through second year. Upper-level students can participate in one of six certificate programs, including one in Middle East and Islamic studies and one in gender and sexuality.

UPenn Law is a BigLaw feeder school for firms in the Mid- and South Atlantic, particularly in Philadelphia and New York. Students tell Vault that the concentration on interdisciplinary studies diffuses some of the traditional law school competition, fostering a more collegial atmosphere than other top-10 schools. The school hosts an array of student groups, but most social life centers on bars and restaurants in downtown Philly. UPenn Law students split between on- and off-campus housing, as Philadelphia rent is fairly cheap when compared to rates in New York City or Washington, D.C.