Introduction
Colleges of law are educational institutes established for students to receive professional tutoring to gain a degree or certificate necessary to practice law in the United States. The professional degrees awarded to students who complete their course at any accredited law school in the United States include the master of laws (LL.M.) and the Juris Doctor (J.D). These are the highest degrees obtained by the majority of practicing lawyers in the United States. Students can also receive a doctor of juridical sciences (S.J.D) degree, students who want to have an educational law career opt for this degree afterward. Let us know Here Are The Top 10 College Of Law In The Us.
Top 10 Colleges Of Law In The Us
Top Colleges of law are high ranking schools that offer professional training and certification for aspiring law practitioners. They only consider students who have completed an undergraduate course and have an undergraduate degree in a recognized college. They are also required to pass the LSAT exams to be eligible to apply for possible acceptance into a law school in the United States. The majority of the top colleges of law in the United States exist in a university as a post-graduate institute. Law schools in the United States are vastly different from those in other countries. Hence, to practice law in the United States, individuals are mandated to pass through the United States law school system, meet all the pre-requirements, graduate, and be awarded a professional degree that is necessary to practice law. The aspects of law students can specialize in include international law, public law, criminal law, business law, patent law, etc.
Here Are The Ten Top Colleges Of Law In The Us
These are the top ten law colleges in the United States. These colleges have been among the top ranks for many years, with few differences in position from year to year. The ranking as top colleges are due to the quality of education their students receive, the environment quality in which they receive this education, and how many percentages of their students pass the bar exams in one sitting. Here is a brief overview of the top ten colleges of law in the United States;
Yale Law School
This is the law school at Yale University located in New Haven, Connecticut. Yale Law School has continuously ranked as the top law school for several years, and this year is not an exception as it has ranked as the No. 1 Law School in the US. They have an acceptance rate of 7% with a student-to-faculty ratio of 4.2. The law school, which has over 1.3 million volumes of law books and articles in its law library, is one of the largest in the United States. The total cost of attending Yale law school is over $93,000 yearly without financial aid. After graduation, 98.3% of their students pass their bar exams on the first attempt, and 81% of the students who attend Yale are employed immediately.
Stanford Law School
This is the law school at Stanford University located in Stanford, California. Stanford law school, which is ranked as the 2nd best law school in the US, has an acceptance rate of 9%, with a student-to-faculty ratio of 4.0. The law school has 500,000 law articles, books, and publications in its law library. The total cost of attending Stanford law school is over $106,000 yearly without financial aid. After graduation, 95.3% of the students pass the bar on their first attempt and 89% are employed immediately.
University Of Chicago Law School
This is the law school at the University of Chicago located in Chicago, Illinois. University of Chicago law school is ranked as the 3rd best law school in the United States and has an acceptance rate of 17.5% and a student-to-faculty ratio of 5.1. The law school has more than 700,000 law publications in its law library. The cost of attending the University of Chicago law school is over $100,000 yearly without financial aid. After graduation, 98.9% of students pass their bar exams on their first attempt, and 93% gain employment immediately.
Harvard Law School
This is the law school at Harvard University located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It has also been ranked as the 4th best law school in the US in a tie with Columbia law school. Established in 1817, Harvard law school is the longest existing and still functioning law school in the United States. The college has an acceptance rate of 13% and a student-to-faculty ratio of 7.6. The Harvard law library is the holder of the largest collection of law publications with over three million volumes housed at the library and is the home of the student-run publication called the Harvard Law review. The total cost of attending Harvard law school can be up to $100,000 yearly without financial aid. After graduation, 97% of their students pass the bar exams on their first attempt and 91% are employed immediately.
Columbia University Law School
This is the law school at Columbia University located in New York, New York. The Columbia University law school which is ranked as the 4th best law school in the US in a tie with Harvard has an acceptance rate of 17% and a student-to-faculty ratio of 4.9. The law school library with over 1.3 million law publications, one of the largest in the United States. The total cost of attending Columbia University law school is over $103,000 annually without financial aid. After graduation, 98% of their students pass the bar exams on their first attempt and 92% are employed immediately.
Penn Carey Law School
This is the law school at the University of Pennsylvania which is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Penn Carey law school is ranked as the 6th best law school in the US and has an acceptance rate of 15% and a student-to-faculty ratio of 4.9. The University of Pennsylvania law school has over 1.2 million law publications in its law library. The total cost of attending the University of Pennsylvania law school is over $97,000 yearly without financial aid. After graduation, 98.5% of their students pass their bar exams on their first attempt and 95% are employed immediately.
New York University School Of Law
This is the law school at New York University which is located in New York, New York. The New York school of law is ranked as the 7th best law school in the US and has an acceptance rate of 24% and a student-to-faculty ratio of 4.9. The New York university school of law has over 1,000,000 law publications in its library. The total cost of attending the New York University School of law is over $105,000 yearly without financial aid. After graduation, 98% of their students pass their bar exams on their first attempt and 89.7% are employed immediately.
University Of Virginia Law School
This is the law school at the University of Virginia which is located in Charlottesville, Virginia. The school of law is ranked as the 8th best law school in the US and has an acceptance rate of 15.3% and a student and faculty of 6.5. The University of Virginia law school has 800,000 law publications in its law library. Because the college is a government-run college, tuition differs according to students’ location, with fees costing a total of $36,000 and $70,000 yearly for in-state and out-of-state students respectively without financial aid. After graduation, 99% of their students pass the bar on their first attempt and 92.6% are employed immediately.
The University Of California Berkeley School Of Law
This is the law school at the University of California which is located in Berkeley, California. The school of law is ranked as the 9th best college go law in the US and has an acceptance rate of 20% and a student-to-faculty ratio of 5.8. University of California, Berkeley has over 1.1 million law publications available at its law library. Since the college is a government-run institution, tuition differs for students depending on where they reside. The total cost is $61,000 and $77,000 for in-state and out-of-state students respectively yearly without financial aid. After graduation, 89% of students pass their bar exams on the first attempt and 84.3% are employed immediately.
University Of Michigan Law School
This is the law school at the University of Michigan which is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, it has ranked as the 10th best law school in the US and has an acceptance rate of 20% and a student-to-faculty ratio of 6.8. University of Michigan law school also houses over 1 million law publications housed in their law library. The total cost of attending the University of Michigan law school is $89,000 for in-state students and $93,000 for out-of-state students yearly, the difference is because the college is a government-run school. After graduation, 96.9% of their students pass the bar exams on their first attempt and 88.6% are employed immediately.
Why Choosing A Top Law School is Important?
Selecting the best law school is very important for both students looking to practice law or teach instead. Here are the top reasons why choosing a top law school is necessary;
- A top law school prepares its students well for the bar exams. These exams are state-dependent and law students have to pass to be allowed to practice law in that particular state. The bar exams are no small feat with many states having impossible to pass exams. Well, the top law schools in the country teach their students properly and prepare them for this exam so they can pass it and qualify in any state of their choice.
- The Job opportunities attached to prestigious colleges. The top law firms want to hire the best and they often select students from top schools compared to theirs from lower-ranking colleges. They believe that graduating from a college that has high standards is already a testament to how valuable you are to the firm.
- Many of the top colleges of law are well-established schools with prominent alumni which increases the opportunities available for students who graduate from that school.
- Also, some of these schools are located in New York, Philadelphia, etc. which is where most of the top firms in the US are located offering students internship positions that can help boost their job applications.
- Top Colleges of law offer a three-year full-time academic calendar or a four-year part-time option for the Juris Doctor degree, a one-year school session for the LL.M degree, and a three years course duration for the S.J.D degree.
How to Apply For a Top Law School in the United States?
Your application is the first impression you give a school on the individual they are considering granting acceptance into their institution. This means that a good application can improve your chances as much as a poorly done and arranged application will not be of any help. These are the steps to apply successfully for a law school in the United States;
- Complete an undergraduate course of study and receive your bachelor’s degree, this is a required certification for any applicant to be considered. The area of study is not mandated to be a pre-law course but is encouraged to boost your chances. Students who want to apply to the top law colleges are advised to have a high GPA and test results. The top law colleges have low acceptance rates so students who want a chance need exceptional grades.
- To apply for a law school, students need to register and write the LSAT examination. This is an official test that examines a student’s critical thinking and ability to analyze. Passing the LSAT is a requirement for applying, no LSAT no law school. Top colleges of law consider students with high marks in their LSAT so students are advised to prepare well.
- Some colleges require a letter of recommendation from a reputable figure, and an essay on why you want to attend that law school. Schools also look for students who have work experience and other non-academic pursuits. Students need to fulfill all the requirements the college requests during the application process for the application to be considered. Inputting incorrect details can make your application invalid.
Conclusion
colleges of law have continued to produce every type of lawyer possible since they were established. They uphold the legislative arm of the government as they teach and educate every lawyer in the country. The top colleges of law have continuously shown top educational standards by producing prominent lawyers and law educators. Selecting the top law college accessible is necessary as it gives students an edge when they graduate.