Top law schools: pros and cons to help you choose the best

Who doesn’t want to be a lawyer? Some law students dream of helping people in need, protecting the weak, and fighting the injustices of the world. Others go into law to join the top law firms and make six to seven figures per year or start a career in politics.

Whatever your motivation, you’ll need to choose the right university to achieve your dreams. Today, we’ll introduce you to the top law schools in the US, share a few interesting facts about each, and give you a checklist to match your goals to select the right school. We’ll also hint at how “write my paper” orders with us can boost your chances for a successful law career.

Top 5 best law schools

Getting a law degree may seem like a surefire way to get a stable, above-average income. But it’s also a huge investment of your time and money. That’s why it’s so critical to choose the right fit among dozens of American law schools.

The best law schools rankings have slight differences across reputable platforms, such as Top Universities and Times of Higher Education, but these five make it to the list every time.

1. Harvard. It has the highest reputation among employers. In fact, some law firms exclusively headhunt Harvard graduates. Harvard is the oldest university in the US, known for its ground-breaking research and academic achievements. It’s located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and the graduation rate is 98%, among the highest in the country. Harvard students have LSAT scores of 174 and have to pay nearly $80,000 for a Law degree.
2. Yale Law School. It’s also among the oldest American universities and a member of the Ivy League, located in New Haven, Connecticut. Like at Harvard, the median LSAT score is 174, and the tuition is also around $80,000. It’s not as geared towards international students, though around 20% of the student body and faculty are foreigners.
3. Stanford Law School. Located in the San Francisco Bay Area, Stanford is best known for its medical research, but it’s also considered among the top law schools. It’s also home to 20 Nobel Prize laureates. Median LSAT scores are 173, and the tuition fees are over $76,000.
4. University of California, Berkeley. It’s among the best American research institutions in hard sciences, hosting nearly 100 Nobel winners and over 20 Turing Award winners. At the same time, Berkeley hosts over 1,000 full-time law students. The median LSAT is 170, and the tuition fees range from $70,000 to $80,000.
5. Columbia University. It’s another Ivy League member, first founded as King’s College back in the middle of the 18th century. It now houses 20 schools, including Columbia Law School, which has over 1,400 full-time law students. The median LSAT score is 174, but the tuition fees are a bit higher than in other law schools, at nearly $85,000.

Spread across the East and West coasts, these are five universities that dominate the law school rankings. But there are a few more schools that deserve honorable mentions, such as the University of Chicago, the University of Virginia, Duke University, and New York University. What they all have in common is increasingly high application requirements. So you’ll need a perfect college record, which you can achieve on your own or through college paper help. An attention-grabbing admission essay and flawless interview performance are also critical.

How to choose the right law school for you

Now you know the best law universities in the US. But it doesn’t mean you have to go with No.1 on the list. Instead of blindly trusting reviews and rankings, consider your options. These are the critical factors that will affect your studies:

• Location. It’s about tuition and your future career. In-state students always get cheaper rates. So, if money is a factor, look into the law programs your state university offers. On the other hand, think of where you want to work after graduation. For example, if you’re interested in corporate law, Columbia or New York University are the best choices, because they are closest to Wall Street.
• Size. It’s all about the class sizes and resources. For example, large law universities have huge lecture halls, so your classes will feel a bit impersonal and overcrowded. But you’ll get access to top lecturers, labs, internships, etc. Smaller schools are more comfortable, with a focus on one-on-one mentorship and smaller groups. But you won’t get the same resources as you would on a large campus.
• Reputation and accreditation. Aim for ABA-accredited schools. Those are guaranteed to offer high-quality education and deliver on their program promises. But general reputation is also important. Look for student reviews about the school, individual classes, and professors. Even top law universities have negative reviews from disgruntled dropouts and disgraced professors, so be careful with your research and learn to recognize patterns instead of trusting one-off complaints.
• Admission requirements. Explore the median LSAT scores, GPA, and other admissions requirements that law schools publish. Let them be your goals. It doesn’t mean you will never get into a university if your scores are lower. Instead, let that be your “reach” school. Apply to it, but also have “match” and “safety” options, to hedge your bets and increase your chances of getting into law school. You’ll also want to look at the acceptance rates. Top schools usually have around 15% to 20%, but state universities are much easier to get into.
• Cost and financial aid options. Most JD programs cost between $50,000 and $100,000, depending on their ranking, reputation, location, and other factors. You’ll either need to get a student loan or apply for financial aid. Explore the options available and draw up a budget. You don’t want to pay out your loans twenty years down the road.
• Faculty. You can love or hate a class merely because of the professor who teaches it. Of course, you can’t meet every instructor before applying, but you can do a little research. Look up their lectures online, explore their hands-on experience, and read their published papers. And see what the student-to-faculty ratio is. You don’t want to be lost in a sea of student faces in a huge lecture hall.
• Curriculum. Don’t focus on the first-year classes. They’ll be the same across most top-ranked law programs. Instead, research electives and classes that match your future career plans. For example, if you plan a political career, starting with a district attorney’s office, look at criminal justice research topics the program covers. Bar exam preparation is also critical, so check if it has a place on the curriculum.
• Campus life. Even if you’re focused on getting a degree, law school isn’t just about classes. So, check out student clubs and organizations, activities, and opportunities you’ll gain by applying to the law school. Becoming a member of a student club or society feeds directly into the next criterion on our list.
• Networking and employment opportunities. Law school is about securing your future. And there’s no better way to build your career than to meet the right people in law school. Check the alumni pages and see where graduates end up, explore the researchers, guest lecturers, and other people you might meet while at school. You can get someone to complete the coursework for you to secure top scores, but law school connections will be the foundation of your future success.

It’s hard to keep track of all these. Instead, we suggest you create a list of “must-haves” and “good-to-haves” and check the boxes of each school on your shortlist. In the end, no university will be a perfect fit. Instead, look for the best possible match that will give you the most for the time and money you invest. It’s always a good idea to visit campuses to get the feel for the atmosphere. If possible, sign up to audit a few classes, explore the amenities and resources. It will give you a much better feel of the place and help you make the right decision.

Once you choose the right school (or several), look into the application process. You’ll likely need to write a college essay about yourself and supply your records, LSAT, GPA, and a ton of other paperwork. So, the sooner you start working on it, the better.

Conclusion

The US houses some of the best law schools in the world, including Harvard, Yale, Stanford, and Columbia. These are the top law programs, but dozens of other universities offer opportunities for future lawyers and prosecutors. Still, getting into law school is hard. You need perfect scores, an exciting CV, and a convincing admission essay that will win over the school board.

And WritePaperForMe can help with all of these. All you have to do is ask, “Write my paper for me”, and our experts will take over. You can use our help to boost your GPA, prepare for exams, or get inspired to write an award-winning law school application essay.