Selecting the ideal law school can be daunting, and finding one requires making many considerations such as career goals, housing options, class sizes, alumni networks and alumni networks.
Students should assess their competitiveness by comparing their qualifications against those of past applicants at participating ABA-accredited schools, in order to identify dream schools, realistic schools and safe schools.
Location
Law school is a full-time job and should take at least nine months to finish. Before making your final choice, be mindful of long-term goals as you research schools – location will have a dramatic effect on internship and experiential learning opportunities, alumni networks, and postgraduate employment prospects.
Consider also the culture and atmosphere of each law school you research. Some law schools offer more student groups than others, making it important to find one that aligns with your personality and interests – these could also serve as useful networking opportunities in future legal endeavors.
Some law schools publish their diversity statistics while others keep them tucked away on websites or in hard-to-reach corners. When looking at schools with strong liberal or conservative tendencies, it’s important to determine if this will suit you personally and if that type of environment will make you comfortable. Some law schools encourage their students to have heated arguments among themselves – which is definitely something worth looking out for!
Specializations
When selecting a law school, it is essential to carefully consider its specializations – which could range from e-commerce law, labor and employment law, international law and more. Some law schools even offer externship and career opportunities in these fields; additionally some offer student ambassadors who can connect with prospective students directly while sharing first-hand accounts about their experience at particular law schools.
Consider also the curriculum and its intensity; law school has an increased workload than undergrad and students should prepare themselves to spend at least 40 hours every week reading and studying.
Another factor to take into account when selecting a law school is whether or not they are ranked. While US News rankings provide useful insight into competitiveness of individual law schools, they shouldn’t be the determining factor when deciding between various schools.
Bar Exam
When selecting a law program, make sure that it will help you pass the bar exam. Not only should your LSAT scores be among the highest available but you should also find a school that has a long track record in helping its students successfully take and pass the Multistate Bar Examination (MBE).
Consider where you want to practice law as each state requires you to obtain a license before practicing law in its jurisdictions. This could restrict your options but some schools provide students with the chance to take a universal bar exam (UBE), enabling them to transfer their score across states that offer it after graduating.
Research the school’s alumni network and employment rate after graduation. Also investigate its bar passage rates and its acceptance of ABA-approved applicants to assess your realistic chances for admission. When making your selections, visiting campuses and attending informational sessions is also highly beneficial in making a more informed decision.
Careers
If you are contemplating law school, carefully consider your reasons and decide if becoming a legal practitioner is a worthwhile pursuit for yourself. Making such a significant commitment should not be undertaken lightly.
Some common reasons people choose law school include pressure from family and money issues as well as not knowing what they want to do with their undergraduate degree. All these reasons can be valid reasons to attend law school but before making such a significant financial commitment one should carefully consider their desired career goals before making this leap.
Once in law school, job prospects depend heavily on which law school one attends. When choosing their ideal law school, applicants should keep in mind their career goals and seek schools that offer courses, clinics and externship opportunities in those areas. Furthermore, students should carefully consider whether their chosen ideology matches up well with what they want out of a law school education.