Choosing a law school is a huge decision. It determines where you live for the next three years of your life, the people who will become your colleagues in the profession, and often the area in which you will practice. It is important to carefully consider each of the following factors when choosing a law school.

Below are a few additional resources for selecting the right law school for you.

Internet Legal Research Group provides extensive information about ranking, admissions requirements, competitiveness, quality of education provided, minority opportunities, and area specialties.

American Bar Association provides a listing of law schools by state as well as an alphabetical list of law schools in the U.S. states and territories.

There are also several books on choosing a law school available in the Career Center Library on the 5th Floor of Butler Pavilion.

 

Likelihood of Admission

Since undergraduate GPA and LSAT score are the primary criteria law schools use in determining whom to admit, compare your GPA and LSAT scores to the median (middle) scores of recent admitted students to specific law schools will give you a sense of your chances for admission. Information about the median GPA and LSAT scores of students who were admitted to specific law schools are available online in the Official Guide to ABA-Approved Law Schools (published by the Law School Admissions Council) and at the Boston College Law School Locator 25-75.

Compare your GPA and LSAT score and the median scores of recent admits and develop three lists of schools to which you should apply:

	those where you will likely be admitted, or "safety"
	those where you will be competitive for admission, and
	those where you will be a "long shot" for admission.

 

On average, applicants typically apply to anywhere between 6 and 12 schools, dispersed throughout these categories.

However, it is important to note that median GPA and LSAT scores are indicators of chances for admission. Law schools do not always weight GPA and LSAT scores evenly. At most schools, LSAT score will be considered more important (thus assessed greater weight). At other schools, GPA will be given greater importance. Still other schools will treat these two criteria evenly. Make sure to review the factors that follow as well when selecting law schools in which to apply.

 

Geographic Location

There are several reasons why geography is potentially important:

 

	Personal - Attending law school means that you will probably spend at least three years of your life in one area. You must consider the extent to which specific "quality of life" issues (proximity to family, size of city, weather, crime rates, cultural events, etc.) are important to you.
	Admissions - Publicly funded law schools favor applicants who are residents of the state in which the law school operates.
	Employment - It is generally the case that it is easier to connect with job opportunities in the city/state/region in which the law school is located since many of the law school career center's contacts may be local. This does not mean, however, that by attending a particular school, you are committing yourself to practicing law in the school's geographic area. Although if you are looking for positions outside the law school's recruiting area, you might need to do a bit more leg work. Also, keep in mind how you plan on using your law degree and the industries you are interested in. For example, if you are interested in practicing entertainment law, it might be better to research schools in California or New York than in the Midwest .

 

Reputation and Ranking

Ranking law schools is an extremely tricky and rather superficial endeavor. Although a law school's ranking may impact your employability down the line, you should judge rankings very carefully, with some amount of skepticism. You should pay very close attention to the criteria upon which the ranking is based, and determine whether those criteria matter to you personally. Furthermore, be assured that you will receive a quality legal education from any law school that is accredited by the American Bar Association.

A holistic ranking system can be found at the Internet Legal Research Group, which ranks law schools based by admissions requirements, competitiveness, faculty information, minority resources, and area of specialty.

Ultimately, the most important question is not "What is the best law school?," but rather "What is the best law school for you?"

 

Specialized Area of Law

While it is important to identify your areas of law that interest you, you should not solely choose a law school on the basis of the fact that it claims to specialize in that area.

	Your ability to "specialize" in a particular area of law is severely limited by the fact that most law schools require that you be exposed to courses covering a wide variety of substantive legal areas in addition to courses that hone legal skills. There is relatively little time, then, in which to take a number of classes in one area of law.
	You will probably change your mind as to what type of law you wish to practice once you have been exposed to the various areas of the law.
	There seems to be some level of consensus among attorneys that one becomes a "specialist" in an area of law by practicing that area, not by taking a given number of courses in the subject during law school.
	Check out Making Equal Justice Work: The E-Guide to Public Service at America's Law Schools, which reviews curriculum at several law schools and how the schools prepare students who want to go in to the public sector.

 

Other Considerations When Choosing a School

 

Facilities
It is important to consider the facilities at each school and whether or not they meet your individual needs. It is strongly advised that you visit prospective schools before applying and again before making your decision to see firsthand the facilities and the area surrounding the school.

	Student housing
	Library
	School buildings
	Classrooms
	Study space

 

Student Body and Campus Life
The profile of a law school's student body is an important determinant of a school's fit for you. Your classmates in law school often become your colleagues in the field and your network of professional contacts, so you want to make sure they are people with whom you can see yourself working. Consider each school's attrition rate, the percentage of students who transfer or leave the school each year. Also, talk to current students or visit a class at the school to get a sense of the student culture and how competitive students there are. A very competitive law school atmosphere may drive some students, while a collaborative atmosphere would be better for others. It is important to find a school where you can see yourself spending three years happily and growing intellectually and personally.

 

	Demographics
	Level of satisfaction
	Attrition rates
	Student culture: collaborative v. competitive

 

Faculty
Look at each school's faculty and the work they are doing in their respective areas, the faculty-student ratio, and faculty accessibility to students.

	Legal training, specialties, and expertise
	Accessibility
	Demographics

 

School Populations and Class Sizes
Decide whether you're looking for a small or large school. Pay attention to class sizes and the opportunity for student-professor interactions.

Academic Programs
Each school offers different educational and experiential opportunities, including joint-degree programs and internship/externship programs. If you have decided on a particular law specialization, look for schools with strong programs in that area or that may be located near organizations or agencies that could provide related internships. If you haven't decided, explore schools with good career counseling services and a wide array of educational and internship/externship opportunities.

	Support/Counseling
	Internship/Clinical
	Study abroad
	Joint degree

 

The American Bar Association provides a directory of pro-bono and public interest programs, one example of an academic program to consider and a way to discover schools with such programs.

 

Extracurricular Programs
Also consider a school's extracurricular offerings. These activities can enrich to your overall law school experience, connect you to other students and the school community, and provide some fun amid the mounds of law school work.

	Law review and other journals
	Moot court
	Student organizations

   

The Rice University Pre-Law site also provides a comprehensive overview of factors to consider when choosing a law school.

 

The next step is figuring out how to pay for law school. Read how.