Top Law Schools in the United States

If you have chosen a career as a lawyer, start by searching for the top law schools in the country. Each year, U.S News and World Report scours hundreds of accredited universities to find the best ones for every program.

To find the best law schools, several factors are considered such as the academic qualifications of the faculty, student to teacher ratio, post graduation placement, and campus facilities. Colleges are also ranked based on specific areas of law like environmental problems. When choosing a law school, remember to take into account factors like post graduation placement, average LSAT scores, tuition costs, etc. Most top ranking schools have robust financial aid programs to help meritorious students with tuition costs.

Here is a list of the top five law schools in the United States.

Top Law School: Yale University

Yale University has held the number one spot for the best law school since 1991 and is among the colleges most frequented by law firms for hiring. The law program is unique in its offerings as students can choose courses depending on their interests, without focusing on a single concentration. Dual and joint degrees are also available in the form of MBA or Master of Science.

Students benefit from small class sizes and real life legal experiences through legal clinics which have been set up for practical learning. Famous law school alumni include former president Bill Clinton.

Harvard University

Harvard University is a premier Ivy League institution and among the old educational universities in the United States. Harvard Law School provides ample practical learning opportunities which start in freshmen year, where students attend legal clinics and also get a chance to help local musicians and prison inmates understand legal processes better.

Students graduating from the Harvard Law School must complete forty hours of pro bono (volunteer) work. The school’s alumni include President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama.

Stanford University

Stanford University is among the top ten law schools in the United States for intellectual property law, tax law, dispute resolution, and environmental law. The school offers 25 joint and dual degree programs through the university’s Graduate School of Business.

Students are encouraged to tailor courses depending on their individual interests. The university was a pioneer in the creation of legal clinics which have been duplicated in other universities as well.

With its close proximity to Palo Alto, students can take a break at the beach whenever classes get too tiring. Famous alumni from Stanford’s law school include Robert Cochran, creator of TV series 24 and Miriam Rivera, former general counsel at Google Inc.

Columbia University

Columbia University at New York is ranked among the top ten universities for programs like environmental law, international law, and tax law. Though the average class size is about 400 students, the university has managed to maintain a student to teacher ratio of 10:1.

Students are encouraged to apply for dual or joint degree programs which are offered in conjunction with Princeton University and Harvard University. Joint programs are available through Columbia’s business school and school of journalism.

Columbia University also provides students with the option of completing part of their degree in associated foreign universities. A notable alumnus of Columbia University’s law school is former President Theodore Roosevelt.

University of Chicago

Apart from the fifth ranking traditional program, the University of Chicago is among the most preferred institute for law firms looking to hire graduating students. Joint degrees are available in business and public policy via the Booth School of Business and Harris School of Public Policy.

The law school campus is home to four legal clinics which can be used by sophomore and upper-class students for practical learning and brainstorming on actual legal cases. Students interested in studying international law can work in South Africa, Korea, India, and Australia as a part of the International Human Rights Internship program.