Top 10 US Law Schools
Each year in the United States, myriad undergraduate students seek out acceptances to the Law schools of their dreams. Oftentimes, these highly coveted degrees in law come from sought-after institutions, usually ones that make the list of the top in the nation. But, what sets each institution apart from the others of its kind? Read on to gain a little bit of insight into what makes these law schools so special to prospective students in the US.
Yale University. As of 2022, Yale University was ranked at the top of the United States law schools. Yale is a private institution located in New Haven, Connecticut. It is home to three different areas of law: Corporate and Commercial, Environmental, and Public Interest. Yale is always on top of their game, with a course titled “AI and the Law” already convened in the Spring 2023 term following the infamous rise of artificial intelligence. As one of the Ivy League institutions, a degree from Yale University is extremely coveted in the realm of law.
Stanford University. At a close second, Stanford has been ranked as another top US law school. Located in between San Francisco and San Jose, Stanford lies in a beautiful Northern California city called Palo Alto. Stanford’s Law School includes a few different degree programs:
The JD Program: Students are able to gain a multi-faceted approach at mastering legal doctrine, including interdisciplinary learning opportunities such as courses outside of the law school, conferences, events, and more. By being able to use these classes of other subjects as part of their legal education experience, students are able to broaden their scope of fields that go hand-in-hand, in school as well as in the real world.
Joint Degree Programs: Stanford allows students the opportunities to earn different types of joint degrees in 21 different subject areas, including JD/Master’s, JD/MD, and JD/PhD. By making these different options available, students are able to access degrees that will give them a range of opportunities.
Advanced Degrees: Stanford offers three different types of master’s degree programs — Master of Laws (LLM), The Stanford Program in International Legal Studies (SPILS), and Master of Legal Studies (MLS). Along with this, Stanford law also offers the Doctor of the Sciences of Law (JSD) Degree. Students are carefully selected from those who have previously completed SPILS or LLM degrees.
University of Chicago. Located in the heart of Illinois, the University of Chicago has a great reputation as a prestigious law school. According to their website, in 2022 approximately 97.7% of students became employed 10 months following graduation , among many other impressive statistics. UChicago also provides interdisciplinary programs, as they are passionate about allowing their students to understand not only law itself, but how the law affects the surrounding society.
Columbia University. Another institution holding an Ivy League status, Columbia Law School is located in New York City. Because of its prime location and excellent educators, there is no doubt that a law degree from Columbia is highly sought after. Columbia also has multiple degree programs available, including JD, LLM, and Executive LLM. One noteworthy feature of the peer community at Columbia is that you are able to participate in many different activities on and off campus, in and around Manhattan’s Upper West Side.
Harvard University. As many have probably heard scattered through popular culture, Harvard is one of the most well known law schools in the US. An Ivy League located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Harvard has educated many prestigious figures, with their list of alumni including former US president Barack Obama, his wife Michelle Obama, Mitt Romney, Ted Cruz, and more.
University of Pennsylvania (Carey). Another prestigious institution is Penn Carey Law School at the University of Pennsylvania located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Penn Carey also offers multiple different degree programs, priding themselves on their cross-disciplinary curriculum that prepares students for both legal endeavors and real-world situations. A fun fact about Penn Cary Law School is that they actually published the very first law journal in the United States, titled The American Law Register.
New York University. Located in the heart of New York, the NYU School of Law is another popular law school destination. With its prime location and high status, many law students aspire to attend this institution each year. Along with the others, NYU offers several degree programs. They also provide students with the options of over 40 clinics and externships, as well as over 80 student organizations to give students a well-rounded educational experience.
University of Virginia. Charlottesville, Virginia is home to the University of Virginia School of Law. This institution even offers dual-degree programs, where students have the opportunity to combine law with other graduate divisions. UVA Law was founded by Thomas Jefferson in 1819, and is the second-oldest continuously operating law school in the United States.
University of California, Berkeley. As one of the most highly respected Universities of California, UC Berkeley has an incredible law school. UC Berkeley is located in the Bay Area. Degree programs offered include JD, LLM, Doctoral, and more. One interesting fact about this institution is that its motto is “Fiat Lux,” which translates to “let light be made.”
University of Michigan (Ann Arbor). Ann Arbor, Michigan is a scenic city west of Detroit. This city is where you can find University of Michigan Law School. One feature of this law school that is meant to help students further their careers in law is their experiential learning. They recognize that law school graduates need experience under their belt when looking to get hired, so they offer a multitude of clinics, externships, and programs that assist with this.
Interested in furthering your education and career in law at one of these highly respected institutions? Head over to Ivy Grad Services to see the many different ways in which you can achieve these goals!