Factors to Consider When Choosing a Law School

The first step is to make an honest evaluation of your chances of being admitted to a given school. Being a shoo-in for admission is not necessary, but you should limit your applications to schools likely to admit you. Most schools charge a nonrefundable application fee, so it becomes expensive to apply to a lot of schools for which your qualifications are clearly inadequate.


The most important criteria for admission to law school are your undergraduate grade point average and Law School Admission Test score. The Pre-law Handbook, generally available in university bookstores, provides a chart for most of the ABA-approved law schools showing LSAT score and GPA ranges for the previous year's applicants and admittees. Some schools will also provide this data directly to students upon request.

There is a caveat to all of this: most schools do not rely exclusively on these two criteria in determining admissions eligibility, so do not despair if your numbers do not meet your dream school's expectations. Many schools also consider life experiences and extracurricular activities, as well as factors such as geographic location and minority status.

If your credentials are insufficient for you to gain admission to one of the ABA-accredited law schools, you may want to consider a non- ABA-accredited, state-approved school. A word of caution: few states permit graduates of unaccredited schools to sit for the bar exam. Check the requirements of those states in which you might be interested in practicing before you choose an unaccredited school.

As you evaluate those schools to which you might be admitted, you need to investigate and consider the schools' reputation, programs, and location. Approximately twenty schools are known as "national" rather than "state" schools. National law schools generally have a broad reputation outside the state in which they are located and do not emphasize the law of that particular state. A nationally known school offers greater access to a national network of job opportunities and is more apt to have law firms and corporations from across the nation participating in its on-campus interview process. A smaller or lesser-known school is more apt to attract only local or statewide firms or perhaps not even have on- campus interview opportunities.

Many state law schools, on the other hand, are geared toward preparing their students for that state's bar exam, although other state schools consider their main responsibility to be to teach the law and let each student worry about passing the bar. Often, state law schools have a higher bar passage rate than better-known national law schools. If you have not done well on standardized tests in the past or just lack confidence in your ability to pass the bar, going to a school with a high pass rate is a very practical consideration.

If you are interested in a specific area of law, you may want to choose a school with a strong program in that area. Those interested in litigation often choose schools with hands-on legal clinics in which students, under the supervision and guidance of professors and practicing attorneys, assist clients in resolving legal disputes. Similarly, if you're interested in an area such as international, environmental, or communications law, you will want to attend a school with a variety of courses in that area taught by recognized professors. Students considering a joint-degree program with another school at the university (such as the business school) should consider the caliber of the other school and the quality of the overall joint program.

The students, your day-to-day colleagues for three years, are another part of the law school package. Although most law schools have a demographically diverse group of students, some schools have a special emphasis, such as church-affiliated schools or schools with predominantly minority students.

Geography enters the law school decision in two ways-where you want to be for three years and where you want to be afterward. Family or other personal considerations may dictate going to school in a particular state or area of the country. Where you wish to practice after graduation should also be considered. Nationally known schools offer better employment opportunities, but if you know you want to work and live in a particular area, going to school there can be an advantage. Generally, there will be a lot of alumni working in the area, especially if the school is a small one. All things being equal, and sometimes even when they are not, a law firm may hire a student from a school that is already represented in the firm over another one who graduated from an unknown school.

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Each law school has its own personality, and you will want to choose one that is compatible with your own. Some schools admit only a select few and expect every one of them to graduate three years later. Others admit more marginal students and allow a natural attrition rate to determine the size of the graduating class. Some schools encourage competition among their students, while others treat each student individually.

A visit to the school during the semester is usually the best way to get a feel for the atmosphere. Be aware that at every law school the atmosphere is inordinately tenser as exam period approaches, so don't judge a school too harshly by its December mood. While you're there, you can also check out the physical facilities and determine whether you want to spend three years in those particular hallowed halls.

Finally, to the vast majority of prospective law students who are not independently wealthy, financial considerations are important in selecting a law school. There is enough pressure in going to law school without having to worry about where the money for the next day's meals or next term's tuition is coming from.

Tuition, fees, and book expenses are but a small part of the overall cost of going to law school. Students are also required to pay for bar exams, bar review courses, resume services, study aids, and school supplies during the course of three years in law school. The cost of living in the area in which the school is located can also dramatically affect the total law school bill.

Most schools discourage students from having a job during their first year of study, and most students find that they are able to work only part-time during the final two years. If term-time work is necessary, as it is for a vast majority of students, learn the nature of the local job market, and find out whether the school has a placement office that can assist in locating suitable part-time employment.