When it comes to choosing the right law school, there are a number of important factors that applicants should keep in mind. This page will help walk you through some major considerations applicants face when deciding which law program is right for you.
A Note on Rankings
- While a law program’s ranking can be indicative of many things, it is not an accurate reflection of the quality of education or professional success of alumni.
- Our office endorses the viewpoint set out by the American Bar Association (ABA) on law program rankings: “Prospective law students should consider a variety of factors in making their choice among schools.”
Location
- Unlike your undergraduate career, the geographical location of your law school can play a major role in determining your post-graduate future.
- The majority of law students end up taking the bar exam in the state they attended law school in and therefore continue to practice law in that state.
- Law school is also a great place for networking and connecting with people in the field; therefore, the connections you make in law school will likely be with practicing lawyers in the state.
Program Type & Curriculum
- While the vast majority of law schools follow a traditional first-year core curriculum, not every school follows the same order. Some, for instance, allow students to take electives in their first year while others restrict electives until the second year or beyond.
- If you have an interest in a specific area of law, make sure the institutions you are applying to offer courses, clinics, and externships in that practice area.
- Review each school’s website to learn more about their specific programs and offerings.
School Specifics
- It is important to look at the specific features and amenities of the university you are applying to. These range from the times at which classes are offered to the size of the student body.
- Many of the same considerations you made as an undergraduate, such as campus culture, the prevalence of student organizations/clubs, and faculty to student ratio, are factors that should play a role in your law school decision.
- The best law program for you is not just the one with the highest ranking, but the one that will best fit your personal, professional, and academic needs.
- Consider the statistics revolving around employment post-graduation and whether the law school will support you in your efforts to find employment through a career services office.
- Finally, make sure to visit each school you’re interested in to get a feel of its culture and vibe.
Additional Resources
The ABA/LSAC Official Guide to ABA-Approved Law Schools: Search for law schools that interest you using keywords, location, and your UGPA/LSAT combination. Customize your searches and get the most up-to-date details and information provided by the law schools.
New York University School of Law: Visit our own law school, located at 40 Washington Square South (on the southwest corner of the park). NYU undergraduates are allowed to visit first-year classes at the law school. Stop by the Admissions Office Welcome Desk (Wilf Hall, 139 MacDougal Street) or call (212) 998-6060 to arrange to sit in on a lecture on torts, criminal law, contracts, or civil procedure or to take a tour led by an NYU Law student, which is offered every Friday at noon.
New York City Law School Forum: In the fall of each year, the LSAC sponsors a Law School Forum here in Manhattan. Details about the fair are posted on the LSAC website. The forum is an extraordinary source of information. Representatives from over 160 of the nation's law schools bring catalogs, bulletins, and applications, and the LSAC provides shopping bags so that you can collect and carry home all the materials about legal education, specific law schools, and their admissions criteria.
Analytix by AccessLex®: Analyze, research and compare law school-specific information. Analytix puts employment rates, outcomes, bar passage rates, cost, selectivity and more into clear, accessible and actionable displays.
Explore by AccessLex®: This is a law school selection tool that can help you discover which law school is best for you. You know best what makes a law school the right law school for you. XploreJD offers you 24 questions on factors to consider when selecting a law school. You answer the questions that will impact your decision — and skip the ones that won't. XploreJD generates a list of ABA-approved law schools that fit your criteria!