Law school can open many avenues and often leads to very diverse and rewarding employment. American Law School Rankings and universities have long been famous for their exceptional academic education, making a Law degree from a U.S. university highly valued worldwide.
At over $130,000 per year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics), the median annual compensation for lawyers is nearly three times that of other jobs nationwide. Lawyers are also in high demand, with the BLS forecasting a 10% increase in employment from 2021 to 2031, which is twice the average predicted growth rate for all jobs.
Students learn about administrative law, legal theory, analytical legal methods, bankruptcy, business law and ethics, civil rights, constitutional law, and many other topics during their three or four years of specialized legal studies.
Law Degree Varieties
Law studies in the United States differ from law studies in many other countries in that students must first finish an undergraduate degree.
In the United States, practicing law requires a Juris Doctor (JD) or similar degree (three years of training on top of a four-year bachelor’s degree). Students who know they intend to be lawyers will generally study pre-law during their undergraduate studies. Pre-law students may also pursue programs in public policy, social justice, public affairs, political science, history, economics, and philosophy.
Most students are also required by the state in which they practice to pass a bar exam before they can practice law. Because states conduct the bar exam, it may be advantageous for candidates to attend law school in the region where they intend to practice.
Juris Doctor (JD)
Law School Rankings in the United States awards the J.D. (Juris Doctor) degree required to practice law in the country. A J.D. program requires three years of full-time study and four years of part-time study for full-time Law students.
No matter which university law students attend, the first year of law school will consist of basic courses in core legal ideas such as torts, contracts, civil process, property, criminal law, and constitutional law. Law students choose a field of study and begin to explore specific courses in years two and three.
LLM (Master of Laws)
After completing a J.D. program, a Master of Laws degree is a one-year full-time study course. An LLM in U.S. Law teaches students about the American legal system in depth. Attorneys who live outside of the United States frequently acquire this graduate degree in order to practice in the United States or because their work entails contact with U.S. laws.
Those with an LLM are frequently recruited by international legal firms as well as those doing business in the United States. Governments seeking to establish relations with the United States may also require LLM-qualified lawyers. Positions as a practicing attorney, foreign diplomat, and in-house counsel to major corporations are all possibilities.
Some LLM programs in the United States concentrate on areas of specialization such as business, corporate law, commercial law, environmental law, taxation, and finance.
Doctor of Law (SJD)
Any law graduate who wants to teach law in an academic context will almost certainly need to enroll in a law doctoral program. The Doctor of Science in Law, often known as the SJD or JSD, is the highest level of legal education in the United States. These degrees often include both high-level courses and independent research completed under the supervision of a faculty member.
Entry Requirements for Law Schools
Bachelor’s degree
Unlike in many other countries, where students join law school immediately after finishing high school, students in the United States must first obtain an undergraduate degree. In other words, studying law in the United States is only possible if you already have a bachelor’s degree.
they from any discipline can be admitted to law school in the United States; nevertheless, it is crucial that they select something that will help them develop their oratory, analytical, writing, and critical thinking skills.
LSAT (Law School Admission Test)
The Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) is a requirement for admission to U.S. law schools. The LSAT is a half-day standardized test designed for law school applicants. It’s graded on a scale of 120 to 180.
The exam does not assess specific knowledge. It assesses a student’s ability to employ reasoning, analytical, and logical thinking; ultimately, it assists prospective law students in determining whether law school is suited for them and law schools in identifying the individuals most likely to succeed on the course.
It is critical to perform well on this exam, especially if you want to attend one of the elite, top-tier law schools.
Some legal schools will accept admission examinations other than the LSAT. Students who wish to improve their chances of admission and be best prepared for law school should take the LSAT.
Minimum undergraduate GPA (Grade Point Average)
While law schools take into account letters of reference, personal statements, professional experience, and extracurricular activities, undergraduate GPA and LSAT scores are frequently the most strongly weighted variables in admissions choices.
What constitutes a high undergraduate GPA varies per law school. According to U.S. News and World Report, the typical GPA for accepted students in 2021 at the top 20 law schools was 3.86.
Recommendation letters
The most successful letters of reference, according to the Law School Admission Council, are prepared by professors or work supervisors who know the candidate well enough to discuss their academic, personal, or professional achievements and prospects with candor, detail, and neutrality.
Most law schools in the United States require two letters of recommendation. However, this varies by school. To demonstrate an ability to follow directions, it is critical to follow specific instructions and send the required number of letters—no more, no less.
Personal assertion
The personal statement is an opportunity for the candidate to reflect on their life and demonstrate to the law school admissions committee who they are as a person. It is intended to help committees develop a diverse community of law students by humanizing applicants. A strong personal statement should define an applicant’s future vision, covering both short-term and long-term objectives.
Credential Assembly Service (CAS)
The Credential Assembly Service (CAS) of LSAC streamlines the law school application process for both candidates and law schools. Transcripts, letters of recommendation, and any other documents required for each law school application must be provided to LSAC just once with CAS.
All ABA-approved law school applications are also accessible electronically via a student’s CAS account, saving time and effort. LSAC compiles papers with the LSAT result and sends a comprehensive report to all schools to whom a student applies. Almost all law schools in the United States require applicants to use the Credential Assembly for their law school applications.
Rankings of the Best Law Schools
Currently, around 200 authorized and approved universities and programs award the first degree in law (the J.D.).
We examine seven of the most prestigious law schools in the United States, focusing on characteristics such as rankings, course structure and content, program cost, faculty expertise, and location.
Harvard College
Harvard Law School (commonly known as Harvard Law or HLS) is one of Harvard University’s professional graduate schools. It is the oldest continuously functioning law school in the United States, having been founded in 1817, and is usually regarded as one of the most renowned in the world.
University of Yale
Yale University is a private American Ivy League research university located in New Haven, Connecticut. Yale Law School is widely regarded as one of the most prominent law schools in the United States, if not the most distinguished. The school has educated several Supreme Court Justices as well as two United States Presidents, Gerald Ford and Bill Clinton.
The University of Stanford
Stanford Institution is a private research institution in the heart of Silicon Valley, 35 miles south of San Francisco. SLS, or Stanford Law School, was established in 1893 and is one of the smaller top-tier law schools.
Chicago State University
Chicago Law School, located on a residential campus in America’s third largest city, provides a rigorous and multidisciplinary professional education that integrates the study of law with the humanities, social sciences, and scientific sciences.
The University of Columbia
Columbia Law School was founded in 1858 in the heart of New York City. Although the average class size is slightly greater than at some other top schools, the student-to-faculty ratio is among the lowest.
The University of New York
New York University School of Law (or NYU Law) is located in the heart of Greenwich Village and offers its students an outstanding legal education in one of New York City’s most lively areas.
Penn State University
The University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School is one of the country’s oldest and most selective law schools. Penn Law, which is located in Philadelphia, has a modest cohort of approximately 750 students.
Law Graduates’ Potential Career Paths
A large majority of law graduates choose to practice as attorneys, which they can do in a variety of businesses and specializations.
However, because a law degree provides all of the required skills to pursue a career in other sectors, many law graduates choose not to work as attorneys, instead pursuing jobs – often outside of the legal profession – in industries such as commerce, government, diplomacy, and education.
