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Choosing Your Law Schools  

Choosing Law Schools

There are nearly 200 American Bar Association [ABA]-approved law schools in the continental United States; they are as diverse as any other set of institutions. They range from urban to rural, from liberal to conservative, from enormous to tiny. They have modern facilities, or proudly historic ones, or old buildings poorly maintained. They offer diversity or homogeneity. What is it that you want?

In starting your law school search, you should ask yourself some questions; the answers will help narrow your search to a workable twenty or thirty schools.  Choose any one of the links above to learn the basics about choosing a law school that will suit your needs.

If you'd like an idea of what sets each school apart from its peers, click here for my Christmas 1999 list of law schools and what makes them special.  Or read below to learn about some of my favorite law schools.

Some of you may still be wondering whether law school is the right choice for you. Others of you aren't wondering, but should be. If you're debating yourself about whether to get a J.D. or an M.B.A, M.P.A. or other graduate degree, look here.

East Coast Revisited

In August of 2004, I travelled with my client Erin up and down the east coast looking at law schools and their surroundings.  Click here for the Boston to DC Debriefing.  

Three Overlooked Gems

Despite my belief that only you can choose the right law school for you, I've decided to tell you about some of my favorites.  (I need to warn you, though, that my travels rarely take me west of the Mississippi; there may be a number of gems out there that I simply haven't seen yet.)

Emory

Emory is one of my all-around favorite law schools.  The facilities are designed with the user in mind. Light wood looks elegant without having the oppressive feel that mahogany can add; it makes the moot court room and lobbies tasteful and spacious-feeling.  The library is an easy place to spend hours.  The stacks are widely spaced, floor-to-ceiling windows keep all floors bright and remind you that there's a great outdoors to take a break in.  From the exterior architecture to the classroom layout, everything about the law school says "money well-spent."

The campus is NOT an "urban campus."  Well-maintained grounds, ample space between buildings, tree-lined paths all have the same feel as a suburban campus.  Yet Decatur (the suburb just east of Atlanta in which Emory is technically located) has most of the amenities of an urban environment.  From organic food stores to a Philly Steaks that really comes close to the original, the options of a much bigger city abound --

-- as they should, since Atlanta is on your doorstep.  The Virginia Highlands neighborhood, just a few miles away, is Atlanta's Greenwich Village, with all the diversity this implies.  A few more miles takes you downtown, where the Underground (a modern mall with roots in the Civil War), the Hard Rock, and the World of Coca-Cola wait to amuse you.  Another mile will bring you to the birthplace of Martin Luther King and more celebration of black history than I've seen in any other southern city.  The city is a good place to be black, a good place to be gay, and a good place to be a student.  If it's the city life you want, it's hard to go wrong here.

Case Western

I grew up hearing jokes about Cleveland -- none of which were deserved when I visited in 1990. Case Western is in the northeast part of the city, quite near a beautiful park.  And just beyond the park Lake Erie beckons -- with sailing, water-skiing, or maybe just a picnic lunch on the shore with a good friend and a law book.  (Sorry, we can't overlook reality in our idyllic tour.)  The university is in the cultural center of the city, with museums, theaters, and trendy restaurants all at hand.  And a short trip down Euclid Avenue will take you to the fine old downtown of most east-coast cities.  For those of us fond of older, more distinctive architecture, Euclid Avenue is a great alternative to the malls (which of course abound).

The campus is more quaint than institutional, with flower-lined brick paths and benches under trees.  The law school has a warmth created by the use of red brick and honey-colored wood; the classroom building and library are spacious throughout. A new building has been added since I visited in 1990.  Barbara Andelman, Dir. Adm., says the new space adds seminar rooms, student group offices, and a bright, airy student lounge with a good view, to replace the old lounge in the basement.  (This addition confirms my view of Case as a place that cares for its students.)  Housing is available within walking distance of the law school, at extremely affordable prices.

The best part of Case Western, though, is the supportive administration.  I've never had a bad moment with anyone on the staff, and my clients who have gone there  -- both mainstream and minority -- report the same.  Case is a school where you'll never feel lost in the shuffle, in a city that never overwhelms.  

Indiana Bloomington

Bloomington is the compleat college town, and IU is the compleat campus.  From the fast-food, Army/Navy, and video/CD stores beginning about 5 miles from campus, everything is designed for the student.  The campus offers incredible physical diversity; old buildings and new catch your eye with equal ease.  The uniform gray limestone exteriors are architecturally diverse, so you never get that "Twilight Zone" feeling of walking out of one building and into the same one a block away.  And the campus is enormous -- a four-hour tour barely let us see the exteriors of all the buildings, and my clients and I could have easily spent a second day, had we not been headed for the Chicago Law Forum.  

The two undergrads with me fell in love with the student center, with bowling lanes, pool tables, a candy shop, plus all the usual amenities.  I tried telling them they'd spend far less time there as law students, but they didn't seem to believe me.  I fell in love with the law school.  Recent renovations were elegant and tasteful, from truly beautiful windows in the classrooms to a luxuriously-appointed lobby outside the library.  The library itself was well-lighted and well-designed; carrels were arranged in small groups, instead of in factory-like rows. The gym right next door is a real plus; even the most anxiety-ridden law student can spare the time to go. A Black Cultural Center was a pleasant surprise (and did I hear they've added a G&L center too?)

Bloomington is a college town, with the emphasis on town. There is no urban area in sight.  Everything has a suburban feel, but with the student in mind.  Houses near campus boast T-shirt stores, beauty parlors and restaurants on their first floors, there are several all-night convenience stores, and the university keeps music and cultural events happening.  For the campus life away from the city, Bloomington will be hard to beat.

Three Great Law Libraries

I had a client accepted at Yale and Stanford who chose the latter. Why? Because Yale was renovating the law library that year. It was gutted, creating an incredible amount of inconvenience to the students. Now that renovation is completed, Yale is a beautiful school. But for the duration, it was a mess.

Is that a good reason to turn down Yale? It is if it matters to you. Stanford has one of the most beautiful campuses I've ever seen. On the other hand, it doesn't have the urban environment so important to some students. If you value the city more than the school, you might choose Yale. (I say "might" because I haven't heard such good things about New Haven.) And personally, I value libraries very highly. You spend a lot of time in the law library, not just for research, but even for your basic studying. So who has the best libraries?

Michigan

Among the top schools, Michigan's is my current favorite. Michigan's library is architecturally quite fascinating, with a vertical skylight descending two stories below ground. It's light and airy, an incredible accomplishment for a subterranean building. And they've kept the old reading room, so you have your choice of gothic splendor or modern style. I was utterly impressed.

Unfortunately, I wasn't impressed with the old dorms, nor with the snow that blanketed my car in October. I might not have minded so much had I not been driving back to Chicago that day.  And the food in the Lawyer's Club made up for the old dorm rooms.  Ann Arbor was the best small town I've ever seen in terms of diversity and things to do. In fact, I've encouraged more students to attend Michigan after seeing it than I did based on its reputation.

Berkeley

Berkeley's library renovation, while not nearly as elegant as Michigan's, was also pretty impressive.  A full-length skylight kept the space from getting gloomy, and the decor was tasteful, if somewhat too institutional. It was reminiscent of many modern well-appointed-but-impersonal office buildings I've seen.

But Berkeley's campus and surroundings made it my favorite place to live thus far. With the bay a few miles in one direction and the mountains a few miles in the other, it has the best of all possible locales. And Telegraph and University avenues are as funky and fun as a student could want. Sidewalk cappuccino cafes and street vendors with jewelry and T-shirts kept the atmosphere lively until well into the evening. The campus itself has an eclectic look and feel, so no matter what you want you're sure to find it someplace.

NYU

Ah, New York! No other city will ever be like it. Of course, that's both good and bad. New York is the ultimate "great place to visit but." At 21 I didn't think there was a better place in the whole world. And I often still feel that way. No other city has as much of everything and anything you want. No other city has as much splendor, as much squalor, as much excitement. Or as few parking spaces. I liked New York a lot more before I learned to drive, and may like it more again when I'm smart enough to leave the car at home. For now it's a city of mixed blessings.

And NYU epitomizes all that's great about New York. Long tables and lamps with green glass shades make the library look like a traditional turn-of-the-century reading room, but the styling exhibits many modern touches as well. In fact, NYU combines some of the best of old and new architecture throughout. The lack of a campus is offset by the presence of Washington Square right across the street, and the job opportunities in New York are unparalleled. The Village is casual and fun, and suited to a student's hours – open all night. If you're under 40 and like cities, NYU is a great place to be.

Some New York State Law Schools

When applicants think of New York law schools, they tend to focus on Manhattan. But there are three fine law schools in upstate New York, and each is a ”best buy” -- a school that takes applicants with lower numbers than its urban peers because of its north-of-Manhattan location.

Albany

Albany Law School is part of Union University, whose undergraduate arm, Union College, has long been famous for its fine liberal arts education. Albany is one of the five oldest law schools in the United States, and boasts of graduating the first African American and the first woman in the state of New York. As law school selection became more governed by location than by reputation in the 1970s, Albany suffered a drop in the rankings. And as the local job market suffered through the recession of the late 80s and early 1990s, Albany again suffered in the USNWR rankings. But while the ranking has changed, the quality of the education and facilities hasn’t.

Albany underwent major renovations in 1986, adding a truly beautiful Moot Court room, a modern, tasteful and well-lit library, and fine classrooms. The new “wing” is actually an arc, connecting the old buildings and enclosing a courtyard where students can hang out in good weather. Perhaps even more important than the facilities themselves is the obvious satisfaction of the alumni and law firms who paid for all this lavishness. The generosity of the donors leaves no doubt that Albany grads are loyal.

Albany isn’t a big city, but its location midway between New York and Boston gives the student ample options for the occasional getaway weekend. And as the state capital, Albany offers unparalleled opportunities for clerkships with the state legislature, governor’s office, and appellate courts. If you’re looking for a quality education with numbers that aren’t quite “top tier,” you should definitely look at Albany.

Buffalo

SUNY Buffalo provides an incredibly cheap law school education in an incredibly nice facility for the price. Tuition and the cost of living off campus are both very affordable. Its academic ranking is around the top third, and the school has a reputation for being a super-liberal defender of causes.

The campus is typical of many state schools – suburban, with well-tended grounds and plenty of trees and grass – but the facilities are nicer than those at many state schools. The grounds are well-designed and maintained, and the campus seemed to be a place students enjoyed. The law school is part of the main campus, so facilities such as the gym and student health are easily accessible. The library is spacious and well-lit, and wide hallways are dotted with tables and chairs for studying by the floor-to-ceiling windows, or for just hanging out. If you’re looking for a pleasant environment now and a pleasant loan repayment schedule later, you should definitely consider Buffalo.

Cornell

Everyone knows Cornell has a great reputation. Most people know that you can get a job in any major market coming from Cornell.   And most people know that Cornell has a beautiful law school and a beautiful campus. The law library reading room has vaulted ceilings and giant chandeliers, and folks who like monumental architecture love it. And the new wing boasts a beautiful moot court room and an enclosed and roofed courtyard the creates the feeling of a sidewalk cafe indoors.

What bothers most prospective applicants is that Cornell isn’t in or near a big city. They don’t realize that Ithaca, like Ann Arbor and Durham, is a college town that offers a variety of activities and organizations far in excess of what a typical small town offers.  In fact, the Utne Reader (May-June 1997, pp 41-50) has named Ithaca the “most enlightened town in America.” Fun things to do seem to be a baseline for the ten cities chosen:

Most of these towns happen to be great spots to sip latté, watch foreign films, visit naturopaths, join kayak clubs, browse used-book shops, buy organic chevre, or find meditation centers.... But these factors alone aren’t enough to make a town enlightened....
...

Informal groups, from activist coalitions and neighborhood associations to book clubs and cooking classes, abound in our 10 cities. We singled out Ithaca, New York, as the most enlightened town in America in part because of its truly breathtaking array of opportunities for citizen participation – everything from tireless historic preservation groups and enthusiastic union organizing drives to a bicycle recycling program that has fixed up more than 1,000 donated bikes for low-income kids.

So no, Ithaca isn’t Manhattan, but it has a lot to offer. In fact, for a new person in town, Ithaca will be a lot friendlier and offer more opportunities to fit in than will Manhattan. The cost of living is about $5,000 a year less than in NYC. Cornell is one of the few top schools whose financial aid program is primarily need-based, so you don’t have to be a “merit scholar” to see some grant money in your financial aid package. And Cornell is very generous in its review of diversity applicants; if minority or disadvantaged applicants are looking for one longshot, this would be a good one to choose.

Overall, Cornell is a school that I urge my clients to consider, and think the rest of you would do well to consider it as well.

What the Pacific Northwest Needs...

is a top law school.  Trust me, it has everything else!  Magnificent scenery.  Mountains and more mountains, bays, lakes and rivers, deserts, mesas, forests, breathtaking views, great cities -- oh, and volcanoes.  I spent a week looking around, and could easily have spent two more.  And if you know how jaded I am, that's saying a lot!

U.W. is the top ranked law school in the region. Sadly, it gives a strong preference to residents.  More sadly, it has a very small class size, so nonresidents have to be very competitive to be admitted.  

Seattle U. is the total urban campus.  The facilities are within blocks of Capital Hill, Seattle's DuPont Circle.  And as you will in DC's DuPont, you'll be happier taking public transit.  Parking is available only at a premium price. The law school is a bit too modern for my taste, but well-lit and spacious.  If your gpa/LSAT are in the 3.0/155 range, and you're looking for a city on par with New York and Chicago for funky and diverse atmosphere with a good deal less traffic and crime, I heartily recommend it!

Seattle had everything I could ever ask for!  It's a "real" city, by which I mean it has a core of turn-of-the century buildings for historians, every brand of ethnic food and culture imaginable (have you ever been to a Tibetan restaurant?) two different funky "Greenwich Village" neighborhoods (one near U. W. and one closer to downtown), a major skyline, a large, active and out gay and lesbian community, much more racial diversity than I expected, and great people!  They talk to you!  They are polite (except the deliberately rude grunge crowd, who wear the most offensive T-shirts I've ever seen).  There are two or three pedestrian crosswalks on every block, and drivers actually stop at them!  For a combination of urban excitement and natural beauty, Seattle is most definitely the place.

Oregon

Oregon is as beautiful as Washington, although the cities there don't compare with Seattle.  I can't give a full report on the natural beauties because there were so many  to see that I ran out of time!  I can report watching white-water rafting and paragliding, visiting volcanic remains and awesome mountains, and passing a llama ranch.  I can also report that all three law schools were interesting and at least adequate.  I never even got to the beaches, but they are reported to be spectacular.

Portland/Lewis and Clark

Portland is a medium-sized city with more sprawl (perhaps because of fewer natural boundaries) and less diversity than Seattle.  It feels more like Sacramento/Knoxville/Lexington (KY) than like a metropolis.  Lewis and Clark was the least attractive of the three law schools in the state.  It is built to blend into its natural environment -- i.e., it;'s trying to be invisible, and is therefore dull.  The layout is a lot like McGeorge -- four small buildings around a nicely landscaped quad.  Go to Lewis and Clark for the programs and the nature, not the facilities.

Salem/Willamette

Salem is a smaller city; it's the state capital, and Willamette is across the street from the capital building -- great for legislative study and internships.  the facilities are newly renovated, and the law school and the campus are quite beautiful.  If you're looking for urban but not overwhelming, with a pretty campus and good facilities, Willamette should be on your list.  

Eugene/U. of Oregon

Sadly, I didn't give this town the attention it deserves.  I spent my time watching white-water rafting and beautiful mountain views instead of hurrying over to the town.  By reputation and from the few hours I spent there, it feels a lot like Ithaca (home of Cornell):  liberal and eclectic, but definitely not urban.  U. of O. was the nicest of the law schools I visited, and for good reason -- the new building opened in August '99.  Everything was spacious, well-lit, and state-of-the-art.  

Oregon has less of a resident preference than many other state schools, and I recommend it if you like hiking, camping, beachcombing, etc.  If you prefer sidewalk cafes and night life, this won't be the place for you.

Bad and Good Advice

A good prelaw advisor will have both the time and the resources to help you choose law schools. The advising library should have several books on law schools, such as the ABA/LSAC Official Guide to Law Schools and the NALP Directory of Law Schools.  Catalogs of all law schools are free, so there's no reason not to have them.  Books and handouts about choosing law schools, discussing topics like the ones here, should help you focus your search.  The prelaw advisor should be familiar with the campuses, facilities and admission philosophies of a number of schools.  And (s)he should be available to discuss schools with you in the spring and summer before your senior year.

When I help clients choose law schools, we discuss all the topics listed in this section.  In addition, we discuss the "feel" of each campus, the student body, and the administration.  And I provide contacts among my clients at the school whenever possible.

If your prelaw advisor isn't personally familiar with a number of different schools, has no insight into various programs, or doesn't have the time to discuss them with you, you're getting bad advice.