www.top-lawschools.net
Top Law Schools
There is some debate as to which schools should compose the list of top
law schools. There are a few schools that traditionally top the polls, but
whether or not these universities are truly worth the cost is quite debatable.
For those wishing to pursue a legal career path, though, it is important to
know what these rankings actually mean.
The Three Tiers of Law School
Universities that offer a legal education are traditionally grouped into three
“tiers” of fifty. The best schools are in the Tier One, followed by those in Tier
Two and Tier 3. Traditional wisdom states that the best jobs to go Tier One
students, while those in Tier 3 will have the most trouble finding
employment. The most competitive bracket is Tier 2, with a number of
public universities vying for prestige with some of the bigger-name
American private colleges.
What Are the Top Law Schools?
As one might expect, the Ivy League is
exceptionally well represented in the
annual ranking of top law schools. Harvard,
Stanford and Yale are traditionally near the
top of the list. Columbia University, the
University of Chicago, and Berkeley usually
follow not far behind, with schools
like Cornell Law School, Duke, and
Georgetown usually bringing up the
remainder of the pack. These schools tend
to have the best faculty, the most active
donors, and some of the most competitive acceptance rates. Whether or not
these schools are worth the price, however, is worth questioning.
A Realistic Look
Realistically speaking, the annual report of top law schools is incredibly
skewed. Certain schools will always be in the top ten, and certain schools
will never rise above the second tier. The quality of education at the top-tier
schools is not necessarily better than that in the lower tiers, but the names
www.top-lawschools.net
certainly carry a certain cache with employers. Unless you wish to chase the
top one percent of jobs, though, the top ten to fifteen law schools may not be
worth the price of admission.
The Top Schools for Your Needs
For the majority of law students, the highest education value can be found
in the lower top tier through the second tier of law schools. Most of these
schools are reasonably priced, have stellar faculty, and can help a student
land a job. While they may not have the name appeal of a Harvard or
Stanford, most schools in the second tier also cost only a fraction of those
schools’ overall price. If you wish to get a legal job in a given area, it is better
to seek out a local school than to look at the annual rankings.
The list of the top law schools for one student may not be the same as that
for another. The best law school will be one that is affordable for a student’s
income, yet can still offer a competitive advantage. There is rarely a point in
pursuing an education at an incredibly expensive institution if a student is
not aiming for a top-tier job, and many students find that studying at a
smaller university allows for a better focus on legal education.