CRITERIA FOR CHOOSING THE LAW SCHOOLS TO APPLY TO

Clearly, there are a number of factors to consider when deciding where to apply. These include, first and foremost, a realistic appraisal of your chances of admission. The number of law schools to which you should apply depends on your chances of being accepted at the schools in which you are most interested. Your chances of acceptance are influenced by a number of variables. The most important factors are grade point average and LSAT score. By using these two numbers and referring to Boston College’s "Law School Locator" http://www.bc.edu/offices/careers/gradschool/law/lawlocator/ or LSAC’s law school calculator (http://officialguide.lsac.org/search/cgi-bin/lsatgpa.asp), as well as the law school’s own admissions grids, you can estimate your competitiveness. For example, if four out of five applicants with your GPA and LSAT score have been admitted to a given school in the past, you can feel fairly certain (to that degree) you will be admitted. It could be considered a "safety" school. If this law school were your first choice, you might only apply to one school if you're something of a gambler. In any case, you should always apply to one or two "safety" schools to which you would be willing to matriculate. Beyond this, the number and nature of the law schools to which you apply depends upon your willingness to accept the risk of not being admitted to these more competitive schools.

If your credentials are particularly strong, you might consider applying for merit-based, school-sponsored fellowships. For some, winning such a fellowship might make it worthwhile to attend a somewhat competitive school.

Accreditation: The most important accrediting body in U.S. legal education is the American Bar Association (ABA). All ABA-approved law schools must meet minimum standards established by the ABA. These standards relate to faculty, curriculum, facilities, library holdings, and clinical programs. We strongly recommend that you first consider those schools that have been approved by the ABA. Other United States law schools may be accredited only by their state bar associations or not accredited at all, and graduates of these schools may not be able to practice law in the states of their choices. For more information, visit http://www.abanet.org.

A note on rankings: Use law school rankings with caution. Each applicant should use highly subjective criteria when determining which school is best for him or her. If you would like to consult the most popular and controversial ranking system, visit http://www.usnews.com. 

Categories of law schools: There are many ways to take a school's measure. The best way to evaluate which school meets your needs and preferences is to accurately research details such as location, class size, faculty/student ratio, special programs, and other criteria. In the course of your research, however, you are bound to come across references to things such as "big name" schools, or schools that seem tied to a specialty area, such as international or environmental law. As with ranking schools, your focus should remain on the specific criteria that makes a school a good match for you both personally and professionally.

Highly Competitive Schools: Admittedly, there is a hierarchy of law schools based on GPAs and LSAT scores of the first-year class, notable faculty, and the prestige of the parent institution. We emphasize that it is difficult, if not impossible, to quantify strength of curriculum, teaching quality, career services, libraries, nature of the student community and other such criteria; nevertheless, there are some obvious advantages to attending the highly competitive, prestigious schools. You can be assured that the quality of your education will be very high. A law degree from such a school might give you a competitive edge in your search for employment. Furthermore, many law students find that the high level of competition stimulates and challenges them to greater levels of achievement.

Why, then, would a qualified applicant choose not to attend a highly competitive school? First, the quality of education is not necessarily better than that of many other schools. Again, it is critically important that a student feel comfortable with the school's geographical, social, and intellectual environment. Some people find that the intense competition in the so-called top schools keeps them from doing their best work. Others are not interested in eventually practicing law at a large firm in a major city. In fact, some prefer to practice in their home states or regions and find that their local law school will better prepare them for this role.

National, regional, and local schools: A national school will generally have an applicant population and a student body that draws almost indistinguishably from the nation as a whole and will have many international students as well. A regional school is likely to have a population that is primarily from the geographic region of its location, though many regional schools have students from all over the country as well. A number of regional school draw heavily from a particular area, though graduates may find jobs all over the country. Generally speaking, a local school is drawing primarily on applicants who either come from or want to practice in the proximate area in which the school is located.

Part-time and evening programs: Part-time programs may be offered either in the evening or day, and part-time law students generally receive the same quality of education as their full-time counterparts. Approximately 17 percent of law students currently enroll in part-time programs; the course of study usually takes four years to complete instead of three. As a general rule, part-time students seem to have the same success in finding jobs as those enrolled in full-time study.

Employment and marital status. If you or your spouse or partner has a full-time job you cannot or do not wish to leave, your choice of schools is obviously limited to the region in which you currently reside. Conversely, students who plan to relocate with a family may need to explore job opportunities for a working spouse and school opportunities for children.

Ethnic, racial, and cultural background. The social atmosphere of a school and its surrounding environment may be something you want to consider.

Region in which you plan to practice. You may know the type of law you would like to practice and the place you would like to practice it. Remember, however, that you will spend at least three years in law school, and much can change within that time. Think carefully before making a commitment that will significantly affect the rest of your life. It is not necessary to go to law school in the state in which you plan to practice. However, you may wish to apply to a school in a region with a growing economy as part of your overall career-planning strategy. This can be especially useful if you are undecided about where to apply; if you can relocate easily; and if your credentials are not as strong as they could be.

Cost. The cost of tuition can vary from school to school. Also, some parts of the country are more costly to live in than others. The cost at a state-supported school is likely to be lower for state residents than for those out of state.

Housing: You will want to explore the availability of reasonably priced housing and transportation. Is on-campus housing available? Is there affordable, safe housing close to the campus? If you have to live off-campus, is there adequate public transportation? Will you need a car?

School size. The size of a law school can be an important factor in your evaluation process. Chances are, the larger the enrollment, the more diverse the student body. Not surprisingly, larger law schools also tend to offer a greater selection of courses. But it is the size of the incoming class that determines much of the intimacy and quality of first-year life. Much of the learning in law school depends on the quality of class discussion, which is frequently affected by the size of the class.

The parent university. About 90 percent of ABA-approved law schools are part of a larger university. A parent university can offer certain advantages to law students, especially if it is located on the same ground as the law school. For example, a parent university presents more opportunities for academic and social events, campus theater groups, sports teams, and other activities associated with student life. Certainly it offers the opportunity to meet people other than those pursuing a law career. In addition, a law school affiliated with a university may offer more options for joint-degree programs and for taking non-law courses that are credited toward the J.D. degree.

Student body. Law schools generally strive to attain a balanced student body that reflects a variety of backgrounds and experiences. This can be advantageous to all students: the broader the spectrum of student interests and training, the richer the educational opportunities. In any case, think of selecting a law school in which you are intellectually challenged and stimulated by your classmates. Much more so than in your undergraduate courses, you learn from your classmates in law school. Especially in the first year, classes are taught by the Socratic method in which student participation is vital. In addition, most students form their own study groups. Because everyone is taking a similar course of study, especially the first year, students tend to spend a great deal of time with each other talking about the law. For these reasons, your reaction to other students is quite important. A visit to a prospective school should give you an idea of whether the chemistry is right for you.

Faculty. It is difficult to assess individual faculty members before you enter the school. School catalogs will give you some background information about of the full-time faculty such as their alma maters, fields of specialty, and unique accomplishments.

Faculty/student ratio. Try to ascertain the ratio between full-time professors and students. Full-time rather than adjunct faculty comprise the core of any law school teaching staff. A school with a large student body and only a few professors present a slim hope for individual student attention and small seminars. Although some of the most competitive law schools have large sections in the introductory courses, keep in mind that they also offer smaller classes, clinics, simulations, and seminars in advanced-level subjects.

Library: Since you can expect to spend a great deal of time in the library, it pays to evaluate this facility carefully in terms of holdings, availability of books, research resources in the area, comfort and accessibility.

Career services. Find out the range of employers who come to interview at the school, and the extent and quality of career counseling offered there. Ask about the school's alumni ties. Find out what happens to the school's best and worst graduates, and look at placement statistics.

Clinical-education programs. Essentially, there can be three types of clinics within a law clinical education program: internal, external and simulated clinics.
Internal clinics are usually conducted at the law school and are supervised by a faculty member. Clients come to the student clinic for legal services, sometimes limited to a specific field of law. External or placement clinics, sometimes called externships, are those that take place away from the law school. The supervising faculty member is usually present on site. A simulated clinic may make use of role playing and electronic equipment, such as video recorders and laser disks, to help refine skills in interviewing, negotiating, trial advocacy, and arbitration.

Combined degree programs. Combined degree programs offer students the chance to earn two degrees in less time than it would take to earn each separately.

Other factors that you should consider include the school's academic support programs, visiting faculty, student law journals, and student organizations.