How to Rank Law Schools
Ranking law schools in order to determine where you want to attend can be challenging because of the many things you must take into consideration. The first thing you should consider is the location of the law school as most law school graduates find jobs in the same region. Next, consider the reputation of the law school, which is often measured in well-known publications such as the U.S. News and World Report rankings. Last, you should find out what areas the law schools specialize in and whether there is a particular area of law in which you want to practice.
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Things You'll Need
- List of desirable locations
- U.S. News and World Report ranking
- List of law schools with specializations
Instructions
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Geographic Location
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1
List the top three locations in the country in which you are willing to live and possibly work after law school. These can be cities or general regions.
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2
Arrange the regions from first to third in order of preference.
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3
List all of the law schools that are located in the three regions you selected.
Reputation
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4
Find the schools you selected in Step 1 in the U.S. News and World Report rankings. List the ranking number next to each school.
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5
Select two top 100 law schools, one tier three law school, and one tier four law school for each region based on the U.S. News and World Report rankings. This should give you four law schools for each region.
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6
List all of the top 100 law schools, all of the tier three law school, and all of the tier four law schools you selected in three separate groups. You should now have a ranking by location and a ranking by prestige.
Specialization
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7
Consider whether there is a particular area of law in which you want to practice. Although most law schools provide a very similar general legal education, some are better known for certain areas of law.
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8
Note the specialization of interest next to the law schools in both the location ranking and the prestige ranking.
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9
Create your final ranking based primarily on prestige and location. Remember that you will have more mobility if you attend a top 20 law school while other law schools are more likely to place their students in the same region.
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Tips & Warnings
Make your ranking of law schools personalized and do not select a law school based on solely one of the considerations about. Law school is a three year commitment and the network you will have access to lasts your whole career, so rank wisely.
References
Resources
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