- One of the more challenging aspects of a legal career is actually establishing that career.
- For example, to get into a Big Law Firm, you must have top-notch grades as well as a high score on the bar exam.
- Oh, and going to a top 10 law school doesn’t hurt either.
- So what are those top 10 law schools? Keep reading to find out.
It’s quite a feat for a recently graduated legal associate to net a job in a Big Law firm.
First of all, large and prestigious law firms don’t just hire anyone; an associate has to have some pretty strong credibility to even hope for an interview within a Big Law firm.
And while some of that credibility entails your grades, your internships and your bar exam score, the lion’s share of that cred also has much to do with exclusivity of your law school.
Of the many law schools in the country, 10 leading legal institutions are known for not just their own prestige, but their ability place their graduates in high-level legal jobs, according to a recent article published by U.S. News and World Report.
Keep reading to find out what those 10 top law schools are.
- Yale Law School
Yale Law School is the law School of Yale University. It is located in New Haven, Connecticut.
Established in 1824, Yale Law offers the J.D., LL.M., J.S.D., M.S.L., and Ph.D. degrees in law. The Law School at Yale University has an application deadline of Feb. 28. The full-time program application fee at the Law School at Yale University is $85. Its tuition is full-time: $64,267. The student-faculty ratio is 4.2:1.
U.S. News law school rank: 1
Graduates employed in law firms: 36.3%
Portion of these graduates employed full time at large law firms: 76.6%
- Duke University (NC)
Duke University School of Law is the law school and a constituent academic unit of Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, United States. One of Duke's 10 schools and colleges, the School of Law began as the Trinity College School of Law in 1868.
The school has an application deadline of Feb. 15. The full-time program application fee at the School of Law at Duke University is $70. Its tuition is full-time: $64,722. The student-faculty ratio is 5.5:1.
U.S. News law school rank: 10 (tie)
Graduates employed in law firms: 70.3%
Portion of these graduates employed full time at large law firms: 78.6%
- New York University
The New York University School of Law is the law school of New York University. Established in 1835, it is the oldest law school in New York City. The school offers J.D., LL.M., and J.S.D. degrees in law, and is located in Greenwich Village in Lower Manhattan.
The school has an application deadline of Feb. 15. The full-time program application fee at the School of Law at New York University is $85. Its tuition is full-time: $66,422. The student-faculty ratio is 5.3:1.
U.S. News law school rank: 6
Graduates employed in law firms: 73.8%
Portion of these graduates employed full time at large law firms: 79.1%
- University of Virginia
The School of Law at University of Virginia has an application deadline of March 4. The full-time program application fee at the School of Law at University of Virginia is $80. Its tuition is full-time: $60,700 (in-state) and full-time: $63,700 (out-of-state). The student-faculty ratio is 6.5:1.
Like all the academic departments at the University of Virginia, the School of Law operates on a strict, student-run honor system. Students pledge not to lie, cheat or steal, and anyone found guilty by a peer jury is expelled from the school. Each class has about 350 students, and the student body has slightly more males than females. Students can earn joint degrees, such as a J.D. and an MBA through the Darden School of Business in four years.
U.S. News law school rank: 8
Graduates employed in law firms: 75.3%
Portion of these graduates employed full time at large law firms: 80.6%
- Columbia University (NY)
Columbia Law School is a professional graduate school of Columbia University, a member of the Ivy League. It has always been ranked in the top five law schools in the United States.
The law school has an application deadline of Feb. 15. The full-time program application fee at the Law School at Columbia University is $85. Its tuition is full-time: $69,916. The student-faculty ratio is 4.9:1.
U.S. News law school rank: 5
Graduates employed in law firms: 84.8%
Portion of these graduates employed full time at large law firms: 81.3%
- University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania Law School is the law school of the University of Pennsylvania, an Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is among the most selective and oldest law schools in the United States, and is currently ranked 7th overall.
The law school has an application deadline of March 1. The full-time program application fee at the law school at University of Pennsylvania is $80. Its tuition is full-time: $65,804. The student-faculty ratio is 4.9:1.
U.S. News law school rank: 7
Graduates employed in law firms: 72%
Portion of these graduates employed full time at large law firms: 82%
- Northwestern University (Pritzker) (IL)
Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law, often shortened to Northwestern Pritzker School of Law, is one of the professional graduate schools of Northwestern University, located in Chicago, Illinois. Northwestern Law is a member of the "Top 14", a group of law schools that have national recognition.
The School of Law at Northwestern University (Pritzker) has an application deadline of Feb. 15. The full-time program application fee at the School of Law at Northwestern University (Pritzker) is $75. Its tuition is full-time: $64,402. The student-faculty ratio is 3.6:1.
U.S. News law school rank: 10 (tie)
Graduates employed in law firms: 68.9%
Portion of these graduates employed full time at large law firms: 83.5%
- Stanford University (CA)
Stanford Law School is a professional graduate school of Stanford University, located in Silicon Valley near Palo Alto, California.
Established in 1893, Stanford Law has been ranked one of the top three law schools in the country, with Yale Law School and Harvard Law School, every year since 1992.
The Law School at Stanford University has an application deadline of Feb. 1. The full-time program application fee at the Law School at Stanford University is $85. Its tuition is full-time: $62,373. The student-faculty ratio is 4:1.
U.S. News law school rank: 2
Graduates employed in law firms: 52.4%
Portion of these graduates employed full time at large law firms: 87.8%
- Harvard University (MA)
Harvard Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest continuously operating law school in the United States and one of the most prestigious in the world.
The law school has an application deadline of Feb. 1. The full-time program application fee at the law school at Harvard University is $85. Its tuition is full-time: $64,978. The student-faculty ratio is 7.6:1.
U.S. News law school rank: 3
Graduates employed in law firms: 61.8%
Portion of these graduates employed full time at large law firms: 88%
- University of Chicago
The University of Chicago Law School is located on a residential campus in Chicago. The school offers a rigorous and interdisciplinary professional education that blends the study of law with the humanities, the social sciences, and the natural sciences.
The law school has an application deadline of March 1. The full-time program application fee at the Law School at University of Chicago is $85. Its tuition is full-time: $64,089. The student-faculty ratio is 5.1:1.
U.S. News law school rank: 4
Graduates employed in law firms: 69%
Portion of these graduates employed full time at large law firms: 91%
Conclusion
If practicing in a Big Law firm is on your legal career’s bucket list, one of these 10 prestigious law schools should be in your aim.
Working hard, netting good grades and achieving a high bar exam score are, as was earlier stated, key components toward achieving a position with a Big Law firm.
However the law school you choose to attend holds sway as well. And between the notoriety, prestige, pedigree and ability to place its graduates in strong, well-paying, high-level jobs, you can’t go wrong with any of these 10 law schools.
