FINDING THE RIGHT LAW SCHOOL FOR YOU

• #7 - Class Size

  What type of classroom setting do you prefer?  Do you prefer learning in a very large lecture hall with 100 other students?  Or do you prefer a much smaller classroom setting with about 60 or so students?  Applicants often overlook this important factor in their consideration of law schools; however, a law school’s class size has a lot to do with whether a law school is the right “fit” for you.  
  
  Law schools in the United States can range from 190 students to over 550 students per incoming class.  If you do the math, having fewer students generally means that the will be more resources per student.  However, it also means that there are less spots available for admissions committees to give out compared larger law schools.  Figure out what type of environment you thrive in and research your desired list of law schools to see which ones are actually the best “fit” for you.

• #6 - Tuition & Costs

  As we've already mentioned, law school is an investment and an expensive one at that.  With costs close to $150,000 after three years, applicants are often concerned about costs when it comes to deciding between schools.  
  
  The good news is that it is much easier to qualify for financial aid as a law student than as an undergrad, given that you have good credit.  As a prospective professional/graduate student, you will be considered an “independent adult” with little to no income once you start law school.  As an “independent adult,” your parents’ income will not be factored into the government’s consideration of whether you qualify for financial aid.    
  
  Whether you attend a public or private law school, the costs will be expensive. These days the gap in costs between attending a public versus private institution is getting smaller.  When inquiring into the actual costs of attending a school, make sure to consider the costs of living and also look into what the total costs of attendance actually are.   Sometimes schools also have additional costs that are not calculated into the "tuition," but they’re fees that all students are still required to pay.  As a student, you’d like to see that your tuition dollars are coming back to you in the form of student services and career advancement opportunities.  Applicants should take all of these things into consideration to make sure that their investments will be worthwhile.

• #5 - School Culture & Student Body

  It is incredibly important to choose a law school that is a “good fit” for you.  Ways to determine whether you would be a “good fit” include the competitive nature of a school and its students, what types of students are admitted (demographics, career goals, personal backgrounds, etc.) and how students generally interact.  Knowing a school's culture before you apply can help you predict how well you would fit in and also what law school admissions committees are looking for in their applicants.         
   
  The most effective way to get a feel for a particular school's culture is to make a visit to the school, sit in on a class, and observe students’ interactions between classes.  If you are unable to visit a school before you submit your applications, you can still contact the school to see if student ambassadors or representatives may be able to answer questions for you.  You can also read through a school's brochures to see how the school describes its own culture.  An important part of applying to law schools is being an informed consumer.  The more you know about a particular school, the better off you will be in the long run.

• #4 - Recruiting & Networking Opportunities

  
  Law school is an expensive investment, and you want to make sure your investment pays off after you graduate.   For this reason, do not overlook the importance of a law school's career services, on-campus recruiting options, and job prospects for graduates.  Also, prospective law students often fail to appreciate that networking can be just as important in the legal profession as it is in the business world.  A school that has mentorship programs, a strong alumni network, and events with the local legal community can provide students with networking opportunities during and beyond law school.

• #3 - Geographic Location

   

  Location, Location, Location!  A law school's location can be more important than you think.  The city in which a school is located is important because it affects your lifestyle as a student and the professional opportunities available during law school.      
   
  Major law firms generally only have offices in or around larger metropolitan cities.  If your school is located in a small town, the possibilities of being able to work part-time or intern at a law firm during the school year will be limited.   Moreover, a school's close proximity to a major city can mean that alumni stay around in the area after graduation, which creates more opportunities for networking with alumni and other practicing lawyers during law school.

• #2 - Course Offerings & Specific Programs

   

  
  If you have an idea of what area of law you might be interested in practicing, you should make sure that the schools to which you are applying offer courses in that area of law.  For example, if you think you might be interested in being an immigration lawyer, you should make sure that the schools you are applying to offer courses in immigration law.  This may seem like a no-brainer, but many applicants fail to look at a school’s course catalog until after they enroll as students.  Visit a school’s website and look to see what courses second and third-year law students have to choose from.   Course catalogs can change a lot from semester-to-semester and from year-to-year, so just use it as a general reference when you are researching your schools.    
  
  You should also look into what types of clinical programs a school offers.  Legal clinics provide opportunities for law students to work on real cases for real clients under the supervision of a professor.  In a typical law school classroom, you study case law and learn about the law in a more theoretical fashion.  Clinics are a great way for law students to learn the practical applications of the law and develop lawyering skills during law school.a
  
  On an important note, many people change their minds about what area of law they want to go into after they start law school and even after they become lawyers, so you shouldn’t pigeon-hole yourself into a specific area of law too early on.  It's important to get a great general legal education, so keep an open-mind and keep your options open. 

• #1 - Rankings & Reputation

   

  
  Although applicants shouldn't rely too heavily on the U.S. News & World Report rankings, rankings are a useful reference for understanding the prestige and reputation that is associated with a specific legal institution.  When using rankings as a reference, you should look at "tiers" rather than the actual numbered rankings.  In other words, it doesn't really matter if one school is ranked #22 and another is ranked #24 because they are both within the same tier.  However, there can be a big difference between one school that is ranked #7 and another that is ranked #30.  
   
  
  Going to a higher ranked school can mean greater employment options after graduation.  According to Anna Ivey, author of The Ivey Guide to Law School Admissions, attending a top-tier school means that your law degree will be much more "portable" than a degree from a school in a lower-tier.  In other words, a person who graduates from a top-tier school will not be limited to working in just the regional area in which the law school is located.  It will be easier for these students to find jobs in any city in which they’d like to work.  However, if you attend a lower-tier school, it might be more difficult to find a legal job outside of the region in which your school is located.    
  
  
  Especially in the economic recession, going to a top-tier school is even more important now than it has been.  In the past when the legal industry was thriving and legal jobs were plenty, law firms were willing to make visits to the campuses of lower-ranked schools to recruit students for jobs.  Since the legal industry has been especially hit hard by the financial crisis,