Which Law School is Right For Me?
Selecting the ideal law school can be an involved process. You need to take many factors into consideration, including your budget and type of attorney you plan to become.
As part of your self-assessment, it’s crucial that you remain completely honest with yourself so as not to invest years and debt in an endeavor that isn’t aligned with who you really are.
Location
Location can have an immense effect on your college experience, from making classes less daunting to whether or not commuting is worth your while. Your choice of law school may also depend on its proximity to home versus having to commute from somewhere else in a city or state.
As well as considering your law school’s curriculum, it is also essential to think about other elements that make up your legal education experience – this may include things such as study abroad programs and dual degree opportunities as well as clinical opportunities.
While these factors may not be crucial to getting into law school, they can prove invaluable for your future career. For instance, attending law school in New York City offers access to some of the country’s premier law firms and an established legal community which could improve job prospects upon graduation – this makes attending New York law school an attractive option for those wanting to specialize in niche areas of law practice.
Type of Law
As you consider law school as your next career move or look to augment current job skills with legal knowledge, it’s essential that you research different forms of law. A Juris Doctor (JD) degree offers preparation for taking and passing the bar exam; non-JD law degrees such as Master of Legal Studies or Dispute Resolution degrees provide valuable legal skills across a range of industries.
Most schools’ curriculum is similar, with all first-year law students taking courses in civil procedure, contracts, property law and criminal and constitutional law as required coursework. You also have a chance to select electives that match up with your interests – many law students begin exploring their specialization during their first year by participating in clinics, mock trial teams or other experiential programs such as moot court. You can view a comprehensive list of popular law specializations here.
Career Opportunities
When it comes to professional success, choosing a law school that provides jobs can make all the difference in your success. When making this important decision, location plays a significant role.
Location can have an effect on your opportunities: Boston’s thriving tech sector may offer more intellectual property positions while New York is the place for financial work. Furthermore, certain schools cultivate stronger programs within industries nearby as well as alumni who practice them, giving students additional networking options post-graduation.
Campus culture should also play a part in your decision, as some schools offer competitive environments that appeal to some applicants while others might prefer more collaborative surroundings. Many colleges also feature student-run organizations which may help you meet people and find your place within the law school community; speak with current students and alumni about them to get an understanding of the scene.
Personality
If you want to pursue a legal career as either a prosecutor or defense lawyer, be sure to select the law school best suited to your personality type. Otherwise, years may go to waste on something that doesn’t reflect who you truly are.
Emory University and Duke University both boast law schools with strong programs catering to ISTJ (Introvert, Sensing, Thinking and Judgment). Both campuses boast large populations of graduates who went on to practice law as practicing attorneys from this trait; Emory has seen many graduates go into accounting while Duke boasts many ISTJ graduates who became practicing attorneys after matriculating from these law schools due to their strong work ethics and detail-orientation.
An ENTP student (Extroversion, Intuition, Thinking and Perceiving) may do well at Baylor University or University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign as these individuals tend to be intellectually curious thinkers who enjoy intellectual challenges such as case analysis and debates; not afraid of playing devil’s advocate on issues important to them – ethics and integrity being essential traits necessary for being an attorney.