Here are some tips for selecting schools, based on an analysis comparing each school to all others across dozens of factors:
Schools Concentrating On Lawyers
- Focus: For schools with a focus on this career area, look at Southern University Law Center and LSU.
Fastest Response From Schools
- Request Info: For the fastest information for prospective students, look at the Spotlight schools on this page.
Student Body
- Part-Time: For schools emphasizing part-time studies, consider Loyola University.
- Diverse: For a diverse student body, consider Southern University Law Center and Tulane University of Louisiana.
- Adult Learners: For lots of adult learners, consider Loyola University.
School Setting
- Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of Tulane University of Louisiana, Loyola University, and LSU.
- Dorms: For a residential campus environment, take note of Loyola University, Tulane University of Louisiana, and LSU.
Excellence
- SAT: For students with high SAT scores, look at Tulane University of Louisiana, Loyola University, and LSU.
- % Accepted: For selective institutions, look at Tulane University of Louisiana.
- Class Size: For small class sizes, look at Loyola University, Southern University Law Center, Tulane University of Louisiana, and LSU.
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
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Tulane Law School • New Orleans, LA
Studying Law (completion in 2001)
• 12/9/2011
"I was pretty satisfied with my school. Most of the problems I had with my legal education in Tulane were things I didn't take enough advantage of while I was there, so the fault was primarily mine. Having said that, it is very expensive for a program that has steadily declined in the ratings, and there are certainly better educations to be had. "
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Tulane was what I wanted from a law school -- friendly and non-competitive; in a lot of ways, the antithesis of what you see in the movie "The Paper Chase" or read about in the book "1L." That was very important to me. It has a friendly vibe with a great social atmosphere. It is not the best legal education out there, but it is not as hard to get into as Yale. It depends on what you want from your law school experience. Tulane was what I wanted out of my law school, and I recommend it as such. |
| Program Reputation | 6 | Tulane is still a top-tier law school. Its ranking, however, has been slipping since at least my 1L year. For the cost, there are definitely better values. |
| Program Quality | 9 | Tulane wound up being exactly what I wanted from a law school: friendly, non-competitive, fun and informative. Not the very best legal education, though, and I found it surprisingly difficult to establish the networking connections that, in retrospect, is what law school is really all about. |
| Instruction | 8 | A bit of a mixed bag. There were some amazing professors, and some really important ones. But I had a horrible legal research and writing instructor my first year, and that really damaged my marketability, since I didn't have the writing samples I needed to get internships during the summers before my 2L and 3L years. |
| How Difficult | 8 | For a top-tier law school, Tulane is not the most rigorous academic program. Although it has some great assets, such as an excellent clinic program, a number of notable and important journals, a good moot court program, and a full civil law curriculum option, not all the classes provided a firm enough grounding in their subjects. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | There are great clinics and journals to work on, and a pretty good moot court program. However, there aren't a ton of slots for all of these things. And, if you don't make it on to the practical part that you try out for (say, moot court or the journal that interests you), then you're pretty much just stuck in a classroom for your 3 years. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | The first year is completely scripted, as in most schools, with one exception: you have to choose between a common law and civil law curriculum after your first semester. I think that is a little early for such a choice; it's necessary to know what sort of Property class you wind up taking. After the first year, you can choose any class you like with very few prerequisites, although the course selection was not as extensive as it could have been. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | Good (not great) library. A new building, but it's already not quite as big as the school could use. Good computer lab. Tiny amount of office/production space for journals. But there are excellent clinic programs and ample classroom space, and the professors (for the most part) were very approachable and helpful. |
| Social Life | 10 | Tulane is a party school, and New Orleans is a party town! Learn how to peel a crawfish when you arrive, though. At least monthly bar reviews, and a very sociable and friendly atmosphere. |
| Placement Services | 5 | The career services department never helped me at all. However, I did not take advantage of everything it offered, as much as I could have. Also, I'm not sure how many other schools' programs would be much better. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I can't say too much about the formal alumni network, as it has never really done anything for me, so I tend to ignore it for the most part. Informally, I made a few very good friends there, and we have continued to keep in touch and try to help each other out over the years since. |
Southern University Law Center • Baton Rouge, LA
Studying (completion in 2011)
• 3/13/2012
"I enjoyed the school and what they were trying to do. Poor job prospects since have been a mix of my own fault and the economy. It's not totally the school's fault."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | It depends on if they have something lined up before starting school. |
| Program Reputation | 3 | Gets laughed at by LSU, Tulane, and Loyola. |
| Program Quality | 5 | The school accepted just about everyone. Not competitive at all. |
| Instruction | 5 | The school tried but did not prepare us for the real world. |
| How Difficult | 3 | School was not bad at all. The aftermath of graduation is what has been tough. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Clinical education is tops in the country. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 6 | It's one of only two law schools in LA that offers night classes. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | Recently, a new law school building was added to the campus. |
| Social Life | 6 | Very tight group because of the small size. |
| Placement Services | 4 | They try, but there are just no jobs. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | Relatively small and not a lot of money. |
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