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 Duke and UNC.
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 North Carolina Central University.
- Diverse: For a diverse student body, consider North Carolina Central University and Duke.
School Setting
- Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of Duke, Elon University, Wake Forest University, and Campbell.
- Dorms: For a residential campus environment, take note of Wake Forest University, Elon University, Campbell, and North Carolina Central University.
Excellence
- SAT: For students with high SAT scores, look at Duke, UNC, and Elon University.
- % Accepted: For selective institutions, look at Duke, UNC, Campbell, and Wake Forest University.
- Class Size: For small class sizes, look at Duke, Wake Forest University, UNC, and Elon University.
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
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Duke University School Of Law • Durham, NC
Studying Law (completion in 2011)
• 10/10/2011
"The quality of legal education is very strong. But socially, I did not feel very connected with my classmates. I also felt that career services were not oriented toward people like me."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I would recommend Duke, but I would advise against a career in law in this economy. Law school is very expensive and job prospects are bleak for the next few years. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | Duke Law is well regarded wherever I go. Potential employers are always impressed by the school. |
| Program Quality | 8 | I enjoyed the quality of my legal education. My professors were very dedicated. |
| Instruction | 7 | Duke offered a number of practical skills classes to supplement the regular curriculum. However, I do not feel well-equipped for oral advocacy. |
| How Difficult | 9 | Law school is hard. Duke has high academic standards, but may not be the most challenging given the caliber of students. After the first year, you can choose (within bounds) how many credits to take, so you define your workload to that extent. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Generally, legal education is very book-oriented. However, there are a number of clinics where students can work with actual clients. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 2 | There are no weekend options or online options. I'm pretty sure summer classes are only for JD/LLM students during the first year of the program. This is not a program to be combined with full-time work. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | Professors and law librarians are generally very accessible. There are no tutors of which I am aware. |
| Social Life | 4 | If you're not into beer, there isn't much for you. Nearly all events were centered around beer. |
| Placement Services | 6 | Career services means well, but they tend to focus on the beaten path. They need to do more to help students who do not want a career in BigLaw. |
| Alumni Network | 6 | Career services continues to provide me advice in the job search. However, the alumni network has not reached out in any significant way. |
University Of North Carolina • Chapel Hill, NC
Studying Law (completion in 2006)
• 2/15/2012
"This was a great school - I was very satisfied. I would choose the school again."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | The school was intellectually stimulating and was great for making connections. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | The US News and World Report consistently ranks the school highly. The school's general reputation is great. |
| Program Quality | 9 | The school provided a great value. A legal education is invaluable. |
| Instruction | 9 | Instruction was great. However, as with many law schools, practical career preparation was lacking. |
| How Difficult | 10 | Law school in general is extremely difficult. This school was no different. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The school did not provide very much practical instruction. However, the book learning was great. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | I don't have much to compare it to. However, I had flexibility to schedule my classes as I wished. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | The library was great. The media and computer resources are continuously improving. |
| Social Life | 10 | The school has a great athletics program and sports teams. The school also has a great party atmosphere. |
| Placement Services | 5 | The school does not put very many resources into career placement. Grades, however, are of utmost importance in gaining employment. |
| Alumni Network | 4 | The school has many alumni. However, they do not stay well-connected. |
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