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 Appalachian Law, James Madison, George Mason, and University of Virginia.
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 James Madison, Regent University, and George Mason.
- Diverse: For a diverse student body, consider George Mason, Regent University, University of Virginia, and William and Mary.
- Adult Learners: For lots of adult learners, consider Regent University and George Mason.
School Setting
- Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of Washington and Lee University, University of Richmond, Regent University, and William and Mary.
- Dorms: For a residential campus environment, take note of University of Richmond, William and Mary, Washington and Lee University, and James Madison.
Excellence
- SAT: For students with high SAT scores, look at Washington and Lee University, William and Mary, University of Virginia, and University of Richmond.
- % Accepted: For selective institutions, look at Washington and Lee University, University of Virginia, William and Mary, and University of Richmond.
- Class Size: For small class sizes, look at Washington and Lee University, University of Richmond, William and Mary, and Regent University.
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
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George Mason University Law School • Arlington, VA
Studying Law (completion in 1993)
• 9/14/2011
"GMU Law School gave me the legal credentials I wanted to meet my goals. In 1993 the school was not of the same caliber and could not compete with the top law schools or secure judicial clerkships and top honor positions. But I wanted solid credentials for work as a government attorney and I was well prepared for that goal. I advanced well in my career and give much credit to the education and contacts I received from GMU Law School."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Especially today, the law school is a thriving and robust program. It attracts influential jurists to serve as faculty and has a very robust set of programs and specialties available for students, especially in the field of patent law and economics. GMU law offers a relative bargain in tuition costs for in-state students since it is a state school. Scholarship programs are readily available and most students get some sort of financial aid or grant. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | When I graduated in 1993, the reputation was just average. GMU Law School now has a very strong reputation, especially in the field of economics, and attracts outstanding speakers and adjunct professors who specialize in law and economic programs. |
| Program Quality | 6 | George Mason University Law School was relatively new when I attended. It has since developed a very strong program. I was satisfied with the curriculum for a general law degree. These days they offer a robust spectrum of specialties in various fields of law. |
| Instruction | 7 | I had three Supreme Court nominees for professors at various times in my 4 year program. All of the professors had distinguished careers in the private or public sectors and were in high demand. |
| How Difficult | 8 | The coursework is hard and is tedious. The challenge is always to keep your head above water, especially since most students are working part-time jobs while in school (often fulltime jobs for night students). It is important that the coursework be demanding since the point is to pass the bar exam which is no walk in the park. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | In 1993, GMU was primarily book learning with only a few hands on legal clinics, internships and training programs. Now there is a broad range of clinic programs and internships that allow students to get serious real world experience before graduation. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 6 | I was a night student and had decent access to a broad range of courses. But, very often, they were only offered in one time slot at night - you had to choose carefully. The day students had more opportunities to choose a flexible schedule since there were more offerings of each course through the week. |
| Academic Facilities | 4 | In 1993, George Mason University Law School was centered in an old abandoned storefront while it awaited the building of its new state of the art facility. Our facilities, including a cafeteria, law library, media center and classroom spaces back then were humble and improvised at best. Today the school has wonderful facilities just a short walk from the DC metro and can compete with nearby George Washington and Georgetown in "ambiance." |
| Social Life | 2 | The Law School was in a separate part of town from the main George Mason University and there was no real effort to create a school spirit around the larger GMU identity. We didn't participate in University social events or athletics. The Law School itself did hold alumni networking functions, moot court competitions and coffee house speaking engagements with area attorneys so there was something of a network. |
| Placement Services | 5 | In 1993, there was a limited program to help with job placement. The real focus was on getting student intern positions and from there the hope was you might get hired when you graduated. In 2011 there is a very robust program in second and third years to provide interview opportunities, help with resume writing, and showcasing student work to prospective employers. |
| Alumni Network | 7 | There is a strong alumni network that offers several networking events in the course of the school year. The primary focus of course is on fund-raising. George Mason is very intent on improving its alumni donations so as to improve its overall rankings within the law school community. |
George Mason School Of Law • Arlington, VA
Studying Law (completion in 2007)
• 10/9/2011
"I got a great education at a great price. I am doing public interest work now, which is what I want to do."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | It's an excellent value for Virginia residents. It's also in a great location, being right outside of Washington, DC, which is a huge market for lawyers. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | In Virginia, its reputation is very good and getting better all the time. I am told that the school is still pretty much an unknown outside of Virginia. |
| Program Quality | 7 | George Mason is a great value for residents of Virginia. There are schools that are even better than George Mason. |
| Instruction | 7 | George Mason has excellent professors and the career services office works very hard to help its students. The school is not that old so it doesn't have the alumni network that older schools of comparable reputations have. This impacts job searches. |
| How Difficult | 9 | Law is a long and difficult graduate program. Based on my conversations with other attorneys, George Mason is as difficult as most schools. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The school has a good mix of theory and practical application. The legal writing program is mandatory and consists of 4 core classes and 2 electives, all of which focus on different aspects of legal writing (i.e. trial vs. appellate). Second and third year students can also take trial advocacy classes and clinical classes to get real courtroom experience. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 6 | A lot of courses are offered during the day or evening. It's a small school, so certain courses are only offered at one time because there would not be enough students to fill a second class. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | The library was excellent and the staff was always helpful. The school just constructed a new building which has the latest technology. |
| Social Life | 7 | The law school had a variety of social and school related functions for students to attend. The law school is located in a different city than the main university campus, which limits opportunities to attend sporting events and other things of that nature. |
| Placement Services | 7 | The staff works very hard, is very professional, and is very helpful--even to those who have been out of school for years. They are constantly working to improve, and it seems that there are more career options available to each new class. It still hasn't reached the level of the nation's most elite schools. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | The school has a good reputation. It's only been around since the early 80s and it's a small school, so the network hasn't developed as much as it has for many other larger and older schools. |
William & Mary School Of Law • Williamsburg, VA
Studying Juris Doctorate (completion in 1998)
• 10/2/2011
"Because I am dissatisfied with my career, I cannot give the school a higher rating. I very much enjoyed my time in law school, however, and I rate the professors, facilities, and student body highly."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | On the assumption that the individual is sure they want to pursue a career in law, I would recommend William & Mary to someone else. The only other caveat would be that the person should go to the best law school to which they are admitted and twenty or so schools outrank William & Mary. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | While there are a few better known and more respected schools, William & Mary is very highly regarded in the area I live and work. People often indicate they are impressed when I tell them where I went to law school. |
| Program Quality | 8 | The teachers are excellent. The facilities and reputation of the school are outstanding. There are better schools, however. |
| Instruction | 8 | The professors were almost uniformly exceptional in both subject matter knowledge and teaching ability. I would have enjoyed more and better courses emphasizing practical knowledge and skills. |
| How Difficult | 8 | It was relatively easy to make middle of the pack grades. Making it to the top of the class required, of those who made it, an extraordinary amount of studying. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Most of the learning dealt with theory and black letter law. While William & Mary was trying to implement a practical skills program, the program was fairly rudimentary. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | There are options for study abroad, summer classes, and some evening classes. There is no formal part-time program of which I am aware and the core curriculum is set, if not in stone, at least in concrete. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | The facilities and resources were excellent. The library, while not particularly large, was well stocked and staffed. The gem of the school was a technologically advanced courtroom for mock trials, demonstrations, and the like. |
| Social Life | 7 | The social life at William & Mary is vibrant. However, being a small school in a small town, there is not the range of social options that there would be at a larger school or at a school in a larger city. |
| Placement Services | 5 | The personnel is very helpful and they have implemented programs to help students and alumni find jobs. I have had no success so far using their job placement and/or career services. |
| Alumni Network | 8 | The network is fairly strong in northern Virginia and the D.C. area generally. The alumni association holds events and career fairs regularly. |
University Of Virginia School Of Law • Charlottesville, VA
Studying Law (completion in 2002)
• 12/3/2011
"The school has served me well since graduating. I am glad that I went."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | The school is well respected. You can get a good-quality education in a collegial environment. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | It is typically in the top ten. Other lawyers recognize it as being a good law school. |
| Program Quality | 9 | UVA Law is a well-respected law school--ranked in the top 10 of law schools throughout the nation. I believe that my degree from UVA Law has helped my career. |
| Instruction | 9 | I think the quality of instruction was great. I question how relevant law school education is in general. We do not gain much practical knowledge in law school--just learning how to "think like a lawyer." I think there is probably a better method that could teach us both at the same time. |
| How Difficult | 9 | Compared to my prior educational experiences, law school was significantly harder than anything I had previously experienced. Once I graduated law school, though, I felt like I worked much harder/had longer hours. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Most of the classes were taught out of books. The law school does have some clinics, but I didn't participate in any. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | I don't think they offer summer school or night classes. I think their offerings are pretty typical of similarly ranked law schools. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | I don't know what other resources the school could have had that we lacked. Professors were accessible. |
| Social Life | 10 | I think this is an area where UVA Law excels. People were friendly, and it was not a cutthroat environment. I enjoyed being with the people at my school. |
| Placement Services | 9 | They helped me get a job, and I didn't know what I was doing. They have good stats on finding people jobs. |
| Alumni Network | 9 | I think the network is good. I haven't used it that often, but I have been involved in the hiring of other UVA Law students/graduates, and they were connected to me by the law school. |
University Of Richmond • Richmond, VA
Studying Juris Doctor (completion in 2010)
• 12/28/2011
"The University of Richmond made me feel welcome and prepared me to pass the bar exam of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. The campus is the most beautiful in the country and the faculty is very prepared to teach young lawyers."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | I wouldn't recommend anyone pursue a career as an attorney, as the job market is simply too bad. However, if they insist on going, the University of Richmond is a great school to attend. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | The University of Richmond was ranked in the 60s and 70s in national top 100 lists. When I have spoken with judges and others well established in the legal field, they have nothing but good things to say about the University of Richmond. |
| Program Quality | 10 | The University of Richmond School of Law had excellent teachers and a beautiful campus. They treated me like family and I learned a lot in the three years I was there. |
| Instruction | 9 | The instructors were very knowledgeable about the subject matter. Most of the professors even knew how to make some of the more boring subject matter interesting and easy to pay attention to. |
| How Difficult | 10 | The level of competition at the University of Richmond was very high. My fellow classmates were very prepared and knowledgeable about the subject matter, making it difficult to do well without extreme effort. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | There were several classes that taught litigation techniques or pleading drafting. Some classes had no textbook at all and ended with a mock trial final. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | The law school offered all types of classes; day, night, afternoon or morning. They made it possible to schedule the core classes with various elective options available to diverse interest groups. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | The library was very well stocked. There was also easy access to several computers, printers, and microfiche machines. |
| Social Life | 10 | The students were extremely social and accepting of each other. The school offered several, even monthly, social gatherings to facilitate the students' social networking. |
| Placement Services | 5 | The legal job market is not very good, and the University of Richmond's career services center could only do so much. They do help with finding jobs around Richmond, but not so much if you want to live elsewhere. |
| Alumni Network | 7 | The school's alumni were very active at the school; some were even practicing lawyers and adjunct legal skills professors. There were several furnished lounges at the school provided by alumni. |
George Mason University School Of Law • Arlington, VA
Studying Law (completion in 2010)
• 12/27/2011
"Good education overall, with a good faculty, and a good value for money. I might have wished for more prestige, but otherwise, I was satisfied."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | You will be well prepared and meet interesting people. It is a better value for money than most other law schools. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | Underrated for the quality of the school, but rising. Suffers by being compared to Georgetown nearby. |
| Program Quality | 8 | Professors are very good and have experience in their field. Not as prestigious as it could be. |
| Instruction | 9 | Professors are experienced and accessible. Curriculum gives a solid foundation in the basic material necessary to pass the bar and practice. |
| How Difficult | 8 | Throughout the year, expect 100 pages of reading per night. Legal writing is difficult when assignments are due. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | All students do at least one moot court and write sample briefs. However, clinic participation is not required and most classes are based on casebooks. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 7 | Not many sections offered of some classes. Night classes are just as good as day classes, and going part-time is an option. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | Professors are generally very accessible. Very good library and a nice, new building. |
| Social Life | 5 | I am not a party person. Many students have jobs or other experience in the DC area before attending, which means that you will attend with people who are adults with other things in their life than school. Some social events, but it is mostly a very serious and focused school. |
| Placement Services | 5 | Not very good, but no one else's is either. Best for those pursuing very standard government or big law firm paths. |
| Alumni Network | 6 | The alumni network is mostly concentrated in the DC area and government. Career Services is not very helpful for placement. |
T.C. Williams School Of Law-University Of Richmond • Richmond, VA
Studying Juris Doctor (completion in 2004)
• 3/5/2012
"Basically, it was three years in academic la-la land. Little of what I did there is helping me out now."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | no | No. No. A thousand times no! There are simply too many lawyers and JDs out there. There are no jobs for any of us, and what jobs are available are low paying under bad conditions. "A dignified road to poverty." |
| Program Reputation | 8 | It was a second tier law school. It also had a good local reputation. |
| Program Quality | 2 | Academic, socratic, ivory tower garbage. Virtually nothing they did prepared anyone for real practice. A bar review with a briefing on legal research would've accomplished as much, quicker and cheaper--that is, if the Man allowed for it. |
| Instruction | 2 | Mostly deranged narcissists lecturing on why they're brilliant and everyone in the class in pond scum. About 90% of class and study time was a waste. |
| How Difficult | 8 | A lot of insanely difficult reading for only a B. The policy of a grading curve was mostly ignored. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Virtually all of it was academic. Virtually no review of how a case is actually litigated, except for "law skills" classes and courtroom bootcamp where little of use was taught, let alone absorbed. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | A typical full-time education curriculum. Night classes, weekend classes, and off-season study was rare. |
| Academic Facilities | 4 | A big library with a lot of tech and study space, though little of use is done with it. |
| Social Life | 2 | Mostly a collection of the worst people you'll ever meet in undergrad. There were a few okay people, though. |
| Placement Services | 1 | The most slack office you've ever seen. What little they did was meet-and-greets for the cream of the crop students for clerkships and big law positions. |
| Alumni Network | 2 | I never hear from them about anything remotely relevant. Maybe they'll host a CLE once in a while, but that's it. |
George Mason University School Of Law • Arlington, VA
Studying Criminal Law (completion in 2007)
• 3/25/2012
"I accomplished what I wanted to accomplish there, and I am grateful for the opportunity to have done that. That said, I don't feel any special loyalty to my law school as I know other lawyers do."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | The availability of an evening program makes the school very attractive to working professionals. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | The school is climbing in the U.S. News & World Report rankings, so I believe it has a good reputation. |
| Program Quality | 5 | My school did not have a diverse range of courses available to those wishing to specialize in criminal law. |
| Instruction | 5 | I was an evening student, and the school's policies were not amenable to an evening student who was commuting 50+ miles each way to attend school. |
| How Difficult | 8 | Law school as a whole was difficult; it was likely more challenging for me because I was working full time and had less time to study/prepare. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Law school in general is a combination of both hands-on and book-learning; I would say GMU-Law stuck with the norm. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | It was flexible in that it offered an evening program for students like me; that said, the course offerings made it challenging to take everything I wanted to because certain courses were not offered in the evening. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | I never had any difficulty getting help if I needed it. |
| Social Life | 3 | As an evening student who lived far away, I was not able to participate in a lot of the social or networking events offered to law students. |
| Placement Services | I found my job on my own through professional connections of my employer at the time. I have never used the school's job placement or career services, so I don't feel I can render a fair opinion of them. | |
| Alumni Network | 6 | I don't use the school's alumni network that often, as I didn't feel very connected to the school as an evening student. However, I believe they have a good network in place for those who remained in the region (I did not). |
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