How do I choose a law school?
Make a list of criteria that are important to
you. Perhaps the first thing to think about is where you want to
live and practice when you graduate. If you are fairly certain that
you want to stay in Michigan then you should strongly consider a
Minnesota school or a school with a good enough reputation that you
can take its degree and return to Michigan and get a job. Of course,
you can practice in Michigan with a degree from any accredited law
school, assuming you pass the state's bar exam. So this geographic
rule is not set in stone—but it is something to think about, because
if you go far away to attend law school, you will be giving up local
connections, alumni contacts, word-of-mouth job opportunities, and
the like. On the other hand, if you receive a nice financial aid
package from a school that's far away, you can save money and still
pass the Michigan bar. The idea, then, is to think about your
personal situation, and then select the schools that seem best
suited to your wants and needs.
The following factors may be important to
you:
Size of school/class
Location
Job placement statistics
Financial aid
Quality of faculty |
Reputation
Bar pass rate of graduates
Student satisfaction
Special programs/joint degrees
Expenses (tuition/cost of living) |
Philosophy/Ethics
Minority representation
Alumni network or connections
Attrition rate of students
"The feel" of the place |
It is a very good idea to visit the law
schools you are considering. Having the “feel” of a place helps
students to decide where they will best fit in. I have had a number
of students visit their “heart’s desire” law school, only to find
that it was cold and impersonal. Usually these students end up going
to another school, one where they felt more comfortable and
welcomed.
|
