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Selecting an ideal law school is a vital decision. Law schools are colleges, schools or units within postsecondary institutions which grant degrees of Juris Doctor (J.D), the professional degree required for practicing lawyers in the U.S.

Most legal schools grade on a curve during their first year, introducing students to torts, contracts, criminal law, constitutional law and legal writing among other subjects. Many schools also provide student organizations that focus on specific legal fields.

205 ABA Approved Law Schools

Most law schools are fully American Bar Association-accredited; 45 states, DC, and 5 inhabited territories recognize only law degrees awarded from accredited institutions as qualifying to take the bar exam in those jurisdictions. Students possessing such an accreditation can take their bar exam easily in these jurisdictions.

The American Bar Association’s latest proposed standard would require schools to demonstrate significant progress toward equalizing legal education for all students, which imposes an insurmountable burden upon schools as it would force them either to violate civil rights and legal standards by using race-based preferences, or lose accreditation altogether.

Cooley School sued its accreditor after it published a letter alleging that admissions standards at Cooley were being breached, seeking to force it off their website and withdraw copies sent to other entities such as DOE or licensing authorities. However, the ABA stood its ground by providing examples where similar public letters had been posted publicly for other accreditors.

32 Non-ABA Approved Law Schools

Many aspiring legal professionals choose non-ABA law schools due to the lower tuition costs and flexible scheduling that allows students to complete their legal education at their own pace and balance it with other aspects of life.

Non-ABA law schools also tend to have less stringent admission requirements, making them more accessible for individuals with lower LSAT scores or GPAs and offering them the chance to graduate with much less student debt.

Although attending a non-ABA law school has its advantages, it’s wise to carefully weigh both risks and benefits before making your choice. A degree from such schools may not carry as much prestige in the legal field and could make it harder to secure employment or secure summer internships or clerkships. Furthermore, graduates from such non-ABA law schools are likely to face greater difficulty passing the bar exam so it’s wise to research bar pass rates at such schools before applying.

Total Number of Law Schools in the U.S.

Nearly 200 American Bar Association-accredited law schools exist across the US. These educational institutions meet American Bar Association standards and qualify graduates to sit for any state bar exam across jurisdictions. On average, these programs take three years to complete full time; others can be offered part time or online.

Top law schools typically offer students exceptional facilities, an expansive library collection, talented peers and professors, career connections with employers and competitive starting salaries/employment rates for graduates than lower ranked institutions.

Many prospective students rely on law school rankings when making their application decisions, referencing factors like academic reputation, admissions selectivity, job outcomes and faculty credentials as they make well-informed choices about their educational journeys. By gathering extensive law school data prospective students can make smart choices regarding their legal education journeys.

Total Number of Law Students in the U.S.

The University of Chicago Law School offers a three-year JD programme and Master of Laws (LLM), Doctor of Jurisprudence, and Master of Studies in Law degrees. Students must pay tuition, behave responsibly and honorably, maintain minimum per-semester unit counts and grade point averages, take upper division courses as necessary, and fulfill an academic writing requirement to graduate successfully from their studies at UChicago Law.

The 2021 class of newly entering law students has set records in terms of race/ethnic diversity and first generation student composition, according to LSAC’s Standard 509 data. Most responding 196 ABA-accredited law schools reported having larger 1L classes than last year.

Recent headlines about an anticipated “law school enrollment cliff” do not accurately represent reality; economic factors including real costs associated with legal education and its health in terms of job market demand will have more of an effect. Furthermore, increasing access to LSAC/ABA data will cause more prospective law students to prioritize outcomes-based rankings over traditional factors like reputation/resources/selectivity.