Although there are only three law schools in Tennessee, students looking to attend law school in the Volunteer State have the luxury of choosing between a few of the country's top institutions. With two top tiered law schools and another third tier school, prospective law students looking to stay or travel to Tennessee have a few of the best schools in this region to consider.
Vanderbilt University
Located in Nashville, the Vanderbilt University Law School is ranked as one of the top three law schools in the South by U.S. News & World Report. According to those rankings, Vanderbilt was ranked 17th overall in the entire nation in 2009 and ranks behind only the University of Virginia and Duke University in the southern United States.
Founded in 1874, the school has a current enrollment of 630 law students and has a $100 million endowment. Admission to Vanderbilt is extremely competitive. During the 2007-2008 application cycle, only 191 students enrolled out of 4,336 total applications for an enrollment rate of just 4.4. percent.
Vanderbilt University Law School
131 21st Ave. South
Nashville, TN 37203
(615) 322-2615
law.vanderbilt.edu
University of Tennessee
The University of Tennessee College of Law in Knoxville is ranked as the state's top public law school. Ranked 59th overall in the 2009 U.S. News & World Report law school rankings, UT also offers a clinical law program ranked 15th in the country and was named the 14th best value among law schools by the same publication. In 2009, the school admitted 394 students out of 1,460 applications for a selection rate of 27 percent. Those selected had a median LSAT scare of 160 and a median grade point average of 3.57.
University of Tennessee College of Law
1505 W. Cumberland Ave.
Knoxville, TN 37996
(865) 974-2521
law.utk.edu
University of Memphis
Rated as a third tier law school by U.S. News & World Report in 2009, the University of Memphis's Cecil C. Humphreys Law School isn't as well-regarded as its other instate counterparts. Founded in 1962, the school's law program is relatively new. UM has an enrollment of 421 law students, 143 of which enrolled in 2009. Applicants admitted to the school in 2009 had a median LSAT score of 156 and a median grade point average of 3.42.
The University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law
1 North Front Street
Memphis, TN 38103
(901) 678-2421
memphis.edu/law
Tags: News World, News World Report, University Memphis, University Tennessee, Vanderbilt University