Each year, 10 law schools outweigh the rest.
The American Bar Association currently reports having 199 accredited law schools in the United States, 11 of which are provisionally accredited. Each year, US News & World Report releases its listing of the best law schools, which contains numerical rankings for each of these 199 law schools. This year, ten universities ranked above the rest and each earned a coveted top spot.
Yale University
Students from 47 states and 30 countries travel to New Haven, Connecticut, to attend Yale Law School, the No. 1 law school in the nation. More than 12,000 of Yale's alumni hold positions in the top law firms and businesses in the country. The class of 2012 had an acceptance rate of 8 percent with a median undergraduate GPA of 3.9 and a median LSAT score of 173.
Yale Law School
127 Wall St.
New Haven, CT 06511
203-432-4992
law.yale.edu
Harvard University
Six out of the nine current Supreme Court justices attended Harvard Law School in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Harvard has almost 2,000 J.D., 160 LL.M., and 50 S.J.D. students enrolled full-time in 2010. The class of 2012, who represent 157 undergraduate institutions, holds a median undergraduate GPA of 3.96 and a median LSAT of 176.
Harvard Law School
1563 Massachusetts Ave.
Cambridge, MA 02138
617-495-3100
law.harvard.edu
Stanford University
Founded in 1893 in Stanford, California, Stanford Law School awards J.D.s to some of the top attorneys in the nation. The J.D. candidates have an undergraduate GPA range of 3.12 to 4.14, and an LSAT score range of 160 to 180.
Stanford Law School
559 Nathan Abbott Way
Stanford, CA 94305
650-723-2465
law.stanford.edu
Columbia University
Columbia University, one of the five Ivy League law schools, is located in New York. With a 4.6 percent acceptance rate, the class of 2012 has a median undergraduate GPA of 3.72 and a median LSAT score of 172.
Columbia Law School
435 W. 116th St.
New York, NY 10027
212-854-2640
law.columbia.edu
University of Chicago
University of Chicago Law School is located in Chicago. With an acceptance rate of less than 4 percent, University of Chicago is one of the most competitive law schools in the nation. Each application is reviewed individually, and there are no cut off GPA or LSAT scores.
The University of Chicago Law School
1111 E. 60th St.
Chicago, IL 60637
773-702-9494
law.uchicago.edu
New York University
New York University is another top 10 law school located in New York City. Their admissions process is very competitive. The admitted class of 2012 had an admission rate of 7%, with a median undergraduate GPA of 3.75 and a median LSAT score of 171.
New York University School of Law
40 Washington Square S
New York, NY 10012
212-998-6060
law.nyu.edu
University of California---Berkeley
Located in Berkeley, California, University of California---Berkeley School of Law is one of four law schools in the University of California system. With an acceptance rate of 3.7 percent, a median undergraduate GPA of 3.83, and a median LSAT score of 168, the Berkeley class of 2012 are some of the brightest law students in the nation.
University of California Berkeley School of Law
215 Boalt Hall
Berkeley, CA 94720
510-642-1741
law.berkeley.edu
University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania Law School, located in Philadelphia, is one of the oldest law schools in the country. Their admissions process is very selective, and only 4 percent of applicants, with a median undergraduate GPA of 3.70 and a median LSAT score 169 enrolled as the class of 2012.
University of Pennsylvania Law School
3400 Chestnut St.
Philadelphia, PA 19104
215-898-7400
law.upenn.edu
University of Michigan---Ann Arbor
The University of Michigan---Ann Arbor has over 1,000 students studying towards their J.D. It also offers several dual degree programs, combining law with several Master of Arts and Master of Science degrees. Over 20,000 of their graduates take on leadership roles all over the world.
The University of Michigan Law School
625 S. State St.
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
734-764-1358
law.umich.edu
University of Virginia
Located in Charlottesville, Virginia, the University of Virginia School of Law awards more than 300 J.D.s each year. The class of 2012 boasts a median undergraduate GPA of 3.85 and a median LSAT of 170.
University of Virginia School of Law
580 Massie Rd.
Charlottesville, VA 22903
434-924-7351
law.virginia.edu
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