In the United States, law school is a three-year undergraduate degree that allows students to specialize in legal studies. The most prestigious schools are known as “Ivy League” or “Top 14” law schools, representing the best of the best in legal education.
The Top 14 refers to the elite group of law schools that dominate the top 14 spots on U.S. News & World Report’s annual ranking of Best Law Schools by the undergraduate program.
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What Is Ivy Law School?
Ivy Law School is a unique law school in the USA. As an online law school, it offers a wide range of advantages and opportunities for students to learn law without a lot of administrative hassles.
Ivy Law School recently released its list of top law schools that have jumped to the top of their ranks.
The list comprises law schools that have increased their ranks in the US News & World Report’s most recent rankings. These schools are listed because they are known for their excellent programs, facilities, and teaching.
Top 5 Ivy League Law School In the US By 2024
Here we will look at the first 14 best ivy-league schools of law in 2024, starting from the highest to the lowest.
1. Yale University School Of Law
Yale Law School is the law school of Yale University, located in New Haven, Connecticut. Founded in 1824, it is the oldest law school in the United States, and is generally considered to be one of the most prestigious in the world.
The school offers J.D., LL.M., M.S.L., J.S.D., Ph.D., and L.L.M degrees in law and is home to numerous centers of legal scholarship, including the Center for the Study of Corporate Law, the Information Society Project, the Media Freedom, and Information Access Clinic and more.
2. Harvard School Of Law
Since 1817, Harvard Law School has educated thousands of students, many of whom have gone on to become some of the most influential lawyers in American history.
Students are able to enroll in either the full-time or part-time program for a period of three years, after which they are awarded the Juris Doctor degree.
Applicants must have received a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university and must have earned a minimum GPA of 3.5.
In addition to that, applicants must take the LSAT (Law School Admission Test), as well as submit a personal statement and letters of recommendation.
3. Columbia University School Of Law
Founded in 1858, Columbia Law School is the oldest law school in New York City and the fifth oldest in the United States.
Located in Morningside Heights on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, Columbia Law
offers J.D., LL.M, and J.S.D. degrees in law.
Each year, the Law School educates over 800 Juris Doctor and graduate law students from more than 60 countries around the world.
4. University Of Pennsylvania School Of Law
University of Pennsylvania Law School is an American law school in the University City neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
It is currently ranked as one of the top ten law schools in the United States and is ranked # 1 for its Clinical training program. It was # 1 on the 2015 U.S. News & World Report’s list of “Best Graduate Schools”.
University of Pennsylvania Law School was established in 1836 making it one of the oldest law schools in the country.
The school has produced many notable alumni including Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, former FCC Chairman Newton Minow as well as actors Vincent D’On.
It was also one of the first law schools to accept women and minorities.
5. Cornell Law School
The law school at Cornell University is the oldest in the state of New York. For over 150 years, Cornell Law alumni have played a vital role in shaping American law and society.
Today, the students continue that legacy by building on the Law School’s unique strengths in areas such as intellectual property, human rights, environmental law, and international law.
Cornell Law is one of the few law schools
to offer a broad range of education and training opportunities for lawyers who
are preparing for public service careers. The Law School’s renowned Institute
for International Law and Justice trains outstanding lawyers to work on issues
involving international Law.
Other Top School Of Law
6. Stanford University School Of Law
The Stanford Law School delivers a practical program of study in the traditional law school subjects (constitutional and administrative legal foundations, contracts, criminal law and procedure, torts, civil procedure, remedies, legal research, and writing) but with an emphasis on the role of law in society and on the application of legal skills to practical problems.
Stanford Law School focuses uniquely on the interrelationships among law, technology, and business.
It is one of few law schools that emphasize this relationship in its curriculum. The school maintains a close connection to Silicon Valley and provides students with career opportunities through its varied clinics.
7. University Of Chicago School Of Law
The University of Chicago School of Law is one of the leading law schools in the United States. Located in Hyde Park, Chicago, U.S. News & World Report named it the top law school in the country for its clinical training program.
The University of Chicago Law School is one of the most selective law schools in the country, and a strong LSAT score is necessary to be accepted into this prestigious institution.
In 2016-2017, approximately 10% of applicants were admitted. However, students with a GPA between 3.8 and 4.0 had an admission rate of around 50%.
8. University Of Virginia School Of Law
The University of Virginia’s School of Law, founded in 1819, is the second-oldest law school in the United States.
The law program at UVA has risen to a top 20 national ranking and has been consistently ranked among the top 10 public law schools by US News & World Report.
The School is home to 54 legal specialties, many of which are housed in more than 40 affiliated centers and institutes.
The school has an alumni network of over 25,000 graduates and a strong career placement track record that has seen 91% of recent graduates secured full-time employment within ten months after graduation.
9. University of California School of Law, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley, School of Law is one of 14 schools and colleges at the University of California, Berkeley.
Berkeley Law is one of the nation’s premier law schools at UC Berkeley. Offering JD, LLM, JSD, and joint degrees, as well as individual courses
Berkeley Law is consistently ranked within the top 10 law schools in the United States and the world and within the top three public law schools in the United States.
University of California, Berkeley, is a public research university in the United States. It was founded in 1868 and operates on a large campus near the center of Oakland, California.
UC Berkeley offers undergraduate and graduate programs in diverse fields, including law.
In 2016 U.S. News & World Report ranked UC-Berkeley 2nd among top Public Universities and 8th among top universities.
10. Duke University School Of Law
Duke University School of Law is a top-tier Durham, North Carolina law school. The school is home to approximately 600 students, with a student body of more than one-half women.
Duke Law’s JD program provides students with varied opportunities for experiential learning, including the opportunity to study at international centers in Africa and Asia.
Duke Law also hosts an impressive roster of speakers who share their experience in legal practice: these have included Supreme Court Justices, leading law professors, and experienced lawyers from across the country.
Their website also features information about financial aid, student news, and alumni information.
READ ALSO: 13 Best Law Universities in South Africa in 2024
11. University Of Michigan School Of Law
The University of Michigan Law School is a public law school in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Established in 1859, it is the oldest continuously operating law school in the Upper Midwest.
It was one of the founding schools of the Association of American Law Schools.
(AALS).
Michigan Law offers a broad selection of courses, including areas of specialty such as health law, information technology, tax law, and international and comparative law.
The school’s extensive clinical program allows students to provide legal services to underserved communities through programs like the Immigrant Rights Clinic and the Business and Entrepreneurship Clinic.
The school offers a wide range of degree options, including Master of Laws (LLM) programs, Doctor of Juridicial Science (SJD) programs, and joint-degree options for advanced business or public policy studies.
12. Northwestern University Law
NU Law is a top-ranked law school that has been consistently ranked in the top 40 law schools in the country by U.S. News and World Report while being tied for the best law school in Illinois, according to the same publication.
It also has a generous financial aid program, which is necessary since attending Northwestern University is not cheap. It has even been named one of the best values in legal education by The National Jurist.
What makes Northwestern unique is its balance between theory and practice. Students are trained in both transactional law and dispute resolution.
It is one of the eight law schools currently affiliated with or part of the University. The school was founded in1859 and has an enrollment of about 1,000 students.
The law school pioneered the first upper-level coursework program for law students to earn degrees in business fields such as accounting, finance, and management.
READ ALSO: 10 Best Law Schools in Virginia | Ranking 2024
13. New York University School Of Law
NYU School of Law is among the most prestigious law schools in the United States.
It offers a wide range of degrees and postgraduate programs, including LL.M., J.S.D., M.S., and L.L.M. degrees; specialization programs; certificates; and joint degrees in partnership with other institutions worldwide.
14. Georgetown University Law School
Georgetown University Law School is one of the oldest law schools in the United States. It was founded in 1870 by a Jesuit priest and is still run by the Society of Jesus.
The school has been ranked as the #1 law school in the country for 14 straight years by U.S. News & World Report, and it is consistently ranked among the top ten law schools in the country.
The school accepts about half of all applicants, and tuition for a full-time student is slightly over $50,000.
Best Ivy Law Schools For Your Future Job Prospect
Ivy League schools, such as Harvard and Yale, are typically regarded as the most prestigious law schools in the country.
SAT scores and GPA are important indicators for success in law school, and these factors vary significantly by school.
Harvard’s average combined SAT score is 1558, and their average GPA is 3.87, but Cornell’s combined SAT score is 1452, and their average GPA is 3.71.
It’s also important to note that Ivy League schools have notoriously low acceptance rates.
Conclusion
Law school is a huge investment for anyone, but if you want to attend the country’s best law schools, you have to pay even more.
You can join the ranks of the most prestigious law schools in the country, like Harvard and Yale, by getting into one of the Ivy League law schools. But what makes them so special?
An Ivy League law school degree will open doors for you that other degrees could never dream of. You’ll be able to work anywhere from $10,000-$15,000 more per year than a typical lawyer.