The Law Schools of Massachusetts
The state of Massachusetts is home to a total of 14 ABA-approved law schools. Six of these are fully accredited, while three of them are in an accredited provisional status. The remaining three are unaccredited law schools.
Notably, the ABA-accredited law schools in Massachusetts include Harvard Law School, Boston College Law School, Boston University Law School, Northeastern University School of Law, UMass School of Law-Dartmouth, and New England Law Boston. Boston University School of Law holds the distinct honor of being the first or oldest law school in the Boston area, as it was founded in 1872. The UMass School of Law-Dartmouth, meanwhile, is the only public law school in the state. It offers a standard JD program in addition to an innovative part-time hybrid program , which combines online courses and weekend classes for students who might not be able to attend a traditional on-campus program full time.
Three of the ABA-accredited law schools in Massachusetts are located in the Boston area: Boston College Law School, Northeastern University School of Law and New England Law Boston. Additionally, two of the three provisional law schools in the state are located in the Boston area. The only other law school is Roger Williams University School of Law, which is based in Bristol, Rhode Island. Located just 18 miles from Boston College Law School, Boston University School of Law and New England Law Boston, RWU School of Law is the only ABA-accredited law school located outside of Massachusetts.
How We Rank Law Schools
Law schools are evaluated based on a variety of criteria that help rank their overall quality. A common yardstick for law school rankings rests upon bar passage rates, which measure the number of students who pass the bar examination after graduating. The Employment Outcomes metric assesses the proportion of graduates who find employment in the legal field. Faculty Credentials consider the qualifications and industry credentials of the law school faculty. Alumni Network evaluates the law school’s ability to connect graduates with new business. Finally, Academic Reputation surveys consider the perceptions and opinions of law school graduates.
Massachusetts law schools that use criteria for ranking law schools as above may benefit from using industry-specific comparisons or unique criteria that apply to given local schools.
Massachusetts’ Best Law Schools
Harvard Law School
Established in 1817, Harvard Law School is America’s oldest law school. The school is part of Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Ranked as the "best law school in the US" by QS World Rankings, Harvard Law School is often on the radar of top applicants. Along with Yale and Stanford Law Schools, it’s one of the top-ranked law schools in the US. It has more than 2000 students associated with it, and they come from 44 countries. Students have the option to choose from over 200 elective courses. The school has several research centers for students to choose from. The law school also has a number of centers dedicated to specific areas of law. Harvard mainly emphasizes legal studies, comparative law, and law and development.
Northeastern University School of Law
Northeastern University School of Law in Boston is also one of the best law schools in Massachusetts. It was launched in 1898 and is more than 120 years old. The school constantly improves its programs. The school offers an interesting four-year legal education program in which two years are spent in the classroom studying, and two years serving as a law clerk in a legal office environment. The latter two years are as part of the Co-op Program. The law school also has more than 7000 alumni. Students study in small sections and learn through diverse teaching methods. They are also encouraged to work in internships around the world. The school has a special office managing employment and internships. It has collaborative relationships with a number of local, national, and international businesses. Northeastern is a highly selective law school, with one of the lowest acceptance rates. Its JD program is particularly popular.
Boston University School of Law
Boston University School of Law in Boston, or Boston Law, is another of the oldest law schools in the country. Founded in 1869, it offers JD, LLM, SJD, and MSCM programs. It also offers a combined 3-year/4-year degree JD-MBA program with the Boston University Graduate School of Management. Boston University’s Law School is known to be relatively diverse. Boston Law is ranked at 30th among US law schools by US News. Some of its other rankings are: The school has around 1000 students, providing them with a student-faculty ratio of 5.9:1. Its tuition is $67,660 per year, making it one of the most expensive law schools in the US.
Are Massachusetts Law Schools Among the Top 25?
While law school rankings will change from year to year, a good rule of thumb when comparing the top law schools in Massachusetts like Boston College, Boston University, and Harvard is doing so in relation to the other top law schools around the nation. The good news for prospective law students is that the top Massachusetts law schools stack up exceptionally well against the competition.
In fact, the top three Massachusetts law schools are nationally ranked in the top 20: Boston College #13, Boston University #14, Harvard Law School #2. While there are other nationally-known law schools with high rankings in the U.S., only Yale #1 and Stanford #3 rank higher than a few of the top schools in Massachusetts.
One law school, New England Law Boston, previously ranked in the top 100 by niche.com, is a member of the Association of American Law Schools, so it, too, can be considered a potential top law school in Massachusetts. Below are the top 10 law schools in the nation and their corresponding ranking among the top Massachusetts law schools.
It is worth pointing out that the only national law school ranking that differs from these is QS World University Rankings which ranks Harvard #1 but puts Boston University all the way down at #312. Yet another ranking lists Boston College as #25 and New England Law Boston at #84. But again, these rankings tend to be outliers, and the more reliable rankings suggest that the top law schools in Massachusetts are on par with the rest of the nation.
What You Need to Get In And Apply for a Law School
Admission requirements across law schools in Massachusetts can vary considerably, but many of them share a common set of baseline requirements for their J.D. programs. Denovos sponsors a website – Top Massachusetts Law Schools – that provides detailed information about the area’s leading law schools, including admission requirements.
Prospective students can use this and other resources to investigate Massachusetts law schools to find the one that offers the best combination of personal interest and professional potential.
LSAT: The LSAT score is the dominant component in most law school admissions applications. Out of a possible score of 180, the average score for all law school applicants in Massachusetts was 158 for the class entering law school in 2013. Subjects on the LSAT include analytical reasoning, logical reasoning and reading comprehension. Some schools, especially those with less prestige, will consider a wider range of LSAT scores than the leading law schools. Generally, however , a competitive score is at least 155 or higher.
GPA: Law school candidates also need to provide a transcript that shows a high undergraduate GPA. Since a student’s academic performance prior to taking the LSAT is another strong indicator of law school success – and thus a school’s own reputation — some top Massachusetts law schools have cut off the average GPA for admission at 3.25.
Other Admission Requirements: Most law schools also require the submission of letters of recommendation and personal essays. The admissions committee at each school generally assesses qualitative factors like work experience, leadership experience, personal interests and personal characteristics, such as candor and respect for others, that can’t be gleaned from objective standards like a GPA and LSAT score.
Application Tips: Most leading law schools in Massachusetts receive an abundant number of applications from individuals with very high GPA’s and LSAT scores, so even qualified applicants will benefit from making their application stand out among the crowd.
If the admissions committee can remember your name after reading a dozen other applications, you’ll be in good shape. To persuade the committee that you will be a great addition to their law school, be memorable. Use your essay and communications to articulate a clear picture of who you are as a person, and who you will become as a lawyer.
Life and Culture on Your Campus
Massachusetts law schools, particularly those in Boston, come with a host of advantages that extend beyond the academic. The student life and cultural opportunities are often considered some of the best in the country, with urban schools in the state offering students the ability to participate in a truly immersive experience.
Of course, the culture at a college extends far beyond the walls of the study hall, lecture room or library. Great parks, fancy restaurants, sporting events, museums and a rich and storied history are things that students can enjoy on their time off.
One area where law schools in Massachusetts shine brightest is their cultural offerings. The numerous educational institutions in the city of Boston have long made this area a location for good music, art, food and fun.
The natural setting of the city and its surrounding areas also add vibrancy to the student experience. Numerous natural beauties dot the landscape of Boston and showcase the high level of care paid by the inhabitants to the environment. While some of these attractions are outside of the city proper, there are numerous historic locations to enjoy right in downtown Boston.
Your ability to enjoy the city is directly related to your own initiative, but students at law schools in Massachusetts have the benefit of being located in a great area.
Possible Careers After Your Studies
Graduates of law schools in Massachusetts can expect to enter a thriving job market with a range of career opportunities open to them. While many consider perennially-popular options such as private practice or state government, its urban centers offer a variety of other opportunities with influential local law sectors found in finance, academia, and the private sector. Many institutions utilize law graduates in a variety of ways, from advisory boards to legal scholars and teachers. No matter the exact career path a graduate pursues, one thing is for certain: law students at Massachusetts schools have a wealth of internal resources with which to chart their career course early. The Massachusetts Bar Association Career Center, for example, hosts various job listings, frequently asked questions, resume tips, educational events and resources for members, and more. The intriguing nature of a law degree makes it a most versatile educational program, with various related programs and fields that encourage personal and professional growth. A degree can be conferred by Harvard Law School at the country’s oldest law school. Praised by many as the most prestigious law school in the country, Harvard boasts an extensive career resource center that provides tools, events and statistics for students eagerly pushing to enter the competitive field of law. Other organizations, such as Northwestern University’s Pritzker School of Law, the George Washington University Law School, or the New England School of Law, which offers education built upon the Socratic method, give their students seemingly endless opportunities to juxtapose real world situations with legal theory. Opening paths to promising opportunities post-grad and adding to the already widely diversified network of professionals in the field, the state of Massachusetts continues to encourage law students annually with a clearly defined path toward promising, meaningful legal careers.
Deciding On the Right School for You
Just as there is no one best law school for everyone, there is no magic formula that guarantees that you will be happy with your choice.
That said, there are a number of factors you should consider. Financial – Can you afford to pay for this school? Can your family back this? Do you want to and can you afford to take on that much debt? What sort of loans will you be eligible to pursue? Keep in mind the interest rates on federal loans in 2019 (as of September) are as high as 7.08%, substantially higher than they have been for a long, long time. Beyond whether you can afford tuition, consider also whether you can afford to turn down a lucrative job after graduation to pursue a clerkship, another degree, a government job or a non-profit job in the public interest area.
Academics – Is the school known for your area of interest? If you want to practice tax law, you should think hard about Yale or NYU. If you always thought criminal law would be exciting, consider Harvard, which was where the entire field was invented. If you see yourself going into business law, look at several of the finest programs in the nation for business law – Boston College, Boston University, and the University of Massachusetts all have fantastic programs. And if you’re influenced by who has taught you throughout your career, you may be pleased to know that Harvard , Boston University and Boston College all have faculty who are prominent judges and scholars.
School Culture – What is the culture like at the school you are considering? Schools like Northeastern and Suffolk emphasize co-ops and externships while Harvard places more emphasis on working in its clinic. In either case, make sure you contact students and ask them what their experiences were like. Remember that students on the recruitment team are not likely to give an unvarnished view, and that students are likely to have differing views, so the more students you can talk to, the better.
Geography – Where do you want to live? Do you wish to stay in Massachusetts? Many fine law schools in Massachusetts have great connections in their local community and may even employ a good number of their students after graduation. Boston College and Boston University have a terrific connection with the Big Law firms in the Greater Boston Area; Boston College’s alumni association is deeply involved in recruiting at the school. Similarly, Boston-area courts frequently hire those Massachusetts law school graduates who do well in class or have a connection to their family (Judges are creatures of habit, and the son of a Judge or the cousin of an administrator of bar organization is going to do better than someone they’ve never seen before.). If you plan to work in a specific market like Chicago or NYC, apply to schools that will get you there – Chicago-Kent to Chicago, Columbia to NYC.
Finding the right school means looking beyond the rankings. Think carefully about which schools are best for you.