Choosing a law school is a personal and often difficult decision. We recommend students start by developing a checklist of what they want from law school. This checklist can help you get started during your evaluation of law schools.

Factors to consider
LSAC.org is a great place to get non bias information during your law school application process. We recommend students utilize the information gathered by LSAC for their checklist. According to a study done by the Law School Admissions Council, students choose the below factors as most important in their decision to choose a law school. (Visit LSAC)

• Breadth and support of alumni network
• Breadth of curriculum
• Clinical programs
• Collaborative research opportunities with faculty
• Commitment to innovative technology
• Cost
• Externship options
• Faculty accessibility
• Intensity of writing instruction
• Interdisciplinary programs
• International programs
• Law library strengths and services
• Loan repayment assistance for low-income lawyers
• Location
• Part-time enrollment options
• Public interest programs
• Quality of teaching
• Racial and gender diversity within the faculty and student body
• Religious affiliation
• Size of first-year classes
• Skills instruction
• Specialized areas of faculty expertise

Once students have identified what they want from a law school, we recommend choosing a set of schools. Pick a few schools you would eventually like to apply to. Be realistic when selecting schools.

It is often recommended choosing schools along the lines of:
1. Long-shot Schools: Choose a couple of your dream schools to research and apply to.
2. Maybe Schools: Choose a couple of schools you would like to go to but might be tough to get into.
3. Probable Schools: Choose a couple of schools you will likely get in
4. Definite: Choose a couple of schools you should definitely get in

Remember, this is just a recommendation. There is no right way to apply or research schools. Our recommendation is just a general guide to help students get started.

After getting a list of schools that potentially fit the model above, we recommend doing comprehensive research. The more you learn about the schools you've chosen, the better you'll feel about your choices. You may also be surprised to learn something about a school you didn't know. You will likely adjust your list of schools above once you start researching.

Below we have listed a few good places to start your research.