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Best Law Schools In The World
The best law schools in the world are competitive places to apply to and attend – but are they worth all the effort? On the one hand it's a great headstart to your legal career to have the backing of a prestigious law school. However, on the other hand some would argue that it's much more important to focus on choosing the best law course for you rather than just opting for one of the best law schools in the world
Top 10 law schools worldwide
According to recent rankings figures here are the current top 10 best law schools in the world*, and as you can see from the table below they are mosty based in the United Kingdom – like Oxbridge – or the United States.
Many people consider the ranking of the law school you attend to be more important than rankings in other subject areas, but if this is something that you agree with, it's important to make sure you know how to use law school rankings to your advantage.
In this article we're exploring why you should consider studying at one of the best law schools in the world.
|
Ranking |
Law School |
PG Law Courses |
|
1 |
Harvard University |
2 |
|
2 |
University of Cambridge |
5 |
|
3 |
University of Oxford |
12 |
|
4 |
Yale University |
4 |
|
5 |
Stanford University |
2 |
|
6 |
New York University |
2 |
|
7 |
University of California, Berkeley |
6 |
|
8 |
University of Melbourne |
3 |
|
9 |
London School of Economics |
3 |
|
10 |
Columbia University |
2 |
*Source: Top Universities
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Education
Highly respected law schools will attract both the most talented students and the most talented academic staff. If you want to have a challenging group of people teaching you and attending classes with you, then choosing a top-ranked law school is the way forward. The tuition fees may be much higher for these institutions, but being academically stimulated by your teachers and peers on a daily basis is just what you may need to develop a robust understanding of the law.
Funding
The funding and sponsorship that top-ranked law schools attract through corporate sponsors, higher tuition fees and successful alumni mean that there will be plenty of well-funded law clinics and extra-curricular activities to attend. The wealth of some of these highly respected law schools also means that there are a number of scholarships available, such as those at Harvard Law School, to help academically able students afford the tuition fees and student living costs.
Networking
The network of contacts you can tap into with a top-ranked law school is a huge benefit to you. Your professors will be international experts in their fields and will have knowledge of the best places to continue your specialisms after you have graduated. Former alumni will often want to help the next generation of law students and just attending a highly respected law school will help you gain access to incredible opportunities for internships and work experience. Alumni groups and associations, like the one at the London School of Economics, will help you.
Fellow students
Of course, your fellow LLM students will go on to become the legal experts of the future, so you will get to know some of the best legal minds of the future while you study. Well-respected law schools attract applications from students from all over the world and these law schools will compete to get the most talented students among this year's applicants. Learning and growing your knowledge of the world from those who have lived it is a huge benefit of attending a top ranking law school.
Institutions with a global view
To have a career with a global base you need to attend a law school that also has a global view of the study of the law. Along with the international students, a top-ranked law school will attract academic staff from around the world. This understanding of how the world operates on a legal basis will allow you to work in different cultures successfully and happily.
Recruitment from highly respected law firms
The world’s best and most respected law firms recruit from the best law schools. It's partly because the alumni of these schools have gone on to work for the best law firms and so in return wish to recruit from the universities they attended. But, it is also because the world's best law firms want to attract the best legal minds in the world and to get the most talented graduates they go to the best law schools in the world to recruit from.
How do you choose the best law university for you?
Distinguishing which is the top law university for you need not be a cumbersome task. Start by considering what you requite from your law school. Think about the location; is it easily accessible? Find out how reputable the top university is. Also, you need to discover which learning and teaching environment works best for you.
1. Location
There are many top universities for law worldwide; find out which ones are closest to you in the country you reside. In the United Kingdom, many of the top universities for law are scattered all over the country. If you want to remain in your current home, it is important that you choose a university that is easily accessible. Law is a complex subject that involves laborious albeit interesting hours of reading statutes, law case studies and so on. Therefore, it would be ill advised to waste hours driving in long streams of traffic or aboard cramped carriages of trains during peak periods. This time could be better spent in the classroom or the library doing your studies.
It is also important to select a location that suits your particular specialism. For example, if you wish to study an LLM in Maritime Law or Oil and Gas law in the UK, it is wise to consider coastal locations that dovetail such program. Aberdeen is a top location to study LLM Oil and Gas law globally and has the second largest heliport in the world; with service ship harbour port that oil rigs off-shore benefit from. According to Aberdeen City Council, the city is tagged ‘the oil capital of Europe’. The main universities for LLM studies in Aberdeen are the University of Aberdeen and Robert Gordon University.
2. Reputation
When choosing a top university for law, it is recommended that you use league tables to check the ranking of the institutions. League tables are an effective tool to chronologically arrange the top universities. Four of the top universities for law in the world are: Harvard University and Yale University in the United States, and the University of Cambridge and University of Oxford, both in the United Kingdom. League tables are constantly revised; so continually check for the most up-to-date rankings for your LLM program. However, it is recommended that you only use league tables as a guide – as many other factors should come into play when you’re choosing what university will best suit your needs.
3. Learning and teaching environment
When choosing your top university to study law, consider your preferred learning and teaching environment. As students we thrive well in some environments more than others. For instance, some students prefer tranquil and serene environments in a picturesque setting to channel their inner geniuses; environments that are free from commotion and tumult and bring the students close to nature. If you fall into this category, it will be wise to consider top universities situated in the countryside or outskirts of town.
On the other hand, some students enjoy the hustle and bustle of the big cities. The varicoloured high-rise buildings, irregular edifices and the cacophony of throngs of people in a busy environment stimulate their creative minds. If you fall into this category, it is best to consider top universities for law in major cities of the world such as London (London School of Economics) and the University of Melbourne (Victoria), with campuses tucked away in various locations across their respective cities.
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