Go local, and go public. Resident tuition is lower than out-of-state tuition at public universities. If you are eying a particularly low-cost school from out-of-state, consider moving there and working for a year to become a resident. Change your driver's license, change your tax status, register to vote, find a cheap place and save as much money as you possibly can before you begin law school.
Choose a low-cost law school. The Internet Legal Research Group posts annual lists of law schools by tuition costs. As of 2011, there were six law schools around the United States that had tuition below $1,000 a year for residents: the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas, Florida International University in Miami, Oklahoma City University, the University of Dayton in Ohio and Capital University in Columbus, Ohio. Add up your assets, make a budget and identify a school you can afford without going into debt. A debt-free law degree is an inexpensive law degree.
Apply for scholarships and grants. Research these grants and scholarships by location, by law school and by law firm and hunt for diversity grants if you qualify. Do not take loans except as a last resort, and then choose only federally chartered loans. Never take private loans, or the cost of your degree will follow you for years after graduation whether you find work or not.
Apply for financial aid if you qualify. Do not accept the first thing that university advisers say. They have some flexibility, so deal with them as you would any salesman. They want you to pay to attend their school, but they also want to gain whatever financial advantage they can.
Prepare to be a pauper. Find a cheap place to live, don't eat out, set aside the high-dollar dating life, refuse to own a car if at all possible and pinch pennies like a Dust Bowl denizen. You're there for three years, and then people will call you counselor and you can make up for lost time when you get a job.