Scout rankings from reputable sources and publications. Choose and analyze specific data like cost, employment rankings and curriculum from this information. Prioritize and organize it, forming a new set of rankings. Search for both popular and lesser known lists. U.S. News and World Report releases a yearly list of the best law schools. It also lists specialized law degrees and ranks those schools, as well.
Check to see what reputable legal groups consider good schools. Look at what criteria they use to make their own rankings, or their own suggestions, especially in the specialized fields of law. The National Association for Legal Career Professionals, the American Bar Association and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation are all places for researchers to begin.
Network with lawyers and get their opinions about the best programs. Lawyers often speak highly of their legal education; and some also have children who are lawyers. With first hand knowledge of a particular school, they can speak to both its positives and negatives. Connect with lawyers and judges through mixers, chamber of commerce events or career day functions.
Visit a campus for the day. Make a trip to a law school campus to see what the school is all about. Talk with professors and students, and tour the school’s facilities. A personal visit to a campus is often the deciding factor.