Located in Madison, Wisconsin, the University of Wisconsin Law School is reasonably highly ranked--it's consistently within the top 30 law schools in the country on many school rankings. It has a thriving academic life but only 275 seats opening each year, with roughly 3,000 candidates applying. The typical LSAT score for admission is around 162, and undergraduate GPAs are generally 3.6 or higher.
The law library is extensive, and because it's a public institution, Wisconsin residents can attend the University of Wisconsin Law School at a significant reduction in tuition. An added perk is that graduation from the University of Wisconsin Law School also qualifies as having passed the bar exam for the State of Wisconsin. The University of Wisconsin Law School takes great pride in its "Law in Action" focus on learning legal studies--elegance of legal theory takes a back seat to learning the ramifications and impact of the law on everyday situations.
The University of Wisconsin Law School
975 Bascom Mall
Madison, WI 53706
608-262-2240
law.wisc.edu
Marquette University Law School, located in downtown Milwaukee, is a private college. Its admission process generally accepts 250 students out of 3,000 applicants. The typical LSAT score for a Marquette University Law School student is 157, with a GPA of about 3.45.
In September 2010, Marquette University's law school dedicated a new building, the Ray and Kay Eckstein Building. While there is no in-state tuition discount for Marquette University, the school does offer an extensive financial aid program and offers part-time and night classes for returning professionals to go to law school.
Marquette University Law School
Eckstein Hall, Suite 238
PO Box 1881
Milwaukee, WI 53201-1881
414-288-7090
law.marquette.edu
A typical law school program is a four-year degree program that focuses heavily on matters of jurisprudence, how to write clearly in legal language, the fundamentals of contracts and the history of law. Most law students need to be well versed on time management and how to use a library and generally should have excellent grades as undergraduates. Law schools like Marquette University and the University of Wisconsin typically require a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution before enrolling in their program.
Some law schools offer programs or areas of specialization. Marquette University Law School's programs include dispute resolution and litigation, health care law and sports law. In addition to the general Juris Doctor (J.D.) law degree, some law schools also offer graduate law degrees. The University of Wisconsin Law School, for example, has Master of Laws (LL.M.) and Doctor of Juridicial Science (S.J.D.) programs.