The best college for law in the United States is Yale's law school. Yale University was ranked as the best program in the nation by U.S. News and World Report for 2009. U.S. News uses a variety of criteria to assess law programs, including program selectivity, LSAT scores of the applicants and faculty surveys. Yale's law program is a giant among law schools; ironically, much of this stems from its relatively small size. The student to faculty ratio at the law school is just 6.8 to 1. At $46,000 per year in tuition costs, Yale is certainly not the most affordable option for all students, but those wanting the best in a law education are willing to overlook the hefty price tag. Yale law students have access to world class scholars. This is particularly important for students pursuing the joint J.D./PhD program who are in need of mentoring as they pursue research and write their dissertation. Yale also offers the more traditional J.D. track without the PhD; other joint degree combinations are possible for enterprising students. This is common among Yale students who pursue the joint J.D./MBA degree program or the J.D. in conjunction with degrees from other Yale schools such as the medical school or the divinity school.
Yale Law School
P.O. Box 208215
New Haven, CT 06520
203-432-4995
law.yale.edu
Second only to Yale in U.S. News and World Report's rankings for 2009, Harvard Law School is one of the most recognized and respected law schools in the nation. Harvard University itself is considered the world's top university by a number of publications. Some of this perception stems from its interdisciplinary approach to research and teaching. Harvard's law program is much larger than Yale's in terms of the student body, but the student to faculty ratio is still comparable at about 8 to 1. Because of its interdisciplinary approach, Harvard's law school offers multiple joint degree programs in addition to the traditional J.D. track, which is also available. Joint degrees that students can pursue in addition to the J.D. include the Master of Business Administration, Master of Public Health, Master of Public Policy and the Master of Urban Planning. Other joint degree programs are possible with the approval of the law faculty. Harvard also offers the law school equivalent of the PhD, the Doctor of Juridical Science (J.S.D), for those wanting to teach law school, .
Harvard Law School
1563 Massachusetts Ave.
Cambridge, MA 02138
617-495-3109
law.harvard.edu
Outside of the Ivy League, Stanford offers potential law students the next best choice for the study of law. U.S. News and World Report ranked Stanford third among all programs nationwide. Like both Harvard and Yale, Stanford is world renowned for its interdisciplinary approach to education and research. In fact, students at Stanford have a wider array of approved joint degree programs to choose from. In all, 27 different programs are already a part of the Stanford Law School curriculum. Stanford students likewise benefit from a small student to faculty ratio of about 8.6 to 1. Like Harvard, Stanford offers the J.S.D. degree for students wishing to pursue the academic side of legal studies. Many of Stanford's professors and students have also worked on a number of prominent recent Supreme Court cases.
Stanford Law School
559 Nathan Abbott Way
Stanford, CA 94305
650-723-4985
law.stanford.edu