The Marshall-Wythe School of Law, or more commonly called the William & Mary Law School, was founded in 1779 by Thomas Jefferson and is the oldest existing law school in the US. Located in Williamsburg, Virginia, the W&M Law School is part of the College of William & Mary, which is the second oldest college in the US next to Harvard University. W&M Law is a public university listed among the top 30 law schools in the US, with their list of notable programs including the Institution of Bill of Rights Law, Election Law Program, and the Human Rights and National Security Law Program. More detailed information about the school’s program offerings, as well as their application procedures, can be found at the school’s website and admissions page.
Columbia Law School is one of the graduate schools of the Ivy League member institution, Columbia University. Columbia Law is located in New York City and is undoubtedly one of the most prestigious law schools in the US. The school has a highly selective and competitive admissions process, and has produced lawyers who have become senators and congressmen, successful businessmen, diplomats and ambassadors, and even former US presidents, such as Franklin Roosevelt and Theodore Roosevelt. Columbia Law is known for its specialty in intellectual property, international law, and corporate law. To know more about the school’s programs, curricula, and admissions requirements, you can visit their official website at www.law.columbia.edu/ and their admissions page.
Established in 1887 and located in Ithaca, New York, Cornell Law School is one of the graduate schools of Cornell University, and is one of the five renowned Ivy League law schools. Cornell Law offers a wide variety of law degrees and programs, such as JD-MBA, JD-Masters in Global Business Law, LL.M, and JSD. The school’s program offerings include Clarke Program in East Asian Law and Culture, International Human Rights Clinic, Public Interest, International and Comparative Law Program, and an extensive Externships program. Application competition is tough in Cornell Law, so you might want to do your research on the institution by logging on to their official website at www.lawschool.cornell.edu and the school’s admissions page.
The Charleston School of Law or CSOL was founded in 2003, and is one of the only two law schools found in South Carolina. Charleston Law dedicates itself to producing intellectually competent lawyers with high moral character. The school is host to three student publications that aim to provide a venue for students, law practitioners, lecturers, and legal professionals to discuss topics pertaining to human rights, current social issues, and legal academics: the Charleston Law Review, Federal Courts Law Review, and MALABU, or Maritime Law Bulletin. More information about the school’s course offerings can be found at www.charlestonlaw.org, with information on application procedures listed at the website’s admissions page.
CUNY Law, or the City University of New York Law School, was established in 1983 and specializes in public interest law. As the school’s motto aptly states, Law in the Service of Human Needs, the City University of New York Law School offers a curriculum that is designed to imbibe in students the passion and desire to become lawyers who will serve the disempowered and disadvantaged members of society. The clinics and concentrations that the school offers include International Women’s Human Rights, Immigrant and Refugee Rights, Economic Justice Project, and Community and Economic Development. You can find the full list of courses and clinics offered at CUNY Law at their website, www.law.cuny.edu and information on applications at their admissions page.
The Cleveland-Marshall College of Law is the law school branch of Cleveland State University located in Cleveland, Ohio. Originally established in 1897 and named Cleveland Law School, the institution merged with the John Marshall School of Law in 1946, and since then has adopted the name Cleveland-Marshall College of Law. The school offers a JD degree, five dual degree programs, and LL.M. programs. The Cleveland-Marshall College of Law is also known for being the very first evening law school in Ohio, and one of the nation’s first law schools to accept minorities and women in their academic community.If you’re interested in applying to Cleveland-Marshall Law, check out the school’s admissions page to get the lowdown on the processes and requirements.
Founded in 1976, the Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law or Campbell Law is one of the graduate schools of Campbell University and is located in Buies Creek, North Carolina. The school offers a JD-MBA program, as well as the JD-MTIM (Masters in Trust and Investment Management) degree. The JD-MTIM degree is offered to students in association with Campbell University’s Lundy-Fetterman School of Business. The Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law aims to produce lawyers who not only possess professional competence, but also social compassion and moral conviction. To know more about the application requirements and procedures, you can visit the school’s official website at www.law.campbell.edu or their admissions page.
The Franklin Thomas Backus School of Law first opened its doors in 1892, and is one of the oldest existing law schools in the US. The Backus School of Law is the law school of Case Western Reserve University and has produced a long line of successful lawyers and politicians who have served in the local and federal government. The school offers several dual-degree programs such as JD-MBA, JD-MSSA (Social Work), JD-MD, JD-MPH (Public Health), and JD-MA in Bioethics. Case Western Reserve Law also offers the LL.M. in U.S. and Global Legal Studies Program. To know more about the school’s course and program offerings, visit their website at www.law.case.edu and the school’s admissions page.
Chapman University School of Law, or commonly referred to as Chapman Law, is a private, non-profit law school established in 1995 and is located in Orange, California. Chapman Law is one of the graduate schools of Chapman University, and offers combined degrees such as JD-MBA, JD/MFA in Film and Television Production, and LL.M. degrees in Prosecutorial Science and Taxation. Chapman Law emphasizes ethics and good citizenship in their legal instruction and training — an aspect of teaching that the institution deems is essential in producing competent lawyers. The school is also a member of the American Bar Association, as well as the Association of American Law Schools. For more information on Chapman Law, you can visit their website at www.chapman.edu/law/ and the school’s admissions page.
Boston College Law School or BC Law was founded in 1929 and is one of the graduate schools of Boston College in Newton, Massachusetts. BC Law is known for its programs in the fields of social justice, human rights, and public interest law. The school is also known for having a highly selective admissions process. The school’s list of notable alumni include US senator John Kerry, Michael S. Greco, former president of the American Bar Association, and countless other prominent lawyers who have become ambassadors, senators, congressmen, judges, and justices. For information on BC Law’s courses, programs, and application requirements, visit the school’s official website at www.bc.edu/schools/law/ or the school’s admissions page.
The Boston University Law School or BU Law is a branch of Boston University which was founded in 1872 by a group of lawyers, educators, jurists, and law teachers with the aim of making quality legal education available to anyone with merit. BU Law offers joint degrees such as JD-MBA, JD-MPH, and JD-MA, in association with the other graduate schools and colleges of Boston University. The faculty at BU Law uses the Socratic method of teaching, which encourages interactive, intellectual dialogue between students and lecturers. To see the complete listing of the programs and courses offered at BU Law, check out the school’s official website at www.bu.edu/law/, and the school’s admissions page.
Brooklyn Law School or BLS was established in 1901 by Norman P. Heffley and William Payson Richardson, with the aim of making legal education accessible and available to women, immigrants, and the less privileged members of society. Located at the heart of New York City, Brooklyn Law School boasts of a diverse student body and a multi-faceted academic community. The school offers joint degrees in association with other colleges and academic institutions; JD-MBA with Baruch College, JD-MA in Political Science with Brooklyn College, JD-Masters in Urban Planning with Hunter College, and tons more. You can find the complete list of courses and programs that BLS offers at www.brooklaw.edu, and more about the school’s application process at their admissions page.
Albany Law School is known as the only law school found within the Capital Region of New York, and is the nation’s oldest independent school of law. Founded in 1851, Albany Law was also the very first law school in the US to publish a student-edited law review, the Albany Law School Journal. Albany has produced countless alumni who have gone on to become successful and distinguished players in their field, such as former president William McKinley, and US Supreme Court Justices David Brewer and Robert H. Jackson. More information about course and program offerings and the application process can be found at Albany Law School’s admissions page.
The American University Washington College of Law or WCL is located in Washington D.C. and is known internationally for its strong programs in the field of human rights law and public interest work. The Washington College of Law was established in 1896 and is the home of The Business Law Brief and The American Jurist, two student publications which have both been recognized and awarded by the American Bar Association. WCL is known for its focus on public interest law, and provides grant money for students working in the public sector through the Equal Justice Foundation. For more information on the program offerings at WCL, visit the school’s official website at www.wcl.american.edu and the admissions page.
The Appalachian School of Law or ASL is a non-profit law school located at Virginia which was established in 1994 as a tool to jumpstart economic development in the region. ASL offers a three-year Juris Doctor degree program and is known for their focus on leadership and community service. Proof of their dedication to community service is the program’s graduation requirement for students to complete 25 hours of community service per semester. The Juris Doctor curriculum at ASL also emphasizes alternative dispute resolution and professional responsibility. More information about ASL’s Juris Doctor program, as well as the application process and requirements can be found at ASL’s admissions page.
Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law is the law school of the Arizona State University and was renamed in 2006 after former US Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. The school first opened its doors in 1964, and offers not only JD degrees but also hybrid ones like JD-MD, JD-PhD in Law and Psychology, JD-MBA, JD-PhD in Justice Studies, and a two-year MLS or Masters of Legal Studies degree. The school is also frequently listed in the top 10 list of legal writing schools in the US. More information about the school and its admissions process can be found at the Sandra Day O’Connor admissions page.
Ave Maria School of Law is a Roman Catholic law school found in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The school was established in 1999 and received full accreditation from the American Bar Association in 2005. The school’s instruction of law studies is contextualized in Catholic intellectual tradition with a specialization in philosophy and ethics. Ave Maria School of Law offers a wide variety of courses including Alternative Dispute Resolution, Dignity in the Workplace, and Papal Teaching and the Law. If you want to know more about Ave Maria School of Law’s course offerings and application process, you can visit the school’s official website at avemarialaw.edu and their admissions page.
Baylor Law School was founded in 1857 in Waco, Texas, and is the oldest existing law school in the state. The school’s mission is to imbibe in its students a strong Christian commitment combined with academic excellence. Included in the school’s list of notable alumni are countlesss outstanding lawyers who have made a name for themselves in their service for the local and federal government. These Baylor alumni have gone on to become senators, congressmen, judges, justices, and ambassadors. For those who want to know more about the Baylor Law School, simply log on to the school’s official website at law.baylor.edu and the school’s admissions page for information on the application process.
US Supreme Court justices have been a source of inspiration and instruction for most law students. Here’s a look back on three famous judges turned justices who have left their mark on the face of the country’s judicial process.
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.
Chief Justice Holmes, who authored The Common Law, is an icon that pushed others toward proper legal thinking. Holmes went to Harvard for his undergraduate then participated in the American Civil War. After being wounded in battle, Holmes returned to Harvard to take up law.
After a year of teaching at Harvard Law, he became the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Massachusetts and became notable for his bold reasoning. President Roosevelt nominated him for the US Supreme Court Chief Justice position which he won on December 8, 1902.
Chief Justice Holmes defended and made clear the scope and limitations of the freedom of speech, and he became the proponent for most of the liberties enjoyed by all up to the present.
Benjamin Cardozo
Chief Justice Benjamin Cardozo was nominated to the US Supreme Court in 1932 by President Hoover following the death of Chief Justice Holmes. Cardozo entered Columbia Law School in 1889. Cardozo practiced law until he joined the Supreme Court of New York in 1914. His nomination to the post in the US Supreme Court by President Hoover was unanimously seconded by everyone.
Cardozo produced treatises that have become valuable texts for the study of jurisprudence: The Nature of the Judicial Process, The Growth of the Law, and The Paradoxes of Legal Science.
Antonin Scalia
Antonin Scalia has been made famous for his scathing wit and argumentative styles. Scalia studied law in Harvard and was even the Notes Editor of the Harvard Law Review. He taught at Stanford, Georgetown, and University of Chicago while dabbling in a political career as a public servant. Presently, the second most senior Associate Justice of the US Supreme Court, Scalia has made a lot of distinctions in his colorful career.
Scalia believes that the Constitution is a legal document that should be the basis for many of the rulings in court, not as a living organism that can be interpreted for the benefit of others. This textualist and conservative approach somehow challenges law students to view the Constitution for the most succinct approach. Scalia has authored a new book called Making Your Case: The Art of Persuading Judges, which is is endorsed by The Federalist Society.
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You may have proven your aptitude with the LSAT as well as the entrance exam to a certain law school. You may have passed an impressive personal statement law school essay along with the two letters of recommendation from people who know you well. But still, the law school you are applying to requests for a personal interview by their admissions panel. To be able to finally get into the law school that you want, you have one more chance to prove yourself worthy.
Prepare before the interview
Once you have received an invitation, confirm your appointment as soon as possible via phone. Ask for specific instructions and make sure to take note of all of them. It would also be all right to ask who will be conducting the interview so that you can do a little research on them as well.
Read up on the law schools’ history
Aside from researching about the panelists’ backgrounds, research about the current issues on their campus as well. Stay abreast of other current issues of the country as panelists may also ask for your opinions on such.
Conduct an ocular
If possible, go to the campus and familiarize yourself with the area and the place where you will be interviewed.
Review
Review the personal statement law school essay that you submitted. Panelists will likely pull questions from the personal statement law school essay and other credentials that you have previously submitted to them.
Get to know yourself
Panelists would very much like to know an applicant from the person who knows him or her best: himself or herself. Sometimes, practicing in front of the mirror can help you condition yourself to answer confidently and correctly.
On the day itself, dress appropriately. Conservative suits and appropriate footwear can work well for both men and women. Keep jewelry, make up and even perfume to a minimum. Do your best to look presentable and clean.
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Not all lawyers can be good politicians and not all politicians are required to have a law degree to be able to lead a district or a nation. However, the traits of a good lawyer or law-degree holder can also be good makings of a good politician. A better understanding of the law can help a politician make better legislations. Leadership may be an inborn or developed talent, but a thorough knowledge of the law can only be acquired through its intensive study in law school.
A law school does not necessarily teach an individual to be a good politician, but promising politicians can be products of law school. A lawyer can choose to exercise the skills that he learned and honed in law school and in the courtroom in a larger setting such as the legislature.
Some skills that may help in securing a position in public office
Analytical skills
Law school harnessed lawyers and law degreeholders to devour large volumes of texts on policies and make sense of these. In the face of impending issues, new legislations can be formed out of the good analysis of the situation and the existing rules regarding the issues. If a certain lawyer-turned politician harnesses this analytical skill to constantly produce legislations that benefit the people, he or she may rise up in the political ladder.
The capability for logical thinking
Making sense of the issues at hand requires a lot of logical thinking. Lawyers have been trained to employ logical thinking in their cases at court and may well employ this ability in the political arena. This trait would serve a politician well as after effectively correlating a number of issues can help in the legislative process.
Good communication skills
Lawyers are adept at listening to people and getting message across as well. Good communication skills can work well for politicians. Having exemplary debating skills also make a lawyer a good politician as one may need to lobby against other legislators for certain stipulations to be enforced.
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Lawyers, by training and profession, are experts in the judiciary or execution of the laws, edicts and rights as prescribed by the Constitution. Lawyers and law graduates bring to the legislative table skills that can make a good public servant if they choose to do so.
Lawyers on policy-making
Ideally, experience in upholding the law can make lawyers and law degree holders suitable for public office. Policy-making can be improved as lawyers should have deeper understanding of all the rights and limitations as stated in the Constitution. Policies, laws, and acts can be formulated in accordance to or as improved versions of the basic principles of the Constitution.
To be able to formulate effective laws, a politician should be able to go through large amounts of written material. Law school and the practice of law have prepared the lawyer to face such texts and devour the information in these. Having attention to detail can also be a qualifier for lawyers to become effective politicians as well.
Policy-making also entails that the person be able to make sense of issues and matters at hand. Making logical arguments to defend a cause or a new bill is just second nature for lawyers who do it for a living. The ability to negotiate well also comes in handy as politicians banter and parry for the enactment of certain laws – tasks that a lawyer is well-acquainted with in the courtroom.
Lawyers on good governance
Though the ability to exhibit good governance does not really require a law degree, the holistic approach that lawyers employ in most of their cases can be of use in the arena of politics. Excellent communication skills are exhibited by lawyers and law degreeholders, necessary for addressing fellow legislators and great audiences when they get into office. Lawyers often look at the legislature as a larger courtroom and in a sense, it really is. It would just depend on how these lawyers turned politicians can fight their case well, for the benefit of a greater client – the people.
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