When choosing which law schools you plan to apply to, it is important to consider both regional and national schools. Regional schools offer a great alternative to more competitive national schools if you know where you want to practice law after passing the bar.

National schools are law schools that are ranked highly and have a name that is nationally recognized. Graduating from one of these schools usually allows you to practice law in any region, not just the region that the school is in. For example, graduates from Harvard Law can get hired from firms from the west coast to the east coast, not just in Boston. Since these schools carry more weight nationally (and often internationally) they are much harder to get into because students apply from all over.

Regional schools, on the other hand, are usually easier to get into and can be great options for students who know where they want to practice law. For example, if you know that you want to practice law in the state of Washington, University of Washington School of Law is a perfect choice. While a school like Harvard may carry more national weight, University of Washington carries an immense amount of regional weight in Washington.

If you have an idea of where you might want to practice law after graduation, applying to regional schools can be just as beneficial as applying to a national law school. In addition, since these schools are usually a little less competitive, you may find yourself receiving more acceptances and scholarships to these schools.

Other Examples of Regional Schools:

• University of San Diego
• University of California Hastings
• Tulane University
• University of Miami
• University of San Diego
• Loyola Law School
• University of North Carolina Chapel Hill
• University of Colorado Boulder
• Southern Methodist University
• University of South Carolina

Email us at [email protected] to ask if schools in your area are a good fit!

Posted: 10-9-2018