by Adam Messner

Created on: January 17, 2007   Last Updated: May 02, 2007

As of this moment, there are nearly 200 ABA-accredited law schools in the United States (not counting the Judge Advocate General's school), all of them offering something different to their students. How is it, then, that a senior in college should go about choosing a law school? Don't law school-bound college seniors have enough to worry about? Exams? Papers? Projects? The LSAT? How does a busy student go about deciding which school is going to fit him or her the best?

As it turns out, there are a few general guidelines that you can follow when it comes time for you to decide where to apply and ultimately, where to go to law school. All students are different, so this is by no means a "blueprint" to be followed to the letter, but simply a set of guidelines to help get you started if you are feeling overwhelmed.

1. Think about geography. Where do you want to live? Chicago? Akron? Cleveland? Los Angeles? In general, it is easiest to start a career in the region in which you go to law school, for several reasons. First, employers in a given region are familiar with that region's law schools, since many of them attended those law schools and probably hire a lot of clerks, interns, summer associates, and attorneys from those law schools.

Second, as a law student, you will be given the opportunity to make connections with the local and state bar associations, which helps you network with local attorneys, which comes in handy when it's time to find a job.

This is not to say that if you attend public law school with a reputation that is essentially local, that you are automatically out of the running for a job in, say, New York City. New York City's legal community has many graduates from law schools that do not carry national "brand name" recognition. However, if one of your definite goals is to work in New York City, you will most likely have an easier time reaching that goal if you attend one of the law schools in New York City.

2. What do you want to be when you grow up? There are many different kinds of lawyers, loosely grouped in to "legal specialties." Sometimes people go into law school with an idea of what kind of lawyer they want to be. These people usually choose their law schools based on curriculum, since a strong curriculum in a given specialty area can be a good foundation for a career in that area. If you fit into this group of people who know exactly what they want to be when they grow up, part of your decision on where to go to law school should be based

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