Los Angeles is a city in California and is the second largest populated city of USA after New York City. Many people aspiring to further their education turn to schools in Los Angeles, and law students are no different. There’s a good reason for this. Los Angeles is the home to one of the largest and most prestigious law schools in the country, which is UCLA School of Law.
Still, UCLA is not the only law school in Los Angeles. There are many other institutions and schools that offer excellent law degrees in this city. The list of mentioned schools below will all assist you further your education while preparing you for a career in law or even as a lawyer although each school has its own focus or specialty.
What are the Best Law Schools in Los Angeles?
There are a lot to take into account when choosing the best law school in Los Angeles. You need to think of location and affiliation, for example. Some schools tend to be located in the city, some have campuses outside of the Los Angeles area. Some schools are affiliated to certain churches or denominations, while others aren’t.
With that being said, here are some of the top law schools in Los Angeles:
Loyola Law School
Loyola Law School was ranked the best law school for evening classes outside the U.S. east coast. Loyola is the first approved law school in California to require its students to complete a minimum of 40 hours of pro bono legal service before they graduate, so the school has a strong commitment to ethics and public interest.
Loyola law students are known to be strong advocates for fair treatment and have saved five wrongly convicted people from death row and being incarcerated for many years. Their students are known to exceed the minimum of 40 hours of pro bono legal service that is required in order that they can obtain their law degree.
Loyola provides students with many opportunities to go to real world experiences like field placements and many other programs that combine legal rigor with hands-on experience.
University of California, Los Angeles School of Law (UCLA)
The UCLA School of Law was founded in 1949. It is the flagship campus of the University of California system. UCLA is one of the youngest law schools in the country. UCLA Law School has become world-renowned for the exceptional education it provides.
UCLA Law offers students a rigorous academic environment that is at the forefront of some of the most innovative ideas in the legal field. UCLA has a highly regarded faculty, but also offers a range of well-funded centers, programs, and institutes on its campus.
96% of students who graduated from UCLA law school in 2018 were employed by a firm in the legal field within ten months of their graduation.
University of Southern California Gould School of Law (USC)
USC Gould School of Law is the oldest law school in the southwest. While USC was established in 1896, but USC Gould School of Law was officially launched in 1900. USC Law School is one of the nation’s top 20 law schools.
It is located just south of downtown Los Angeles, which means that it is easily accessible to many areas. Students can easily access a number of opportunities in major cities around the world. You are more likely to be accepted if you tried to enroll in the school early. Most law schools in the world offer a program like this, and there are only a few in the world that offer such an opportunity. USC Gould School partners with many different law schools around the world, including in countries like France, Australia, Brazil, Italy, and Hong Kong.
You can benefit from these partnerships if you are interested in studying law abroad.
University of California Berkeley (UC Berkeley)
U.S. News and World Report names Berkeley’s law school the second-best law school in California, behind Stanford. Law school graduates from the Berkeley School of Law are among the best in the country, according to law school rankings for 2019. As such, Berkeley has a very competitive admissions process. You have to be very good to get in.
Only 20 percent of applicants are accepted each year; that makes it extremely competitive. U.C. Berkeley Law School offers a traditional LL.M. program and a specialized track for those who want to become lawyers.
You can be assured to have a 90% possibility of a job within one year of graduating from U.C. Berkeley. Many graduates from Cal are employed by the government and work in the public sector.
University of California (U.C.) Irvine School of Law
The U.C. Irvine School of Law has only been around since 1965, but it is one of the most progressive law schools in the country. It has been ranked among the top 25 law schools in the country. The school has about 500 students. They have a number of core clinics that focus on a wide range of issues.
You will get personalized attention from your professors during all of your classes. U.C. Irvine is very competitive, and about 25% of aspiring applicants get into the school. If you are accepted to the U.C. Irvine School of Law, you can start working on projects right away.
They offer clinics that focus on a variety of different topics, including domestic violence, community development, criminal justice, and rights of immigrants.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, there are a lot of fantastic law schools in Los Angeles. If you are looking to pursue a career in law, then we recommend that you apply to some of the best law schools in LA. The first step is to find out when the application round for each school opens, and then start preparing.
The next step would be to do your research about each specific school so that you can make an informed decision about which one would suit your needs best. You need to decide whether a practical or theoretical approach will suit your needs better, and it’s important that you consider both in order to choose the right path for yourself.