<p>what are the top 10 law schools? I know yale is no.1</p>
<p>other people may be able to answer this better than I can, but I think "top 10" depends on which list you consult. The following link gives you a few different ranking schemes:</p>
<p>As you can see, there are some schools that are always in the top 10 (like Yale, Harvard and Stanford). If you want just a quick answer to your question, though, U.S. News' annual ranking of U.S. law schools is widely considered THE list. </p>
<p>Here's some friendly advice though: If you are more interested in a school that's ranking 12 or 13 than one that is 8 - goes with the one you like - that sort of difference in ranking is neglegible (though 8 vs. 20 is probably not)</p>
<p>Be aware that Cornell, Duke, and Boalt, while not on this year's top 10, are widely considered to be in the top 10. Years ago, they were in there - and, in some respects, where a school ranked 20 years ago is very important in hiring, because the people who are evaluating you went to law school long before the latest US News edition came out. </p>
<p>Generally, don't get bogged down in # 4 v. #6. There is very little difference in quality of education, opportunities, jobs, and prestige.</p>
<p>Rankings are a little tricky. From what I hear, there are 7 Law schools that are considered unquestioned top 10. They are:</p>
<p>Columbia University
Harvard University
New York University
Stanford University
University of Chicago
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
Yale University </p>
<p>After those 7, you have another 7 or 8 schools that have legitimate claims at top 10 status. They are:</p>
<p>Cornell University
Duke University
Georgetown University
Northwestern University
University of California-Berkeley (Boalt)
University of California-Los Angeles
University of Pennsylvania
University of Texas-Austin
University of Virginia</p>
<p>There is really almost no difference between the first 7 and the next 8. People get caught up in the rankings, but as I see it, whether one goes to Chicago or to Cal doesn't really make a huge difference.</p>
<p>There are also many other good law schools:</p>
<p>Boston College
Boston University
George Washington University
University of Iowa
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
University of Notre Dame
University of Southern California
Vanderbilt University
Washington and Lee University
Washington University-St Louis</p>
<p>And there are many excellent in-city law schools, like Fordham for those really keen on practicing in NYC and UC-Hastings for those very interested in the Bay area and American University for those wanting to live in the DC area etc...</p>
<p>In short, do not get bogged down with the rankings. Look at them, but do not let them rule you.</p>
<p>I assume these are "top" because they are the most competitive, have the most famous professors, and maybe get the most job offers?</p>
<p>Is there a way to evaluate the various programs in terms of the quality of the experience itself? I remember reading, for example, that NYU Law students are a generally happy bunch. I know the schools vary in terms of clinical coursework offered and amount of emphasis on the Socratic method.</p>
<p>I'm not sure if there is any really good list out there for that. The best thing I can suggest is to visit the schools, talk to students (and alums), and to talk to admissions people at the LSAC fora. You can get a good feel for the schools that way - I found a pretty good bunch of happy, friendly schools to which I applied.</p>
<p>Linda Hirshman's A Woman's Guide to Law School has a lot of information about that as well. She singles out some schools for being a good place to learn law (pointing out that more women tends to equate to a less hostile environment), such as Arizona and NYU. </p>
<p>For clinics, just look on the school's website. Also, ask about the process for getting into one - my school does not guarantee a clinic to all those who want one, and some people are not able to get that experience. </p>
<p>You might be able to find out about things which indicate a better environment, such as having an upper-class student assigned to incoming 1Ls (my school does that - a 2L or 3L emails during the summer before you start, and you meet up, chat, and have someone to give you advice, support, and outlines). </p>
<p>How are past exams given out? Generally, when past exams are readily available (library or online), then it's a better environment - otherwise, people hoard them. </p>
<p>How often to books needed for common research projects go missing?</p>
<p>I am also very interested in discovering the less tangible pros and cons of attending one school or another. So far, I found the Princeton Review site helpful in this respect: <a href="http://princetonreview.com/home.asp%5B/url%5D">http://princetonreview.com/home.asp</a></p>
<p>You can find student comments and rankings in categories like "professors who rock" and "welcoming of older students".</p>