Getting into a good law school is essential if you want your law career to go off without a hitch. But, considering that there are more than 200 law schools in the United States, how do you know where to start?
Do you look out of state, in your home state, or consider an international school instead? To make this easier for you, we continue our series on the top law schools in each state. In this post, we'll cover the top law school in Nevada.
To come up with the best of the best for this series, we chose only American Bar Association-accredited schools.
What are ABA-Accredited Schools?
These are schools that have undergone a rigorous testing process by the American Bar Association. Over a three-year term, the ABA monitors the school applying for certification to ensure that the schools all teach a similar curriculum and have similar practical programs.
The school must maintain high standards of education to qualify. The reason that we stick to ABA-accredited schools is that we know that they offer an excellent curriculum. The advantage for you as the student is that you can choose whichever state you wish to sit for your bar exam if you graduate.
In a non-accredited school, you have to take the bar in the same state where your school is.
Nevada's Top Law School
You're pretty sharp, so you probably picked up that the title was "school" in its singular format. As it turns out, the only accredited law school in Nevada is the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, William S. Boyd School of Law.
University of Nevada – Las Vegas, William S. Boyd School of Law
- Ranking: 58.
- Bar Passage Rates: 78.69 percent.
- Post-Graduation Salaries: $62,000 – $80,000.
- Acceptance Rate: 81 percent.
- SAT Ranges: 1,030 – 1,240.
- ACT: 19 – 24.
You'd think that going to school in Sin City would be a bad idea. The statistics wouldn't agree with you. This law school ranks 58th out of the 237 in the country. Combine that with a bar passage rate that's higher than average, and it's clear we need to rethink our idea of Las Vegas.
The school maintains a high standard of education. It's a large campus with a total of around 19,000 students attending annually.
The high acceptance rate and reasonable SAT criteria make it easy to get in. The tuition is fair, and around about 93 percent of students receive financial aid.
Is This School Right for Me?
- This school prizes diversity.
- It focuses on hard work.
- There are Greek fraternities and sororities. If you want to join, great, if not, no one will hassle you about your choice.
- Sports are big at this school.
- Do you have great self-discipline? Sin City never sleeps, and this could prove a temptation too far for some.
Overall, this is a great school. It ranks well nationally and charges affordable rates. The campus is beautiful, and the students are generally friendly. It's a large campus and so perfect for the student that loves a lot of the hustle and bustle of campus life.