North Carolina Law Schools Advice and Ratings

Find the best law schools of NC using advice and ratings resources

By Emmet McMahan
North Carolina law schools advice and ratings use many statistics, such as employment prospects, median salary and tuition. Intangibles such as campus life, teaching methods and learning atmosphere may also form the basis of a law school evaluation.

Applicants to accredited NC law schools should begin their search by first considering law schools located in their desired geographic area. They also should consider the top law schools in the state where they plan to practice. Applicants should then select the schools that are within their budget and meet their specific needs. There are three general sources for evaluating North Carolina law schools:
  1. Blogs on ABA accredited law schools in North Carolina. A credible blog or other type of social media may have posts from students, faculty and law school experts sharing their personal experiences with North Carolina law schools.
  2. Rating services of law schools. Recognized experts may provide ratings of law schools that offer an exceptional education.
  3. Recognition for individual law schools. The best law schools will have awards, grants and other accolades for their programs.

 

Get advice for top law schools in North Carolina through blogs

Blogs contain posts from law students, professors or lawyers who have personal experience with various law schools. They can provide valuable insight and advice for choosing the best law schools in North Carolina.
Try: Echo's Scattered Thoughts is a blog by a law student at Duke University in North Carolina that provides insight into law school courses, exams and papers. Not a reasonably prudent person is a current blog maintained by a law student at the University of North Carolina that contains first-hand accounts of law classes.

Study rankings of North Carolina law schools

Rankings for law schools in North Carolina are an effective and credible source of advice and ratings. Each rating service should provide their methodology. Rankings typically consist of weighted factors, such as assessments of law professors, selectivity and placement rate.
Try: LawSchoolNumbers provides specific current percentile ranking information for North Carolina law schools from national sources. The LLM Guide provides the 2008 law school rankings by US News & World Report, which include North Carolina law schools, and discusses the significance of these rankings.

Look at North Carolina ABA law schools that are awards recipients

Awards and accolades can be an excellent way of identifying top tier law schools in North Carolina. Law schools may receive awards for legal research, academic programs or specific papers. The best law schools will also receive grants for their programs.
Try: Constangy, Brooks & Smith presented its 2008 Diversity Scholars Award to Jessica N. Holmes, a student at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Duke University won the North American round of the 2008 Moot Court Competition on WTO Procedures hosted by The European Law Students Association.

 

  • Law school applicants seeking highly rated North Carolina law schools should use the law school ratings to get a good overview of the schools. However, applicants should be more concerned with finding a law school that will meet their particular needs, rather than attending the highest ranked law school on a list. Law school students may also wish to consider attending a North Carolina online law degree. An online law school in North Carolina may provide a more affordable option for busy law school students.