For most international students studying in the USA is confined to the popular disciplines of science and technology and some extent in arts and humanities or in management. Rarely does anyone fancy about law studies in the USA. Yet there are 144 Law Schools in the country which have a long tradition of outstanding academic teaching in Law. However, the law programs offered by the different universities in USA differ from what we know in our country. Let us first check out the pattern first.

Law degrees in USA:

1. Juris Doctor (JD): All public and private law schools in USA offer JD at the end of a full-time program of three years. On earning a JD, you are entitled to practice law in the country.
2. Master of Law (LLM): It is one year program after JD,which allows international students to get familiar with the US legal system with an emphasis on a particular area.
3. Doctor of Juridical Science (SJD): It is a doctoral study and the highest academic degree in law. It takes three years to pursue,and students who opt for it are interested in teaching as a career.

Top Law Schools in the US:

Students keen on pursuing a law program in US Universities would be interested to know about the best law schools in the country to be able to make an informed decision. Let us take a tour of the top 10 law schools in the USA according to US News:

1. Yale University: Ranked at the top, Yale LawSchool belongs to the Ivy League. The unique feature of this school is that the students do not earn any grades; the distinctionis made in the form of the honours pass, low pass, credit or failure.
2. Stanford University: The Law School at Stanford University is ranked number two. Here the student-faculty ratio is 4:1.
3. Harvard University:Ranked third, the Harvard Law School does not award grades to the students but pass and fail. Uniquely HLS students have to complete 40 hours ofpro bono service before graduating.
4. University of Chicago: Fourth in rank is the Law School in this university has a student-faculty ratio of 5.1:1.
5. Columbia University: The law school here boasts a student-faculty ratio of 4.9:1and is ranked fifth in the list.
6. New York University: The sixth-ranked Law School lays stress on practical legal skills. The other unique feature is students can earn dual degrees through other prestigious schools in NYU.
7. University of Pennsylvania: Ranked seventh, the Penn Law School gives its students the option to pursue cross-disciplinary curriculum and vice versa to other students in the university.
8. University of Virginia: It is ranked eighth among the Law Schools. Its students can earn dual degrees like JD and MBA.
9. University of Michigan – Ann Arbor: The ninth-ranked law school allows its students to jump-start their legal education through a special program.
10. University of California – Berkeley: It is tied tenth with the Duke and North Western University. From the second year, the students can tailor their legal education.

Getting into the Best US Law Schools:

The admission requirement into US Law Schools is different from most other countries,including Europe. Let us check out:

• Bachelor’s degree in any discipline.
• Clear the LSAT examination with evaluates your critical and analytical abilities, essential for a law degree.
• Shortlist two or three suitable law schools and start applying.

Bottom Line:

Studying law in the US Universities is challenging as the mode of education follows the Socratic Method. Teachers are known to indulge students in situations like stating a case in court. Thus, the students are ingrained with skills of quick problem solving through thorough analysis. Added to that the provision of pursuing dual program is an added attraction in many top-ranked business schools in the USA.

Check out fees, eligibility, scholarships and accommodation details to study Masters of Law abroad at https://studyabroad.shiksha.com/masters-of-law-in-abroad-cl1245