Law is one of the prestigious and noble professions of our society offering a lucrative career. Every year, lots of students across the globe dream to study law owing to numerous reasons such as job stability, status, high salaries, etc. Just a glimpse of standing and arguing in court in a white-black attire is sufficient to give you goosebumps about this profession.
However, at this juncture, a very important question arises – From where we should study law? In this article, we are going to talk about the 10 best universities of law across the world that are imparting world-class quality legal education.
Best Law Universities in the World
Before moving forward, it is important to note that the quality of an institution is determined by its curriculum, status, academic performance, contribution toward research, placement avenues, etc. Below is the list of 10 reputed and distinguished law schools where getting admission is a dream for an aspiring lawyer.
Harvard University (Harvard Law School)
It is one of the oldest and most prestigious law schools in the world. It was established in the year 1817 and it offers a 3-year JD program that leads to an initial law degree. In addition to that, it offers a 1-year LLM for the students having passed their initial law degree. The notable aspects of studying there include independent research, quality publications, etc. This law school has graduates like Barack and Michelle Obama.
The tuition fee for studying at Harvard is approximately USD 67,720 per annum. For bright and extraordinary students, there are ample scholarships available for studying in this prestigious institution.
The University of Oxford, Faculty of Law
Oxford school of law is offering legal courses for more than 800 years. The this prestigious University of the United Kingdom was set up in the year 1096. They offer a degree in English law (BA in Jurisprudence). Further, the Master’s level degree offered by the University is known by the name Bachelor of Civil Laws (BCL). It is considered the best master-level legal qualification in the common law world.
Talking about the academic environment, Oxford gives you a complete package that includes, seminars, tutorials, lectures, etc. Here, special emphasis is given to the study of primary sources of law and critically analyzing them. BCL costs around £24,450 per year.
Cambridge University, Faculty of Law
This University was established in the year 1209, offering courses in the area of civil law and canon law of the church. It is one of the oldest law schools with a special name in the area of international law and criminology. The Cambridge University Law Society (the largest student-run law society) is there. The Cambridge Law Journal is known for its in-depth and special articles on the emerging areas of law.
Cambridge University offers an undergraduate degree with the name of BA Tripos. The students of Cambridge university belong to more than 150 countries. This university offers a vibrant environment of study theoretical and practical aspects of the law.
Yale University (Yale Law School)
It is one of the most selective law schools in the world. After its inception in the year 1824, it has carved out a special name for itself in various areas of legal education. Yale Law Journal is known for quality legal publications in the US. It has produced some notable graduates, such as 19 U.S. Supreme Court Justices, former U.S. presidents Gerald Ford and Bill Clinton.
One of the special highlights of Yale Law School is that it does not have a traditional grading system. The students are ranked on the credit/no credit system. It is close to New York city which further augments the opportunities for the students.
Stanford Law School
Situated in California, this University was set up in 1893. This University has a relatively small intake of students (180 students every year). It maintains a healthy faculty ratio (4:1). This University is known for its practical clinical education with a global perspective. Unlike other universities, this university focuses more on student collaboration instead of independent learning. Teamwork and intellectual stimulation are the key features of the law program. Studying at Stanford will cost you a tuition fee of around USD$64,350 per annum.
The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE Department of Law)
LSE law school was established in the year 1895 offering legal education in the arena of banking, taxation, labour, family, and welfare law. This University brings an international and interdisciplinary outlook to the study of law. LSE offers LLB, LLM, Executive LLM, and MSc Law and Accounting degrees.
Interestingly, the LLM program involves teaching from various traditions and jurisdictions that enable you to practice law in any jurisdiction. It costs around £17,328 for pursuing LLM from this prestigious university.
Columbia University (Columbia Law School)
Columbia University was set up in the year 1858 to provide quality education in the emerging areas of law. It focuses on clinics, externships, and hands-on, real-world experiences with real-world impact. It is a pioneer in the area of corporate law. It offers a dual and joint degree with Columbia University. The Columbia Law Review is regarded as one of the cited law journals in the legal fraternity. Its graduates include Supreme Court justices, CEOs, executives, and more.
It has a well-dedicated placement cell having a relationship with more than 500 world-class companies, law firms, non-profit organizations, etc. The curriculum emphasizes the overall development of the student.
New York University (NYU School of Law)
New York University is the oldest university in New York University and was set up in 1835. This university offers 300 courses in 16 different areas of law. Its faculty is considered the best law faculty in the world. It has produced the highest number of Justices at the International Court of Justice. With no cavil of doubt, it can be said that it has redefined legal education after its establishment. It is important to note that NYU is a private university; you can expect high tuition fees coupled with other such expenses.
National University of Singapore (NUS Law School)
It is considered the best law school in the Asia-pacific region. It was established in the year 1956 offering a 4-year undergraduate program in law. It also offers JD, LLM, and PhD. The NUS law school has student exchange programs with New York University, Boston University, Erasmus University, King’s College London, University of Melbourne, and the University of Toronto.
NUS Law School has carved out a niche for itself in the area of taxation and business laws. Its students have won prestigious moot court competitions and the graduates are working at prestigious places. It is also economical when compared to other top law universities in the world.
University of Melbourne (Melbourne Law School)
This prestigious law school of Australia was set up in the year 1857 with an intake of 300 students. It offers legal education through an international lens that focuses on globalization. Every year, this law school offers more than 150 subjects. It has a very unique admission process as it does not entail personal statements, interviews, references, etc for the purpose of admission. You can study there with a tuition fee of around AUD$128,320 for the complete course. This university focuses on academic collaboration and independent learning with a special emphasis on commercial globalization.
Conclusion
We have discussed some best universities in the world offering quality legal education. The readers should note that these Universities can add laurels to your career. But it would be better to choose these for the master’s degree course as it would enable you to understand their complex curriculum better. Moreover, the learnings would shape you perfectly for starting your professional career and achieving big heights with the sky as the only limit.