The best law schools in Virginia are known to be in the United States, as Virginia has one of the wealthiest legal histories in the states.
If you were to pick a law school based on state allocation alone, Virginia would be the best choice.
The numerous options can make it difficult to pick the right law school. We are therefore here to help you out with that, as we have carefully outlined five of the best law schools in Virginia, of which you can make your choice.
Studying law in Virginia is very different from studying law in other countries. Besides, students begin their law studies immediately after graduation from high school or secondary school in other countries.
Most law schools in other countries need only a high school diploma or the equivalent to admit students to study law.
In the US, law is a professional academic field that grants Juris Doctor (J.D.) degrees. However, the J.D. program lasts three years for full-time students and four years for part-time students.
Other degrees that these law school awards include the Master of Laws (LL.M.) and the Doctor of Juridical Science (J.S.D. or S.J.D.) degrees. Besides, these degrees can be more international in scope.
So read on to learn more about law schools and our list of the best law schools in Virginia.
Who is a lawyer in the United States?
An attorney at law in the U.S. is an interpreter in a court of law who is legally qualified to prosecute and defend actions in a court.
Similarly, they can also be called counselors, counselors-at-laws, or lawyers.
However, there were about 1,225,452 licensed attorneys in the United States in April 2011. Besides, the United States legal system does differentiate between lawyers who plead in court and those who do not.
How can I become a lawyer in Virginia?
For you to search for the best law schools in Virginia, you probably want to become a lawyer in Virginia. So to accomplish that, you need to take the 5 steps below in order to become a lawyer in Virginia.
However, we have a comprehensive article on How Long it Takes to Become a Lawyer, its Cost, and Salary.
How much does a lawyer earn in Virginia?
The average salary for a lawyer in Virginia is $102,736 per year. However, the salaries of the lawyers according to seniority are as follows:
The typical tenure for a lawyer is 1–3 years.
List of the 5 Best Law Schools in Virginia
Careerclev has put together a list of the best law schools in Virginia that offer J.D., LL.M., and S.J.D. degrees for you.
However, we selected our best law schools in Virginia based on uniRank’s ranking of world universities, our data from reliable government sources, student surveys, college graduate interviews, and editorial reviews.
Based on these criteria, here is a list of our 5 best law schools in Virginia:
1. University of Virginia
| National Ranking | Bar Passage Rate | Cost of Tuition | Acceptance Rate | LSAT2 | GPA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | 99 % | $60,700 in-state, $63,700 out-of-state | 15.3 % | 163- 171 | 3.59 – 3.97 |
Address: Charlottesville, VA, United States.
The University of Virginia School of Law is in Charlottesville. However, it was established by Thomas Jefferson in 1819. This law school in Virginia maintains an enrollment of approximately 1,100 students in its initial degree program.
However, the reputation of this school makes it rank 10th among the law schools according to the U.S. News & World Report rankings. Also, the school gets no funding from the government except for in-state student tuition subsidies.
The Law School depends on the monies of private donors, its substantial endowment, and student tuition payments.
This in turn keeps it in place as our first school on the list of the best law schools in Virginia.
2. Washington and Lee University
| National Ranking | Bar Passage Rate | Cost of Tuition | Acceptance Rate | LSAT | GPA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 49 | 86.7% | $49,355 full-time | 28.7% | 158 – 164 | 3.21 – 3.68 |
Address: 204 W Washington St., Lexington, VA 24450, United States.
Washington and Lee University was founded in 1749 and was known as Augusta Academy. But its School of Law is a private law school in Lexington, Virginia.
However, the 2018 alumni of Washington and Lee University had an employment rate of 83%, with 5% pursuing an additional degree.
3. William & Mary Law School
| National Ranking | Bar Passage Rate | Cost of Tuition | Acceptance Rate | LSAT | GPA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 39 | 84.8% | $34,00 in-state, $43,000 out-of-state | 36.1% | 156 – 164 | 3.4 – 3.9 |
Address: Sadler Center, 200 Stadium Dr., Williamsburg, VA 23185, United States.
Finding its way on our list of the 5 best law schools in Virginia is the William & Mary Law School, a public school located in Williamsburg, Virginia.
However, this law school in Virginia is part of the College of William & Mary, the second-oldest college in the US after Harvard University.
Besides, this top school in Virginia maintains an enrollment of roughly 600 Juris Doctor degree-seeking students. In short, this law school in the Virginia area charges relatively low tuition.
4. George Mason University
| National Ranking | Bar Passage Rate | Cost of Tuition | Acceptance Rate | LSAT | GPA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 45 | 81.5% | $25,354 in-state, $40,740 out-of-state | 25.9% | 157 – 164 | 3.45 – 3.88 |
Address: 4400 University Dr., Fairfax, VA 22030, United States.
George Mason University is a large, public, four-year university in Fairfax, VA, enrolling 33,929 students and giving 240 degrees. However, George Mason University School of Law is the law school of George Mason University.
Similarly, this school has 717 students in its J.D., LL.M., and J.M. programs. Also, there are merit-based scholarships ($12,000 per year) for the most qualified applicants, which are sufficient to cover the majority of the tuition for in-state students.
5. University of Richmond
| National Ranking | Bar Passage Rate | Cost of Tuition | Acceptance Rate | LSAT | GPA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 52 | 73.1% | $44,700 full-time | 31.9 | 156- 162 | 3.24 – 3.69 |
Address: 28 Westhampton Way, Richmond, VA 23171, United States.
Last on our list of the 5 best law schools in Virginia is the University of Richmond, an undergraduate residential university with approximately 4,350 undergraduates in Richmond, Virginia. Also, Richmond Law School is a member of the Association of American Law Schools.
UMass alumni go on to earn a starting salary of $41,200. Besides, the student-faculty ratio is 8:1.
TIPS: Calculate your law school GPA using the Law School GPA Calculator.
Conclusion
Going through law school in the United States is very different from studying law in many other countries. However, law is a professional academic field, the equivalent of a graduate degree in Virginia.
Also, law schools in the Virginia area are part of public or private universities that award Juris Doctor (J.D.) degrees. So, the J.D. program typically takes three years for full-time students and four years for part-time students to complete.
We, however, have put together the five best law schools in Virginia for anyone who wishes to offer law in the United States.
Finally, the first year of law school is generally considered to be the most difficult because of the core classes, exams, and the Socrates method.
