The top New England law schools are also among the best law schools in the United States. These law schools offer students numerous opportunities to pursue advanced studies in the field of law and interdisciplinary research in a variety of related fields as well.
Many of the programs that are highly rated share a couple of common characteristics. They are located at prominent research institutions, have high placement rates and typically offer students the most choices in terms of degree options.
Yale
Yale University's law school is considered by many to be the best in the nation and, by extension, New England. Yale ranked at the top of U.S. News & World Report rankings and was likewise ranked at the top of the list by top-law-schools.com. Much smaller in size than Harvard, Yale's program is considered one of the best law schools on the East Coast. It serves the educational needs of just under 700 law students each year. Although the number of students is less than half of those at Harvard, Yale offers the entire spate of law degree programs that are offered at Harvard. At the master's degree level, Yale offers a Master of Studies in Law (M.S.L.) degree in addition to the LL.M. This is a program offered to those who are not lawyers, but want to pursue the possible relationship between their vocation and the legal system. Yale offers one of the widest varieties of joint-degree programs as well, allowing students to study disciplines like medicine or religion in conjunction with their legal studies.
Yale Law School P.O. Box 208215 New Haven, CT 06520 203-432-4995 law.yale.edu
Stanford University
Often in the Top 3 of law schools in the United States along with Harvard and Yale, Stanford University is ranked as 2nd in a recent U.S. News and World Report. Located in Silicon Valley, this esteemed law school has more than 90 part time and full-time faculty to instruct its more than 550 students who are striving toward a Doctor of Jurisprudence degree.
The prestigious law program trains students for a four-year as well as a doctorate degree. It offers four advanced legal degrees: Master of Laws, Masters of Studies in Law, Doctor of the Science of Law and Master of the Science of Law.
Harvard
Harvard University's law program is among the best New England law schools, the United States and the world as well. Harvard is renowned for its various interdisciplinary degree programs in a variety of disciplines including law. Harvard's law school prepares law students to serve in a wide variety of capacities, from business law to public service. The school serves the educational needs of over 1,900 law students each year. Harvard law students receive top consideration among employers; the school boasts a placement rate of 97.1 percent for students prior to graduation. Aside from the standard Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree, Harvard offers the Master of Laws (LL.M.) and the Doctor of Juridical Science (S.J.D.). The LL.M. program offers students considerable flexibility, allowing them to design their own degree plan to meet their own career goals. Harvard J.D. students also have the option of pursuing joint-degree programs in conjunction with other schools within the university or through its ongoing partnerships with other Massachusetts schools. Harvard's law program has been ranked No. 2 in the nation by U.S. News & World Report in 2016.
Harvard Law School 1563 Massachusetts Ave. Cambridge, MA 02138 617-495-3109 law.harvard.edu
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Writer Bio
Jared Lewis is a professor of history, philosophy and the humanities. He has taught various courses in these fields since 2001. A former licensed financial adviser, he now works as a writer and has published numerous articles on education and business. He holds a bachelor's degree in history, a master's degree in theology and has completed doctoral work in American history.