T-14 Law Schools: How to Get In (2024)
/What are the top 14 law schools? See the full rankings, average GPA and LSAT scores, and strategies to get into the best law schools in the U.S.
the top 14 law schools are collectively known as “tHe t-14”
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Introduction
Students planning on applying to law school have many options to choose from. Currently, there are over 200 law schools in the United States accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA).
However, since the number of law school graduates continues to exceed the number of JD-requiring positions available each year, attending a top-ranked law school can help you stand out from the competition when it’s time to enter the legal job market.
Many applicants aspire to get into “T-14 law schools,” or schools that are ranked in the top 14 by U.S. News & World Report. Graduates of T-14 law schools go on to hold high-level positions in government, work for prestigious Big Law firms, or serve as executives for Fortune 500 corporations.
In this guide, we’ll go over which schools are considered T-14 and then discuss the strategies you’ll need to follow to get an acceptance letter from any of them.
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Part 1: Top 14 law school rankings
Let’s start by taking a look at the top law schools to see the kind of stats you’ll be competing against. Below are the 2023 T-14 rankings and some of the most important admissions statistics.
Note: The information presented in the following table reflects the most recent publicly available data published by the schools as of May 2023. In the event that the information was not available on the school's website, the school's Standard 509 Information Report was used.
| Top 14 Law Schools | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yale Law School | ||||||||
| Stanford Law School | ||||||||
| University of Chicago Law School | ||||||||
| Columbia Law School | ||||||||
| Harvard Law School | ||||||||
| University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School | ||||||||
| NYU School of Law | ||||||||
| University of Virginia School of Law* | ||||||||
| University of California Berkeley School of Law* | ||||||||
| University of Michigan Law School* | ||||||||
| Duke University School of Law | ||||||||
| Cornell Law School | ||||||||
| Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law | ||||||||
| Georgetown University Law Center |
*Denotes a public law school. | ^Non-resident tuition rates.
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Part 2: How to get into top law schools
Hard work and dedication will carry you far, but if you want to really go the distance, there are a few key strategies you’ll want to employ during your application process.
Get a high LSAT score
Law school admissions is largely a numbers game, and the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) is one of two vital stats top law schools will be weighing heavily. LSAT scores vary from 120 to 180 but as you can see above, the typical median LSAT score for T14 law schools is quite high at 171.
This infamously difficult test is designed to assess skills required for success in law school, such as reading comprehension, analytical reasoning, and logical reasoning. You should give yourself at least one full month to properly prepare and get a great score.
Maintain a high GPA
The other crucial number on your law school application is your GPA. Keeping your grades up is extremely important and, by extension, so are your undergraduate studies. Don’t choose courses you know you will struggle with just because you think they will look impressive; they won’t do you any favors if your final grade lowers your cumulative GPA.
In the same vein, while having extracurricular experience is important, it is simply not as important as your grades. Don’t overextend yourself to the point that your grades suffer. In fact, you should make more time for studying if your grades begin to slip even a little, to create a safety buffer against any unavoidable low grades.
Carefully plan your personal statement
As with most college applications, you want to create a narrative. Your personal statement is the perfect opportunity to tie together your grades, experiences, and goals to create a vibrant image of you and what you will bring to the school you’re applying to.
Avoid using cliches or being broad about your qualifications. Even if you did spend a lot of time working with various clubs or organizations, try to hone in on something that you care about and that makes you stand out. When the admissions boards are reviewing your application, you want them to have a specific idea about you such as, “this student is passionate about elder financial abuse” or “this student has worked with environmental protection groups for years.”
You should spend about a week planning your personal statement to ensure your narrative is clear, concise, and persuasive.
Gain experience and accomplishments
This nebulous requirement can be fulfilled by almost anything, but there are a few things you should aim for. First off, leadership roles are highly coveted among law school admins. Demonstrating hands-on experience leading a team or project almost always looks fantastic; just make sure you don’t let your grades slip in the process.
Teaching and tutoring are other great experiences to have, since fostering future education is a top priority for many schools. Having experience in this type of role will also show good communication skills and a commitment to your community.
Gaining accomplishments may be more challenging to some, but if you’re invested in research or have a special skill (such as playing an instrument), it may be easier for you to try to win awards, compete at a national level, or gain some other type of recognition for your work like being featured in a major publication. Even winning scholarships, fellowships, and grants can be a nice boon to your law school application.
You can always check the approximate likelihood of admission using the Law School Admission Council’s handy tool for narrowing down school choices.
Final thoughts
Getting into a law school can be tough, especially if you’re looking to get into one of the prestigious T-14 schools. However, it’s far from impossible for you to graduate from a T-14 law school! If you’re determined, give yourself ample time to study, and adequately prepare for your application, you’ll be well on your way to being accepted into one of the best law schools in the U.S.
About the Author
Dr. Shirag Shemmassian is the Founder of Shemmassian Academic Consulting and one of the world's foremost experts on law school admissions. For nearly 20 years, he and his team have helped thousands of students get into law school using his exclusive approach.
