The 10 Best Law Schools in Georgia
Are you considering studying law in Georgia? If so, you are probably wondering which law school you should pick that will offer you the best mentorship programs, legal education, and research opportunities. The law school you choose will play a major role in your future success as a practicing professional. To help you make an informed decision, here is a comprehensive review of the 10 Best Law Schools in Georgia.
10. Savannah Law School
Savannah Law School is a for-profit, private law learning institution, based in Savannah, Georgia. This law school got accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA) in 2005. Savannah Law School is a branch of the Atlanta John Marshall Law School. It has an 8:1 student-to-faculty ratio, and the median LSAT score of the part-time program is 149 and 153 for the full-time program. 21% of the 2014 enrollment in Savannah Law School were minorities, with 71% of them being women, 64% being out-of-state residents, and 17% being military veterans. While it is an excellent law school, it is expected to stop its operations by 2021 as it recently stopped receiving enrollment applications.
9. University of North Georgia
The University of North Georgia is a medium-sized public institution situated in Dahlonega, Georgia. The college offers various course programs, including associate’s degrees and certificates in Legal Assistant. Based on 67 evaluation factors, this institution is ranked number 470 out of 1285 schools of law in the United States. Depending on the program you are studying, most of the tuition fees at the University of North Georgia are affordable, averaging around $16,000 annually. Recent security statistics have shown that the University of North Georgia has a fair rating for university crimes. Some of the main competitors of this university are Vanderbilt University in Nashville and Duke University in Durham.
8. Georgia Institute of Technology College of Law
Are you looking for an institution where you can continue your work while studying towards your degree in law? If so, you should consider the Georgia Institute of Technology College of law. The university provides its law students with a unique and flexible course program, where you can attend class only six times over a span of a year. The school also provides pre-law courses and mentorship programs for all students considering studying law and receiving real-world experience from attorneys and legal experts working in their professional fields. Furthermore, the Georgia Institute of Technology College of Law strives to expose its students to various professional disciplines with accomplished alumni, lawyers, and other legal experts that share an interest in how science and technology have affected law. Georgia Institute of Technology College is a top choice for exploring issues dealing with law, science, and technology at affordable tuition fees. This dynamic makes it the perfect choice if you want to cut down on avoidable costs while still receiving quality law education.
7. Walter F. George School of Law
The Walter F. George School of Law is part of the Mercer University, which is located in Macon, Georgia. This institution was established in 1873 and currently has a total of 386 students studying law. It was named after Walter F. George, who was in the Mercer law class back in 1901 and later served as the senator of Georgia between 1922 and 1957 and as President pro tempore from 1955 to 1957. Before being elected to the senate, Walter F. George served as the Georgia Court of Appeal judge in 1917 and Chief Justice of the Georgia Supreme Court between 1917 and 1922. Mercer university decided to name its law school after Walter F. George in 1947, during a naming ceremony graced by the Chief Justice of the United States, Fred M. Vinson. Later on, the Walter F. George foundation was created to help fund scholarships for the university’s law students who showed interest in the public service sector. The selected students received full payment of tuition fees for three years, in addition to community service grants during the first and second years of summer public service internships. The average tuition fee at Walter F. George School of Law Is around $40,000. The university only admits students with an average LSAT score of 153 and an average GPA of 3.37.
6. Armstrong State University
Based on 67 evaluation factors, National Law School Ranking ranks Armstrong State University as the sixth-best law school in Georgia and number 267 out of 1285 Schools of Law in the United States. It is a public college that offers various educational programs, including law courses. Since its establishment in 1935, the university has been providing bachelor’s degrees in a number of Legal Studies and Professions. Some of the major competitors for this institution are Emory University in Atlanta and Duke University in Durham. The tuition fees in Armstrong State University are around $19,000 annually. Moreover, the school is located in an environment that is generally safe, with recent security-data analysis showing that the on-campus security has a good rating.
5. Atlanta John Marshall Law School
Atlanta John Marshall Law School (AJMLS) is a profit-based law school situated on Peachtree Street in Atlanta. After its establishment in 1922, this law school was awarded American Bar Association (ABA) accreditation in 2005. Most of its alumni have become successful and hold top professions in the government. Great examples include the former conservative radio show host Neal Bortz, Doug Collins, Jon G, Burns, the Nigerian politician Femi Gbajabiamila, and Ronald Ramsey. The MacArthur “Genius” Award Winner and criminal defense lawyer, Jonathan Rapping, is also among the school’s personnel. Getting into this school – like many law schools – is no walk in the park. According to the school’s website, AJMLS only admits 35% of all applicants, with a median undergraduate GPA of 2.94 and a median LSAT score of 150. Gabarad Missions reports that the average passage rate for first-time bar exams among all Georgia ABA-accredited schools of law is 66%. AJMLS has an impressive 84% average first-time passage rate. One notable feature of AJMLS’s school curriculum is the Experiential Learning Program. The program ensures that law students are not learning legal case briefings theoretically but are well-trained by experienced real-world professionals. This improves their job efficiency after graduation from school.
4. Mercer University Law School
The Mercer University Law School was established in 1893 and is one of the pioneer law institutions in the United States. According to the US News & World Report, this school of law is ranked number 138 nationwide. Mercer Law School was awarded by the American Bar Association the Gambrell Professionalism Award for its consistency and excellence in training legal professionals. The law school has a reputation for providing high-quality education to law students both in Georgia and its neighboring states. It has 32 full-time law experts and 33 adjunct law professors. Additionally, the school operates on an open-door policy, where students freely interact with professors and develop beneficial relationships. A majority of the personnel have written, and published papers, led legal presentations within their fields, and worked professionally at various law levels. Since it is a private university, the class sizes are quite small. This is an added advantage as it increases the interaction opportunities between the school’s faculty and the students. The main goal of Mercer University Law School is to equip students with strong ethics and theoretical knowledge of the law.
3. Georgia State University Law School
Georgia State University Law School is the ideal choice for a student looking for a budget-friendly school that offers increased prospects for job opportunities after graduation. According to the National Jurist and Pre-Law Magazines, GSU’s law school is ranked 12th among the top law schools countrywide, where its law students earn higher salaries than their educational loan debts. The US News and World Report recognized this institution as number 67 in its ranks. Since this law school is situated in Georgia’s capital, students usually receive government-sponsored work placements and externships. In addition to offering several degree programs such as; Master of Jurisprudence (MJ), Juris Doctor (J.D.), and Master of Laws (LL.M), the institution is ranked among the top schools in terms of diversity. It also offers part-time and full-time JD programs to all non-resident students with varying schedules. GSU boasts of 73 full-time personnel, spanning 18 national research clinics and centers. This has exposed the students to work and learning opportunities with real-world experienced law tutors. This law school stands out from the rest because it provides its students with several independent research opportunities and plenty of practical learning experiences that engage the students through personalized career jobs and mentorship. Georgia State University school of law is renowned for its impressive bar passage record for its law graduates.
2. Emory University Law School
Emory University Law School is a highly-rated law school located in Georgia. According to the US News & World Report rankings, this law school is ranked number 21 countrywide. Since its establishment, it has equipped around 12,000 with a legal education to help them become reliable and knowledgeable law practitioners within the state and globally. Emory University Law School allows its students unrestricted opportunities to learn and interact with other legal scholars who have more legal experience in research and policy. The school has a legal clinic that vigorously advocates for clients’ rights and needs by providing law students with the needed ethics, values, and skills to practice law. Furthermore, the students can participate in professional conferences, symposia, and seminars pioneered by well-accomplished legal practitioners and advisors. One notable feature of this law school is that it provides law students with a wide range of degree programs designed to increase their focus on law and later graduate into legal professionals and efficient lawyers. Some of these educational programs include:
· Juris Master, MCL
· Doctor of juridical science (SJD)
· LL.M, Juris Doctor
· Various joint degrees
1. University of Georgia Law School
According to official US News Rankings, the best law school in Georgia is the University of Georgia Law School. The Law School at this institution was established in 1859, making it the second oldest college or school in the university. According to the United States News & World Report, this law school is ranked number 27 in the entire country, a pretty impressive position. The University of Georgia Law School boasts of several mentorship programs for its students that help expose them to legal experts and career advisers. In the academic year 2019, around 90 of the school’s students were involved in summer fellowships. The Georgia Law School is mainly known for its experienced and highly qualified personnel, with many of them having been awarded UGA’s most-valued excellence award. Some members of the faculty have also served as law clerks at the US Supreme Court and federal courts. Some of these scholars have worked as editors of several law reviews. This institution allows law students to choose from 3-degree programs and 8 dual-degree law programs, including MBS and JD. Approximately 95% of the Georgia law school students sit for their bar exams pass within a year of graduation. University of Georgia Law School is located close to Atlanta. Hence, it provides students with easy access to local, national, or even international law firms with lucrative job offers. Even better, the law school has a focused student body with impressive LSAT scores and GPAs.
Conclusion
Georgia is not only known for its heart and hospitality; it is also home to some of the country’s most highly-ranked schools of law. Every time someone mentions law school, people immediately think of international universities like Yale, Columbia, Stanford, and Harvard. However, thanks to improved transport and communication systems, Georgia’s top-rated schools are now nationally and internationally considered reliable destinations for quality law education. Remember, to become a lawyer; you must pass your bar exam in the state or states where you intend to start your practice. Studying Law education in Georgia significantly improves your employability and increases your job opportunities and legal expertise in many areas of the law. Pick one of the 10 Best Law Schools in Georgia on this list and begin your professional journey today.
