Making the decision to go to law school was hard enough. How do you know you are choosing the right law school for you? There is a lot to consider when looking at all of the different schools. The first thing you want to do is figure out what is most important to you and your goals. Do you want a traditional or non-traditional setting? How much do you want to spend? What values do you want the school to have?
We go over a few things you should think about as you struggle with this important decision.
How to Know You are Choosing the Right Law School
If you are applying to law school, it is natural to be concerned about making the right decision. There are so many variables to consider, such as student loans, safety, and job placement.
As you apply to law schools and look for advice, there are a few important things to keep in mind.
- Finances. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve heard that Americans have a lot of student loan debt. And like most students, you don’t want to take on exorbitant debt that you won’t be able to repay easily after graduation. Look for a law school that offers merit-based scholarships and grant opportunities.
For instance, at Faulkner Law, the average student earns a scholarship worth 54 percent of tuition. In addition, Faulkner Law offers public interest fellowships, providing grants for students who work for nonprofits or public interest groups during the summer.
- Career prospects. When you make an investment in law school, you want to ensure that investment will pay off with a job in your chosen field upon graduation. To that end, be sure to ask about employment placement rates when you visit law schools. One of the best ways to secure employment upon graduation is to participate in an internship or other legal work experience during law school, so it’s a good idea to also ask about internship placements.
At Faulkner Law, for instance, we place more than 200 law students in internships every year. Our post-grad employment rate is close to 90 percent and trending upward, and our employment rate for JD-required positions is 70 percent.
- Security. Even though it may be one of the last things on your mind when applying to law school, safety is always important. Make sure you are choosing a law school where you feel safe and where the campus has updated security operations.
At Faulkner, the Campus Safety and Police Department is on patrol 24/7 to protect our students and employees. The department also provides programs, services, and activities for the safety and security of Faulkner University facilities, faculty, students, administration and staff. Sworn campus police officers serve to prevent and detect crime, conduct law enforcement operations and investigations, supervise emergency response procedures, maintain an effective parking and traffic system and provide general service to the university community. Faulkner also maintains an alert system to notify students and employees via text message and email in the event of a campus emergency.
Faulkner University’s Thomas Goode Jones School of Law makes an effort to ensure that students are able to pursue a law degree and succeed without accruing too much debt by offering students scholarships and internships. Faulkner University is also committed to providing a safe environment for all students. In addition to these things, Faulkner’s law school offers the opportunity to study law in a setting that supports Christian values.
Is Faulkner University’s Jones School of Law the right choice for you?
Faulkner University’s Thomas Goode Jones School of Law is a small, Christian law school in Montgomery, Alabama with a mission to provide students with a unique advantage through the rigorous curriculum and hands-on experience. While providing an education anchored by not only intellect but also character and service, Faulkner’s Jones School of Law seeks students who will not only succeed academically but who also have a desire to use their legal degree to seek justice and serve their communities – wherever that may be. Contact Faulkner Law today at (334) 386-7910.