Best Law Schools

Best law schools in the U.S. Many of these top graduate institutions, including Yale University, Harvard University and Stanford University, are consistently ranked high in US News' annual law school college rankings. These U.S. law schools turn out some of the brightest lawyers in the country.

Which law school is truly the best? That's up to you to decide! Add your own list of the best law schools and then vote for your favorites.

Many of the law schools on this list are on the East Coast, but some Midwestern, Southern and West Coast schools are also represented, in an attempt to present the fullest possible picture of US options for new law students. Most of these law schools are part of large, well-established institutions; some are private and some are public. Chances are, you'll recognize a lot of these schools - but some might surprise you.

The fact that so many people in the US each year have decided to enter the field of law has been the subject of much controversy and debate. A popular course of action during any economic downturn is for a number of people to leave the job force and go back to school, hoping to "ride out" the employment freeze. The economy's slow recovery, however, means that this strategy may not work out so well. It led to a glut of new law school admissions, and thus new graduating lawyers entering a limited job market. (Between 2008 and 2009 alone, the number of new students taking the LSAT jumped by nearly 20,000.) A number of high profile law schools - including California's Hastings School of Law - have started to drastically cut back the number of students it will be admitting, by as much as 20%.

These factors make applying to the right school that will provide the most valuable, attractive degree more important than ever. Students still wishing to pursue a career in law must be sure to attend the most competitive schools, giving them a leg up against potential competitors for jobs down the line.