Ohio State is in the process of revising websites and program materials to accurately reflect compliance with the law. While this work occurs, language referencing protected class status or other activities prohibited by Ohio Senate Bill 1 may still appear in some places. However, all programs and activities are being administered in compliance with federal and state law.

Researching Law Schools

With nearly 200 ABA-accredited law schools in the U.S., it's important to diligently research schools and identify those where you will be competitive and that interest you.  Every law school is required to publish a "Standard 509 Disclosure" form with data including bar passage rates, academic profile, information about the faculty, and more.  As a "standard" form, this data is easily comparable from school to school, however it requires pulling up the information from each school.  The Law School Admission Council's Official Guide to ABA-Approved Law Schools has a search feature that allows you to pull up a list of all schools or only those in a specific state or region, or to sort by LSAT or GPA profiles.  Each school's page in the online guide will include the following:

  • Information that the law school feels is important to share, from library resources to clinical programs to extra-curricular opportunities.
  • A link to the law school's website.
  • A link to the law school's ABA Data (the Standard 509 Disclosure).

No matter what you are looking for in a law school, be sure to go beyond the rankings.  Simply attending the highest ranked law school you can get into is not a great approach for most students as it ignores financial aid and geography, among other considerations.  What's important to you will be different than what's important to someone else - you don't need to know what kind of law you want to practice, but make sure you know what your priorities are and what you want out of your law school education.  Does it matter what state you're in?  How will cost factor in to your decision?  Is there a particular certificate program you're looking for?  Are you hoping to work in the same city where you graduate from law school and if so what are the career options there?  Elements to consider when building a list of law schools to apply to:

  • Your GPA and LSAT (or practice LSAT) - where will you be competitive?  What might constitute reach schools or safety schools?
  • Where do you want to live and work after law school?  Graduates of law schools located in cities/states you're considering will have an advantage when it comes to networking in the local community.
  • Academic programs - if you have a sense of the type of law you want to practice, what law schools offer courses, clinics, etc. in that field?
  • Bar passage rate.
  • Job placement.
  • Anything else that is important to you.

A great way to do research is to talk directly with law schools, whether at their campus or ours!  Ohio State students and alumni are invited to attend The Ohio State Law Fair every autumn.  One of the largest pre-law events in the Midwest, our Law Fair is an excellent opportunity to get information about law schools and talk directly with representatives from 100+ law schools around the country.  Be sure to visit the Law Fair webpages for more details about this year's event.