Despite it’s reputation for being a challenging field of study, law remains a popular discipline among current and prospective students.
We’re governed by the law – something that affects just about every aspect of our lives. The legal system is complex, and its application in the real-world isn’t always straightforward, giving rise to the need for highly-trained lawyers.
Good luck getting into one of these law schools. You’ll need it. https://t.co/VIISdx5GEE
— U.S. News Education (@USNewsEducation) April 24, 2019
Many of the world’s movers and shakers have studied law, including former US President Barack Obama, former Prime Minister of Pakistan Benazir Bhutto, British-Lebanese barrister Amal Clooney and former South African President Nelson Mandela, among many more.
It’s not surprising, seeing that a career in the profession can lead to good employment prospects and great earning potential. Even for students who don’t go on to work in law after graduation, a degree in this subject will equip them with a unique range of skills that could be used across a range of careers, including academia, media and social work, among others.
For aspiring lawyers, the US can hold a lot of appeal in the study of law, as it’s home to some of the world’s leading law schools.
According to US News and World Report, these are the 10 toughest law schools to get into in the US:
| Institution | Full-time and part-time applicants (Fall 2018) | Full-time and part-time acceptances (Fall 2018) | Acceptance Rate |
| Yale University | 3,473 | 238 | 6.9% |
| Stanford University | 4,360 | 380 | 8.7% |
| Harvard University | 7,551 | 971 | 12.9% |
| University of Pennsylvania | 6,413 | 935 | 14.6% |
| University of Virginia | 5,631 | 863 | 15.3% |
| Columbia University | 6,957 | 1,168 | 16.8% |
| University of Chicago | 5,110 | 893 | 17.5% |
| University of Southern California | 5,695 | 1,096 | 19.2% |
| Northwestern University | 5,313 | 1,027 | 19.3% |
| University of Michigan – Ann Harbor | 5,698 | 1,117 | 19.6% |
The list primarily consists of private universities, while a total of four Ivy League schools making the list, including Yale University, Harvard University, the University of Pennsylvania and Columbia University.
Yale University has the lowest acceptance rates on the list at 6.9 percent.
A total of 201 schools were surveyed for their law programmes.
Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2019 by subject: law notes that the following universities are among the best in the world:
| Rank | Institution | THEWUR 2019 Ranking |
| 1 | Stanford University, US | 3 |
| 2 | Duke University, US | 18 |
| 3 | University of Cambridge, UK | 2 |
| 4 | Yale University, UK | 8 |
| 5 | University of Oxford, UK | 1 |
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