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10 Best Law Schools in California

Are you a potential student who is looking for the best law schools in California to choose from? Do you live in California or you are planning to move there to study Law? We have published a carefully assembled list of the best law schools in California, keep reading this article to get your answers!

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California is one of the top business hubs in the U.S.A, aside from bustling with budding businesses, California is also a top tourist, educational, and professional location with beautiful sceneries. The state is known for its beaches, Silicon Valley, and Hollywood, it is an ideal destination for students to pursue their education.

Additionally, California is home to several law schools in the country so wanting to study law in California is not a bad idea. Many law schools in California are American Bar Association-accredited and offer world-class LL.M. programs. Let’s take a more detailed look at the top 10 law schools in California.

10 Best Law Schools in California

1. University of California – Berkeley (UC Berkeley)

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University of California – Berkeley (UC Berkeley) was founded in 1894, the school admits about 20 percent of applicants every year, which makes admission into the school very competitive

U.C. Berkeley law school offers both a traditional LL.M. program and a Professional Track LL.M. Candidates of the professional Track LL.M. can study over two consecutive summers. This schedule gives them the chance to shuffle work, school, and family.

LL.M. specializations in the school include:

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  • Business Law
  • Law & Technology
  • Energy & Clean Technology

2. Stanford Law School (SLS)

Stanford Law School is one of the top three law schools in the United States according to our ranking. The school’s admission process is very competitive, admitting only 15 to 20 students every year in each of the specializations.

The areas of specialization include:

  • International Economic Law
  • Business & Policy
  • Environmental Law & Policy
  • Corporate Governance & Practice
  • Science & Technology

Applicants that are lucky to be admitted into Stanford enjoy access to world-class professors, in addition to the areas of specialization earlier listed, the school hosts the Stanford Program in International Legal Studies (SPILS).

One of the benefits of studying at Stanford is that at least 90 percent of Stanford graduates get jobs in top law firms within 10 months.

3. The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)

The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) was founded in 1949, UCLA Law School prides itself in being the first public law school in Southern California.’

It the located in Los Angeles, and offers an LL.M. program, with various specializations in areas including:

  • Sports Law
  • Business Law
  • Tax Law
  • Law and Sexuality
  • Entertainment Law

The school’s Entertainment Law, offered at the school’s Ziffren Center is reputed as the best entertainment law program in California and the nation as a whole. The UCLA school of law also offers a Critical Race Studies program, this is the only law program in the U.S. that is focused on matters concerning race and justice.

Admission into UCLA  is very competitive, it has an acceptance rate of about 22.5 percent. The school has a reputation for its comprehensive classroom work, and students are given access to unlimited opportunities for experiential learning.

4. University of Southern California Gould School of Law (USC Law School)

The University of Southern California was established in 1896, and the Gould School of Law officially was officially launched in 1900.

USC Law School is the oldest law school in the Southwestern United States. The school is often ranked among the top 20 law schools in the country. The school offers a standard one-year LL.M. program and a two-year LL.M. program.

USC boasts a large student body as it enrolls about 600 students, the large student body is not a direct indication that USC is easy to get into USC as the admission is as competitive as other law schools mentioned in this article.

USC Gould School has partnerships with universities in various parts of the world, including  Italy, Hong Kong, Brazil, France, and Australia.

The school also offers 15 dual-degree programs that integrate the law with other fields, such as:

  • Business administration
  • Public policy
  • Gerontology
  • International relations

5. University of California (U.C.) Irvine School of Law

U.C. Irvine School of Law was launched in 2009 which makes it one of the newest law schools on this list. Despite not being around for long, U.C is one of the most progressive law schools in California and the United States.

Admission into U.C. Irvine is also very competitive, it admits only about 25 percent of applicants. U.C is highly reputed as one of the best law schools in California, choosing to study in this school will gain you all the experience you need for a successful law career

6. Chapman University – Fowler School of Law

Chapman University Law School was established in 1995, it gained provisional American Bar Association (ABA) accreditation in 1998 and acquired full ABA accreditation in 2002.

Chapman Law School has an acceptance rate of 48 percent, this means that admission is not so competitive.

CU offers a variety of programs, which include several LL.M degree specializations. The LL.M specialization options include:

  • Criminal Law
  • Environmental Law
  • Taxation
  • Trial Advocacy
  • Business Law
  • Entertainment & Media Law
  • International Law

7. University of California (U.C.) Davis School of Law

Davis School of Law was established in 1965, the school is located in the State’s capital, and this location offers students the opportunity to network with a variety of professionals and government representatives.

U.C.’s admission is quite competitive, they accept a little over 34 percent of applicants every year. The school offers a range of LL.M. specialization options, including:

  • Public International Law
  • Private International Law
  • Business Law
  • Intellectual Property Law

U.C. Davis School of Law students are given the go-ahead to work with real clients and solve real-world problems through various clinics such as:

  • Immigration Law Clinic
  • Civil Rights Clinic
  • Prison Law Office
  • Family Protection & Advocacy Clinic
  • California Supreme Court Clinic

8. Loyola Law School Los Angeles

Loyola Law School Los Angeles was established in 1920, the law school is popular for its active evening program and trial advocacy program. Loyola offers a large variety of  LL.M. programs with specialization in areas including:-

  • Criminal Justice
  • Cybersecurity
  • Taxation
  • Civil Litigation
  • Entertainment & Media Law

One of the most unique things about Loyola that sets them apart from its peers is its concentration program, students are allowed to choose a concentration in a particular field. These concentrations include public interest law, entrepreneurship, intellectual property law, and immigrant advocacy.

9. Pepperdine University School of Law

Pepperdine University School of Law is located in Malibu,  the law school impacts knowledge into its student with strong Christian principles. Pepperdine University School of Law is an affiliate of the Churches of Christ.

One of the most remarkable features of the school is its Paris Institute for Professional Formation. Students are given the opportunity to work with mentors in studying various legal issues including legal analysis and ethics.

This institute positions the school as a thought leader in the world of alternative dispute resolution. In fact, Pepperdine’s LL.M. in Dispute Resolution ranks among the world’s top 10 LL.M.s for alternative dispute resolution. The school’s admission is very competitive, only about 36.2 percent of applicants are admitted every year.

Other LL.M. programs offered in the school include:

  • International Commercial Law & Arbitration
  • United States Law
  • Sports, Entertainment, & Media Law

10. University of California (U.C.) Hastings College of Law

University of California (U.C.) Hastings College of Law is located in San Francisco and was established in 1878. It was also the first law school in the U.C. system, the school is just a few minutes walk from the California Supreme Court, City Hall, the Attorney’s Office, and the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.

The school allows students to choose from 10 specializations, which include:

  • Social Justice Lawyering
  • Environmental Law
  • Intellectual Property Law
  • Criminal Law
  • Business Law
  • International Law

Admission is not so competitive at U.C as it admits about 44.9 applicants every year, you may find that this is one of the easiest law schools to be admitted into on this list. We hope that this article has been of help to you in your search for the 10 Best Law Schools in California.

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