What are the Best Law Schools in Michigan?
What is a law degree?
What is a degree in law? Law, or the study of law, touches on almost every part of a person’s life, including business, economics, politics, the environment, human rights, international relations, and trade. It says a lot that the first degrees given were all in law. As a law student, you can expect to learn how to deal with some of the most difficult conflicts and moral problems in modern society. For that reason, many students are considering studying law at the best law schools in Michigan.
Law degrees are a good way to prepare for specific legal careers, a wide range of professional roles, and life in general. This is because they give you a framework to look at and understand different societies and cultures.
In the US, law degrees are graduate degrees. This means you need a bachelor’s degree before applying to law school or a master’s program to study law. At the undergraduate level, many “pre-law” students choose to study English, political science, psychology, or other majors in the humanities or social sciences to improve their reading, writing, and critical thinking skills, which are important for doing well in law school.
Depending on the type of law degree you want and the school you attend, your classes will be different. But classes usually cover many topics, such as the legal system, procedure, and law. As a first-year law student, you might take classes on civil and criminal procedure, the Constitution, property law, and legal writing, among other things. Later, you might take classes that teach you how to write contracts or negotiate.
Why study law in Michigan?
There are several reasons why one should study law in Michigan, including:
Reputable law schools: many of the best law schools in Michigan, such as the University of Michigan Law School and Michigan State University College of Law, offer excellent legal education and resources.
Networking opportunities: Studying law in Michigan allows students to network with legal professionals, including alumni, professors, and practitioners, helping them build connections and expand their career prospects.
Strong legal industry: Michigan has a thriving legal industry, with many law firms, corporations, and government agencies that offer job opportunities for aspiring lawyers.
Diverse practice areas: Michigan has a diverse range of legal practice areas, including corporate law, criminal law, environmental law, and more, allowing students to explore various interests and specialize in a specific area of law.
Affordable cost of living: Compared to other major cities in the United States, Michigan offers a relatively low cost of living, making it a more affordable place to study law and start a career.
Rich cultural heritage: Michigan is known for its rich cultural heritage and historical landmarks, making it an exciting and engaging place to live and study.
Which are the best law universities in Michigan?
University of Michigan Law School (Ann Arbor, MI)
One of the best law universities in Michigan is the University of Michigan Law School. With its pretty quads and Gothic-style buildings, the school is a nice place to study and train. Aesthetics aren’t the only things that make this law school great. It has a great curriculum, faculty, and programs, and its acceptance rate is around 27%, which makes it the most competitive school on this list. The class of 2023 had an average GPA of 3.77 and an average LSAT score of 169.
Why is the University of Michigan Law School considered one of the best law schools in Michigan and gets a lot of applications every year? The school has a rigorous and varied curriculum covering many law areas, from antitrust to public interest law, Japanese law, legal theory and philosophy, and writing and drafting.
Courses in these areas are taught by some of the best thinkers and doers in the world. Julian Mortenson, for example, is a teacher who has won awards, a scholar who has written a lot, and a lawyer who is always busy. He has written articles that have been published in many of the best law journals and reviews. He has also worked for the International Criminal Tribunal of the Former Yugoslavia and worked as a clerk for Supreme Court Justice David H. Souter.
Wayne State University School of Law (Detroit, MI)
So far, Wayne State University School of Law has won the most awards out of all the schools on this list. It has been on the list of “Best Value Schools,” “Best Law Schools,” and “Part-Time Law Schools” by US News & World Report for the last three years.
Also, of the law schools in the area, its graduates have one of the lowest rates of debt, with an average of $55,000 in debt. It is the most affordable and one of the best law schools in Michigan.
WSU School of Law has become one of the best places to get practical legal training and fight for justice. It is home to the Program for International Legal Studies, the Levin Center, and the Damon J. Keith Center for Civil Rights.
The Keith Center teaches its students how to be “agents of change” by helping underrepresented communities in Southeast Michigan with their social, political, and economic needs. By providing neutral oversight based on facts, the Levin Center also gives students the tools they need to take the lead in ensuring that public and private institutions are open, accountable, and honest. The Levin Center has started a podcast series about how the government should be watched over.
The International Legal Studies program allows students to study abroad and learn how the law works in other countries. This is just a small sample of the many professional and hands-on opportunities available to students as they learn theory and practice well and develop a strong desire to help people.
More than 85% of graduates got full-time jobs within a year of graduating, and almost 90% have jobs now.
Michigan State University College of Law (East Lansing, MI)
The Michigan State University College of Law, which used to be called the Detroit College of Law, has been around since 1891. It is the second oldest law school in the state. US News & World Report’s most recent list of the top 100 law schools in the country says that the school has earned its place as one of the best law schools in Michigan.
This is true of many law schools that have been around for a long time. Even at first glance, it shouldn’t be surprising that getting into law school can be hard. Each year, less than half of the people who apply are accepted.
Rosemarie Aquilina is a well-known professor at the Detroit College of Law. She presided over the Larry Nassar case and is already on this list as a famous graduate of another school. The school has a lot of accomplished graduates, such as the current governor of Michigan, Gretchen Whitmer, and a former justice of the Michigan Supreme Court, Dennis Archer.
The prestige of the MSU College of Law has made it possible for its graduates to work and make a difference in all 50 states, not just in the ones where they studied or taught. Many go into the legal field and get important jobs, like National Appeals Attorney for the Vietnam Veterans of America or attorneys at well-known law firms all over the country.
Students at the Detroit College of Law learn from professors who are leaders in business and regulatory law. Students not only get help from great professors but also get better at being lawyers and gain valuable experience. The unique and helpful Indian Law Clinic prepares those who want to work in Indian Country. Lastly, the award-winning Moot Court allows students to work on their skills and get to know other students with similar interests.
University of Detroit Mercy School of Law (Detroit, MI)
In downtown Detroit, the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law is right in the legal district. Right in the middle of the legal district gives Mercy School of Law students easy access to many internships and externships, which are great ways to learn by doing. People from all over the country who want to become lawyers choose this school for many other reasons.
Over 80% of graduates from the last few years got full-time jobs that required a JD within a year of graduating. In terms of job prospects after graduation, this puts Detroit Mercy Law above the national average. Many recent graduates are getting jobs at top national law firms, government offices like US Citizenship and Immigration Services, and top judicial clerkships in the state, among other places, making it one of the best law schools in Michigan.
One of the best things about the school is its excellent and experienced faculty, which includes Catherine Archibald, a well-known expert in international law and gender law. Archibald has not only written for high-ranking law reviews but also won awards for her pro bono work in immigration, family, and housing law.
How does Detroit Mercy Law train lawyers to be the best they can be? If a law school doesn’t have top-notch clinical programs, it’s not worth mentioning. Through mini-clinics like the Greening of Detroit Clinic and the Wayne County Tax Foreclosure Hearing, students get hands-on experience as lawyers as early as the first year of law school.
Attorneys from the community teach and watch over the students. Through a wide range of clinics, upper-level students are sure to get hands-on training. The school has some history that it can be proud of. It opened the Urban Law Clinic, one of the first law clinics in the country.
Some people who want to go to college are just as interested in a school’s culture and values as in its employment rate. The mission of Detroit Mercy Law is based on its Jesuit and Mercy roots. This gives future lawyers a strong background in ethics and social justice.
Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School (Lansing, MI)
The Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School in the state capital, Lansing, is a great place for people who want to become lawyers and make a real difference in law and legal advocacy. Cooley Law students have made a difference for years by participating in the nationally known Innocence Project. To date, 375 wrongfully convicted prisoners have been set free because of this project.
The only chapter in the state that talks about DNA proof after a conviction is the one at Cooley Law. But this is just one example that stands out. The school has many other clinics and professors that have won awards. The Real Estate Planning and Elderly Law clinical program is among the top-ranking clinical programs.
Rosemarie Aquilina, a Michigan Circuit Court judge, presided over the case and sentencing of Larry Nassar in 2017, a case that made headlines all over the country. She is one of the school’s famous alumni. Aquilina also works at the school as a part-time teacher.
Cooley is one of the best law schools in Michigan. It has a good part-time law program for working adults and other “nontraditional” students who want to enter law. The school’s dedication to education is shown by its excellent continuing education program for new lawyers and those who have already been practicing law. The Master of Laws (LL.M) programs offer part-time and full-time online classes that busy professionals can use to improve their skills.
In 2019, 54% of applicants to Cooley Law were accepted, a big drop from the past, when 80% of applicants were accepted.
Now that you have an idea of what the best law schools in Michigan are, your next step is to enter the school you want. At AdmissionSight, you can get the guidance of experts with 10 years of experience through any college you wish. Getting help from AdmissionSight will save you the trouble and effort of applying to law school. Set up an appointment today and see how we can help you.
