Best Law Schools In Arizona | 2023 Application

Having a career in law starts with finding a school that best fits you. Though there are lots of law schools in Arizona, as a legal practitioner aspirant in Arizona, it is only normal to want to go to the best, and we are here to help point you in the right direction.

Arizona, also nicknamed the Grand Canyon State is a state in the southwestern part of the United States, with phoenix being its largest city and capital. It is known as the 14^th most populated and the 6^th largest state in the U.S. its population and economy have drastically grown since the 1950s due to migration which tells us how receptive they are to Immigrants.

With schooling in Arizona also comes the experience of a rich, vibrant culture, and history, including favorable weather for anyone interested in temperate weather conditions.

Why Go To A Law School In Arizona

The University of Arizona provides personalized, comprehensive legal education with a wide range of courses through graduate programs.

If you are someone who wants to study abroad but have issues with extremely cold weather, then Arizona might be the perfect place for you, with its desert climate, where the low humidity makes the high temperatures feel more attractive than the oppressive weather in some other states in the U.S.

The cost of living in Arizona is the same as the national average which makes it more affordable than most states and a good place for students. 

What Is The Cost Of Getting Into A Law School In Arinzona?

A full-time law school tuition fee for non-residents ranges from $48,570 to $52,167.36, while that for Residents ranges from $28,364 to 47,667.36.

Arizona law schools are committed to providing a legal education of the heist quality to their students due to the fact that their law is committed to excellence.

How Long Is Law School In Arizona?

 Juris Doctor (JD) degree takes three years and in some cases 2 years to complete, depending on the school and the prescribed curriculum.

Arizona Law School Requirements 2023

Just like every other law school in other states, Arizona law schools also have their entry requirements, which include:

1. A Bachelor’s Degree

This has to be earned from an accredited college or university

2. Law School Admission Test Scores or Graduate Record Examination Scores

To get into Arizona law schools, you have to present either the GRE or the LSAT scores, earned within five years of the expected date of entry into law school.

This is important because it will be used to make your admission decision. Though it’s possible to take the LSAT OR GRE tests before applying for law school, your application won’t be complete if your official score report is not ready.

3. Two or More Letters of Recommendation

These letters of recommendation are expected to detail your writing skills and analytical abilities substantively and should be sent to the school directly online.

4. Double-spaced, 4 pages max of Personal Statement

This is an opportunity to let the admission panel in on your personality, which means a personal statement describing circumstances that have helped shape your life, your personal qualities, and unique characteristics are needed, including socioeconomic background, talents, special interests, etc.

5. Transcript

This is required in other to evaluate your educational experiences, grade trends, etc. which mean, your graduate and undergraduate transcripts are needed.

6. Resume

this can be thrown in to further convince them of how responsible you are by describing your range of work and volunteer experiences, interests, and skills.

If for any reason there is up to a year gap in your education, that will be a good time to state it.

Best Law Schools In Arizona 2023

Arizona isn’t exactly a place one will readily consider while thinking of law schools to attend, because the state only has two accredited law colleges but then, the state makes up in quality what it lacks in quantity.

The two Arizona law schools are:

1. University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law (Tucson, AZ)

This college of law located in Tucson, which was the first law school in Arizona, founded in 1915, has an outstanding academic program that helps to prepare lawyers for service and leadership throughout the state.

The college which gets approximately hundred and fifty students in each entering class, with about 500 student body in total, is small by choice and has a full-time out-of-state tuition fee of $30,354 with a full-time in-state tuition fee of $25,854 and a student-faculty ration of 4.4:1

 University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law has a statistic of 450 J.D enrollment with LLM and SJD postgraduate enrolment of 25.

The college has unique features which include

• A small but diverse student body that is drawn from the top 15% of the national applicant pool.
• The Rehnquist Centre draws some of the nation’s top jurists to the College each year
• An award-winning trial advocacy program, a menu of clinical opportunities, and a highly successful externship and clerkship program offer students opportunities to pursue work across the nation and even internationally.
•  Arizona Law advances legal scholarship and practice in distinctive, multi-dimensional programs, including the Indigenous Peoples Law & Policy, the Program in Criminal Law and Policy, the International Trade Law Program, and the Environmental Law, Science, and Policy Program, In addition to a rigorous core curriculum.
• Arizona Law is also noted for its collegial community and the strength of its student organizations.
• Arizona university provides competition as the best law school in the state.

2. Arizona State University-Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law

Located in Phoenix, Arizona, in the Beus Center for Law and Society on ASU’s downtown Phoenix campus, Arizona State University College of law is a public school created in 1965 as the Arizona State University College of Law upon recommendation of the Arizona Board of Regents, with the first classes held in the fall of 1967.

According to Wikipedia, the school has held American Bar Accreditation since 1969 and is a member of the Order of Coif. The school is also a member of the Association of American Law School.

The law school which has notable alumni like Rebecca White Berch, chief justice of the Arizona Supreme Court, and Michael Gallagher, co-founder of Gallagher & Kennedy, was renamed in honor of retired United State Supreme Court Justice, Sandra Day O’Connor.

It is the higher-ranked law school of the two in Arizona, the 12^th highest law school, and the 30^th in the nation overall by the U.S. News & World Report.

The school has an application deadline of 1^st March with zero full-time program application fee, a student-faculty ratio of 5.4:1, a full-time out-of-state tuition fee of $47,302, and a full-time in-state tuition fee of $28,058.

For students who want to learn about the law without becoming a lawyer, the Arizona State College of Law offers a Master of Legal Studies (M.L.S) degree program. There are lots of current degree programs like J.D./M.B.A for students who want to go for another degree, through the W.P Carey School of Business, and a J.D./M.D. through the Mayo Medical School in Rochester, Minn.

Arizona state university is ranked #30 in best law school(tie)

13 Best Law Schools situated around Arizona

In as much as Arizona has just 2 law schools as mentioned above, here are the 13 Best Law Schools situated around Arizona

• University of California (Berkeley) School of Law
• Pepperdine University School of Law
• University of San Diego Law School
• University of New Mexico Law School
• Brigham Young University – J. Reuben Clark Law School
• University of Idaho College of Law
• Willamette University College of Law
• Loyola University Chicago School of Law
• Oregon University School of Law
• Lewis & Clark University (North-western)
• University of California (Los Angeles) Law School
• University of Nevada Los Angeles College of Law
•  University of Utah – Quinney Law School

3.  University of California (Berkeley) School of Law

University of California, Berkeley, School of Law, established in 1894, is a public law school commonly referred to for many years as Boalt Hall.

The School of Law at the University of California-Berkeley full-time program application fee is $75 with a full-time out-of-state tuition of $62,143, a full-time in-state tuition fee of $56,858, and a student-faculty ratio of 6.5:1.

GPAs and letter grades are not used by the UC Berkeley School of Law. 98 percent of graduates obtained full-time employment within nine months in 2019, with a median salary of $190,000. In 2021, the school had the highest bar passage rate (95.5%) of any California law school. 

The school offers J.D., LL.M., J.S.D., and Ph.D. degrees, and enrolls approximately 320 to 330 J.D. students in each entering class, annually, with each class being further broken down into smaller groups that take courses together, according to Wikipedia.

Notable federal judges, Fortune 500 executives, politicians, recognized legal academics, and civil rights experts, like U.S. Attorney General Edwin Meese, Dallas Mavericks CEO Terdema Ussery, Nuremberg Trials prosecutor Whitney Robson Harris, Chief Justice of the United States Earl Warren, U.S. Secretary of State Dean Rusk are all Berkeley alumni.

Berkeley Law has consistently ranked within the top 14 law schools in the United States.

4. Pepperdine University School of Law

Founded in 1969, the Pepperdine University Rick J. Caruso School of Law, formerly known as Pepperdine University School of Law, located in Malibu, California, ranks 2^nd in the nation by U.S. News & World Report dispute resolution 2020.

The school offers various Master of Law (LLM) options in Dispute Resolution, Juris Doctor (JD), Sports, and Media Law, United State Law, and Entertainment. There are also verities of options for students who want to earn joint degrees like J.D./M.B.A.

offered by the Pepperdine University George L. Graziadio School of Business and Management, a J.D./Masters of Public Policy, offered by the Pepperdine University School of Public Policy, a J.D./M. Div. offered by the Pepperdine University Seaver College Religion Division.

They have a zero full-time program application fee, and an application deadline of 15^th April. There is no part-time application fee at Pepperdine University, but the full-time application fee is $61,270, with a student-faculty ratio of 7.3:1.

Pepperdine University ranked 52 among the best law schools.

5. University of San Diego Law School

Located on the 182-acre(0.74km2), the University of San Diego school of law which is commonly referred to as USD Law was founded in 1954, joined the Association of American Law Schools (AALS) in 1966, and has held the ABA approval since 1961.

The school has a zero full-time program application fee, a part-time tuition fee of $43,581, a full-time tuition fee of $58,821, and a student-to-instructor ratio of 7.9:1.

A Juris Doctor degree in either a three-year full-time or a four-year part-time program is offered at the University of San Diego Law School.

Advanced Law degree programs offered in USD Law include Environmental and Energy Law, Master of Law (LL.M.) degrees in Taxation, International Law, Business and Corporate Law, Intellectual Property Law, Comparative Law, and Environmental and Labor law.

International Master of Business Administration, Master of Arts in International Relations, or Masters in Business Administration.

University of San Diego Law School was given B+ in the Best Public Interest Law Schools listing by the National Jurist: The Magazine for Law Students, it was placed 64^th among the nation’s Top 150 law schools in 2022 based on the U.S. News & World Report which is an improvement from the 71^st and 86^th racking, they had in 2016 and 2020 respectively.

6. University of New Mexico Law School

This is the only law school in New Mexico state, located in Albuquerque, established in 1947, with approximately 350 students in attendance and 115 enrolled in the first-year class.

The application deadline for the University of New Mexico Law School is the 1st of March, with a $50 application fee, a full-time in-state tuition fee of $18,201, a full-time out-of-state tuition fee of $40,306, and a student-to-faculty ratio of 5:1.

Notable educational programs at the UNM School of Law include environmental and natural resources law, Indian law, and clinical education which is optional at most law schools but required of all UNM law students. They also offer programs such as community Lawyering Clinics, Southwest Indian Law Clinic, and Business and Tax Clinics.

Several optional dual degree programs like J.D./Master of Public Administration, J.D./Master of Latin American Studies through the University of New Mexico Latin American and Iberian Institute, and J.D./M.B.A through the University of New Mexico Anderson School of Management are also available for exploring.

They currently rank 11 in the clinical training program in the country and 91st in the U.S. New& World Report. 72.8% of the class of 2013 obtained full-time J.D. required employment according to New Mexico’s Official 2013 ABA-required disclosures after graduation.

7. Brigham Young University – J. Reuben Clark Law School

Brigham Young University (Clark) Law School, founded in 1973, is a small school situated in Provo, Utah, affiliated with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, with an application deadline of 30^th June.

J. Reuben Clark Law School has zero full-time program application fee, with a full-time non-LDS member tuition fee of $28,416, a full-time tuition fee of $14,208 for LDS members, and a student-faculty ratio of 6.2:1.

 Much of the school’s operating costs are paid from contributions made by church members, which is what contributes to the low tuition costs.

Other combined degrees like J.D./Master of Education through David O. McKay School of Education, J.D./Master of Public Administration, or J.D./Master of Accounting through the Marriott School of Management and J.D./MBA can be pursued by interested students.

8. University of Idaho College of Law

This college of law, located in Moscow was established in 1909 and was accredited by the American Bar Association since 1925, making it the first and only fully accredited law school in Idaho.

University of Idaho College of Law has a full-time program application fee of $50, with a full-time out-of-state tuition fee of $42,532, a full-time in-state tuition fee of $23,296, an 8:1 student-faculty ratio, and an application deadline of 15 March.

The College has a 60% acceptance rate and an average undergraduate GPA OF 3.15.3

9. Willamette University College of Law

Willamette University College of Law, established in 1883, is located in Salem, Oregon, and is the oldest law school in the Pacific Northwest. The school offers part-time and full-time enrollment for Masters of Laws (LL.M.), joint degree programs that let the student earn both a J.D. and a Master of Business Administration, and a Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D.) degree.

The Willamette University College of Law has a full-time and part-time program application fee of $0, with 1 Aug being its application deadline. The college has a student-faculty ratio of 8.7:1 and a full-time tuition fee of $47,520.

10. Loyola University Chicago School of Law

Loyola University Chicago School of Law was founded in 1909 by the Roman Catholic order of the Jesuits, the Society of Jesus, located in downtown Chicago.

The school of law has a zero full-time and part-time program application fee, with a $51,636 full-time tuition fee, a $38,380 part-time tuition fee, with the 1st of May being their application deadline, and a 6.2:1 student-to-faculty ratio. A 3.68 GPA is needed to get into the school.

Loyola University Chicago School of Law has options for students who want to get dual degrees through other university departments, these degrees include a J.D./Masters of Social Work with the Loyola University Chicago School of Social Work, and a J.D./MBA in alliance with the Loyola University Chicago Graduate School of Business. The university is highly ranked in its healthcare law specialty program.

11. Oregon University School of Law

University of Oregon School of Law established in the year 1884 is located in Eugene, on the University of Oregon campus.

The school of law has a zero full-time application fee, a part-time out-of-state tuition fee of $52,284, and a full-time in-state tuition fee of $42,024, with an application deadline of 1^st of March and a student-faculty ratio of 8:1.

The school has a great Dispute Resolution Center available for both graduate and law students interested in Conflict and Dispute Resolution. 

12. Lewis & Clark University (North-western)

The Northwestern School of Law is an institution in Portland, Ore, established in 1915, received ABA approval in 1970, and joined the Association of American Law Schools (AALS) in 1973.

The school has a full-time and part-time application fee of $50, a part-time tuition fee of $38,936, a full-time tuition fee of $51,902, an application deadline of 15^th March, and a 7.1:1 student-faculty ratio.

Their emphasis is on flexibility, which is why a full-time or part-time schedule for taking day or evening courses like Indian law, global law, etc. is available for their students.

There are other clinical opportunities students can get involved with, like the Animal Law Clinic and the International Environmental Law Project including the National Crime Victim Law Institute, the Natural Resources Law Institute, and the Center for Animal Law Studies.

13. University of California (Los Angeles) Law School

Founded in 1949, the University of California, Los Angeles Law School, has consistently ranked one of the top 20 law schools in the United States by the U.S. News & World Report since the inception of the U.S. News rankings in 1987.

The University of California Los Angeles Law School has a $75 full-time program application fee, a full-time out-of-state tuition fee of $60,739, a full-time in-state tuition fee of $52,468, with a student-faculty ratio of 6.1:1. The school has an application deadline of 1^st Feb.

The UCLA law school students can have joint degrees in programs like a J.D./M.A. in Afro-American Studies through the UCLA Center for African American Studies, or a J.D./MBA through the Anderson School of Management offered in alliance with other departments. UCLA Los Angeles Law School has a variety of specializations which include Critical Race Studies and Entertainment, Media and Intellectual Property Law, Business Law, and Policy.

14. University of Nevada Los Angeles College of Law

The University of Nevada, Los Angeles College of Law also known as the Williams S. Boyd School of Law has a $50 full-time program application fee and a $50 part-time program application fee. the school has an out-of-state part-time tuition fee of $30,558 a part-time instate tuition fee of $21,381 an in-state full-time tuition fee of $28,258 and an out-of-state full-time tuition fee of $40,658. The school has an application deadline of March 15 and a student-faculty ratio of 7.6:1.

The University of Nevada Los Angeles College of Law has great dual degree options, in alliance with other departments in the University for students who want to earn a second degree in certain areas. These degree options include a J.D./Master of social work through the UNLV School of Social Work, a J.D./M.B.A through the UNLV College of Business, and a J.D./Ph.D. in education through the UNLV College of Education.

15. University of Utah – Quinney Law School

University of Utah-Quinney Law School, established in the year 1913 is located in Salt Lake City, Utah, and is a member of both the American Bar Association and the Association of American Law Schools.

The school, with its application deadline of 10^th March, has a student-faculty ratio of 4.3:1, a $60 full-time application fee, a full-time in-state tuition fee of $30,459, and a full-time out-of-state tuition fee of $39,800.

More so, The school of law has seven optional certificates in specialized studies, which include criminal law, business law, intellectual property law, environmental and natural resources Law, global Law, public interest law and policy, and litigation and dispute resolution. The school also offers special courses in intellectual property law, technology law, and criminal law.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

As seen above, there is no denying that Arizona is the best place to acquire a law degree, with its wonderful scenery and great weather.

Listed above are all the best law schools in and around Arizona. This article has been carefully put together and written, hoping it helps you find the law school that best suits you in 2023.

It is advised to apply to multiple schools to increase your chances of gaining admission in 2023.

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