Law Schools for Environmental Law

If you’re interested in pursuing a career in environmental law, you might be wondering whether you should take a specific approach in your law school applications.

In this episode of LSAT Demon Daily, Nathan and Ben responded to an email from Yeri, who plans to work in environmental law. Yeri has significant experience in environmental advocacy, with both a BS and MS in environmental studies, along with work and volunteer experience in environmental justice. Yeri's question was about how to prioritize law schools, particularly whether to focus on environmental law rankings.

Are you interested in environmental law too? This article will break down the considerations you should make when applying to law school. 

Don’t Focus on Specialty Rankings

Let’s be clear: specialty rankings, like those for environmental law, aren’t something to base choice of law school on. 

For example, Pace University is ranked highly in environmental law, but don’t put too much weight on this. Specialty rankings are often marketing tools used by schools to attract students. No employer will care that you didn’t go to the number one environmental law school if you graduate from a top-tier law school like NYU, Michigan, or Cornell.

The broader reputation of a law school will generally carry more weight than its ranking in a specific field. If you're competing for jobs against graduates from prestigious schools, they are more likely to be chosen, regardless of the specialty ranking of your program.

Scholarships and Financial Considerations

In terms of fees, if you’re interested in a career in environmental law, don’t pay full price at any school, especially at a lower-ranked school like Pace. 

Law school is expensive, and unless you're getting a substantial scholarship, you might end up with a lot of debt and limited job prospects. Using Pace as an example, only 7% of students get full scholarships, with 39% receiving half to full tuition coverage. That leaves a significant portion of students paying close to $50,000 a year.

It's better to attend the best school you can at the lowest possible cost, even if that school isn’t known for environmental law. The scholarship package and the school’s reputation, along with thinking carefully about where you want to practice, should be your priority.

Takeaway

If you’re passionate about environmental law, the best course of action is to go to the most prestigious law school you can and graduate with the least amount of debt possible. Specialty rankings are not nearly as important as the school’s overall reputation. The legal job market is competitive, and the name of your school will matter more to employers than whether it’s ranked highly for environmental law.

Check out LSAT Demon Scholarship Estimator to determine where you will land based on your current UGPA and LSAT score.