In the northern United States, Vermont is a landlocked state that shares borders with Canada, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and New York. It boasts a wide variety of mountain, valley, and lake ecosystems and is heavily forested (approximately 70% of the state making it the perfect location for international students to study, unwind, and explore.
Due to its prestigious, well-regarded, and accredited law school, prospective law students adore attending the Law school in Vermont.
If you want to learn more about the 10 best law schools in Vermont 2024, then read to gain relevant information about law schools close to Vermont and other top pre-law schools in Vermont.
Are There Law Schools in Vermont?
The University of Vermont Law School (VLS) offers a distinctive dual-degree curriculum that leads to a Bachelor’s degree in three years and a Juris Doctor (JD) degree in two years. Yes, Vermont only has one law school.
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What are Law Schools in Vermont Ranked for?
The Best Law Schools ranking has Vermont Law School at No. 142 (tie). Schools are graded by U.S. News based on how well they perform against a set of generally recognized markers of quality.
According to the Best Law Schools rankings, institutions are judged on how well their graduates are placed, how well-equipped their faculty is, how well their incoming students perform academically, and how well-received their programs are by judges, lawyers, and law schools.
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How Long is a Law School in Vermont?
The customary three-year JD requires an accelerated two-year JD to graduate from the best law school in Vermont(Summer or Fall Start). JD Online Hybrid (Three years and one semester) JD with a Lower Residency.
What are the Requirements of Law Schools in Vermont 2024?
Here is a checklist of all requirements for law school in Vermont.
- filled-out application
- USD $60.00 application fee
- Curriculum vitae or a CV for professionals
- Essays like those listed below
- LSAC Credential Assembly Service (CAS) Report including two letters of recommendation, transcripts from all institutions attended, and current LSAT score.
- Information about character and fitness
- All applicants who do not speak English as their first language and who have not resided in or attended school in an English-speaking nation for at least two years are required to provide TOEFL, PTE, or IELTS scores.
- By the time they want to enrol, applicants are typically expected to have received their bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college. There are no exceptions; all JD candidates must provide their most recent LSAT results. LSAT results are good for five year
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10 Best Law Schools in Vermont
- Vermont Law and Graduate School (VLGS)
Pre-Law Schools in Vermont
- Champlain College
- Northern Vermont University
- Castleton University
- Saint Michael University
Other Law Schools close to Vermont
- Rutgers University Law School
- Seton Hall University School of Law
- Harvard University Law School
- Suffolk Law School
- New England Law Boston
1. Vermont Law and Graduate School (VLGS)
The Juris Doctor (JD), Master of Laws (LLM) in Environmental Law, Master of Food and Agriculture Law and Policy (MFALP), Master of Energy Regulation and Law (MERL), as well as joint degrees with numerous other education systems, are just a few of the degrees that Vermont Law and Graduate School (VLGS) offers. According to the school’s 2018 ABA-mandated disclosures, 61.5% of the graduating class of 2018 secured full-time, long-term employment that required a JD nine months after graduation.
Pre-Law Schools in Vermont
1. Champlain College
An exquisite campus with views of Lake Champlain and the Adirondack Mountains can be found at Champlain College, a four-year private institution in Burlington, Vermont. Undergraduate degrees focusing on careers are available at Champlain in 33 subject areas. The Upside-Down Curriculum’s emphasis on experiential learning translates into significant internship and international opportunities, including at Champlain’s satellite campuses in Dublin, Ireland, and Montreal, Canada. Students can begin gaining in-depth experience in their fields during their first semester. All students learn and work together in, labs, Centers of Experience, and renovated Victorian houses where first-year students dwell. The college’s Vermont location gives it easy access to outdoor activities away from campus.
2. Northern Vermont University
Northern Vermont University is a two-campus higher education organization that integrates the most highly regarded liberal arts and professional programs from each location. It provides sought-after degrees in various fields, including business, criminal justice, education, psychology, and human services. Northern Vermont University’s main objective is to lead inquisitive, driven, and enthusiastic students on their journeys to success and to their positions in the world. Each campus has its own tailored disciplines and programs. Students who desire to complete their bachelor’s degree off-campus have options through NVU Online that are adaptable, inexpensive, and of excellent quality.
3. Castleton University
Since 1787, Castleton University has been committed to training the next generation of leaders for Vermont and beyond. Castleton has assisted students in realizing their ambitions through an educational strategy that prioritizes interpersonal interactions inside and outside the classroom. The pre-law programs at Castleton prepare students for admission to law school and a rewarding career in the legal field.
History, political science, philosophy, English, business, and psychology are the usual majors of law school applicants, however any major is an excellent choice for pre-law students.
Students interested in law are urged to join the pre-law club and frequently communicate with the pre-law advisor. Pre-law students at Castleton have many opportunities to engage in relevant extracurricular activities (including student government), complete internships, and connect with industry experts.
4. Saint Michael University
Saint Michael’s can help future lawyers get ready for both success in law school and a range of employment outside of the legal field. graduates work as defence attorneys, prosecutors, and judges. They also serve as legal advisors to businesses, nonprofit organizations, and governmental organizations. They also pursue jobs in politics and advocacy groups.
Law schools recommend no particular pre-law major as a requirement for entrance, hence Saint Michael’s does not have one. Instead, educators encourage students to create a curriculum that is both inclusive and liberal in the traditional sense. Students interested in a career in law should choose college courses that promote the development of a diverse cultural foundation and scholastic, thorough, and intellectually curious habits.
Other Law Schools close to Vermont
1. Rutgers University Law School
The law school of Rutgers University Law School has campuses in Camden and Newark, New Jersey. It is the biggest public law school in the country and the tenth biggest overall. The three-year J.D. program has about 350 legal students enrolled in each class. Rutgers University was established in 1766, but its law school was established in Newark in 1908. Today, Rutgers offers combined degree programs that combine a J.D. with a graduate degree from another Rutgers graduate program in addition to the J.D. and a J.D. for international lawyers.
Rutgers Law School was ranked 86th out of 199 law schools that were fully recognized by the American Bar Association by U.S. News & World Report in its rankings of the Best Graduate Schools for 2023. Above the Law ranked Rutgers 41st in its list of the top law schools for 2019[3]. Apart from its national reputation, Rutgers is a distinctive institution in New Jersey’s schools. Nine months after graduation, excluding solo practitioners, 93.7% of the 2016 graduating class obtained full-time, long-term, JD-required or JD-advantage employment, according to Rutgers Law School’s 2016 ABA-required disclosures.
2. Seton Hall University School of Law
Seton Hall University School of Law is situated in the heart of Newark, New Jersey. The only private law school in New Jersey is Seton Hall Law, which also happens to be the state’s top-ranked institution of the two, according to U.S. News & World Report rankings. The school awards the Juris Doctor, Master of Laws, and Master of Science in Jurisprudence as the three legal degrees. It was established in 1951 and had ABA accreditation and membership in the Association of American Law Schools (AALS).
3. Harvard University Law School
Harvard University Law School is a private research institution located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It was established in 1817 and is the country’s first and oldest continually running law school.
Approximately 560 students are enrolled in each class over the course of the three-year JD program, making it one of the largest among the top 150 law schools in the country.
Seven sections of the first-year class, comprising roughly 80 students, take the majority of the first-year courses together. Harvard offers LLM and SJD programs in addition to its JD curriculum. Harvard Law School has produced an enormous number of notable alumni who have gone on to careers in the judiciary, the government, and business thanks to its prominence and unusually large class sizes.
99% of 2019 graduates passed the bar exam, according to Harvard Law’s 2020 disclosures, which are needed by the ABA. More than any other law school in the country, the school’s graduates made up more than a quarter of all Supreme Court clerks between 2000 and 2010.
4. Massachusetts School of Law (MSLAW)
In Andover, Massachusetts, there is a private law school called the Massachusetts School of Law (MSLAW). It was established in 1988 and claims that the educational approach used in medical schools and legal scholars influenced the curriculum and design. The American Bar Association does not accredit it, even though it is approved by the New England Commission on Higher Education (ABA).
In comparison to an average bar passage percentage of 81% across all Massachusetts law schools, the MSLAW bar passage rate for July 2019 first-time takers was 47%.
In contrast to law schools recognized by the ABA, MSLAW does not track its graduates’ job trends. Additionally, MSLAW does not use LSAT results in its admissions procedure.
5. Suffolk Law School
Due to racial or socioeconomic inequality, Gleason Archer Sr. launched Suffolk Law in 1906 to offer legal education to people who had previously been unable to do so.
Full-time, part-time evening, hybrid online, accelerated, and dual-degree JD programs are all available at Suffolk Law School. Since 1953 and 1977, it has held accreditation from the American Bar Association and the Association of American Law Schools, respectively.
According to U.S. News & World Report, the school’s legal skills programs (clinics, legal writing, trial advocacy, and dispute resolution) are among the top 25 in the nation (2023 guide). US News has the legal writing program at #4 nationwide. PreLaw magazine recognized the school as the nation’s top “Technology Leader” in 2021 and highlighted students’ innovations in access to justice.
Nine months after graduation, 82.8% of the Class of 2021 found full-time, long-term employment that required bar admission or had a JD advantage, according to Suffolk’s Office of Professional and Career Development’s 2021 ABA-mandated disclosures.
How Much is the Tuition of Law Schools in Vermont?
The cost of attending law school in Vermont for the JD and LLM programs is shown in the table below.
JD TUITION
- Annual JD Tuition for students enrolled prior to 4/1/21 (2 Semesters)- $48,254
- Per Credit Tuition for students enrolled prior to 4/1/21- $1,664
- Annual JD Tuition for students enrolled after 4/1/21 (2 Semesters)- $49,700
- Per Credit Tuition for students enrolled after 4/1/21 $1,700
- Tuition Deposit- $750
LLM (AMERICAN LEGAL STUDIES) TUITION
- Annual LLM-ALS Tuition (based on 29 minimum credits)- $42,000
- LLM-ALS Per Credit Tuition- $1,400
- LLM-ALS Tuition Deposit- $750
If you ever need more information, it would be wise to go to the school’s website.
How to Apply to a Law School in Vermont
Step1: Focus on your studies to get a high LSAT score.
step 2: Students must submit all application materials through LSAC.org to be considered for admission to any Juris Doctor (JD) program. Call the LSAC Help Desk at 215-968-1393 if you run into any technical issues while using this application.
Step 3: Write an essay outlining the objectives driving you to pursue a JD. It is crucial to remember that you must provide a truthful assessment of your academic performance since high school graduation and how you have attempted to affect change in regard to a problem of personal, regional, or global concern.
Step 4: Two letters of recommendation are required, at least one recommendation from a professor from your university or graduate program.
Step 5: International students must submit transcripts from outside the country that must be reviewed by a recognized evaluation organization. The American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO) through LSAC, Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE.org), and World Education Services are suggested evaluating organizations (WES.org).
Step 6: Passing the English proficiency test on the TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE is also a requirement for overseas students.
Conclusion
We hope that this article satiated your desire to learn more about Vermont’s top ten law schools.
Wishing you well as you start your legal career.
Frequently Asked Questions
3rd tier
Less than 1% of graduates, a total of roughly 15% in clerkships, and only 3% of those clerk for federal judges characterize Vermont as a typical tier three state in terms of education. The pay at Vermont is not exactly inspiring. The median starting pay in the private sector is only $65,000, even though only 54% of eligible graduates reported.
U.S. News and World Report recently named Vermont Law School as one of the finest universities for studying environmental law. Discover more about our top environmental initiatives. You are considering attending law school because you believe that the law is a potent tool for bringing about change in the world.
South Royalton, Vermont is home to the private, non-profit Vermont Law School.
roughly a 152
The first consideration for admission to law school is your LSAT score. A 180 on the LSAT is the maximum score. The typical LSAT result is around 152.
The University of Vermont needs you to be above average in your high school class with a 3.66 GPA. You’ll need a combination of A and B grades, leaning more toward A grades. If you took any AP or IB classes, this will raise your weighted GPA and demonstrate your aptitude for college-level work.
References
- Wikipedia.org– Best law school in Vermont
- US News.com– what are Law schools ranked for?
- Vermontlaw.edu – Requirements for law schools in Vermont
- Vermontlaw.edu– Tuition fees for law schools in Vermont
- Vermontlaw.edu– How to apply to a law school in Vermont