National Jurist - October 2007 - (Page 20) Best Value results at an affordable price. Law Schools North Carolina Central, University of Alabama and other lesser-known law schools top the charts when it comes to value — schools that deliver By Karen Dybis Faulkner University’s Thomas Goode Jones School of Law is not a household name among most law students. The small private school in Montgomery, Ala., only got ABA accreditation last year, and rarely makes a blip in most law school rankings. But the school boasts a high bar pass rate, high employment rate, and low tuition — a winning trifecta that is increasingly more difficult for law schools these days. “We don’t try to do everything,” said Charles Nelson, dean of Faulkner’s Jones School of Law. “We tend to focus on fundamentals. What we’re trying to do is create strong practicing attorneys [and] we don’t load debt on our students.” Faulkner University is one of a handful of law schools successfully delivering results, without charging students an arm and a leg. National Jurist magazine identified it and 62 other schools as “Best Value Law Schools” by using the Law School Admissions Council’s “Official Guide to Law Schools.” The criteria were simple: The tuition bill at public law schools had to be below $25,000 and the tab had to come in under $30,000 at private law schools. The school had to have a bar passage rate higher than their state’s average. And it needed to have an employment rate of 85 percent or better. National Jurist then ranked the 62 schools, and North Carolina Central University School of Law topped the list, followed by the University of Alabama School of Law and Georgia State University College of Law. Brigham Young University’s J. Reuben Clark Law School and Faulkner University’s Thomas J. Goode School of Law topped the list for private law schools. Although their sizes, specialties and histories vary widely, these five Best Value law schools share some common traits. They are building their reputations by managing internal expenses, stretching resources, investing in high-quality faculty and finding cost-effective ways to improve their campuses — all the while giving students a quality education. 20 THE NATIONAL JURIST October 2007 These law schools also have a common mission: help students get through their three years without massive debt at the end. For example, BYU’s Clark Law School provides subsidies to every student, making its already affordable tuition even more attractive. Top-notch law schools are following this trend, said Rob Franek, publisher of Princeton Review Books. They set realistic tuition rates. “[They] are listening to their students,” Franek said. “They are focusing on what students want in a law school and delivering.” Experts agree that even students at one of the best value law schools, need to watch their finances while in school. “Don’t be stupid about this debt,” said Ruth Lammert-Reeves, a former dean for financial aid at Georgetown Law Center for 28 years. “I would say put as much energy into figuring out your law school finances as you do when you’re trying to
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