Family law programs play a crucial role in law school, giving students the knowledge and practical skills they need to guide clients through some of the most high-stakes issues they’ll ever face — marriage, divorce, family planning, custody, personal safety, and financial stability. By educating future family lawyers in all avenues relevant to this practice area, including its many emotional and moral complexities, law schools are helping to ensure that the next generation of attorneys is prepared to advocate with competence and compassion.
The National Jurist’s preLaw magazine recently released its ranking of the best law schools for family law on its Family Law Honor Roll, highlighting schools for the strength of their programs. Here’s the methodology that was used:
preLaw magazine grades law schools based on the breadth of their curricular offerings. The scores are figured as follows: 30% for a concentration, 24% for a clinic, 12% for a center, 12% for an externship, 9% for a journal, 8% for a student group, 5% for a certificate and added value for additional offerings.
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Without further ado, according to preLaw magazine, these are the law schools that earned A+ grades for their family law programs (listed in alphabetical order):
- Cardozo School of Law
- DePaul University
- Loyola University-Chicago
- New York Law School
- University of Nebraska
- University of San Diego
- University of South Carolina
- Washburn University
Click here to see the rest of the Honor Roll.
Congratulations to all of the law schools that made the cut for this important ranking.
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Staci Zaretsky is the managing editor of Above the Law, where she’s worked since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on Bluesky, X/Twitter, and Threads, or connect with her on LinkedIn.