Estate planning may not generate the same headlines as billion-dollar mergers or blockbuster litigation, but it remains one of the most meaningful areas of legal practice. These attorneys are tasked with helping clients prepare for the future in moments that are often emotional, deeply personal, and shaped by family dynamics, financial realities, and cultural values. As the field continues to evolve, law schools are increasingly recognizing that tomorrow’s estate planners will need far more than technical drafting skills to meet the moment.
The National Jurist’s preLaw magazine recently released its specialty ranking of the best law schools for estate planning on its Estate Planning 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 and A- grades for their estate planning law programs:
- Washburn University (A)
- South Texas Houston (A-)
- Texas A&M University (A-)
- Wayne State University (A-)
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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Top law schools for estate planning law [preLaw Magazine / National Jurist]
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.