How to Choose the Right Law School: Former Dean Rudy Hasl on Admissions, Fit, and Success

Last Updated: September 2026

Introduction: Timeless Advice on Choosing and Succeeding in Law School

Choosing a law school is about far more than rankings, reputation, or a recognizable name. The decision can influence a student’s financial future, professional network, geographic opportunities, academic experience, and access to particular areas of legal practice. Prospective students should therefore look carefully at how a school fits their goals rather than assuming that one factor can determine which institution is best for them.

Former law school dean Rudy Hasl emphasized many of these ideas in an interview originally conducted by Top-Law-Schools.com in 2007. At the time, Hasl was serving as dean of Thomas Jefferson School of Law after decades of experience in legal education and law school administration.

Although some institutional details discussed in the original interview reflect conditions that existed at the time, Hasl’s broader observations about researching law schools carefully, evaluating school culture, developing strong writing skills, building relationships with faculty, exploring career options, and preparing for professional life remain useful to prospective and current law students.

Applicants beginning their research may also want to review the Top Law Schools law school rankings guide, which explains why rankings can provide useful information but should not be the only factor used when choosing a school.

Editor’s Note on Thomas Jefferson School of Law

This interview is preserved as a historical discussion of legal education and Rudy Hasl’s experience as a law school dean. Thomas Jefferson School of Law’s accreditation status has changed since the original interview. Applicants considering the school today should independently verify its current accreditation, bar-eligibility requirements, admissions information, tuition, employment outcomes, and other disclosures before enrolling.

Rudy Hasl’s Perspective on Building a Strong Law School

Question: During your time at Thomas Jefferson School of Law, what improvements were you most proud of?

Rudy Hasl: One of the most important strengths of any law school is its people. A school can develop buildings, programs, and academic initiatives, but the quality of the faculty and their commitment to teaching ultimately have an enormous effect on the student experience.

During my time at Thomas Jefferson, I was especially proud of the development of the faculty. The school worked to recruit professors who were committed not only to academic research and publication but also to effective teaching and meaningful engagement with students.

Faculty involvement can play an important role in a student’s professional development. Professors can become mentors, recommend students for opportunities, provide career guidance, and help them develop stronger research, writing, and analytical skills.

Prospective students should therefore investigate more than course catalogs. They should consider how accessible professors are, whether faculty members maintain active professional relationships, and whether the school encourages meaningful interaction between students and instructors.

Why Law School Community and Culture Matter

Question: What did you find distinctive about Thomas Jefferson compared with other law schools where you served as dean?

Rudy Hasl: One of the most noticeable characteristics was the level of interaction between students and faculty members. Professors were strongly committed to teaching and were willing to engage students both inside and outside the classroom.

The relative youth of the institution also created opportunities to develop new programs and experiment with different approaches to legal education.

For applicants, this raises an important issue that remains relevant today: law schools can have very different cultures even when their academic programs appear similar on paper.

One student may thrive in a highly competitive environment. Another may perform better at a school where collaboration, faculty accessibility, and student support are emphasized.

That is why prospective students should research the day-to-day environment at each institution instead of evaluating schools exclusively through rankings.

The Top Law Schools Choosing a Law School forum can also help applicants see how other prospective students compare factors such as rankings, cost, employment prospects, location, academic programs, and student life.

What Should Applicants Look for in a Law School?

Question: What general advice would you offer law school applicants?

Rudy Hasl: Applicants should research each institution carefully to determine whether the school provides the type of education and environment that fits their needs.

Every law school is shaped by a different combination of factors, including:

Faculty
Institutional history
Geographic location
Student population
Academic programs
Professional connections
School culture

One of the biggest mistakes applicants can make is focusing almost entirely on prestige.

Prestige can matter in certain areas of the legal profession, but it is not the only consideration that determines whether a student will succeed. Applicants should also consider whether the school’s environment suits their personality, academic style, financial circumstances, and career goals.

Students comparing schools can supplement their research with the Top Law Schools overview of law school rankings, which cautions applicants against placing excessive weight on rankings alone.

How to Choose Between Law Schools After Being Admitted

Question: What factors should an admitted applicant examine when deciding which law school to attend?

Rudy Hasl: The decision should begin with an honest assessment of the applicant’s own needs and goals.

Before comparing schools, applicants should ask themselves questions such as:

Where do I hope to practice after graduation?
What type of legal work interests me?
How much debt am I comfortable taking on?
What learning environment allows me to perform at my best?
How important is access to particular employers or geographic markets?
Do I prefer a highly competitive or collaborative atmosphere?
How much access do I want to professors and administrators?
How certain am I about my intended career path?

Applicants should then investigate each school using official disclosures, school websites, employment information, student conversations, campus visits, alumni contacts, and independent research.

A law school visit can be particularly valuable because applicants can observe the environment directly. The Top Law Schools Law School Visits forum contains discussions from applicants and students about their experiences visiting different schools.

Do Not Choose a Law School Based on Prestige Alone

One of Hasl’s most enduring observations is that students sometimes make poor decisions because they give too much weight to prestige without considering whether a school is a strong personal or professional fit.

Rankings can provide useful comparative information, but they cannot tell an applicant everything about:

Teaching quality
Faculty accessibility
Student culture
Scholarship conditions
Employment geography
Clinical opportunities
Alumni support
Career services
The amount of debt a student will incur

For a deeper explanation of why rankings should be interpreted carefully, applicants can read Dissecting the Rankings: The U.S. News and World Report.

The better question is not simply, “Which school is ranked higher?” It is, “Which school gives me the strongest combination of opportunity, affordability, professional access, and academic fit for the career I want?”

Compare Cost, Scholarships, and Expected Debt

Modern applicants should give especially careful attention to the total financial cost of attending law school.

Tuition is only one part of the equation. Students should compare:

Tuition and fees
Housing and living expenses
Scholarship amounts
Scholarship renewal requirements
Expected borrowing
Interest costs
Employment outcomes
The salary ranges associated with the jobs graduates typically obtain

A scholarship can substantially change the value proposition of one school compared with another. Applicants should also understand whether any scholarship is conditional and what must be done to retain it.

Discussions such as the Top Law Schools forum thread on how much law school debt may be too much illustrate the kinds of financial tradeoffs applicants routinely evaluate when choosing among offers.

Consider Where Graduates Actually Work

Applicants should also investigate whether a law school regularly places graduates in the geographic market where they hope to build their careers.

Many law schools have especially strong relationships with employers in their home cities or regions. Students who want to practice elsewhere should determine whether the school has a meaningful alumni base, recruiting presence, or employment record in their desired market.

The goal is not simply to attend law school. The goal is to create as many realistic career options as possible after graduation.

Law students who want to begin planning their professional development early can also read LawCrossing’s Law Student’s Guide to Building a Competitive Career Profile, which discusses coursework, practical experience, networking, and career planning.

Look Carefully at Faculty Accessibility

Question: Why is direct interaction with faculty important?

Rudy Hasl: Students should pay attention to whether professors are genuinely available and engaged.

Faculty accessibility can influence much more than a student’s classroom experience. Professors may become mentors, research supervisors, references, professional contacts, or sources of advice about particular practice areas.

Applicants visiting a law school should therefore consider questions such as:

Are professors available during office hours?
Do students appear comfortable approaching faculty members?
Are there opportunities to work with professors on research?
Are students encouraged to participate in clinics, journals, competitions, or academic centers?
Do faculty members have professional experience or scholarship in areas that interest the student?

These details can reveal more about the quality of the educational experience than marketing materials alone.

How College Students Should Prepare for Law School

Question: What should college students do to prepare for success in law school?

Rudy Hasl: Students should pursue an academic field that genuinely interests them rather than attempting to identify a single undergraduate major that they believe law schools prefer.

Deep engagement with a subject can help students develop intellectual discipline and demonstrate academic strength.

Strong writing ability is particularly valuable. College students considering law school should seek opportunities to write frequently, receive detailed feedback, and learn how to communicate complex ideas clearly.

This is important because legal education requires extensive reading, analysis, and written argument.

Applicants preparing their admissions materials can also review the Top Law Schools guide to law school personal statements, which explains how applicants can use their essays to communicate experiences, accomplishments, and personal qualities that are not obvious from grades and test scores.

The collection of law school personal statement examples can also help applicants understand different ways successful statements can be structured.

Develop Strong Writing and Analytical Skills Before Law School

A student does not need to arrive at law school already knowing substantive law. It is generally more valuable to enter with strong foundational skills in:

Critical reading
Analytical reasoning
Research
Clear writing
Organization
Time management
Oral communication

Students who develop these skills during college are often better prepared for the volume and complexity of legal coursework.

Hasl also noted the value of foreign-language ability in an increasingly interconnected professional environment. Depending on a lawyer’s practice area and client base, additional language skills can still be valuable in areas such as international business, immigration, cross-border transactions, regulatory work, and client development.

How Current Law Students Can Make the Most of Law School

Question: What advice would you give current law students?

Rudy Hasl: Law school should be a period of exploration as well as academic preparation.

Students should use the opportunity to learn about different areas of law, strengthen skills in areas where they are less confident, and investigate possible career paths before graduation.

They should also begin building professional relationships.

Networking is particularly important because legal careers are built through relationships with classmates, professors, alumni, attorneys, judges, clients, and other professionals.

LawCrossing’s guide on how law students can use campus resources to accelerate their careers explains how career centers, clinics, faculty mentorship, student organizations, and other resources can help students gain practical experience and professional connections.

Students can also learn how to turn academic work into professional value through How Law Students Can Turn Coursework Into Career Capital.

Use Law School to Explore Different Career Paths

Many students enter law school without knowing exactly what type of law they want to practice. That is normal.

Law school gives students opportunities to explore potential careers through:

Introductory courses
Specialized electives
Clinics
Externships
Internships
Judicial placements
Student organizations
Law review and journals
Moot court
Networking events
Conversations with practicing attorneys

Students should avoid assuming that their first career interest must become their permanent specialization.

LawCrossing’s Career-Minded Law Student: Planning Beyond Graduation provides additional guidance on aligning coursework, experience, networking, and professional development with long-term career goals.

Build a Professional Network Before You Need One

Networking should not begin during the final semester of law school.

Students can gradually develop relationships by:

Attending faculty events
Joining bar association student groups
Contacting alumni
Attending employer presentations
Participating in clinics
Working with practicing attorneys
Completing internships
Maintaining relationships with classmates
Following up professionally with mentors

These relationships can later lead to information about practice areas, referrals, introductions, internships, clerkships, and job opportunities.

For additional job-search strategies, see LawCrossing’s guide on how law students can successfully land legal jobs.

What Makes Legal Education Valuable?

Question: What final advice would you offer prospective law students?

Rudy Hasl: Legal education can provide intellectual training that extends beyond learning statutes and cases.

Law school teaches students to analyze complex information, identify relevant issues, communicate precisely, evaluate competing arguments, solve problems, and make decisions when the answer is not immediately obvious.

Those abilities can be useful both in traditional legal practice and in careers where legal training, analytical judgment, and sophisticated communication are valuable.

Students should nevertheless enter law school with a clear understanding of the financial commitment and the professional opportunities realistically available to graduates of the schools they are considering.

A Modern Checklist for Choosing the Right Law School

Before accepting an offer, prospective students should compare each school across the following areas:

1. Accreditation and Bar Eligibility

Determine whether attending the school will allow you to pursue admission in the jurisdictions where you may eventually want to practice.

2. Employment Outcomes

Study the types of jobs graduates obtain, the employers hiring them, and the markets in which they work.

3. Total Cost of Attendance

Compare tuition, fees, living expenses, scholarships, and likely debt rather than looking only at the published tuition figure.

4. Scholarship Conditions

Understand whether your award is guaranteed or depends on maintaining a particular GPA, class rank, or other requirement.

5. Geographic Placement

Determine whether graduates regularly find work in the cities and states where you hope to practice.

6. Faculty and Academic Programs

Evaluate faculty accessibility, curricular offerings, clinics, concentrations, journals, and opportunities to develop practical skills.

7. Student Culture

Consider whether the atmosphere is competitive, collaborative, supportive, academically intense, or otherwise compatible with how you work best.

8. Career Services

Investigate employer recruiting relationships, counseling resources, alumni connections, internship assistance, and job-search support.

9. Alumni Network

A strong alumni base can provide mentorship, professional introductions, and insight into different areas of practice.

10. Personal Fit

Finally, ask whether you can realistically see yourself succeeding at the institution for three demanding years.

Key Takeaways From Rudy Hasl’s Advice

Rudy Hasl’s interview continues to offer several enduring lessons for law school applicants and students:

Research law schools thoroughly before making a decision.
Do not rely on prestige or rankings alone.
Understand the culture of the institution you are considering.
Look closely at faculty accessibility and student support.
Visit schools when possible and speak with current students.
Choose an undergraduate subject that genuinely interests you.
Develop strong writing and analytical skills before law school.
Use law school to explore different areas of practice.
Begin building professional relationships early.
Select a school that preserves realistic career options while fitting your financial and professional goals.

The strongest law school choice is rarely determined by a single statistic. Applicants should consider how academics, cost, location, employment outcomes, professional opportunities, and personal fit work together.

For applicants still comparing programs, the Top Law Schools Choosing a Law School forum provides thousands of discussions about rankings, tuition, scholarships, student life, employment outcomes, and individual school decisions.

Related Top-Law-Schools.com Resources

Law School Rankings — Compare approaches to law school rankings while considering their limitations.
Law School Personal Statements Advice — Learn how to prepare a persuasive and individualized admissions essay.
Personal Statement Examples — Review examples and approaches to law school personal statements.
How to Get Into the Top Law Schools — Explore the admissions process and factors applicants should consider before attending law school.
Dissecting the Law School Rankings — Understand how rankings can influence law school decisions and why they should be interpreted carefully.

Related LawCrossing.com Career Resources

Related Top Law Schools Forum Discussions

Choosing a Law School Forum — Discussions about rankings, tuition, student life, employment prospects, and choosing between law schools.
Law School Admissions Forum — Application strategy, admissions questions, recommendations, and school-selection discussions.
Law School Visits Forum — Student and applicant impressions from campus visits.
Forum for Law School Students — Discussions about academics, internships, careers, law school life, and professional development.
Narrowing It Down: What Factors Matter When Choosing a Law School? — A discussion about evaluating educational quality and comparing schools beyond prestige.
How Much Is Too Much Law School Debt? — A discussion about scholarships, debt, employment outcomes, and the financial tradeoffs involved in choosing a school.