If you are going to correct someone, at least make sure you get the spelling of your corrections correctly, It's Ann Arbor, not Ann Arber, Michigan.

"Spelling is not the critical point". I find that good spelling, punctuation and the ability to write cohesive English are all qualities which help differentiate high calibre lawyers from their less erudite counterparts. If your application to study law at a university such as Harvard or Yale is pitted with spelling and punctuation errors, you can expect it to fail in limine, Applicant of Law.

"Spelling is not the critical point". I find that good spelling, punctuation and the ability to write cohesive English are all qualities which help differentiate high calibre lawyers from their less erudite counterparts. If your application to study law at a university such as Harvard or Yale is pitted with spelling and punctuation errors, you can expect it to fail in limine, Applicant of Law.

I thought that everybody - without exclusion - made factual errors in life. F. Lee Bailey was a superb criminal trial lawyer. But he sometimes got things wrong and lost cases. So I'm not criticising people who make factual errors. As the saying goes, "we learn by our mistakes".

But the point I'm making is that people with very poor spelling and an inadequate command of the English language are less likely to distinguish themselves as lawyers. At least in the common law world. That's all.

Just on a point of information "Applicant of Law", the concept of an "Applicant of Law" is alien to both the English language and to the common law legal tradition. There is simply no such concept.

Trinity, I think this forum is open to international students (=non-native speakers) searching for information about LLM programs. If you want to find high calibre lawyers with the ability to write cohesive English (like yourself), you may need to look somewhere else...

You make a very fair point ArunS. In any event, I have overstepped the mark in relation to "Applicant". He made a reasonable intervention about Michigan on this thread, and I should just have left it stand (without making comments on his spelling or ability to write English).

In relation to magnificent locations, just to reiterate that Berkelely, just south of San Franscisco, also has an aesthetically pleasing campus. An added plus is its (relative) proximity to some of the most beautiful locations in California including Muir Woods, Yosemite National Park and San Francisco itself. Also, if you like skiing, Lake Tahoe is also within the compass of Berkeley University.

Intriguingly, Berkeley are now doing an intense Masters course for legal professionals which runs for two months over two years. It is price competitive and well worthwhile if you are a professional and experienced lawyer who would like to learn about U.S. law at Masters level. And the teaching faculty appears to be of the highest calibre.

Interestingly, the most aesthetically pleasing universities on the planet (offering law courses) are also rated highly in academic terms. This is how the seven most beautiful campuses in the world were rated, from an academic perspective, in the recent QS Times Top 200 Law Schools rankings:

Yale, USA (2)
Oxford England (3)
Stanford USA (6)
Tsinghua China (26)
Bologna, Italy (35)
Trinity, Ireland (in the 51 - 100 zone)
Virginia, USA (in the 51 - 100 zone)

Perhaps the sublime surroundings inspire the academics in the magnificent seven universities to produce great things!

It is interesting to note that some architecturally beautiful universities do not have equally beautiful law school - take Oxford for example :) so I would say that studying there and looking at the buildings are separate things :D

It is interesting to note that some architecturally beautiful universities do not have equally beautiful law school - take Oxford for example :) so I would say that studying there and looking at the buildings are separate things :D

ah, KJP, so true... it is just that some buildings in Oxbridge are so scenic that a regularly plain socialist architecture complex may seem extremely out of place. Then again, so can a mix of modern and classical...

What's the best law school campus for you?

What's the best law school campus for you?

Yale is also veeeery veeeeery nice :D

I would have to agree with your choices, although the "old school" feel of the University of Chicago Law School is my favorite.

Just checked it online - it indeed looks really nice. I am wondering how the library looks? This is smthng that always gives away that fancy, scholarly atmosphere....

Check these out:

http://www.topboxdesign.com/the-university-of-chicago-law-library-in-chicago-united-states/

http://www.topboxdesign.com/dangelo-law-library-in-university-of-chicago-chicago-united-states/

http://magazine.uchicago.edu/0811/features/law_order.shtml

These make U Chicago Law School the best campus for me.

In one word: a s t o n i s h i n g ....

"Modern old school" style (or whatever is called) is simply the best.

Couldn't agree more. It is simple, yet sophisticated.