Suffolk University Law School
120 Tremont Street
Boston, Massachusetts 02108
(617) 573-8144
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SUFFOLK LAW STUDENTS SAY…
Academics & Programs: A very strong evening program, “high level of pro bono participation,” and a fantastic bar passage rate (the third highest in the state) are just a few of the many attributes that make Suffolk Law students love their school. Students say the peer-mentoring program, Academic Support Services, and specialized tutoring, as well as the school’s top clinic programs, many journals, and student organizations “make for a rich law school experience.” “I participated in the Juvenile Defenders Clinic, and…have been able to appear in court nearly a dozen times on behalf of my clients,” says a 3L. “The practical experience you can acquire, should you desire such experience, is unparalleled.”
Because of the school’s connection with the legal community of greater Boston, Suffolk “has a large number of current and former judges on its faculty, which provides for an excellent learning experience.” The school offers a “vast array” of different courses in all specialty areas of the law (as well as a thorough legal writing program), and the “tough but understanding” professors are “consummate professionals and experts in their field.” “I have found that respectful dissenting opinions, even radical ones, are met with enthusiasm and serious consideration,” says a student. These teachers are the “best part” of Suffolk, “come from all walks of life,” and “are not using their positions to launch their career somewhere else.” “I even had a tax law professor (a subject I dreaded) who made tax interesting and, dare I say, exciting,” says a 3L.
The administration here receives similar kudos for its “fair” treatment of student concerns, particularly the Registrar’s Office. “Everyone is willing to work with you [administration, registrar, faculty], but no one is going to work for you,” sums up a student. Academic support and bar prep are both “excellent,” though Career Services “needs to do better about reaching out to students and professionals in the field to actually place students while in law school,” by “building alumni connections within private employers in the city.”
Another perk of Suffolk Law is the strong alumni network, which, “in a city with so many law schools…is very important.” “Anywhere you go, anywhere you work, there will be a Suffolk grad,” says a 1L. A 2L puts it a little less delicately: “I think we’re all aware that we’re probably not getting by on the name of the school like other Boston schools, so everybody is really focus[ed] on building their networks and learning the skills they need.” The facilities here are brand-new and “outstanding.” “I feel like I am part of a grand tradition of lawyers, yet have access to state-of-the-art classrooms,” says a 3L. Still, many students wish the school’s reputation had more of a “national presence,” as the name “doesn’t immediately curry the same sort of respect as a more highly ranked school.” “Something is holding the school back from being respected as a top law school. It is not the faculty and it is not the students,” says one of many puzzled students.
Campus Life/Facilities: The “fairly large student body” is divided into 1L sections upon entrance to the school, which does a lot “to create close friendships and collaborative relationships between new students.” The school is pretty much composed of “nice, young people, mostly from the Boston area,” which makes for “a cohesive bunch—none of that Paper Chase nonsense.” “I am so happy to be at a school where I feel challenged by my classmates, but not threatened,” says a student. A surprising number of students refer to the “professionalism” of their classmates, possibly due to the frequent intermingling of day and evening students in evening classes, which “is of benefit to both, with the evening students bringing a lot of real-world experience to class discussions.” On the flip side, “It’s hard to get involved in the social side of life at Suffolk when you’re in the evening program.”
The central Boston location “couldn’t be better,” and lends to the school the quality of a “social paradise, with frequent events at school and local bars.” “You’re [a] ten-minute walk from the Prudential Center, a five-minute walk from Faneuil Hall, a two-minute walk from Pemberton Square, ten minutes from the BMC, and thirty seconds from the Boston Common or the State House.” Most first-year students “gather at the local watering hole on Friday afternoon to let off steam and talk trash about the other sections” in a good-natured way. There are also “consistent events throughout the academic year” involving clubs, job opportunities, networking seminars, political groups, and more.
* The Princeton Review is not affiliated with Princeton University.
