Vanderbilt University - Law School

Located in the heart of Nashville, Vanderbilt University Law School welcomes its students into a “friendly and welcoming atmosphere [with] very casual and approachable faculty.” More students say they are “continually impressed with the quality of the professors,” who are “extremely dynamic” and “some of the best teachers I have ever had at any level in any subject.” Students take courses in “beautiful and modern” classrooms.
The professors are a big part of what makes Vanderbilt’s Law School so successful. Students report that “most professors here love teaching,” and “my professors are excellent, every class is fun and engaging.” Another mentions that the “professors could not be better, incredibly intelligent and engaged, they care very much about the students and are incredibly dedicated to their students’ academic progress. I could not be happier with my academic experience.”
Law students are happy with the academics, but mention that they’d like the school to “place greater emphasis on practice of law and the changing landscape of the legal profession.” Students still mention how supportive the entire administration is for their academics and their future careers, saying, “it’s hard to emphasize enough how much the tone of collegiality starts with the administration—they treat students as colleagues, not customers.”
A few students are concerned about what’s next after graduation and believe “career services could use some work,” while others say “our Career Services staff is committed and involved.” In addition to using the traditional roadmap set out by career services, finding a strong position after graduation may mean taking advantage of “the network” of VLS alumni across the nation, and more and more students get help from their professors, “who are reliably wonderful when it comes to help with the job search.”
A few students also imply everyone’s a little young: “To reach the next level, Vandy will need to recruit students who have been in the workforce before law school. As it is, students may arrive without much clear direction for their careers, and they may not find it in law school.” Still, the majority of entering students have a least one year of work experience prior to enrolling in law school. The school continues to make strides in diversity, and students point out that “groups for women and minorities are very active within the law school community.”

Vanderbilt Law “does a great job of ensuring that people don’t forget to be good to one another while still pursuing academic success.” On the whole, students describe life in Nashville as “pretty solid.” Applicants are clearly drawn to Vanderbilt and Nashville’s style. Many list “quality of life” as a main reason for attending, along with “collegiality” and a “friendly student body.” Students usually “gather in the on site ABP cafe or on Main Street to socialize in the mornings and lunch time.”
The law school has been described as “relatively small” with a “happy, sociable student body.”The compact size allows students to create “personal relationships with our professors.” Every Friday, students gather with professors and staff for social events sponsored by a student group, academic program, administrative office, or legal employer, and they are “encouraged to take breaks from studying and go out and see Nashville.” Other students point out that financial concerns can somehow alter their social lives, saying “as much as I love my colleagues here, most of them come from money” to the point that some students report they “often feel out of place.” The social students seem to be less concerned about finding a job after graduation, and the “‘book smart’ students and the ‘social butterflies’ are rarely the same people.” Still, as one graduating student told us, “The people are what make the school.”