Summary: Some of the country’s top dog-friendly cities have law schools in those cities. Plus, there are some law schools that have top animal law programs, making it possible to stay close to your canine companion.
Everyone thinks about the obvious things like graduation rates, bar passage rates, and cost when considering which law school to attend. But wait, there are other factors that should receive more thought such as who has the best cafeteria food and how dog-friendly the school is.
Now you may be thinking what does it matter how a law school feels about dogs but consider the environment of law school. They are stressful, competitive places of educational learning. To relieve some of that stress, some people turn to alcoholic beverages and dancing but that usually leaves the person with more stress that next morning. A better place to turn would be to a trusted canine companion. Whether your furry friend is for official support or just because they are your best friend doesn’t matter.
Here are five cities that top the charts in their dog-friendliness and any law schools that may be in those cities:
- Scottsdale, Arizona
- Phoenix, Arizona
The law school located in Phoenix is Arizona State University’s Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, which is one of the top-rated law schools.
- Tampa, Florida
Thomas M. Cooley Law School and Stetson University College of Law are located in the Tampa area.
- San Diego, California
The University of California – San Diego is rated highest for its part-time program, giving you plenty of time to walk your pooch along the beach.
- Orlando, Florida
Barry University’s Dwayne O. Andreas School of Law is an Orlando law school as well as Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University – College of Law.
Compare these top cities with this list of top five animal law programs to decide which is most important to you.
- Lewis & Clark Law School
- University of Virginia
- University of Pennsylvania
- Georgetown University
- Harvard University
There are also law schools that have dog therapy programs that you can take advantage of if you don’t have a dog of your own. Yale Law School started their program in 2011 with the addition of Monty the dog. The school’s library allowed for students to “check out” Monty for a specific amount of time on site. The dog has since retired but the law school has brought in other therapy animals to take his place since the program was such a success. Just a few other law schools that have a similar program include Tufts University, New York University, Columbia, George Mason, Emory, California Western School of Law, University of Arizona, Widener Law School, University of San Francisco, Stetson, and the University of Louisville, and Oberlin.
To see the rest of the top rate dog-friendly law schools and cities, go here.
Would you enjoy having a dog available to play with for a bit and de-stress with while in law school? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.
To learn more about other factors to consider with law schools, read these articles:
- Best Law Schools for Animal Lovers
- Top 10 Law Schools Based on Social Life Ranking
- 2017’s Top 10 Lifestyle Law Schools
Photo: defense.gov