Wake Forest University - School of Law

Wake Forest provides a top-notch legal education to aspiring lawyers who are prepared to work extremely hard. Classes “are incredibly difficult” and “the curriculum [has a greater number of requirements] than your average law school.” While that might cause a few students to complain, most readily acknowledge that this “makes you much more prepared for the bar and practice.” Additionally, Wake’s relatively small size certainly comes with some advantages and disadvantages. As a knowledgeable third-year explains, “Class selection can be somewhat limited. Some classes are only offered every other year, and so a 2L will need to plan ahead for two years, in some instances, in order to ensure he gets a specific course. On the other hand, the small size contributes to a familial setting that I have always found to be one of the school's strongest points.”
Students at Wake also agree that professor accessibility is a boon to their education. Indeed, the faculty makes a concerted effort to “actually know your name and get to know you outside the classroom setting, which makes an exceptional academic experience.” Moreover, their “doors are always open” and they frequently “welcome students…[into] their office to discuss course material or career advice.” It’s truly evident that professors at Wake genuinely “care about your education and want you to understand the material.” A thrilled third-year eagerly adds, “All [faculty] members have a true love of teaching (as opposed to research) and their passion shows. I am not exaggerating when I say that most professors are accessible the entire week and most weekends. They will literally bend over backwards to help a student.”
Perhaps not surprisingly, this openness and accessibility extends to the “very friendly and personable” administration as well. As an impressed second-year tells us, “A few of the deans know all of the students by name, which makes the school feel like a big family.” Students also appreciate that they “don't dodge tough questions when it comes to policy decisions.” Or, as one happy second-year simply sums up, “The administration at Wake Forest is run like a well-oiled machine.”

Students are generally at ease the moment they step onto Wake’s campus. As a second-year shares, “I noticed from my first visit and it still holds true that the quality of people here are second to none. There will always be a spectrum, but on the whole the administrators, professors, and students really do strive for a family atmosphere. All schools pitch this, but Wake really delivers.”
Moreover, there’s a lot of learning to be done outside of the classroom at Wake as well. For example, “respected practicing attorneys, renowned authors, and public figures often speak at on-campus events, and stick around to talk privately with smaller groups of students as well.” Impressively, Wake has also managed to lure United States Supreme Court Justices to campus. Indeed, one ecstatic student brags that a justice “visited an entire day with students during my second year and another... is a regular contributor to the study abroad program in the summer.” This helps to ensure that the court is not seen as” simply some mythical creature students discuss in class, but a tangible entity filled with real people.”
While hometown Winston-Salem might not have the bustling night-life of other, more urban areas, it certainly has “an abundance of great restaurants” of which students are quick to take advantage. Moreover, “nearby outdoor activities make it a great place to spend three years. If you are into hiking or mountain biking you will have ample opportunities to exploit the great locations all over the area, just within a thirty minute drive.”