Harvard Law School is the oldest law school in the country and can trace its roots back to land granted by Isaac Royall's will in 1781. In the 1870s, the school developed a formal first-year law curriculum--requiring classes in civil procedure, property, torts and contracts--now used as the standard in the U.S. However, HLS has recently been revamping its curriculum, adding mandatory courses in international and comparative law and legislation, and introducing a problem-solving case study class for the incoming class in 2009. HLS boasts many well-regarded academic programs, including tax law and dispute resolution, but the school's biggest emphasis is on international law. The school has research programs in European law, East Asian law, and international financial systems, as well as an international and comparative law track for JD students.

HLS has a reputation for having a fiercely competitive atmosphere--most famously depicted in the 1973 film, The Paper Chase--though students in Vault's surveys say that those accounts are mostly overstated. Classes at HLS are heavy in theory and light on nuts-and-bolts skills, and the school offers a broad scope of concentrations. As for employment prospects, HLS students are heavily recruited, particularly in the Boston area, but the name carries weight all over the country. On-campus housing is available to all law students, and most use it for the first year or two.