The truth is that following the law lectures without a decent and fast laptop can be a true nightmare. On the other hand, finding the best laptop for law school on your own can be a hassle and time-consuming task.
But it doesn’t have to be like this. Especially not for you, now that you’re here with us. If you’re a law majors student who’s looking for a new laptop that won’t let you down – you’re at the right place.
In this post, you will find a valuable buying guide along with the best laptops for law school listed in different categories.
Best Laptops for Law School Students In 2023
LG Gram – Long Battery Life
When the battery is a high concern for you, LG Gram is the way to go. It features an all-day battery (precisely can last up to 19.5 hours) that will get you through the day without ever thinking of charging.
Thanks to modern technology, this 72Wh Lithium battery is the next great thing for any student who’s looking for unlimited mobility.
Even though this laptop is quite large (features 17” display size), it’s still quite thin and lightweight for its size. When we compared it with smaller laptops, LG could definitely compete with an Intel Core i7 processor and Intel HD Graphics 610.
Considering that this laptop has some high-end components, that’s what we exactly like to call a powerful combination where a student will get the best of both sides.
This thin laptop is everything but not weak and you better not misunderstand it. It is made from a mil-std-810g which is a military standard durability material.
If you take care of your laptop, there is no small bump or accident that will destroy it or damage its looks.
Hardware specifications for LG Gram
CPU: Intel 10th Gen Core i7 1065G7 processor | Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics 620 | RAM: 16 GB RAM | Screen: 17″ IPS WQXGA (2560 x 1600)| Storage: 1TB M.2 NVMe SSD (512GB x2) | Operating System: Windows 10 home | Battery Life: 19.5 hours | Weight: 2.98 pounds
13″ Apple MacBook Air – Small but powerful
When you are looking for a combination of performance and lightweight & sleek design, MacBook laptop is the right choice. It’s a laptop that combines both air and pro models, focusing on both performance and portability.
Retina display is going to make reading easy on your eyes, and the powerful specifications powered by the latest Mac OS X will speed up any task you’re performing.
Combine it with the sleek, thin, and lightweight body, you get a perfect laptop for law major. If your budget is tight, just consider Apple MacBook Air as an alternative. MacBook Air is less powerful but durable and long battery life are its pros. In case you can invest more for a laptop, Macbook Pro 13.3-inch will be suitable for law students.
Hardware specifications for 13″ Apple MacBook Air
CPU: 1.1GHz quad-core Intel Core i5, Turbo Boost up to 3.5GHz | Graphics: Intel Iris Plus Graphics| RAM: 8 GB RAM | Screen: 13.3-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit Retina display with IPS technology | Storage: 512 GB SSD | Operating System: MAC OS | Battery Life: 11 hours | Weight: 2.8 lbs
HP 14 – Cheap and affordable
Students are often limited by a budget, and it creates problems. But with us, you won’t have a problem getting a decent laptop for cheap.
HP 14 is the latest model offered by HP. It offers a 14″ full HD display,Intel Celeron N4000 Processor, 4GB of RAM, Intel HD Graphics card, and a 64 GB storage.
You might not get some of the best specifications, but considering the price, this laptop offers a decent value for the price it costs.
The HP 14 laptop has a 3-cell lithium battery feature which offers a long lasting battery life. It’s perfect for students that are looking to take the laptop to classes.
Hardware specifications for HP 14
CPU: Intel Celeron N4000 up to 2.6GHz | Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics 605 | RAM: 4 GB RAM | Screen: 14-inch diagonal HD SVA BrightView micro-edge WLED-backlit (1366 x 768) | Storage: 64 GB eMMC | Operating System: Windows 10 Home in S mode| Battery Life: 14 hours | Weight: 3.16 lbs
HP Spectre x360 – powerful 2 in 1 option
2 in 1 laptops are very versatile and are a best choice for students who are looking to combine both performance and versatility.
The HP Spectre x360 is one of the best 2 in 1 laptops on the market that offers an amazing experience through both speed and compactness.
Here’s the deal.
It offers the 360-degree flip and fold design which works really well with a decent IPS screen size of 15.6″.
Edge-to-edge design makes it really comfortable to work on it for hours, and the touchscreen is just a bonus that makes work enjoyable.
But guess what?
Inside such a thin body, HP has placed some of great components you can find on the market. That’s incredible, and it might sound too good to be true, but it’s really worth the price! It features a 10th generation of Intel Core i7 processor, 8GB RAM, Intel Iris Plus Graphics card, and a 512 GB SSD.
Hardware specifications for HP Spectre x360
CPU:Intel Quad Core i7-1065G7 Processor (1.3GHz, up to 3.9GHz, 8MB cache, 4 cores) | Graphics: Intel Iris Plus Graphics | RAM: 8GB DDR4 SDRAM | Screen: 13.3″ FHD IPS WLED-backlit multitouch-enabled IPS(1920 x 1080) Display | Storage: 512GB SSD with 32GB Optane | Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64 Bit | Battery Life: 16 hours | Weight: 5.2 pounds
Acer Swift 5 – Lightest option
The Acer Swift 5 is a good option if you want something portable and powerful enough to handle multiple documents without lagging. The laptops feature a powerful 8th Generation Intel Core i5 8265u Processor, 8 GB or RAM, and an Intel HD Graphics 620 card.
These specs are certainly powerful enough for a laptop that’s so light. The Acer Swift 5 weighs only about 2.2 lbs which makes it ideal for travelling from class to class. But that’s not all, featuring over 10 hours of battery life this laptop will ensure that you can sit through length lectures without worrying about the power running out.
Lastly, this 15 inch laptop has an amazing widescreen HD display of 1920 x 1080 pixels. This makes it easy to read lengthy documents as well as writing down notes without having to squint your eyes or move closer to the screen.
Its display is also touchscreen as well making it easier to navigate through the interface without having to rely on a clunky touchpad which some people find annoying to use.
Hardware Specifications for Acer Swift 5
CPU: 8th Generation Intel Core i5 8265u Processor (Up to 3. 9GHz) | Graphics:Intel HD Graphics 620 | RAM: 8 GB RAM| Screen: 15. 6″ Full HD (1920 x 1080) widescreen LED backlit IPS Multi Touch Display | Storage: 256 GB | Operating System: Windows 10 Home| Battery Life: 10 hours | Weight: 2.2 lbs
Asus ZenBook 15 – Innovative ScreenPad
Asus ZenBook 15 is the combination of the 10th generation Intel i7-10510U , RAM 16 GB RAM, 512 GB SSD, and a GeForce GTX 1650 graphics card. It’s easy to deal with a range of assignments from college tasks to even gaming when students need to relax.
Buyers constantly mention the responsive trackpad and unbelievably light design of the ZenBook 15 when reviewing their purchase When doing lighter tasks, like surfing the internet, college assignments, It gets about 7-9 hours. Definitely fine not taking the charger.
Built-in fingerprint sensor with one-touch login via Windows Hello feature. Some buyers comment that they even don’t expect to have a touch screen but it does. Surfing to read law documents with this touch screen becomes more amazing than ever.
Lastly, it comes with an innovative screen pad, a 5.65-inch interactive touchscreen trackpad that helps with multitasking and getting things done faster.
Hardware specifications for HP Asus ZenBook 15
CPU: 10th generation Intel Core i7-10510U Quad Core Processor | Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 | RAM: 16 GB| Screen: 15. 6 inch wide-view 4K UHD 4-way NanoEdge bezel display with 92% screen to body ratio | Storage: 512 GB | Operating System: Windows 10 Home| Battery Life: 8 hours | Weight: 3.6 lbs
Dell XPS 15 – Multiple Thunderbolt 3 Ports
Temporarily unavailable
Dell XPS 15 comes with the 9th Gen Intel Core i7 processor, a full 16GB RAM of memory, and plenty of 512GB SSD (solid-state drive) for storing documents which is really necessary for lawyers and law students
Additionally, it has a long battery life of 9 hours. Lawyers spend a lot of time in court and may not necessarily have the time to charge their laptops. Not worrying about running out of power is a big boon for lawyers and law students alike.
Lastly, the Dell XPS 15 features 3 Thunderbolt ports which allows for easy file transfers. Large video files won’t be a problem with the XPS 15 around.
Hardware specifications for Dell XPS 15
CPU: Intel Core i7-9750H Processor | Graphics: NVIDIA GTX 1650 4GB GDDR5 | RAM: 16 GB RAM| Screen: 15.6″ 4K UHD (3840×2160) Touch Display, | Storage: 512 GB SSD | Operating System: Windows 10 | Battery Life: 9 hours | Weight: 4 pounds
Lenovo Ideapad 330 – Professional and Affordable
The Lenovo Ideapad 330 is a good pick for law students on a budget. It has decently powerful specs with its AMD Ryzen 5 2500U Processor which can handle most law documents with no problems, and its 8 GB of RAM will ensure that it won’t hang even when running multiple tabs at once.
Its AMD Radeon Vega 8 may not be the best for gaming but its really good for rendering graphics, making it good for light gaming. Which is a good way for law students to destress after a hard day of studying.
As with the courtesy of Lenovo, this laptop has a professional feel to it despite its affordable price. It follows the matte-like finissh of most Lenovo laptops which give it a nice metallic look to its plastic parts. It doesn’t stand out much which is good for a professional laptop since it doesn’t give off the air of professionalism either.
Hardware specifications for Lenovo IdeaPad 330
CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 2500U Processor (2.0 GHz base frequency up to 3.6 GHz, 6 MB cache, 4 cores) | Graphics: AMD Radeon Vega 8 | RAM: 8GB DDR4 RAM| Screen: 15.6 inch HD (1366 x 768) IPS Anti-Glare Display | Storage: 256GB SSD | Operating System: Windows 10 Home | Battery Life: 6 hours| Weight: 4.1 pounds
Microsoft Surface Pro 7 – Surface pen for writing
Law school is about taking the right notes at the right time. Sadly not everyone can type fast with their keyboards and they prefer to take notes the old fashioned way of writing them down. It’s a shame that not many laptops allowed for this which leaves some law students to either write it down on paper or get stuck with a keyboard.
Thankfully the Microsoft Surface Pro 7 has a sensitive and responsive 2.3″ touchscreen that allows the user to navigate its interface even with their fingers. It also comes with a surface pen which allows for easy writing as well as scribbling as if you were writing on paper. This laptop definitely defeats the need of bringing a paper notebook to class.
Lastly, the laptop has pretty powerful specs with the latest 10th Gen i7 processor, an Iris Plus 940 graphics card, and 16 GB of RAM. It also has a battery life of 10 hours making the Microsoft Surface Pro 7 more than just a laptop to write notes in.
Hardware specifications for Microsoft Surface Pro 7
CPU: Core i7-1065G7 processor | Graphics: Iris Plus 940 graphics card | RAM: 16 GB| Screen: 12.3-inch, 2736 x 1824 (267 PPI) touchscreen | Storage: 512 GB SSD | Operating System: Windows 10 Home | Battery Life: 10.5 hours | Weight: 1.74 pounds
Razer Blade Stealth 13 – For Gaming and Work
All work and no play makes for a very frustrated law student. Now this may not be the case for every law student out there but for some, having a de-stressing activity is a must.
Some do it by drinking while others by gaming. And if you’re on the latter side of things, then you might coincidentally get a gaming laptop that is light, portable, and looks like something a professional would bring.
The Razer Blade Stealth 13 is your answer since it “stealthily” hides itself as a work laptop while having very powerful specs to support gaming as well. It features a Intel Core i7-1065G7 processor, a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 graphic card, and 16 GB of RAM. You can play most high-end games with these specs!
Lastly, it’s very lightweight as well thanks to its anodized aluminum frame and its 13″ screen. Having a weight in 3 lbs, this laptop is meant for gaming, working, and for travelling .
Hardware specifications for Razer Blade Stealth 13
CPU: Intel Core i7-1065G7 | Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650| RAM: 16 GB RAM| Screen: 13.3 inches FHD Matte 1920 X 1080 pixels (GTX 120Hz Model) 4K 3840 × 2160 pixels (GTX 4K Model) | Storage: 512 GB SSD | Operating System: Windows 10 Home| Battery Life: 10 hours | Weight: 3.2 lbs
Picking The Best Laptops For Law School Students In 2023
Form / Design
As a lawyer in a law field, you’ll need a laptop that is, other than being decent in performance, is versatile in size, shape, design, and form.
You’ll want a laptop that isn’t going to make your neck and back hurt throughout the day as you’re most likely going to be carrying your laptop with you in the class.
Luckily for you, modern laptops and technology introduce very thin and lightweight laptops which are still powerful enough to power you through your daily tasks.
It’s exactly what you should be looking for as it combines versatility and portability in a laptop that will be able to handle all your tasks and needs throughout the day.
Therefore, you can consider form & design to be a part of the reliability of the laptop you’ll use for your need. And you only want to have the most reliable device.
Keyboard
You’ll be typing for quite a lot of time, when you’re at home, at class, or any other place – you’ll need to use the keyboard for either creating presentations, working on projects, writing essays, and basically writing anything else which is required by your need.
Making sure you end up using a laptop with a keyboard that won’t give you a headache is important. You want a keyboard that offers decently sized keys that are made of great material, and most importantly, feature a great key travel.
You don’t want the keys to be too soft but neither too hard. There’s a great balance in between and that’s what you should be looking for.
Most laptops nowadays come with a backlit keyboard feature and we highly recommend you get a laptop with the following feature. It’s going to make typing in the dark rooms and environments a lot easier.
Battery life
You most likely have a academic schedule but you’re most likely never be able to be sure when will you have the time to charge your laptop. If you have to charge a laptop throughout a day, that’s bad because you’d need a laptop that comes with a better battery.
Charging your laptops two times or more throughout a day is even worse and you should stay away from it. Ideally, a laptop that comes with a powerful battery that can hold a charge for quite a long time is crucial.
Since you won’t be dealing with any hard-processing tasks, the laptop’s battery will be able to last for quite a long. If you aren’t on a budget, getting a laptop that comes with an all-day battery is your an ideal thing you should do.
However, a battery that can last at least 6-7 hours is a great choice.
Storage
Files and documents don’t take up a lot of space but believe us, they’ll quickly add up for law students and the last thing you want to experience is lack of space.
While the speed of the storage drive isn’t as crucial or important, we highly recommend you to go with SSD since it will be able to store your files faster and whenever you copy & paste files – it’ll do it in lightning speed. However, relying on the fastest RPM’s HDD hard drive isn’t a bad idea either, especially if you’re on a budget.
What’s important is to get the right amount of storage space which will last you for long without having to use a secondary external storage drive. If you’re going to use your laptop for both learning and entertainment – we recommend you get twice as much space!
Fingerprint ID
Fingerprint ID is a very unique feature that we see very often in the newest laptops. It’s not a necessary feature to have, but it’s something we highly recommend.
As law students, you’ll be working on a number of different things, and the closer you are to graduation – the better cases you will be working on. Therefore, having a fingerprint ID is going to increase the security of your laptop drastically and if you never want to rely on your passwords ever again – this is the solution you should look into.
Not only you won’t have to use a password to log into your operating system, but making anything from purchases online to logging into campus sites and social media – you’ll never have to type anything. That’s pretty useful when you’re in school, surrounded by people and wouldn’t rather type in your password. This is crucial when you use public Wi-Fi’s too.
Portability
Most law schools will require their students to rely on a laptop to keep up with their lessons and studies.
Therefore, a best laptop for law schools is the one you can easily take with you no matter what class you’re attending, and yet have it open at any desk in the school.
Portability is important because you don’t want to end up carrying a heavy laptop in a backpack, but versatility is as important.
You want to be able to have a compact laptop that will allow you to efficiently work and yet never require a big desk to work efficiently.
Keyboard
Since you will end up doing a lot of writing, you will require a quality keyboard that will allow you to type quickly, and most importantly – have high accuracy.
A keyboard that is made of quality material, offers a great feel to the fingertips without slipping, and doesn’t require a lot of effort to press the buttons is a keyboard you should be after.
Backlit keyboards are also a must-have for students who enjoy studying late up a night. It’s a very useful feature that is now integrated into most laptops and we highly recommend getting this feature.
Screen Quality
Since you will be staring at the screen for a long time and you will have to do a lot of reading – in order to be able to enjoy reading on your laptop, we believe that a high-quality display is important to have.
A decent screen based on an IPS display is recommended, but if the money is not an issue, going for a 2K or 4K display is definitely going to pay off.
Such displays will be very easy on the eyes and you won’t experience “computer headaches” and yet you will get to do your work efficiently.
But sometimes even an LCD will do well.
Frequently Asked Questions
Best laptop size for Law School?
The best laptop size will depend on how much work do you handle and whether the screen size is important for you, other than the compactness.
We would recommend sticking with the laptop of size anywhere between 11″ to 15″. Anything larger than 15″ will have an impact on the portability, weight, and even different cooling systems.
Can I go With the HDD Instead of SSD drive?
You definitely can go with the HDD instead of SSD, especially when you’re getting a laptop on a budget. However, if you aren’t on a very tight budget, we’d recommend to always go for the SSD when you get a chance. It offers up to 4 or 5 times better speed and it’s something you don’t want to sacrifice, no matter the difference in price.
Is 4GB of RAM enough?
4 GB is okay for lightweight users, but as law students, you’ll be working on a lot of documents and will require a few software open at the same time, sometimes.
We recommend getting at least 6 GB of RAM so you’re on the safe side and you never experience lack of speed and slow performance due to the lack of RAM.
Conclusion
Choosing the best laptop for law school can be a bit difficult, especially if you aren’t familiar with some of the latest laptops in this year.
However, in this post, you can find everything you need to get the best laptop that will offer great experience, yet won’t break your bank.
If you choose any of these laptops, you won’t go wrong, but just make sure you choose the one you might find the best fit for your needs.