The 10 Best Laptops for Law School – Full Guide

Law school can be very demanding, so having the right tools can prepare you for early success.

A reliable and efficient laptop is one of the most important tools in law school. However, with so many laptops for law school in the market today, choosing the best one can be challenging.

Well, you don’t have to worry about anything because I already did the hardest part of putting up the list of the best laptops for law school for you.

Whether you are a first-year law school student or have become a licensed attorney, this list will help you have an amazing time taking down notes, saving documents, and many more!

The 10 Best Laptops for Law School Students

There are lots of amazing laptops out there, which is why finding the right one can be a little bit challenging. However, I’ve done the hard part for you, and here are some of the best laptops to choose from!

1. Best Overall – Apple 2022 MacBook Air

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Features

• Processor: M2 Chip
• RAM: 8 GB
• Display: 13.6-Inch Liquid Retina Display
• Battery Life: 18 Hours
• Weight: 2.7 Pounds

Apple has become one of the best brands that provide us with the best laptops for law school students.

In particular, the Apple 2022 MacBook Air Laptop has everything you need for law school. It has tremendous processing power, a lot of ram, and a long battery life lasting 18 hours!

It can handle any law school software easily, and technical specifications suggest you will enjoy this compact laptop far longer than expected.

The 13.6-inch liquid retina display provides crisp and clear views, giving law students some of the easiest time than writing papers. Without a doubt, this is the best overall laptop, in my opinion.

PROS

• Lightweight and compact design
• The processor delivers excellent performance
• Durable build quality
• Great performance
• Gorgeous screen

CONS

• Quite expensive
• Ram size needs to be upgraded

2. Best Value – LG Gram 16Z90P

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Features

• Processor: Intel Core i7-1165G7
• RAM: 16GB LPDDR4
• Display: 16-Inch Full HD
• Battery Life: Up To 10 Hours
• Weight: 2.62 Pounds

Most law students want a compact, lightweight laptop with more screen space. The LG Gram 16Z90P Laptop might be the right laptop they seek.

The LG Gram laptop has the 11th Intel core i7 processor built to withstand some of the most demanding software and applications a law student will encounter in their law school life.

In addition, it’s one of the lightest laptops on my list, weighing only 2.62 pounds, so carrying this laptop wouldn’t pose much of a problem while walking on campus.

Also, the LG Gram has a very sleek and durable design. It is made of premium materials from the start, and the full-HD screen resolution makes reading a breeze and satisfying. 

Overall, this is a great laptop for the price. Opening multiple tabs is smooth and online meetings shouldn’t be a problem. This laptop easily blows past the competition with its price point.

PROS

• Average battery life
• Lightweight, compact, and sleek design
• Reliable with extremely fast processing power
• Best value for money
• It has all the ports you need
• Full HD Display

CONS

• No touchscreen features
• Subpar webcam

3. Best Budget – ASUS ZenBook 13 Ultra-Slim Laptop

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Features

• Processor: AMD Ryzen 7 5700U
• RAM: 8 GB ‎DDR4
• Display: 13.3-Inch OLED
• Battery Life: Up To ‎13 Hours
• Weight: 2.51 Pounds

If you are looking for a great laptop that performs more than it should, is super easy to use, and is always ready on the go, you might consider the ASUS Zenbook 13 laptop.

This law school laptop for law students is amazing because it has a military-grade TPM, a fast processor, lots of RAM, and an ultra-slim design perfect for day-to-day tasks.

This laptop has razor-thin bezels offering more screen space for a more immersive experience. It has all the necessary ports, including a headphone jack, micro SD card reader, and USB-C ports.

It’s the ideal laptop for law students who also love taking down notes, stream movies during their free time, and just doing productivity tasks related to law students.

Overall, this is one of the best laptops for law students. It doesn’t break the bank and has all the features you need to make your time as a law student smooth and easygoing.

PROS

• Amazing performance
• Great performance for the price
• Good laptop size for law students
• Very powerful processor
• It comes with a backlit keyboard

CONS

• No 3.5mm headphone jack
• Flickering at low brightness

4. HP 2020 14

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Features

• Processor: Intel Celeron N4000 Processor
• RAM: 4 GB
• Display: 14-Inch Diagonal HD SVA
• Battery Life: Up To 14 Hours
• Weight: 3.16 Pounds

Who says law students can’t buy a laptop for law school when they are on a tight budget? Fortunately, the HP 2020 is quite a decent laptop if you are on a tight budget but need one.

While I can say it’s not the fastest, this laptop is enough to get by law school without any hitch. It has decent storage space, an average processor, and a good screen size.

The intel UHD graphics suggest it isn’t good for gaming. Still, you can add external devices with this laptop and write notes regarding your law school lectures.

Well, it is not the perfect laptop by any means, but it’s a good laptop that can serve its purpose if you are in law school.

For the price, it’s good enough for law students and should be durable enough to last you for a couple of years.

PROS

• Good for the price
• Highly affordable for law students
• Good battery life
• Reliable and highly durable laptop
• It comes with an HDMI port

CONS

• Not the fastest option available
• Needs storage upgrade
• No touch screen features
• Intel HD graphics are not suitable for gaming

5. HP Spectre x360 Convertible Laptop

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Features

• Processor: Intel Core i7-11390H
• RAM: 16 GB DDR4
• Display: 16.0” IPS Screen
• Battery Life: Up to 16 Hours
• Weight: 9.13 pounds

Law school laptops should be fast, reliable, and effective, especially if you are taking notes, making college assignments, and watching Zoom meetings.

The HP Spectre x360 Convertible Laptop is the right laptop for the job.

The 16-inch screen design gives law students a clearer and crisper view of their meetings and lectures. Also, the display is OLED, which is amazing and offers vibrant colors.

The Intel Core i7-11390H chip is fast enough to execute multiple tasks without hiccups, and the storage is large enough to store your important law school documents for the entire school year.

One of the best features this law school laptop has is its webcam; it offers high-contrast, high resolution, and very accurate colors. This laptop can even rival some of the best laptop computers out there.

The HP Spectre x360 is one of the best laptops for law school. While it comes at a cost, you will not be disappointed with its performance. Simply fast.

PROS

• Convertible design with OLED touch screen
• Amazing audio quality
• High-resolution webcam
• Convertible laptop 2-in-1
• Blazingly fast and highly reliable

CONS

• Quite heavy to hold
• Not the best for rendering or video editing

6. Lenovo Ideapad 330s

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Features

• Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
• RAM: 8GB DDR4
• Display: 15.6 inch HD IPS Anti-Glare Display
• Battery Life: Up To 6 Hours
• Weight: 4.1 Pounds

Lenovo has become one of the best laptop brands for law school students. Why? They don’t cost that much but perform extremely well, a feature needed for law school.

The Lenovo Ideapad 330s is an amazing laptop for budget-oriented law students trying to make the most of their money. Its processor is fast enough to handle any type of law school document.

Also, it may not be equipped with a fast graphics card, but the Radeon Vega 8 graphics processor is perfect enough for light gaming and minimal video editing.

Like most Lenovo laptops, this laptop has a professional feel to it. The design is straightforward, performs as it should, and should be a great addition to any law school student.

Nevertheless, it doesn’t break the bank much, and its performance speaks for itself. It has good storage and an affordable price for any law student.

PROS

• Reasonably priced
• Upgradeable ram and storage
• Good and functional keyboard
• Great price to performance
• Speedy bootup
• Backlit keyboard

CONS

• Not the fastest option available

7. Microsoft Surface Pro 7

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Features

• Processor: Intel Core i7-1065G7
• RAM: 16 GB DDR4
• Display: 12.3-Inch, 2736 X 1824 Touchscreen
• Battery Life: Up to 10.5 Hours
• Weight: 1.74 pounds

If the Apple MacBook Air is still out of your reach, the next best laptop for law school you can have is the Microsoft Surface Pro 7. This laptop for law school is one of the most popular next to MacBook.

This laptop’s portability and design make it popular among law school students. It has an adjustable keyboard and kickstand to make your life easier when taking notes.

It almost feels like you have an ultra-fast tablet with the Microsoft Surface Pro 7. While it can serve as a tablet, it doesn’t lack performance as it has a powerful processor and a decent amount of ram.

One of the more exciting features this laptop for law school has is its lightweight design; it can be handheld without putting too much strain on your hand.

Overall, I like what Microsoft did to their newer generation laptops. It combines functionality, performance, and convenience all into one laptop.

PROS

• Portable, lightweight, and sleek
• Fast processor
• Amazing build quality
• Uses USB-C port
• Windows 11-ready
• Uses dual far-field microphones

CONS

• It might get hot due to the fan-less design
• Still no Thunderbolt 3

8. Acer Swift 3 Thin & Light Laptop

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Features

• Processor: Ryzen 7 4700U
• RAM: 8 GB DDR4
• Display: 14-Inch Full HD Widescreen IPS
• Battery Life: Up to 11.5 Hours
• Weight: 2.65 Pounds

One of the more budget-friendly options on my list is the Acer Swift 3. Let’s face it, law school is quite expensive, and if you’re squeezing everything out of your budget, then this laptop for law school is fine.

Out of the box, it doesn’t scream performance and power.

However, we’re not playing graphic-intensive games in law school. It performs a decent job in any law school-related work.

The 14-inch screen is not the best, but it’s fine, and this Acer laptop is built with 8 gigs of ram that are also upgradeable if you have money in the future. It’s functional and performs as it should.

Law school laptops shouldn’t be expensive, especially considering law school is already expensive.

With the Acer Swift 3, you can easily blaze past any law school applications and programs with this one.

Nevertheless, this laptop for law school is more than enough to get you by in law school. It’s the sweet spot for law students who want good and reliable performance at a cheaper cost.

PROS

• Decent performance for the price
• Great for law school applications and programs
• Bright display with vibrant colors
• Full-HD webcam
• Good productivity performance

CONS

• Small touchpad
• Small screen

9. Lenovo Yoga 7i 2-in-1

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Features

• Processor: Intel Core i5-1240P
• RAM: 8 GB DDR4
• Display: 16-Inch Diagonal 2.5K Touchscreen Display
• Battery Life: Up To 6 Hours
• Weight: 4.18 Pounds

Law schools are expensive, and making the most out of your money can be beneficial, especially if you are looking for a laptop for law school.

The Lenovo Yoga 7i 2-in-1 might just be the perfect choice for performance and price. The Intel Core i5 is more than enough to breeze through different applications and programs for law school.

In addition, the 16-inch screen provides clear and crisp colors that should make your meetings immersive and fun.

This laptop has a touchscreen, an HDMI port, a built-in keyboard, and a touchpad.

Its specifications can rival a windows pc in the same budget range and use one of the best operating systems, Windows 10 Home. Also, this laptop has a fingerprint reader and an amazing processor.

Nevertheless, this laptop is great for the price!

It has a powerful processor, a dedicated graphics card, and a 4K touchscreen providing an immersive experience if you want to take a break from law school and watch Netflix.

PROS

• Sleek design and amazing build quality
• High screen resolution with thin bezels
• Amazing performance for the price
• Good port selection
• Big touchpad and responsive keyboard

CONS

• Significantly heavy
• Not good for intensive gaming

10. ASUS ZenBook 13

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Features

• Processor: Intel Core i5-8265u
• RAM: 8GB DDR4
• Display: 13.3″ Full HD
• Battery Life: Up To 10 Hours
• Weight: 2.65 Pounds

ASUS has been one of the most reliable laptop brands for many years, and the ASUS ZenBook 13 is one of their new additions targeted toward students, professionals, etc.

The ASUS ZenBook 13 might be a bit pricier, but you get an amazingly fast processor, large storage, and one of the lightest laptops on my list at 2.62 pounds!

What you will love about this laptop is its fast-charging capabilities, capable of charging from 0 to 60% in as fast as 40 minutes! Another thing with its battery is it’s capable of lasting up to 22 hours!

While ASUS has been known for gaming laptops, this doesn’t come at a costly expense. It performs on part with some of the best laptops for law school within its price range.

Rest assured, you won’t be disappointed with its performance or durability.

ASUS has long been known to provide us with some of the best and most long-lasting laptops.

PROS

• Fast charging time
• Lightweight
• Ergonomic hinge
• Good performance

CONS

• Quite expensive
• Heavier than other laptops

Finding the Best Laptop for Law School

Having the right laptop for law school can help you have an easier time taking down notes and running different applications.

Before heading out to your local tech store, you might want to consider some of these factors before buying the best laptop for law school. Check these out.

Price

Price is one of the most important factors when buying the best law school laptop.

As you can see, some laptops for law school range from $500 being the cheapest to $2,000 being the priciest. Getting the best performance for the price is important, especially if you are on a tight budget.

But if money isn’t one of your concerns, a laptop above $1,500 is enough to accomplish some of the most intensive tasks possible. It can also power up some of the most demanding games today.

On the other hand, if you are tight on budget, a laptop that ranges from $500 to $700 is still enough to get by law school without a hitch.

Screen Size and Resolution

Since you will be staring at the screen much longer, you’d want something enjoyable to read law school lectures and notes.

Having any laptop above 1920×1080 resolution is a good starting point. Anything below that is still manageable, but it’s the sweet spot for enjoyable reading and streaming movies.

Also, I recommend a laptop with an IPS display; it is a cut above the rest regarding picture quality and colors. But if you lack the budget, settling for a 2k to 4k display resolution is enough.

A good screen resolution will be easy on your eyes, and you won’t experience occasional screen time headaches.

Processor

The processor is one of the most important factors when choosing the best laptop for law schoolbecause it determines the overall speed and performance.

Law schools often require you to run multiple programs and applications simultaneously, so having a Ryzen 5 or Intel Core i5 laptop and above is the sweet spot.

Anything below that, and you will encounter frequent lagging, stuttering, or worse, programs and applications won’t run.

Nevertheless, a faster processor can execute tasks and programs quickly without hitches. A powerful processor ensures anything you will open will run smoothly.

Operating System

All the laptops in the world have operating systems. The most frequently known are Windows OS and Mac OS.

For compatibility, getting the latest operating system is highly recommended. You can do it when you purchase your laptop, or it will just update.

As mentioned, you will mostly run different programs and applications like the enterprise network, and having an updated operating system ensures everything will run smoothly and won’t encounter compatibility issues.

Storage

Storage is where all your files will be stored and saved. So, choose a laptop with a minimum of 512GB storage to ensure you won’t encounter storage issues when saving your important files and documents.

Build Quality

Build quality can often be felt when the laptop’s price goes up. But sometimes, that’s not the case. You want something that can last you during your entire law school years.

In addition, when it has an amazing build quality, it can last you far longer than it should, which means you will also be using them even after you are done in law school.

Fortunately, all the laptops listed here came from reliable, reputable brands known for making durable laptops with amazing build qualities.

Lastly, the build quality is often predicted by the price. The higher the price, the greater the build quality. Still, it all depends on how you use your laptop daily, which determines its longevity.

RAM

Random access memory, or RAM, is your laptop’s short-term memory. One thing RAM does is open multiple browser tabs without problems.

In essence, it is where the data is stored when your processor needs to run software or an application and open your files.

For good measure, anything above 8 gigabytes of ram is more than enough for law school. Anything more than that will offer an added boost of performance.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

If you have additional questions regarding the laptop, you might find some answers below.

Do I Need a New Laptop for Law School?

Yes! You will need a laptop for law school, as you will be taking down important notes, reviewing and saving documents, and watching videos.

However, as for a new laptop, you don’t need it as long as you have a working laptop in good shape.

Is an Apple MacBook Air Good for Law Students?

The Apple MacBook Air is not just good; it is great! It’s lightweight enough to be handheld by any law student and powerful enough to breeze past any applications and programs.

Do I Need 16GB of RAM for Law School?

Sixteen gigabytes of ram are more than enough for law school. Even a 4 GB or 8 GB ram is enough for different law school applications and tasks.

Most of the time, you don’t need 16 gigs of ram as these applications and software aren’t ram-intensive. However, having more than 8 gigs of ram is always a bonus, especially if you already have it.

Summary

Here’s the summary of my top picks.

Best Budget – ASUS ZenBook 13 Ultra-Slim Laptop

If you don’t have the budget but are looking for a reliable and durable laptop, the ZenBook 13 Ultra-Slim Laptop is a great start. It doesn’t cost that much and performs as it should.

Best Value – LG Gram 16Z90P

The LG Gram 16Z90P is the sweet spot regarding performance and price. It can breeze past any applications while still cutting down the cost. It is the best laptop for law school for the price.

Best Overall – Apple 2022 MacBook Air

If money is not one of your concerns and you are trying to have the best laptop for law school, you can never go wrong with the Apple 2022 MacBook Air.

It comes from a very reputable company, and you will not be disappointed with its performance and proprietary features, which makes this brand one of the best laptop manufacturers in the world.

Conclusion

Law school is hard. But with the right tools and a reliable and functional laptop, you ensure you can run every program and application needed.

When choosing the best laptop for law school, prioritize performance and functionality.

Fortunately, the list above should help you pick and choose which product is the best for you.