Best Law Schools For Crypto

Prospective students often ask us: “What is the best law school for crypto?” Since cryptocurrency is a relatively new area of society in general, we did not have a great answer. However, we have done further research because cryptocurrency is an emerging technology that has implications in many different areas of law. So, we compiled the list of best law schools for crypto. Before we dive in to the results, we should explain what exactly we mean by law schools for cryptocurrency.

What is a Law School For Crypto?

What we mean by “law school for crypto” is any law school that has a focus, course, or law professor dealing with crypto as a whole. This includes any law schools focusing on aspects of cryptocurrency such as the blockchain, decentralized finance (DeFi), non-fungible tokens (NFTs), smart-contracts, or any of the major cryptocurrencies. This includes Bitcoin, Ethereum, alt-coins, etc.

How Does Crypto Relate to Law School?

This is our favorite question! Although many people have only a basic awareness of cryptocurrency , it is one of the most cutting edge areas of society in the year 2022. Despite what you may hear on the news, cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin are not simply “digital gold.” In fact, cyryptocurrencies are disrupting the finance industry in the same way that the internet disrupted the paper press and paper transactions at the beginning of the 21st century.

Blockchains, cryptocurrencies, and digital ledgers are going to change the way ownership of assets occurs in the future. Instead of having a deed for your home, you will own an NFT that verifies you are the true and correct owner of your property. This will have significant implications for property law. Another area that will be disrupted by crypto will be contract law. Instead of lengthy contracts drafted by lawyers and argued about when a dispute arises, smart contracts will have be comprised entirely of code and will self execute when certain conditions are met. This will occur automatically and the money that is held in escrow on the blockchain will be sent to the party that it is owed.

Of course, there are potential downsides to unchangeable contracts that self-execute and lawyers and courts will likely have to get involved. But, that is where today’s law students come in. The problems of today’s crypto world will need to be solved by lawyers bridging the gap between law and technology.

How We Ranked Crypto Law Schools

We looked at a number of criteria when determining which law schools were the best for crypto. We focused on the number and quality of crypto-related courses. Any type of certificate program for cryptocurrencies was considered. Real-world opportunities whether in clinical, internship, or convention-related were a factor. Finally, we compared faculty with a focus on cryptocurrency. Law faculty that wrote law review articles, posted in crypto-related websites, and had speaking engagements at events related to any of the crypto topics were given a boost in the rankings.

From our perspective, and for any prospective law student, there are a questions we believe that should be asked:

Questions To Evaluate A Law School’s Crypto Focus

• Do students have an opportunity to participate, or is it only faculty?
• Are full-time faculty focused on crypto, or only adjunct?
• Are the courses offered for crypto substantive, or are they gimmicky marketing opportunities for the law school?
• Do the crypto courses related to substantive legal topics such as tax, regulation, business law, IP, etc.?
• Is the law school facilitating brining in outside speakers for events and conferences?
• Do the law professors have real-world connections to the legal/crypto intersection?
• What “side” of crypto is the law school focused on? IP, tax, regulatory, etc.

Think about these questions as you research prospective law schools and read through the results. Additionally, check out the frequently asked questions below the rankings.

Top 10 Law Schools For Studying Cryptocurrency

1. Stanford Law School – Stanford, California

Stanford Law School has both the support and location to make it the top law school school for crypto. Located near Palo Alto, Stanford is consistently ranked one of the best law school in the United States. The proximity to a long-time innovation hub, makes Stanford a great place to surround yourself with eager, entrepreneurial individuals.

Stanford Law School is home to organizations such as the Blockchain Group which aims to research and publish papers surrounding the blockchain ecosystem. Additionally, Stanford Law School boasts the Stanford Journal of Blockchain Law & Policy which is the first law journal to publish on the greater blockchain technology space. This journal provides an amazing opportunity for law school students to be on the cutting edge of legal policy surrounding blockchain and potential interact with authors in the space.

Stanford also houses the Blockchain Education Initiative which aims to bring a universal lexicon, blockchain literacy, and legal education to all. Most importantly, however, Stanford Law School has more than just groups and organization. They have classes and professors versed in cryptocurrency to teach them. For example, courses like Blockchain and Cryptocurrencies: Law, Economics, Business and Policy are available for law students to earn credit towards their degree.

Overall, Stanford Law School checks every box. Proximity to real experiential opportunities in cryptocurrency, courses and professors focused on crypto, and many organization and resources for law students to plug into. That is why Stanford Law School is our best law school for crypto.

2. NYU School of Law – New York City, New York

NYU School of Law is not only a current leader in law and crypto, but it has been paving the way for years. This is in part thanks to law professor David Yermack who has taught courses on cryptocurrency and blockchain technology consistently since 2014. Very few, if any, law schools on our list have prioritized blockchain and crypto as long as NYU.

Additionally, NYU has many more faculty focused on blockchain and crypto. This is a good sign because most law schools have only one. At NYU School of Law, Andrew Maxwell Hinkes, the co-founder and general counsel of Athena Blockchain is an adjunct professor. Professor Geoffrey Parsons Miller also brings extensive legal experience to the NYU’s faculty. Finally, NYU School of Law hosts many blockchain-related events such as the recent The Impact of Blockchain on the Practice of Law which was even offered for CLE credit for practicing attorneys.

In conclusion, NYU School of Law boasts one of the greatest depths of faculty with expertise in blockchain, cryptocurrency, securities, and financial regulation. For a complete opportunity in learning all aspects of cryptocurrency, NYU Law is our top choice.

3. Penn State Dickinson Law School – Carlisle, Pennsylvania

Spend enough time in the legal-crypto world and you are bound to hear of Professor Tonya Evans. Professor Evans is on the forefront of the blockchain movement and how it specifically integrates with today’s legal issues. A prestigious member of the Forbes 50 over 50 and winner of the 2018 inaugural Blockchain Enterprise Award in the category of Governance and Policy Leadership during the Blockchain Revolution Global Conference in Toronto, Professor Evans is a leader in the legal field of cryptocurrency.

This is why law students seeking to enter the crypto space should consider Dickinson Law School. Law students here have the opportunity to take classes such as Blockchain, Cryptocurrency and Law or Emerging Technologies. Most importantly, Dickinson law students may also help with research or editing a prolific crypto and IP lawyer.

Few law schools on our list offer students the ability to learn from a U.S. Congressional testifying expert. That is exactly what students can expect from Penn State Dickinson Law School. The mix of learning, real-life experience, and true crypto expertise sets this school apart from the others. That is why we ranked Penn State Dickinson Law School so high on our list.

4. William & Mary Law School – Williamsburg, Virginia

William & Mary Law School has a prolific crypto legal writer in Eric D. Chason. Professor Chason is a full-time faculty member who has published papers in the crypto space including Smart Contracts and the Limits of Computerized Commerce, Cryptocurrency Hard Forks and Revenue Ruling 2019-24, A Tax on the Clones: The Strange Case of Bitcoin Cash, and How Bitcoin Functions As Property Law.

Law students seeing this amount of publishing by a law professor can be confident that if they are persistent and eager to help, they may find opportunities to edit or research for forthcoming papers. Another promising aspect of William & Mary is the Center for Legal & Court Technology. It specifically lists blockchain as one of the emerging technologies that is an area of research. Few law schools offer legal centers where crypto can specifically be an area of research. Most law centers are focused on more traditional aspects of the law. This is a great opportunity for W&M law students.

Finally, William & Mary prioritizes student publications and research on the topic of blockchain. We value this aspect highly in our evaluation because it indicates that the law school is taking the law students seriously. In addition to giving the law students an opportunity to have a legitimate legal work product that can be listed on a resume, this means the law school is taking crypto seriously as a legal research topic. William & Mary’s commitment is evidenced by the 2019-2020 publication of their very own law students.

5. Cardozo School of Law – New York City, New York

Cardozo School of Law makes the list because of the Cardozo Blockchain Project. This project aims to explore the legal questions that surround blockchain technology and the numerous legal and policy issues stemming from it. Furthermore, the project aims to create papers and research related to blockchain. This is a fantastic opportunity for law students looking to immediately work on blockchain legal issues as a student. Having the ability to point to tangible research such as Smart Contracts and Legal Enforceability would look great on a resume.

As well, Cardozo hosts an annual Blockchain Conference. Past conferences have been noted by Forbes fo including speakers such as the SEC director. These types of networking opportunities prove invaluable for law students looking to make an impact in the crypto and financial legal worlds.

While Cardozo may not have as many courses as some of the other top law schools for crypto on our list, we believe that the extracurricular aspect is fully met. Law students that attend Cardozo can take it upon themselves to get involved and enjoy all the networking benefits that come with working with the Blockchain Project.

6. SMU Dedman School of Law – Dallas, Texas

The state of Texas is quickly emerging as a leader in innovation and technology. Businesses are flocking to the Lone Star state because of favorable business laws, expansive room for growth, and incredible tax structure for employers and employees alike. Thus, Southern Methodist University’s law school is a great place for one of the most important factors on our rankings – real-world experience in blockchain.

And, nothing is more real-world than the ability to learn from SMU Professor Carla Reyes who was recently appointed to lead the Texas Work Group on Blockchain Matters by the Governor of Texas.

SMU’s Science and Technology Law Review also features crypto-related articles indicating that those interested in the blockchain will have opportunity to work on papers discussing the emerging issues or perhaps even publish a student note of their own. A recent 2020 article titled Crypto-Collateral shows a good example of the types of papers law students at SMU’s Dedman School of Law may work on.

We believe that working with and learning from the doers of cryptocurrency provide some of the best opportunities for law students. That is why SMU makes our list of top law school for crypto.

7. Duke University Law School – Durham, North Carolina

Duke University Law School provides ample opportunities for law students to get involved with crypto, especially from a financial regulation perspective. Duke law professor Lee Reiners is a huge reason for that. Professor Reiners is a former senior associate at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York who now runs the FinReg Blog at Duke’s law school.

Law students at Duke will be able to take courses such as Issues in Cryptocurrency Law and Policy. Additionally, events like Coffee and Crypto or Cryptocurrency and National Security offer extracurricular opportunities to learn from industry experts.

For law students that are more interested in the regulatory framework and how it relates to cryptocurrency, we highly recommend considering Duke’s law school. This is another highly ranked law school, but if your LSAT test scores and GPA can get you in, it will be a great place to get involved with crypto.

8. Boston University School of Law – Boston, Massachusetts

Another law school in an innovation hub is Boston University School of Law. Although less often thought of as a tech-center compared with Silicon Valley, Boston has an extensive amount of innovation occurring. Boston University is also not too far from the financial center of the United States, New York City. This makes Boston a location primed for giving a law student the opportunity to network with top professionals working in crypto.

Also, one of the best ways to vet a law school for whether they prioritize crypto is to take a look at publication by the faculty. Boston University School of Law passes the test. Law Professor Richard T. Ainsworth has published numerous papers that related to crypto. For example, his most recent is A Proposal for Taxing Cryptocurrency. While taxing cryptocurrency may not be a law students primary interest or goal, it is an important policy consideration that is going to need to be addressed. Learning cryptocurrency from a tax perspective is going to lead to highly demanded skills.

9. University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law – Concord, New Hampshire

The University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law has long been renowned as an intellectual property powerhouse in the legal world. Now, the law school founded by renowned patent attorney and inventor, Dr. Robert Rines is on the cutting edge once again. This time they are leading the way in the blockchain and cryptocurrency space.

For starters, UNH has been working on offering a new certificate program geared towards blockchain and cryptocurrency. A course called Blockchain Cryptocurrency is also offered for degree credit. When paired with UNH law school’s intellectual property focus, there are strong possibilities for law students that attend here.

Law students that want to focus on the intellectual property aspects of cryptocurrency whether that be patents, copyrights, trademarks, or trade secrets should strongly consider University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law. Additionally, for law students on the fence about crypto but leaning more heavily towards IP may consider this school because if they decide to forgo crypto or only get somewhat involved, they still have the school’s intellectual property strength to fall back on.

10. Albany Law School – Albany, New York

Another law school is New York rounds out the list of top law schools for crypto. Albany Law is not located in the financial heart of the United States like the other New York schools on the list. But, Albany has strong crypto ties and enjoys the benefits of proximity to New York City despite being about 150 miles away.

Albany Law School’s commitment to cryptocurrency education is evidenced by the webinars they host. For example, Blockchain and Cryptocurrency: The Legal Framework and Future Trends included panelist such as Jimmy Nguyen of the Bitcoin Association as well as other professionals in the field.

Additionally, Albany Law School also allows students to take courses such as Understand Blockchain to learn the basics of blockchain technology, with an emphasis on use cases in the legal, business and regulatory environment. We recommend Albany Law School for students hoping to get near the financial center in New York City without diving all the way in.

Conclusion – Best Law School for Blockchain Courses

Overall, the best law school for crypto as of the 2022-2023 school year is Stanford Law School. The other law schools on this list are great options as well. Stanford truly stands out because of the proximity to an innovation hub and breadth of courses, extracurriculars, and faculty available to learn from.

However, if the west coast is not your desired place, NYU School of Law offers an incredible experience as well. The depth of faculty and experience sets NYU apart on the list as well.

We realize that attending law school is not as simple as picking a school and packing your bags. Each prospective law student needs to determine what is a realistic target based on his or her GPA and LSAT scores. We have written extensively about how your legal education can be high-quality no matter where you attend. For crypto education specifically, a large part of the education will depend on courses offered and faculty available in the space.

So, while you may get an overall sufficient legal education at a lower-ranked law school, the quality of your crypto knowledge and connections can vastly improve at a higher-ranked law school if they have crypto-focused faculty. We hope this list gives you some guidance in your search!

Frequently Asked Questions – Blockchain Law Course