As a law professional and student you have a long journey of education, lots of analyses and research, and along with those prolonged textbooks you have a lot of things on your plate with investment.
Nowadays not only lawyers but also law schools and colleges require a handy laptop so you can attend your lectures in a more professional way, it’s more convenient as well.
For All of this, the best laptop for law school students and professionals is a necessity, the good thing is there are not many heavy tasks you have to do on your laptop which qualifies you to choose the best affordable laptop for lawyers.
Yet you must be careful with selection as outdated devices can lag and slow down the process immensely, especially since your work involves a lot of note-taking and research on various topics you need good support from your laptop.
Therefore in this comprehensive article after doing hours of research we have compiled the best laptop for lawyers, we are going to review each one of them yet first let’s go through quick laptop requirements.
Minimum System requirement for lawyers
- CPU- 10th gen intel i3 or AMD Ryzen 3
- GPU: Integrated graphics card.
- Ram: 8GB DDR4 memory
- Storage capacity: 256GB SSD drive.
- Display size: 13″ to 15.6″ with Full HD resolution.
- Battery life: 5 to 6 hours.
Recommended System requirement for lawyers
- CPU- 9th gen intel i5, AMD Ryzen 5 or above.
- GPU: Integrated graphics card.
- Ram: 8GB DDR4 memory with the upgradable slot.
- Storage capacity: 512GB SSD drive.
- Display size: 14″ to 15.6″ with Full HD resolution.
- Battery life: above 5 hours.
Best laptop for lawyers and law students in 2023
1. Apple MacBook Pro Laptop
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The apple MacBook pro is the most prevalent among law professionals especially the latest machines apple has tremendous modifications not only with design but also with its hardware.
This apple MacBook pro has the longest battery life above 15 hours making it the best laptop for lawyers, if budget is not a significant problem then this is a great choice to pursue your law studies.
It is powered by an apple M1 chip processor with 8 Cores delivering 3.2ghz frequency you can do a high level of multi-tasking which permits you to advance your workflow as you can run multiple applications and tabs while exploring.
Like the apple MacBooks, this variant is also integrated with 8GB onboard ram and 512GB SSD storage capacity enriching your performance on heavy applications, and also SSD drive boots the system within seconds.
The 8-core integrated graphics comes with 13 inches retina display ensuring dazzling visuals with high-quality pictures and 500 nits brightness giving an outstanding bright screen outdoors as well, overall color accuracy is awesome on this panel.
It is prepared with the unique characteristic of true tone technology that assists in presenting your screen brightness according to the situation and there is an HD webcam for online meet-ups with a Touch bar ensuring user-friendly use.
The apple MacBook pro looks very stylish, and the build is very sleek and light and easier to carry, additionally, the keyboard is on high-quality keys that are responsive you get used to it pretty quickly.
Key features
- Excellent processing system.
- Longest battery life.
- Nice color accuracy.
- Lightweight and portable.
- Display 13.3″ with the brightest screen.
- Good storage capacity.
Cons
- Pricey laptop.
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2. Asus ZenBook 13 slim laptop
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If you are looking for a precious-looking laptop with the longest battery life and super powerful inbuilt components then this Asus ZenBook 13 laptop is the ultimate pick for lawyers and students.
The processing power of the laptop is incomprehensible as it has built with an AMD Ryzen 5700U processor having 8 cores and 16 threads provisioning smooth performance while multitasking.
This AMD Rzyen CPU is one of the most efficient and powerful CPUs that is used for making videos to promote your services on online platforms like Youtube and Facebook.
It runs on 8GB DDR4 memory encouraging you to execute multiple tabs, and software easily and with 512GB PCIe SSD you can accumulate all the data without any worry of lack of storage.
This SSD also ensures a faster booting system so your device gets ready to use quickly, however, the highlight of the device is its display quality and excellent battery life.
This laptop is integrated with a high-powered 67wh battery that delivers above 10 hours of battery backup, and a rapid charge system charged laptops within 49 minutes up to 60 percent making it the best laptop for law school students who are always on the go.
The laptop is equipped with a very small 13.3″ OLED FHD screen that has 100% DCI-P3 color standards and is also designed with HDR technology ensuring very pleasing and true-to-life visuals.
It is having very good safety features for your eyes that allow you to work for a long time, it has an integrated AMD Radeon graphics card that performs decently while delivering images and videos on screen.
This Zenbbok 13 laptop is very slim 13.9mm with side bezels being very narrow and the weight of the device is only 2.51lb, additionally, the look of the machine is attractive, and comes with a separate Numpad.
On the connectivity front laptop offers USB type A, USB type C, HDMI, and an SD card reader, additionally it has good wifi support you get WIFI5 connects quickly to the internet.
Key features:
- Efficient processor AMD Ryzen 7 with 8 cores.
- Good Webcam quality.
- Quick charge technology.
- Plenty of storage space.
- Display OLED quality with true color accuracy.
Cons:
- Average ports.
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3. Lenovo yoga 7i 2 in 1 laptop
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This 2-in-1 touchscreen laptop from Lenovo, next on our list of best laptops for attorneys, it is boasting with good CPU and nice battery back up benefits immensely during lectures, and is also quite feasible to carry with you while visiting any client.
The Lenovo laptop has only a 3.08lb weight and a 360-degree adjustable angle gives more comfort in long use, the design of the laptop is good and the hinges have a strong build.
The latest Lenovo laptop is featured with a full HD 14″ 1080p resolution screen with stunning 300 nits brightness so you can use this machine in slightly sunlight areas as it provides better viewing than other budget laptops.
It is powered by 11th gen intel core i5 1135G7 CPU has 4 cores, 8 threads, and an 8MB cache, it produces a base clock speed 2.4GHz and with intel turbo boost technology presents a max speed of up to 4.2ghz.
For smooth multitasking and performance it has onboard 8GB ram which is good enough for lawyers and students, additionally 512GB SSD ensures faster speed with good storage space you can save all your client data easily.
It has a 65 Watt 4-Cell Lithium-Polymer battery that delivers an impressive battery backup of 5-7 hours and this one is equipped with a backlit keyboard that has very pleasingly-designed keys that respond quickly.
The Lenovo laptop comes with the windows 10 operating system gives good performance and fingerprint reader support keeps your all study material safe.
This device also has good connectivity options such as USB 3.2 Type A, and USB Type C along with 2 thunderbolt ports for quick web connection you get WIFI6 support and Bluetooth 5.0 version
Moreover, the Lenovo laptop has a webcam you can use for online classes and it has very good Dolby support speakers that let users enjoy listening to music and also deliver decent sound while watching movies.
Key features
- Budget-friendly.
- 11th gen intel processor.
- Good screen brightness.
- Backlit keyboard.
- Integrated intel iris xe graphics.
- Fingerprint reader support.
- It is the best 2-in-1 laptop.
Cons:
- No ram upgradability details.
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4. Acer swift Thin laptop
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The Acer Swift 3 laptop is another best budget laptops for lawyers, very lightweight and the thinnest option with the latest components you can enjoy your time working on it.
This laptop runs on AMD Ryzen 4700U mobile processor with 8 cores, 16 threads, and 8MB Cache, this CPU produces a base frequency 2.0Ghz and a maximum boosting speed are 4.1Ghz.
The CPU gives a fast performance during lectures so you do not have to stay behind with note-taking on important points and it is equipped with 8GB DDR4 onboard ram suitable for multitasking.
The overall laptop has the capacity not to lag on its efficiency thanks to a 512GB PCIe SSD that loads the OS faster and also boots the entire system quickly, it does not make you wait longer.
The full HD IPS panel has a 14″ screen size with 1920 x 1080p resolution and integrated AMD Radeon graphics deliver smooth and fine visuals.
The screen ensures very nice wide viewing angles thanks to thin side bezels and the backlit keyboard is very compact and looks nicely built with proper alignment of keys users enjoy typing on it.
The design of the laptop is unique and very shiny, and the overall material used for making this device is very smooth and compact.
This Acer swift has a windows 10 home operating system and it delivers good battery back up about 6-7 hours depending on usage, however, there is little flex on the top lid and the hinges are quite still there is no need to worry about build quality as the material used is pretty good.
On the connectivity front, the laptop is furnished with good options and the HD Webcam has 720p resolution quality presenting a good experience during online classes and team meetings.
Additionally, it is equipped with a fingerprint reader and wireless support such as WIFI6 connects to the web quickly it is also integrated with Bluetooth 5.0 and you also get an Alexa feature in this Acer laptop.
Key features
- Excellent AMD 8 cores processor.
- Nice design laptop.
- Portable and lightweight.
- Good storage capacity of up to 512GB SSD.
Cons
- No ram upgradable details.
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5. LG Gram lightweight laptop
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The LG Gram laptop is a premium trademark brand that is prevalent for making professional laptops suitable for students to business owners.
One of the highlights of this laptop is its long battery backup and high-quality screen with nice color reproduction and intel CPU that keeps the machine efficient.
Under the hood, the laptop has 11th gen intel core i5 1135G7 Processor with 4 cores and 8 threads it delivers a maximum boost speed of up to 4.2 GHz.
Under this machine, LG gram offers 8GB DDR4 ram that is enough for working on multiple files and tabs as the speed of the memory card is incredibly fast 4266mhz making it the best laptop for law students.
Additionally, the Laptop comes with a windows 11 operating system to explore new features and functionalities, Moreover, on the storage front, the laptop has a 256GB NVMe SSD which is decent enough for law students and to some extent professionals can also manage with 256GB space.
The 14″ screen panel has a large resolution of 1920 x 1200 securing to display of every single detail properly, image quality is crisp and clear on this device with 99% DCI-P3 color standards you can see much better color accuracy on this IPS LCD panel.
It has an integrated Intel XE graphic that also benefits from good visuals, moreover, the biggest feature of this machine is battery life.
As per LG, it provides more than 20 hours of battery which is better than an Apple laptop, nonetheless, we have tested this laptop by putting laptop brightness at mid-level without using the backlit keyboard it provides up to 15 hours of backup without consuming the entire battery which is amazing for professionals.
The overall laptop looks very attractive, the Touch precision pad is nicely placed and large enough to give a user-friendly experience, and the side bezels are thinnest great for wide viewing angles yet the black borders can be distracting at times.
This one is equipped with an SD card reader, USB type C with thunderbolt support for faster data transfer, and the user also gets access to an HDMI port, and 2 USB 3.2 ports.
Key Features:
- Excellent battery life.
- 11th gen intel core processor.
- Super efficient ram memory.
- Unique design.
- Excellent color accuracy.
- SD card Reader support.
Cons:
- On budget higher storage space could have been better.
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6. Dell Inspiron 14
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The Dell Inspiron is another touchscreen machine that is good for law students on a very low budget it offers decent specs and the design is quite stylish with awesome portability you can carry easily with you.
It is powered by AMD Ryzen 4500 CPU with 6 cores and 12 threads, it generates a base clock speed 2.3Ghz and a maximum boost of up to 4.0Ghz.
This AMD CPU is the cheapest laptop for law school students and professionals as Hexa cores support to make sure you can do a good level of multitasking during your classes.
As this machine also runs on 8GB DDR4 ram with DDR4 memory technology and generates 3200Mhz speed which is pretty amazing for the user who has to work on multiple tabs.
The 256GB PCIe NVMe SSD enhances the speed of the machine and also helps in loading OS fast, moreover, 256GB storage is pretty much fine for law students.
It is equipped with integrated AMD Radeon graphics delivering good images and visuals smoothly, the full HD IPS LED-backlit screen comes with a 14” size with the thinnest bezels you can enjoy the wide viewing angles on this panel.
It is integrated with a 3-cell Lithium-ion Battery and produces decent battery backup on regular use for about 5-6 hours which is still acceptable for college-going youngsters, the 360-degree foldable laptop gives premium comfort while working on it.
The laptop looks decent not that attractive yet the build quality is good you also get features such as a fingerprint reader for the safety of your data and a media card reader with HDMI and 2 USB 3.0 type A ports.
Additionally, for better wireless connectivity it has a wifi6 version, the device also comes with an excellent quality backlit keyboard with good responsive keys and there is webcam support usable for online meetups with a dual array mic you can enjoy the good audio quality.
Key Features:
- AMD CPU with Hexa core support.
- Budget-friendly laptop.
- Memory is good for multitasking.
- Adjustable up to 360 degrees.
Cons:
- Very average design.
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7. HP Pavilion 15 laptop
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This HP Pavilion 15 is the best laptop for lawyers as it comes with a super powerful intel i7 processor, with a large display of 15.6” do not have to worry about a smaller screen presence as it provides good readability.
In case you are someone who is looking for a large screen machine, this is the perfect option for your day-to-day task, as despite of higher panel size machine weight is only 3.86lbs which is easier on your shoulders while traveling.
It is powered by an 11th Generation Intel Core i7-1165G7 CPU with 4 cores and 8 threads you enjoy a base frequency 2.8Ghz and a maximum boosting speed of up to 4.7Ghz.
This CPU is incredibly fast and keeps you updated with note takings during lectures, as it is also equipped with 16GB DDR4 ram memory with 3200Mhz speed, it is more than capable of running the heaviest applications on your system.
The 512GB PCIe NVMe SSD keeps the performance of your machine fast and also loads the OS quickly, however, the laptop also has a windows 11 Pro operating system that lets you explore the latest features on this machine.
This HP Pavilion laptop comes with a 15.6” full HD 1920 x 1080p resolution, also integrated Intel iris Xe graphics help in delivering good images and side bezels are thin and look attractive.
The overall design of the laptop is very nice and looks attractive to the eyes but the top and bottom bezels are slightly broad yet it’s acceptable as it is built in with a web camera that supports it during online meetings.
One of the highlights of this machine is its quick charge technology under which the laptop charges up to 50% within 45 minutes and the overall battery life of the device is around 6-7 hours depending on usage.
It is furnished with a full-size keyboard you get separate numeric support, for connectivity it is packed with a USB type C port, USB type A, HDMI 2.0 along with wireless wifi6 and Bluetooth 5.0 version.
Key features:
- Latest intel-i7 processor.
- Ram 16GB supports heavy multitasking.
- Large display 15.6″ with FHD resolution.
- Rapid charge technology.
- Stylish and premium-looking laptop.
- Attractive design.
Cons:
- Average speakers.
- No backlit keyboard support.
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Buying guide for the best laptop for lawyers
In this segment, we are going to discuss in detail laptop requirements for law students and professionals.
The good thing is you can manage with average specs as law practice does not require you to handle heavy applications hence you do not need to spend on an expensive machine to pursue your career in law.
However, if you want to sell your services on youtube then you need little powerful processing system as video editing software is a little CPU extensive, additionally, you do not necessarily need a dedicated GPU as your work is not involved heavy editing.
So now let us begin with in-depth buying tips on the best laptop for lawyers, yet note that this you can consider even if you are a student as the hardware requirement are not very different for both.
Processor
The contemporary CPU is quite powerful, especially processors that released in the last 4-5 years yet you need to be aware of the fact which are the best processors currently in the market.
In the end, we are spending our money on it so it must be fast and future-proof.
Now it’s not about intel vs AMD as both are compatible for law students and lawyers as your tasks are not heavy, so pretty much things depend on your budget nonetheless you have to avoid a few options.
The intel 10th gen i5 or AMD Ryzen 5 series CPU is always the top pick for the best laptop for lawyers, in case your budget is above 500 to 600 then there is no way you can think any less than these options.
If your budget is very tight and can not afford to spend then 10th gen intel i3 or AMD Ryzen 3 is a decent option however Ryzen 3 is a nice option in a budget-friendly laptop for law students.
Moreover, if you are purchasing the intel i3 variant then make sure to get the latest generation CPU such as 1oth and 11th as they are quite a power efficient and handle the day-to-day working smoothly.
Whereas for editing video footage Intel i5 and Ryzen 5 are decent and anything above this is recommended for a lawyer, specially Ryzen 5 processors are budget friendly and provide higher CPU cores that can enhance better performance on editing.
Note: Avoid Celeron, Pentium, or AMD A4, A6 variants are pretty outdated, and your entire system will become slow.
Lastly, Apple’s M1 chips are another option apart from Intel and AMD, honestly, they are quite overpowered for law students but Macbooks are very portable and due to the longest battery life many professionals prefer the apple MacBook which is definitely valuable for the money.
So if you have a budget you can go for the m1 chip, suggest you go with an apple laptop that is released after 2019 or 2020 as they are much improved versions
Ram Memory
The random access memory in computers is as significant as the CPU, as it determines the efficiency of the device while you are working on it so you need good ram support to get a lag-free smooth working experience.
This is a little tricky if you have a very low budget as there are high chances you end up choosing a laptop with 4GB ram, this is still decent for law studies yet not the ideal one especially if your device has windows 10 or macOS operating system.
As it requires memory resources and consumes around 2-4GB, it gives a slow performance, and impacts your work, in this case, 8GB ram is something you must aim for its perfect to run your machine smoothly.
Another thing you must keep in mind is the ram memory technology used in your system, laptop must have DDR4 rather than DDR3, the simple reason is that DDR4 is far better and fast.
Storage capacity
As a law student, you do not have to store a lot of heavy files and software so you can even manage it with 128GB as well, this is for those who have a tight budget.
The best option is a minimum of 256GB SSD and recommended always 512GB SSD especially if you are planning to create video content, it will assure you to save multiple files and heavy data easily.
Moreover, if you have been searching for the best laptop for lawyers then you must have seen a laptop with HDD hard drive.
In any case, if you are planning to get a laptop with HDD then decline your opinion instantly as it appears as a very high storage space but it makes your system entirely slow from booting to loading everything lags.
So even if you have the lowest budget yet you must go with the SSD option as it is way faster and does not let you stuck during your lectures which keeps you updated with note-taking.
Note: Nowadays current available Laptops do come with upgradeable storage options storage upgradation is a little costly so always be firm on your decision when choosing a laptop for law work.
Operating system
Now it comes to an operating system, well windows is always the preferable choice as they are widely available and another option is MacOS which is a fast and great choice.
Yet these are restricted to apple laptops only and at the same time it’s expensive, the Chromebook is too cheap and a nice option but again you have very fewer facilities and it also requires the internet continuously.
Linux is very popular and fast but it’s quite complicated if you are not technically aware of laptops so windows are a great option yes there are issues with viruses but you can use an anti-virus to protect your system.
Display size and quality
The 13-inch laptop is very portable and easy to carry with you yet a 14″ screen panel is a slightly better alternative as you get a little large screen for good viewing and they are portable as well.
Moreover, it is a completely individual preference but for editing videos, you need slightly higher screen space, however, the quality of the screen definitely matters as the extensive time you going to spend in front of your laptop.
The full HD resolution is the minimum you should think, though you can manage with an HD quality screen as you do not have any work where colors going to play any role yet full HD is a must and also essential for making videos.
As it not only provides you good quality visuals but the full HD also provides comfort to your eyes and IPS technology in your laptop delivers better vibrant colors so try to choose a laptop with full HD and IPS technology.
Keyboard
As a student, you have to do a lot of note-taking during your lectures so you need an excellent-quality keyboard with responsive keys.
The keyboard should have nicely placed keys with lower distance travel so you get a better typing experience anything between 1.4mm to 1.7mm gives a good user-friendly experience that enhances the performance.
Frequently asked questions
Is 256GB enough for law school?
Yes, 256GB is pretty much ok as a law professional, as you do not have to store heavy data such as images or videos so it’s fine to have 256GB SSD storage in your laptop.
However, if you have a budget to spend on the laptop for lawyers then suggest you go with 512GB SSD.
Lastly, you also have to keep in mind that even though most laptop does come with upgradable options yet SSD is a little costly therefore if you are spending on a laptop let’s say above 550-600 then 512GB is the best to pick.
Should I buy a new laptop for law school?
If you already have a laptop with decent specs then you do not need to spend on the new machine as you easily manage your daily tasks yet this is more of a personal preference and few things you can check in your machine.
Let’s discuss firstly your laptop should have SSD storage by any chance, if you have an HHD drive then suggest you upgrade it to SSD right away as an SSD drive makes the laptop run 5 times faster than HDD.
Next thing check your ram support 4GB is ok for law students yet you can witness sluggish performance so 8GB is recommended so if your laptop has an upgradability option then expand memory support to a minimum of 8GB.
Now if you still make up your mind that you need the new best laptop for lawyers then we have listed above quick buying tips with the best laptop in the market and also we have discussed a depth buying guide you can read for more details.
Is MacBook Air or Pro better for law school?
Before this let me tell you that all the apple MacBook that has an M1 chip or above is a super powerful machine for any kind of work so they can handle all your tasks smoothly.
MacBook Air and MacBook Pro both are excellent options for lawyers and students, it’s more about your budget as these are quite expensive yet battery life and portability are awesome in apple MacBook, especially variants that have a 13-inch screen panel.
Can I use a Chromebook for law school?
Chromebook is very popular due to their pricing, and portability, and undoubtedly they are faster to work as well, but yet I recommend a windows laptop rather than a Chromebook as it requires a web connection regularly.
If you do not have a proper web connection you will not be able to operate the interface properly and it has very limited functionalities in terms of working on software, therefore, a windows laptop for law is the best choice.
What type of laptop do lawyers use?
Lawyers prefer a laptop that is super portable as they have to continually meet their clients however apple MacBook and Microsoft surface variants are popular laptops for lawyers.
What kind of laptop is best for law school?
The laptop for law school does not require any specific or high-end features you can manage it with decent specs still suggest you follow our above guide.
The 8GB ram with SSD storage option is a must in your machine and if you are going with a new laptop then suggest you choose the latest option CPU in low budget 10th gen i3 or AMD Ryzen 3 is fine.
If you have a budget above 500 then anything above i3 or Ryzen 3 is a pretty much-recommended system for law professionals.
Final words:
In this guide, we have covered all the points about the best laptop for lawyers there is no need to stretch your budget as economical laptops also provide better computing performance however 8GB memory with SSD drive is something you need, and the latest generation basic CPU from Intel and AMD is more than enough to work.
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