I take it law school is expensive as hell?
Depends on the school. Really. If you go to a top-tier school like Duke, Georgetown, UVA, GW, etc. it will cost much money - $100K+ at some schools. There are other good schools (with less lofty reputations) that cost less.
The question you need to ask yourself first is "what am I going to do with the degree?" That will help decide where to go.
For example, if your aim is to become a partner at a top-tier law firm, you'd be looking at top-tier schools. If you just want to be an ol' country lawyer, a good state school should suffice. If it's politics you're after, perhaps criminal law would be in order...
(that, of course, is a joke referring to the recent corruption cases involving pols)
A big part of law school for large firms, some corporations, and politics (just like MBA programs) is the contacts you make and the alumni network. Large firms are all about "making rain" - politics are the equivalent. If that's your goal, schools that provide the best high-level alumni networks ought to get a hard look. And they generally cost $$$ to match (figuring that their programs are worth more income to the grads).
There are plenty of smaller, less well-known schools (like George Mason) that provide a good education for less money. Those would be fine for folks that will be staff attornies in a corporate legal department and/or government agency.
Still, most graduate programs - MBA, law school, MS, etc are not cheap.
Figure out what you want to do, then figure out the costs.