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Top 25 law school vs all others? Top 10 vs top 25?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Deleted member 4644
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Deleted member 4644

For those of you who are lawyers, or in law school, or know about the field....

How big of a boost is it to go to a top 25 school? Is it true that a top 10 is much better than going to say number 20? What sort of doors open/close at different ranking levels?
 
Top 10 = National Exposure

Top 25 = Regional Exposure


I wouldn't get too hung up on it unless you really wanna spend money.

If you go top 10, prepare for your life to never be the same. There are exceptions to the rule, but you'll probably be married to work & squeezing in wife & kids will be tough.

(Don't want to discourage, but it would not be a lifestyle I'd enjoy!)
 
Originally posted by: redgtxdi
Top 10 = National Exposure

Top 25 = Regional Exposure


I wouldn't get too hung up on it unless you really wanna spend money.

If you go top 10, prepare for your life to never be the same. There are exceptions to the rule, but you'll probably be married to work & squeezing in wife & kids will be tough.

(Don't want to discourage, but it would not be a lifestyle I'd enjoy!)
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Could you go into a little more detail as to what causes these differences?
 
Originally posted by: DevilsAdvocate
Larger firms will "dig deeper" into a class from a Top 10 or 25 school. You have to really shine to get a great job elsewhere.
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How big of a difference between say number 10 and number 18?
 
my cousin's in her 2nd year at the #8 school. she's currently traveling to New York and D.C. for job interviews. it doesn't seem like she's going to have any problems finding a job. however finding one in the public sector (where she wants to work) might be tougher. ironically, it'd probably be easier for her to find a much higher-paying job at some law firm than what she wants to do (public sector or international law).

judging by how much studying and sheer reading she's endured......good luck 😕
 
I wrote a 5 page tell-all about how the law school game works, and replied to all posts. It became a BIG thread. Shouldn't it be archived here somewhere?
 
There is raging debate about USNWR's ranking of law schools. A bunch of ABA deans signed this letter disapproving of how USNWR conducts the survey as it hurts more than helps. Basically, if you want to get into Big Law (aka big law firm where they sweet talk you that first summer associate year and then put your neck on the grinder for 80-100 hrs a week), then top tier schools are a must. Whether you like it or not, employers look at the rankings, however flawed. Students look at these rankings when choosing schools, whether such schools are actually the best "fit" for them or not.

Actually, the USNWR's rankings are based part in numbers and part in reputation. Therefore, whatever school that spends the most money on mailers, brochures, whatever will generally have a higher ranking. There was another study that showed the halo effect of schoolon rankings. The survey revealed that many thought that Princeton Law School was one of the best. They actually don't have a law school.

It all comes down to what you want to do and where the jobs are at. If you just want to work in a small firm or med. sized firm, then you can go to a lesser tiered school and still get a great job.

Added: if you really want to become a lawyer, I suggest you take some time and work in a law office. I've read a bunch of books one lawyers getting out of the legal field b/c they are so sick of it. The rate now is around 50%. The practice of law isn't the same as going to law school, and for some, the work is pretty boring.

Just my 0.02.

 
Hiring from a top XX school and a top candidate is a no-brainer for recruiters.

However, 10 years into your profession really shows where you landed.

What most are expecting though is you are so dedicated that you will only do work and forget about the life passing you by.

 
There is a big difference, though mediocre grades in a top school won't get you as far as top grades in a second-tier.

As for top 10/25 and the rest...

First and most obvious is the quality of the Professors. The top schools draw talented teachers like they draw talented students. In one semester I had a renowned Constitutional Scholar and former Congressman (and Jesuit Priest to boot), a retired Federal Appeals Court Judge, and a man who left shortly thereafter to become Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission. Further, most of the truly great instructors I had were Adjunct Professors and a top school will be able to pick the best of the best.

Second are the on-campus interviews and networking. Top schools draw the national/international blue-chip firms for the on-campus interviews, in one morning you may have Skadden and Jones Day, Cravath and Aiken in the afternoon. And this typically lasts a week or more. Further, you have many more "feet in the door" in the blue-chips, corporations, and on Capitol Hill and the Administration. Even ten years out you can still draw heavily from the Alumni book.

Third, you will find you learn as much from your fellow students as you do from your instructors (and the top 20 schools draw some truly brilliant people.) It is sort of like Tennis where you find yourself playing as well as your opponent - having intelligent and motivated people around you will bring out the best in yourself.

I went to one of the top-15 (and if you know anything about Constitutional Law and Jesuit Priests you'll know which). I was extremely lucky to get in and found myself capable of things I'd never have guessed before. I did the law firm thing for a while and grew to hate it, I gave it up to pursue my true passion - Politics.

In truth, any Law School will give you the foundation for a great career - you'll just have to work a bit harder and a bit smarter if you attend a school that is not nationally known and respected.
 
i'm actually you brought up this topic. im starting my BA in the spring for political science with a minor in prelaw and starting to focus on what I want to do with it. i plan to go into corporate law and these rankings for law schools help me to narrow it down and to start refining my search.
 
Why don't they just have salary rankings for the schools? That would be the criteria I'd think ranks them best since that reflects what society feels each schools JD degree is worth.
 
Originally posted by: Zebo
Why don't they just have salary rankings for the schools? That would be the criteria I'd think ranks them best since that reflects what society feels each schools JD degree is worth.
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because even a lower ranked school in a big city, the top grads from that school can still make the top salaries.

top 14 - they all will come out making the most money. plus there's such a wide range in salary disparities. not everyone has a job coming right out - when do you take the survey of the salaries? at graduation? after nine months? after nine months would be best, since most people would have taken and at least received the results of one bar exam, so they can go search for a job with their license in hand. what about those that go for public interest jobs? etc etc.

you can look up what the average salaries are for each school however.
 
Originally posted by: DigDug
Found it!
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Good post. So what you're saying is if you don't get into a top 14, might as well save your money and go to the cheapest state school you can find because you'll be flat broke otherwise.

 
Originally posted by: freesia39
Originally posted by: Zebo
Why don't they just have salary rankings for the schools? That would be the criteria I'd think ranks them best since that reflects what society feels each schools JD degree is worth.
Click to expand...

because even a lower ranked school in a big city, the top grads from that school can still make the top salaries.

top 14 - they all will come out making the most money. plus there's such a wide range in salary disparities. not everyone has a job coming right out - when do you take the survey of the salaries? at graduation? after nine months? after nine months would be best, since most people would have taken and at least received the results of one bar exam, so they can go search for a job with their license in hand. what about those that go for public interest jobs? etc etc.

you can look up what the average salaries are for each school however.
Click to expand...


Speaking of public intrest type work... do you have to come from a good school to be ACLU? I can't imagine they pay all that much.
 
My perception is that a top 5 law school will pretty much guarantee you a BIGLAW job even if you graduate from the bottom of the class. A top 15 school will do the same, but maybe not at the most elite firms. I know of a couple people in top 15 schools who both had job offers by their second year of law school, and are working in NYC doing the corporate law thing. Outside the top 25 schools you might land a job at a regionally well-known firm if you graduate at the top of your class.

But it depends on what you want to do. There are other less prestigious areas of law that don't require as high a standard, that some people find more rewarding.
 
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