All non tier 1 people, why are you going to law school? Forum

[730]

First I wanna say, this is not a thread meant to attack anyone for their choices. Many people here feel thats it top 14 or bust...however, as we know, a lot of law schools well below the top 14 are filling up their classes with ease. So for all the people who didn't get into a top school and are still going, what were your reasons, and what is your plan? And what about all the debt?

Just curious if anyone would like to share.




edit- I want to add, part of why I'm posting this is because I feel like many or most tls posters are pretty well informed and know what they are getting into before they do it, which I'm not sure is the general case.

[starlight007]

What are your plans? Because I'm more concerned about the thread title than anything else.

[AreJay711]

What are your plans? Because I'm more concerned about the thread title than anything else.

lol

[2011Law]

By non-tier 1 people do you also include tier2? I'm tier 1, but I imagine that the answer is the same for tier 1 - tier 4 people. They are going to law school to become lawyers. People have their reasons for wanting that, but I don't think the reasons will differ much from tier to tier. Asking how they plan to pay off the debt if they are taking on a big one, that's the only legitimate question here.

[730]

I'm already in law school to respond to the person who asked what my plans were...

By non-tier 1 people do you also include tier2? I'm tier 1, but I imagine that the answer is the same for tier 1 - tier 4 people. They are going to law school to become lawyers. People have their reasons for wanting that, but I don't think the reasons will differ much from tier to tier. Asking how they plan to pay off the debt if they are taking on a big one, that's the only legitimate question here.

I'm sure that people want to be lawyers in the broad sense of the word, but everyone has different goals. For example, if someone wants to go into academia and that is all they want to do their choice of schools probably becomes more limited...So, they may be unwilling to go to a tier 2 or 3 school. In the same way someone who only wants to work at a huge firm might be limited by their schools options. What this thread is basically asking is...what are the people who went to non tier one schools looking for after they graduate, and in what way do their personal circumstances make it possible given the debt load.

I think its fair to say that people go to schools in different tiers for different reasons outside of just not being accepted into top schools. I just hear so many people say don't go to law school if its not a t-14, and I want to hear stories of people who felt like they were exceptions to the rule and why.

[Anacreon]

Are you drawing the line at t-14, t-20, t-30, t-50, or t-100?

[taxguy]

My son is planning on eventually opening up a full service financial planning/tax firm. As long as he passes the bar from somewhere, he is almost"guaranteed "a job with a large accounting firm in their tax/financial division or with a successful financial firm. Thus, the cache of the law school that he attends is irrelevant. He wants law school, not because he will be practicing law, but because the law training would be beneficial for his practice. In addition, the large firms that he would work for want him to get a law degree and pass the bar.
He also wants specific training in Elder Law for the reasons given above.

If he wanted to practice law, I don't think he would have gone to law school and attended a t4 school.

[luckyme]

"non tier 1 people" = second-class citizens?

[730]

"non tier 1 people" = second-class citizens?

I don't feel that way.

[luckyme]

"non tier 1 people" = second-class citizens?

I don't feel that way.

neither do i

[09042014]

Egregious U of Maryland trolling.

[arhmcpo]

Well, representing a fairly numerous class - I chose to go to a T2 in my area which is on the rise (borderline T50) that gave me a ton of $$$ over going to a non-T14 Tier 1 that was giving me a much smaller scholly. And whenever prospective law students ask me for advice I recommend the same. Since the difference in job prospects between a T30-50 v. a T60 is hard to quantify - while the difference btw $150k debt v minimal to NO debt is alot less difficult to quantify. Location and Debt Avoidance is the name of the game ITE IMO

The thread title would be less antagonistic if you said - "non T14 people whats your plan?" or something besides what youve got since it sounds pretty elitist and dumb;

Most TLSers recognize that there is a huge difference in quality and prospects between schools "ranked" 1-25 and those schools ranked 25-50; which makes the T1 distinction misleading since I'm pretty sure most people 25-50 are just as F***ed as everyone else in the "non T1".

[Aqualibrium]

Still curious as to what makes a school "on the rise" despite the fact that you go there/plan to attend/have no better options/are foolishly optimistic/naive with regards to the meaning and weight to give to the US News rankings.

It is rare for me to see someone articulate clear, objective reasons why a school deserves this "on the rise" label. Care to give it a shot arhmcpo?

[Veyron]

"non tier 1 people" = second-class citizens?

I don't feel that way.

Neither do I. Non T-3 people are second class citizens. Non-T14 people aren't citizens at all, but rather debt-peons.

[MrAnon]

The dean at my school gave a really nice presentation at admitted students day that made me feel like my school was on the rise.

[AreJay711]

The dean at my school gave a really nice presentation at admitted students day that made me feel like my school was on the rise.

lol

[MrAnon]

They are not second class citizens but they do go out in the world and operate in a whole other area that is decidedly not the corporate world. They have to accept all the trappings that come with that lifestyle.

[Drake014]

Did someone change the meaning of T-1? I thought T-1 were the top 100 schools. No?

[gbpackerbacker]

The dean at my school gave a really nice presentation at admitted students day that made me feel like my school was on the rise.

lol

+1

[Aqualibrium]

The dean at my school gave a really nice presentation at admitted students day that made me feel like my school was on the rise.

lol

[MrAnon]

I swear he did. He said that our alumni base is stronger than that of the T-6 school that is also in our area. He said its alumni base is laughable. He said those poor students didn't have half the connections we have (at least in terms of alumni). It made me glad that I wasn't at that dump.

[BrownBears09]

What are your plans? Because I'm more concerned about the thread title than anything else.

[gbpackerbacker]

"non tier 1 people" = second-class citizens?

I don't feel that way.

neither do i

Unfortunately some self-righteous TLS feel that non T14= second class citizen.

[MrAnon]

I am pretty sure the OP misspelled T14 in the subject line of this thread. T1 is no picnic. However it is worlds better than T2, T3, and T4

[ran12]

The only true advantage to going to a T14 is that you're pretty much guaranteed connections and an easy foot in the door. Honestly, anyone who knows how to network the right way and doesn't screw up in law school will get a good law job. The academic quality of the schools in the top 100 or so schools doesn't vary so much that someone at the lower ranked schools is at a severe academic disadvantage.