Pepperdine Law School (dispute resolution program)

[Kayla2012]

I am accepted to Pepperdine Law School with a scholarship amount of 40% tuition.
I initially applied to the school for its top ranked dispute resolution program.
I've accepted to several 20s and 30s (ranking) but they do not seem to have much merit in terms of their locations and programs.
I am interested in international arbitration, negotiation, and litigation.
Is Pepperdine worth paying 60% tuition+living cost if I decide to specialize in dispute resolution? What are the job prospects? (including BigLaw)
Thanks!

[wiglaf1228]

I initially applied to the school for its top ranked dispute resolution program.

How ridiculous. No one cares about the rankings of law school 'dispute resolution programs,' or any other specialty programs. It's not even really clear what such a program is, beyond a class or two you can probably get at better schools anyway.

Even if the specialty rankings did matter (which they do not), it's clear from your post that you aren't completely committed to ADR, anyway. So, no, Pepperdine is not worth it because you'd sacrifice career options over those T30s. If you secretly do not really care about this whole law thing or whatever and just want to bro out in Malibu for three years, just say so, that is perfectly reasonable and common.

[shl01]

I initially applied to the school for its top ranked dispute resolution program.

How ridiculous. No one cares about the rankings of law school 'dispute resolution programs,' or any other specialty programs. It's not even really clear what such a program is, beyond a class or two you can probably get at better schools anyway.

Even if the specialty rankings did matter (which they do not), it's clear from your post that you aren't completely committed to ADR, anyway. So, no, Pepperdine is not worth it because you'd sacrifice career options over those T30s. If you secretly do not really care about this whole law thing or whatever and just want to bro out in Malibu for three years, just say so, that is perfectly reasonable and common.

why are some people here so cynical?

[Ludo!]

Specialty rankings do not matter at all. You need to pick a school based on its job prospects, not any individual program. Pepperdine placed less than 70% of its 2010 class in full time positions. And that's not even taking into account how many of those positions may not be JD-required. The vast majority of grads who do get private practice go to small firms, the chance of biglaw would be about 5%.

You're better off either going to one of those 20s/30s ranked schools with meritless programs that are in the region you want to practice, or retaking the LSAT and reapplying.

If being worried about job placement is cynical, then you should be cynical

[stillwater]

If being worried about job placement is cynical, then you should be cynical

[timbs4339]

I am accepted to Pepperdine Law School with a scholarship amount of 40% tuition.
I initially applied to the school for its top ranked dispute resolution program.
I've accepted to several 20s and 30s (ranking) but they do not seem to have much merit in terms of their locations and programs.
I am interested in international arbitration, negotiation, and litigation.
Is Pepperdine worth paying 60% tuition+living cost if I decide to specialize in dispute resolution? What are the job prospects? (including BigLaw)
Thanks!

ADR is not something you do right after law school. It's something you specialize in after a career beginning with other things. By this point, where you went to school and the two extra classes you did on ADR are not going to matter. What's important is going to a school that will get you a decent job right out and allow you to start practicing law. That's not Pepperdine.

Specialty rankings don't matter. The criteria for them is professors and scholarship as judged by other professors, not job placement or training.