Top Law Schools

Does the ranking of school have a role in obtaining a job working for the state? I assume the state starts all attorneys off at the same salary (lower than private, I know), so does it matter (as much)?

Yeah it still matters. Especially ITE. Don't think that because they pay less that they are not competitive. They are are secure jobs with good hours and benefits and there are tons of law grads that would love a position working for the state.

That being said, if you cant get into a T14 your best bet will probably be go to a state university in the state where you want to practice. As long as the school as has a solid reputation in the state and you do well, you should be fine.

Good luck!

The above is right. Don't assume less competition because the job pays less. There are grads at every level who would kill for any sort of legal work, so for pretty much any job, ranking matters by default. The exception to that is when a particular school has a stranglehold on a specific local market.