Top Law Schools

I am very interested in Trial Law (blame Sam Waterston ) and I have a question concerning "specialty rankings."

It seems that some of the most respected trial law programs in the country are Stetson, Temple, and Baylor. Clearly these are not t14 schools but would their reputation for trial law make them comparable to a t30-40 come job hunting time?

Thanks,

mt1042 wrote:I am very interested in Trial Law (blame Sam Waterston ) and I have a question concerning "specialty rankings."

It seems that some of the most respected trial law programs in the country are Stetson, Temple, and Baylor. Clearly these are not t14 schools but would their reputation for trial law make them comparable to a t30-40 come job hunting time?

Thanks,

Two answers:

1. No

2. It depends.

For trial advocacy, go to the best school that you can get into. Most schools offer courses in trial advocacy, and many schools have clinical opportunities that will allow you to practice skills in the courtroom. You also have the option of competing in Mock Trial competitions.

Here at GW, for example, we have multiple trial ad classes (trial advocacy, pre-trial advocacy, advanced trial advocacy, etc), plus a large Mock Trial board, plus two or three clinics (one of which is called "Law Students in the Courtroom" which lets you try misdemeanor cases in DC Superior Court). Add that to the fact that we have a LOT of faculty who have very active litigation practices, and the interested student can steep himself in trial law to his heart's content. I'm sure that similar opportunities exist at most schools above and below our ranking.

at specialty rankings.

Paichka wrote:For trial advocacy, go to the best school that you can get into.

patrickd139 wrote: at specialty rankings.

Paichka wrote:For trial advocacy, go to the best school that you can get into.

+1. If you still think specialty rankings matter you need to read TLS/placement data more. Or you can go to Stetson and apply to a federal prosecutor position citing your school as #1 in the country for trial law...tell me how that goes.

Paichka wrote:For trial advocacy, go to the best school that you can get into.

Thanks, that is pretty much what I was thinking. Hope you are enjoying GW.