Top Law Schools

The three schools I'm looking at specifically on the site are:

Wash U: says that 40% of the class is making $110K or more, with 3% as Article III clerks and probably about 10% overall in clerkships of some kind, which I would assume are as competitive as firm jobs and will probably lead to a firm job. So about 50% of the class is doing well, or so it seems.

Wake Forest: says that 33% of the class if making $80K or more, with 2% as Article III clerks and again about 10% overall in clerkships. So call it 40% of the class doing pretty well.

UConn: 30% of the class if making $67,500 or more, with 2.4% as Article III clerks and about 10% overall in clerkships.

I'm a 0L noob...so I'm prepared to get torched for my logic fail. Is it just the remaining portions of the class that are in a tough spot? Wash U seems to get little respect on TLS, but seems pretty solid to me. Someone enlighten me please.

nobody with any input on this?

You think 50% odds (at WashU, greater at the other two) of not being able to pay off your loans is ok?

Plus the LST data is from class of 2009. It wasn't until 2010 that the economy really started gutting law school employment stats. The numbers would be considerably worse now.

LST's latest data is class of 2009 (who did OCI in 2007, before the crash).

TheZoid wrote:The three schools I'm looking at specifically on the site are:

Wash U: says that 40% of the class is making $110K or more, with 3% as Article III clerks and probably about 10% overall in clerkships of some kind, which I would assume are as competitive as firm jobs and will probably lead to a firm job. So about 50% of the class is doing well, or so it seems.

Wake Forest: says that 33% of the class if making $80K or more, with 2% as Article III clerks and again about 10% overall in clerkships. So call it 40% of the class doing pretty well.

UConn: 30% of the class if making $67,500 or more, with 2.4% as Article III clerks and about 10% overall in clerkships.

I'm a 0L noob...so I'm prepared to get torched for my logic fail. Is it just the remaining portions of the class that are in a tough spot? Wash U seems to get little respect on TLS, but seems pretty solid to me. Someone enlighten me please.

Inasmuch as the remaining portions of the class are the majority of the class, I'm not sure what you are asking.

There's really no reason to assume that clerkships "of some kind" will lead to firm jobs. Also, paying off full freight loans on $67k/yr? Eeps.

IAFG wrote:There's really no reason to assume that clerkships "of some kind" will lead to firm jobs.

lol I didn't even notice that in OP.

Thanks for the input everyone. Yea, like I said, I'm a 0L noob and figured I would stand corrected. I was under the impression that clerkships were pretty solid/difficult to get, but maybe it's a lot more nuanced than that (i.e. it depends on the clerkship) and it doesn't necessarily mean anything. Either way, thanks for the input/reprimanding.

TheZoid wrote:The three schools I'm looking at specifically on the site are:

Wash U: says that 40% of the class is making $110K or more, with 3% as Article III clerks and probably about 10% overall in clerkships of some kind, which I would assume are as competitive as firm jobs and will probably lead to a firm job. So about 50% of the class is doing well, or so it seems.

Wake Forest: says that 33% of the class if making $80K or more, with 2% as Article III clerks and again about 10% overall in clerkships. So call it 40% of the class doing pretty well.

UConn: 30% of the class if making $67,500 or more, with 2.4% as Article III clerks and about 10% overall in clerkships.

I'm a 0L noob...so I'm prepared to get torched for my logic fail. Is it just the remaining portions of the class that are in a tough spot? Wash U seems to get little respect on TLS, but seems pretty solid to me. Someone enlighten me please.

Zoid - Yeah, you made a wrong statement about "clerkships of some kind" and were rightly called on it, but overall I think your point is pretty sound.

Using WashU as an example, you've got the 40% making 110K or above and the 3% in Art. III clerkships. Plus I think it's reasonable to speculate that there is a small number of grads earning in the 80-110K range (true "midlaw" jobs, which do exist despite what most TLSers say) and a small number who are doing well but didn't get around to reporting. So the bottom line, as you say, is that right about half the class is doing well. Not too shabby in the middle of a deep recession.

I wouldn't hesitate to go to WashU provided that you: (1) are highly motivated to be an attorney rather than just looking for three more years as a student, (2) aren't taking on potentially ruinous debt, and (3) know the risks.

Wake and UConnn are closer questions because now you're talking about less than 50% of the class doing well.