Top Law Schools

james.bungles wrote:Wut

BankruptMe wrote:Private Law School vs Public Law School.

I am interested in hearing about this also.

Supposedly, private law schools have a larger endowment, more resources, etc. than public schools.

millertimegooney wrote:I have heard so many debates about this, but want to get some opinions on this forum.

Cocoblues wrote:

BankruptMe wrote:Private Law School vs Public Law School.

I am interested in hearing about this also.

Supposedly, private law schools have a larger endowment, more resources, etc. than public schools.

+1

And does public vs. private matter from an employer's perspective?

I know a few parents that would recommend going to Cornell over Berkeley, at equal cost, and for CA BigLaw....because Berkeley is *gasp* a public school!

Cocoblues wrote:

BankruptMe wrote:Private Law School vs Public Law School.

I am interested in hearing about this also.

Supposedly, private law schools have a larger endowment, more resources, etc. than public schools.

+1

And does public vs. private matter from an employer's perspective?

I know a few parents that would recommend going to Cornell over Berkeley, at equal cost, and for CA BigLaw....because Berkeley is *gasp* a public school!

A. Nony Mouse wrote:Re dwil's post, I think this can be true (private schools have more money so can give out more money), but I see it play out more a little bit further down the rankings/prestige/employment scale. There are some notoriously stingy schools that are state schools, and some of their stinginess may come from that (U Washington comes to mind). But not all private schools are in much better shape - it just depends on endowment size and investments or so on. But that would be more of an issue at, say, Brooklyn Law School than the top schools.

Mostly I think that can be part of the explanation in specific cases, but isn't general enough to be a rule. But I'm mostly speculating.

(And I completely agree it's not a basis for choosing a school.)

Br3v wrote:

A. Nony Mouse wrote:Re dwil's post, I think this can be true (private schools have more money so can give out more money), but I see it play out more a little bit further down the rankings/prestige/employment scale. There are some notoriously stingy schools that are state schools, and some of their stinginess may come from that (U Washington comes to mind). But not all private schools are in much better shape - it just depends on endowment size and investments or so on. But that would be more of an issue at, say, Brooklyn Law School than the top schools.

Mostly I think that can be part of the explanation in specific cases, but isn't general enough to be a rule. But I'm mostly speculating.

(And I completely agree it's not a basis for choosing a school.)

This all makes sense, but OP not randomly labeling schools "private" or "public" and then deciding which one of the 2 batches is more likely to give scholarship money, etc. OP is going to be making an individualized decision of each school. If at the end of the day his list happens to be more of one batch than the other then that is nothing more than a coincidence.

timbs4339 wrote:Definitely turn down Michigan for American.

millertimegooney wrote:I have heard so many debates about this, but want to get some opinions on this forum.

downinDtown wrote:

millertimegooney wrote:I have heard so many debates about this, but want to get some opinions on this forum.

Distinctions that matter:
1) Job numbers - there is no correlation status as a private school and jobs of graduates; while Ivy's and private schools crowd the T14, it doesn't mean you're getting a materially better or worse education at any particular institution, unless you're talking about T2, TTT, and for-profit law schools, in which we all know it's much worse.
2) Cost of attendance - if it's cheaper for similar results, go there (as long as you want to work in that school's job placement region after graduation. Example: USC vs. UCLA - if same cost, it's a judgment call based on other preferences or job prospects for your interests. If you can get in-state tuition in a state you want to work post-grad, that can be an incredible deal. In-state at UT for someone who wants to work in TX is a great deal, especially if you can get some scholly $$.
3) State schools generally have a Board of Regents that have to approve tuition increases and there are politics involved, so you may see more state schools that have lower annual tuition increases or will freeze tuition based on your admission year. Lots of private law schools ratchet up tuition every year with reckless abandon. Tuition inflation is insane these days.
4) Location of where you want to work - don't go to a regional school across the country (public or private) if you don't want to work in that region after law school. Most T14 schools have national brands but tend to have more ties to their geographic region. BYU, Notre Dame, and a couple other schools are lower ranked but have some (lesser degree of) name recognition across the country, but those are unique cases.
5) State schools tend to have more of a reputation as party schools - see, e.g., UF, UT, MSU - not that you'll have much time outside the law library. Preftigious private schools always have much nicer libraries so consider that too.

A. Nony Mouse wrote:

Br3v wrote:

A. Nony Mouse wrote:Re dwil's post, I think this can be true (private schools have more money so can give out more money), but I see it play out more a little bit further down the rankings/prestige/employment scale. There are some notoriously stingy schools that are state schools, and some of their stinginess may come from that (U Washington comes to mind). But not all private schools are in much better shape - it just depends on endowment size and investments or so on. But that would be more of an issue at, say, Brooklyn Law School than the top schools.

Mostly I think that can be part of the explanation in specific cases, but isn't general enough to be a rule. But I'm mostly speculating.

(And I completely agree it's not a basis for choosing a school.)

This all makes sense, but OP not randomly labeling schools "private" or "public" and then deciding which one of the 2 batches is more likely to give scholarship money, etc. OP is going to be making an individualized decision of each school. If at the end of the day his list happens to be more of one batch than the other then that is nothing more than a coincidence.

Absolutely. Didn't mean to suggest otherwise.

rwhyAn wrote:

downinDtown wrote:

millertimegooney wrote:I have heard so many debates about this, but want to get some opinions on this forum.

Distinctions that matter:
1) Job numbers - there is no correlation status as a private school and jobs of graduates; while Ivy's and private schools crowd the T14, it doesn't mean you're getting a materially better or worse education at any particular institution, unless you're talking about T2, TTT, and for-profit law schools, in which we all know it's much worse.
2) Cost of attendance - if it's cheaper for similar results, go there (as long as you want to work in that school's job placement region after graduation. Example: USC vs. UCLA - if same cost, it's a judgment call based on other preferences or job prospects for your interests. If you can get in-state tuition in a state you want to work post-grad, that can be an incredible deal. In-state at UT for someone who wants to work in TX is a great deal, especially if you can get some scholly $$.
3) State schools generally have a Board of Regents that have to approve tuition increases and there are politics involved, so you may see more state schools that have lower annual tuition increases or will freeze tuition based on your admission year. Lots of private law schools ratchet up tuition every year with reckless abandon. Tuition inflation is insane these days.
4) Location of where you want to work - don't go to a regional school across the country (public or private) if you don't want to work in that region after law school. Most T14 schools have national brands but tend to have more ties to their geographic region. BYU, Notre Dame, and a couple other schools are lower ranked but have some (lesser degree of) name recognition across the country, but those are unique cases.
5) State schools tend to have more of a reputation as party schools - see, e.g., UF, UT, MSU - not that you'll have much time outside the law library. Preftigious private schools always have much nicer libraries so consider that too.

http://www.cooley.edu/library/library_f ... lance.html

This is especially true at Cooley. You can actually smell the preftige emanating out of its library all the way from Ohio.

Cal Trask wrote:this is dumb.