Top Law Schools

How do I know what tier each law school belong to?

My understanding is:

Tier 1: 1-50
Tier 2: 51-100
Tier 3: 101-150
Tier 4: Everything else

Mrs Featherbottom wrote:My understanding is:

Tier 1: 1-50
Tier 2: 51-100
Tier 3: 101-150
Tier 4: Everything else

Thanks, I assume the ranking is based on USNEWS & World Report ?

Affirmative. Although most people on TLS will tell you that tiers are a pretty arbitrary distinction to make decisions on where to apply or attend. For example, you shouldn't attend the school ranked #45 over the #55 school because one's a first tier and one's a second tier.

In fact, outside of the top 20 or so schools, you could argue that geographic location is a much more important factor than where in the rankings/tiers a school falls, but that's kind of oversimplifying things.

Someone posted on here a couple months ago the best breakdown of schools that I have seen, but can't find it.

Basically there are 13-16 schools that give you a very good chance of a good outcome (Big Law, FedClerk, BigFed, etc.) and almost certainly a job as a lawyer. Your T-14

Then the next tier are schools that have some chance of BigLaw, etc. And a good chance of landing a job as a lawyer. Your T1, 40-50 schools.

Then there are schools that give you a small chance at the prestigious jobs and 50-50 shot of becoming a lawyer. Those are like the next 100 schools.

Then the T4 dumpsters that have no chance at prestigious jobs and like 1/3 chance of becoming a lawyer.

After the t14 focus on geography and job numbers. Those are the most important things not US News Rankings

trebekismyhero wrote:Someone posted on here a couple months ago the best breakdown of schools that I have seen, but can't find it.

Basically there are 13-16 schools that give you a very good chance of a good outcome (Big Law, FedClerk, BigFed, etc.) and almost certainly a job as a lawyer. Your T-14

Then the next tier are schools that have some chance of BigLaw, etc. And a good chance of landing a job as a lawyer. Your T1, 40-50 schools.

Then there are schools that give you a small chance at the prestigious jobs and 50-50 shot of becoming a lawyer. Those are like the next 100 schools.

Then the T4 dumpsters that have no chance at prestigious jobs and like 1/3 chance of becoming a lawyer.

After the t14 focus on geography and job numbers. Those are the most important things not US News Rankings

Thanks, does law specialty matter ? Cause I heard patent lawyers usually do better than their peers. Schools like U of Houston(59th) and Santa Clara(94th)(both ranked top 6 in IP) seem to have a higher percentage of graduates who got 160k jobs in biglaw IP firms.

http://tippingthescales.com/2014/03/the ... ghest-pay/

Mrs Featherbottom wrote:My understanding is:

Tier 1: 1-50
Tier 2: 51-100
Tier 3: 101-150
Tier 4: Everything else

Your understanding is incorrect:

Tier 1: T-14
Tier 2: 15-50
Tier 3 (Third tier Toilet) 51-100
Tier 4: 100+, SERIOUSLY don't consider going at all or retaking the LSAT

jrwhitedog wrote:

trebekismyhero wrote:Someone posted on here a couple months ago the best breakdown of schools that I have seen, but can't find it.

Basically there are 13-16 schools that give you a very good chance of a good outcome (Big Law, FedClerk, BigFed, etc.) and almost certainly a job as a lawyer. Your T-14

Then the next tier are schools that have some chance of BigLaw, etc. And a good chance of landing a job as a lawyer. Your T1, 40-50 schools.

Then there are schools that give you a small chance at the prestigious jobs and 50-50 shot of becoming a lawyer. Those are like the next 100 schools.

Then the T4 dumpsters that have no chance at prestigious jobs and like 1/3 chance of becoming a lawyer.

After the t14 focus on geography and job numbers. Those are the most important things not US News Rankings

Thanks, does law specialty matter ? Cause I heard patent lawyers usually do better than their peers. Schools like U of Houston(59th) and Santa Clara(94th)(both ranked top 6 in IP) seem to have a higher percentage of graduates who got 160k jobs in biglaw IP firms.

http://tippingthescales.com/2014/03/the ... ghest-pay/

IP is hard to throw in with the rest of biglaw because people who graduate in IP are a rare commodity that are very much in a sink or swim environment as far as salary goes. Even if you wish to do IP, I recommend sticking to tier 1 or the top of tier 2 so that you have your options in other areas as well.

jrwhitedog wrote:

trebekismyhero wrote:Someone posted on here a couple months ago the best breakdown of schools that I have seen, but can't find it.

Basically there are 13-16 schools that give you a very good chance of a good outcome (Big Law, FedClerk, BigFed, etc.) and almost certainly a job as a lawyer. Your T-14

Then the next tier are schools that have some chance of BigLaw, etc. And a good chance of landing a job as a lawyer. Your T1, 40-50 schools.

Then there are schools that give you a small chance at the prestigious jobs and 50-50 shot of becoming a lawyer. Those are like the next 100 schools.

Then the T4 dumpsters that have no chance at prestigious jobs and like 1/3 chance of becoming a lawyer.

After the t14 focus on geography and job numbers. Those are the most important things not US News Rankings

Thanks, does law specialty matter ? Cause I heard patent lawyers usually do better than their peers. Schools like U of Houston(59th) and Santa Clara(94th)(both ranked top 6 in IP) seem to have a higher percentage of graduates who got 160k jobs in biglaw IP firms.

http://tippingthescales.com/2014/03/the ... ghest-pay/

No, specialty law does not matter.

sjp200 wrote:
Your understanding is incorrect:

Tier 1: T-14
Tier 2: 15-50
Tier 3 (Third tier Toilet) 51-100
Tier 4: 100+, SERIOUSLY don't consider going at all or retaking the LSAT

Nah, you're incorrect.

Really it's

Tier 1: t14 (elite distinction) + 15-50
Tier 2: 51-100
TTT: 101-150
TTTT: everything else

eta : typo

magnum_law wrote:

sjp200 wrote:
Your understanding is incorrect:

Tier 1: T-14
Tier 2: 15-50
Tier 3 (Third tier Toilet) 51-100
Tier 4: 100+, SERIOUSLY don't consider going at all or retaking the LSAT

Nah, you're incorrect.

Really it's

Tier 1: t14 (elite distinction) + 15-50
Tier 2: 51-100
TTT: 101-150
TTT: everything else

I don't think you can lump T14 and 15-50 ALL in the same category. T14-20ish maybe, maybe even 25 or 30 if we're being generous, but definitely not all the way down to 50. The drop off in employment numbers warrants a break, may as well make it where the distinction is seen as far as the aspirations of the people on this particular medium are concerned.

sjp200 wrote:

magnum_law wrote:

sjp200 wrote:
Your understanding is incorrect:

Tier 1: T-14
Tier 2: 15-50
Tier 3 (Third tier Toilet) 51-100
Tier 4: 100+, SERIOUSLY don't consider going at all or retaking the LSAT

Nah, you're incorrect.

Really it's

Tier 1: t14 (elite distinction) + 15-50
Tier 2: 51-100
TTT: 101-150
TTT: everything else

I don't think you can lump T14 and 15-50 ALL in the same category. T14-20ish maybe, maybe even 25 or 30 if we're being generous, but definitely not all the way down to 50. The drop off in employment numbers warrants a break, may as well make it where the distinction is seen as far as the aspirations of the people on this particular medium are concerned.

It isn't up to you. tls didn't invent these tiers, they are described as such by usnwr. 1-50 is tier one. Its not a community thing. There's a right answer and that's what it is.

Are the differences in outcomes between, say, 20 and 50 really all that big? I didn't think they were.

stego wrote:Are the differences in outcomes between, say, 20 and 50 really all that big? I didn't think they were.

Not to the point that you should choose between them based on ranking. Employment numbers and location should be the main determination after you get outside the t14

For Big Law:

HYS
Chi-Cor (and M)
GULC, T, UCLA, USC, V
BU, BC, F, GWU
ND, WUSTL, Emory, UIUC (Howard?)
Others

(Blanket tiers are silly.)

Irrelevant. It's T-14 and the rest, i.e. the regional/local schools.