Top Law Schools

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JC2017 wrote:Also of note is that Seton Hall just jumped 8 spots in the US News Rankings to #57, and Fordham is up 1 spot to #36.

That is not of note, because they both service different regions.

The top of the class at Seton Hall can probably work in NYC. The overwhelming majority of the class stays in NJ. In terms of moving to South Jersey (i wasn't aware this was a thing) 3-5 years after graduation, I assume that would be doable if you'd been practicing in North Jersey. Moving to Philly will be near-impossible, because neither of these schools sets you up with any kind of network in that area. And yes, your law school still matters that early in your career, if only because your law school determines your first job, determines your exit options, determines those exit options, etc. But employers really do continue to place weight on that school name.

Just know that if you want biglaw as a viable option, Seton Hall is not a good choice.

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JC2017 wrote:

cavalier1138 wrote:

JC2017 wrote:Also of note is that Seton Hall just jumped 8 spots in the US News Rankings to #57, and Fordham is up 1 spot to #36.

That is not of note, because they both service different regions.

The top of the class at Seton Hall can probably work in NYC. The overwhelming majority of the class stays in NJ. In terms of moving to South Jersey (i wasn't aware this was a thing) 3-5 years after graduation, I assume that would be doable if you'd been practicing in North Jersey. Moving to Philly will be near-impossible, because neither of these schools sets you up with any kind of network in that area. And yes, your law school still matters that early in your career, if only because your law school determines your first job, determines your exit options, determines those exit options, etc. But employers really do continue to place weight on that school name.

Just know that if you want biglaw as a viable option, Seton Hall is not a good choice.

Ok, I see what you're saying, but what about going from NYC-->South Jersey? I don't really understand how the regions work, particularly when comparing NYC to New Jersey (to be honest I just assumed they are the same). In the end, I want to choose the school that offers me the best short-term options in NYC (appears to be Fordham) and long-term options in South Jersey (unclear if Fordham > Seton Hall in South Jersey specifically).

It depends on your job in NYC, but yes, NJ is a distinct region. There is no such thing as a (non-T13) school that offers you good short-term options in one region and good long-term options in another. That's just not how placement works.

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