After reading up on it, why even go to law school unless...? Forum

[JazzOne]

you go to a top 14? and if its not like top 50, forget about it.....

How true is this? Why do people even go to the lower tier law schools if you can't get a job and it looks terrible? Or is this blown wildly out of proportion? Surely there is a payoff, what am I missing here?

because this board is extremely elitist, which is no surprise on an online forum.

It may seem elitist, but your perspective changes quite a bit once you get into the job market and realize that all those assholes online weren't joking. There really aren't a lot of jobs right now.

[thecilent]

Good post. This is obviously something that goes through all prospective student's minds. I have been wondering why law is such a sought after degree as well. I mean it's so competitive with costs well over 90K/ yr. and I just don't understand it.

What schools cost well over 90K/year? What are you talking about

[ResolutePear]

Good post. This is obviously something that goes through all prospective student's minds. I have been wondering why law is such a sought after degree as well. I mean it's so competitive with costs well over 90K/ yr. and I just don't understand it.

What schools cost well over 90K/year? What are you talking about

Yo man, you gotta live models and bottles in Lawl school to prepare you for real life!

Or what.. you actually think lawyers don't ride the gravy train? Lies. All LIES! Rack up 300k. Do it.

[rando]

Good post. This is obviously something that goes through all prospective student's minds. I have been wondering why law is such a sought after degree as well. I mean it's so competitive with costs well over 90K/ yr. and I just don't understand it.

What schools cost well over 90K/year? What are you talking about

+ opportunity cost?

[jdhopeful11]

you go to a top 14? and if its not like top 50, forget about it.....

How true is this? Why do people even go to the lower tier law schools if you can't get a job and it looks terrible? Or is this blown wildly out of proportion? Surely there is a payoff, what am I missing here?

because this board is extremely elitist, which is no surprise on an online forum.

It may seem elitist, but your perspective changes quite a bit once you get into the job market and realize that all those assholes online weren't joking. There really aren't a lot of jobs right now.

I acknowledge that, which is why I am an elitist myself..even though I'm not in law school yet. This board is do or die with numbers almost all the time, which can be annoying. Also, sometimes its better to go to a lower ranked school because they may specialize in something that you want to do.

[rando]

^ actually, law schools dont specialize in any meaningful way. Going to a lower ranked school may, however, be credited to reduce debt.

[jdhopeful11]

^ actually, law schools dont specialize in any meaningful way. Going to a lower ranked school may, however, be credited to reduce debt.

They don't specialize? I guess I can go to Pace for my equal education in Entertainment Law, yay!

[jayn3]

^ actually, law schools dont specialize in any meaningful way. Going to a lower ranked school may, however, be credited to reduce debt.

They don't specialize? I guess I can go to Pace for my equal education in Entertainment Law, yay!

face.palm.

[JordynAsh]

^ actually, law schools dont specialize in any meaningful way. Going to a lower ranked school may, however, be credited to reduce debt.

They don't specialize? I guess I can go to Pace for my equal education in Entertainment Law, yay!

Logic FAIL

[ResolutePear]

^ actually, law schools dont specialize in any meaningful way. Going to a lower ranked school may, however, be credited to reduce debt.

They don't specialize? I guess I can go to Pace for my equal education in Entertainment Law, yay!

--ImageRemoved--

Yeah, totally go and get a JD in "Entertainment Law". You'll be practicing law like Tom Cruise.

[jdhopeful11]

^ actually, law schools dont specialize in any meaningful way. Going to a lower ranked school may, however, be credited to reduce debt.

They don't specialize? I guess I can go to Pace for my equal education in Entertainment Law, yay!

--ImageRemoved--

Yeah, totally go and get a JD in "Entertainment Law". You'll be practicing law like Tom Cruise.

That's not what I meant idiots

[ResolutePear]

^ actually, law schools dont specialize in any meaningful way. Going to a lower ranked school may, however, be credited to reduce debt.

They don't specialize? I guess I can go to Pace for my equal education in Entertainment Law, yay!

--ImageRemoved--

Yeah, totally go and get a JD in "Entertainment Law". You'll be practicing law like Tom Cruise.

That's not what I meant idiots

Calling us names and not telling us what you really meant is not TCR in this forum. Try again.

[stratocophic]

They don't specialize? I guess I can go to Pace for my equal education in Entertainment Law, yay!

--ImageRemoved--

Yeah, totally go and get a JD in "Entertainment Law". You'll be practicing law like Tom Cruise.

That's not what I meant idiots

Calling us names and not telling us what you really meant is not TCR in this forum. Try again.

Gonna go ahead and put forth the theory that there was some sarcasm in the whole Pace Law thing.

[jdhopeful11]

They don't specialize? I guess I can go to Pace for my equal education in Entertainment Law, yay!

--ImageRemoved--

Yeah, totally go and get a JD in "Entertainment Law". You'll be practicing law like Tom Cruise.

That's not what I meant idiots

Calling us names and not telling us what you really meant is not TCR in this forum. Try again.

I'm only calling you names loser

[ResolutePear]

--ImageRemoved--

Yeah, totally go and get a JD in "Entertainment Law". You'll be practicing law like Tom Cruise.

That's not what I meant idiots

Calling us names and not telling us what you really meant is not TCR in this forum. Try again.

Gonna go ahead and put forth the theory that there was some sarcasm in the whole Pace Law thing.

Yeah, I totally was thinking the same thing as well until I read his/her previous post to that one:

I acknowledge that, which is why I am an elitist myself..even though I'm not in law school yet. This board is do or die with numbers almost all the time, which can be annoying. Also, sometimes its better to go to a lower ranked school because they may specialize in something that you want to do.

[ResolutePear]

I'm only calling you names loser

Us. Me. Them. You.

Doesn't matter.

[beachbum]

ruh-roh!

[TCScrutinizer]

you go to a top 14? and if its not like top 50, forget about it.....

How true is this? Why do people even go to the lower tier law schools if you can't get a job and it looks terrible? Or is this blown wildly out of proportion? Surely there is a payoff, what am I missing here?

Cliff notes answer: it's wildly blown out of proportion.

Long answer: The more highly regarded the law school you go to, the better your prospects of landing the premium entry-level law positions--federal clerkships, biglaw, federal agencies. No matter where you start your career, it is possible through some combination of work and luck to reach the salary or career level of those that start off in the top schools; however, a degree from a T14 can get you there much faster. In some cases, being unable to get your foot in the door right out of law school means that you're locked out for life. Oh, you can find jobs coming out of a T2 or T3, but you won't be living in a NYC penthouse surrounded by models and bottles. Hence arises part of the TLS neurosis.

The rest of the TLS neurosis comes from a desire to have a "guarantee" in life. For years and years law school, especially the T14, has been an almost sure-fire guarantee of attaining a good job with a large salary. Offer rates for T14 schools were hovering around 95%, and everyone was making six figures coming out of school. (This may or may not actually reflect reality as it was, but certainly reflects reality as many on TLS believe it to have been.) The financial downturn, combined with a steady increase in the number of law schools entering the market and a larger pool of applicants who realized that their liberal arts degrees don't mean shit, have put cracks in the facade. Now only 50% of the T14 students are getting jobs making $160,000 a year right out of law school, and some people are even having to face the ignominy of applying for jobs and sending out résumés.

Now there is no longer the perception of "making it" simply by getting accepted to law school. That perception trickles down from the top. It's only reasonable. If Harvard grads are getting no-offered, then Nova grads and Notre Dame grads must be having a rough time, and the Oregon and Houston grads must be taking it in the ass. And many of them are. But a large number of them are the same people who came into law school with the assumption that simply getting there was a guarantee.

hth

[stratocophic]

That's not what I meant idiots

Calling us names and not telling us what you really meant is not TCR in this forum. Try again.

Gonna go ahead and put forth the theory that there was some sarcasm in the whole Pace Law thing.

Yeah, I totally was thinking the same thing as well until I read his/her previous post to that one:

I acknowledge that, which is why I am an elitist myself..even though I'm not in law school yet. This board is do or die with numbers almost all the time, which can be annoying. Also, sometimes its better to go to a lower ranked school because they may specialize in something that you want to do.

--ImageRemoved--

[ajmanyjah]

I acknowledge that, which is why I am an elitist myself..even though I'm not in law school yet...(BLAHBLAHBLAHBLAHBLAH)

That's all I needed to know

BTW, I know lawyers who graduated from Cooley AND Seton Hall (all oboviously TERRIBLE choices) at sticker and now are making mint. So obviously someone has something wrong here...

[jdhopeful11]

I acknowledge that, which is why I am an elitist myself..even though I'm not in law school yet...(BLAHBLAHBLAHBLAHBLAH)

That's all I needed to know

BTW, I know lawyers who graduated from Cooley AND Seton Hall (all oboviously TERRIBLE choices) at sticker and now are making mint. So obviously someone has something wrong here...

Any lawyer can make big money, this shouldn't be news to you boss. I interned with a Cooley grad who, after 24 years, is making 150k with full benefits and pension.

And Seton Hall grads have very good potential in jersey to make dough, especially with the expanding jersey city area, genius.

Look at Iowa grads, they can't find a job wiping your mother's ass, yet they're ranked in the top 30.

[ResolutePear]

--ImageRemoved--

Did you know that Picard does that face palm in the episode: "Deja Q"?

[beachbum]

I acknowledge that, which is why I am an elitist myself..even though I'm not in law school yet...(BLAHBLAHBLAHBLAHBLAH)

That's all I needed to know

BTW, I know lawyers who graduated from Cooley AND Seton Hall (all oboviously TERRIBLE choices) at sticker and now are making mint. So obviously someone has something wrong here...

Any lawyer can make big money, this shouldn't be news to you boss. I interned with a Cooley grad who, after 24 years, is making 150k with full benefits and pension.

And Seton Hall grads have very good potential in jersey to make dough, especially with the expanding jersey city area, genius.

Look at Iowa grads, they can't find a job wiping your mother's ass, yet they're ranked in the top 30.

Take the stick out of your ass, chief.

[rando]

And who would've thought that this thread would head in this direction...

[ResolutePear]

And who would've thought that this thread would head in this direction...

Tom Cruise does that to people.