. Forum

[Aqualibrium]

Technically, passing the bar does = being a lawyer.

But it does not guarantee legal employment.

Technically, as soon as you pass the bar, you are "employed" as a lawyer. In some states you don't even need an honest to goodness office.

Seriously?? Clearly the point is that you can graduate from law school, pass the bar, and still not be able to find a salaried position in the profession you just spent 3 years and $150K+ on. This is true whether you graduate from a T1 or a TTT. And while there are many successful lawyers out there who graduated from TTTs, it is a WHOLE LOT harder.

We aren't arguing here. I agree on the point about paying legal jobs. This all started with the statement

"I'll give you a hint: one of the two [graduates, one from a t14 one from a ttt] is going to be a lawyer."

That statement was followed by the statement that both could pass the bar. What I said is true; technically, passing the bar is all you need to be employed as a lawyer. I made no reference to quality.



Also, I think the responses in this thread would be different if the op had the opportunity to go to a t30 range school. Free tuition at UNC, UGA, Bama, Fordham, W & L, etc... is a good, or at least better, investment of time and money.

[mst]

OP: I'm going to be rational here. If your parents have a ton of money and you don't feel that bad using it to fund a very expensive education that will in all likelihood land you a salary/chance of getting a job equivalent to what you could get straight out of UG, do it (especially if you would prefer law to the careers available to you currently). If your parents are going to put off that beachhouse they've worked their asses off to save for their entire lives, and you have a conscience, don't do it. Good luck!

[Grizz]

Technically, passing the bar does = being a lawyer.

But it does not guarantee legal employment.

Technically, as soon as you pass the bar, you are "employed" as a lawyer. In some states you don't even need an honest to goodness office.

You are an insufferable jackass. You know exactly what we mean and the point we're trying to get across.

[homestyle28]

Back to the OP's question: it depends on the T3 school and the market you're interested in. I live in rural ohio, if you want a job as a PD or prosecutor in the county, a T3 is just fine. Want a job in a major market or bigger city, then it gets iffy and becomes a bad decision. T3 schools aren't going to place you well in NYC, DC, Chicago, etc. Which is what most TLS'ers want. So, the relevant question here is what do you want your legal career to look like?

[plenipotentiary]

I'm glad I grew up poor because that means I don't have an excuse to be lazy.

Retake.

[compromises]

I don't understand TLS sometimes. I know so many people that go to schools that people on this forum think should be shut down and get good jobs. The biggest problem is that many people on this website believe that graduating law school entitles you to a BMW and $500,000 house. Starting at $50,000 is going to be fine in many markets as long you manage you finances. After a few years on the job market your school wont matter much anymore. Now don't get me wrong going to a top school is a huge advantage but there are countless people who go to Tier 3/4 schools that do fine. I say go to the tier 3 especially if they give some $. But try for higher ranking you never know what will happen. Good Luck

This is hyperbole and bad advice. An otherwise solid $50,000 starting salary (again, best case scenario) begins to lose its luster when you have $100,000+ in loans and are forever shut out of the jobs which would allow you to efficiently pay off those loans. .

I agree with most of what you say, but to say that $50k per year coming from a TTT is the best case scenario isn't being factual. One of my closest friends just finished his first year out of law school and took in about $140,000 after attending a TTT. More likely the exception than the rule, but also proof that there is more to shoot for than $50k.