2012 US News & World Report Law School Rankings Forum

[justadude55]

So blame Manifest Destiny for taking so goddamn long.

[danquayle]

T-14 has been the same since forever, everything else is based on the reputation in the region. UNSWR doesnt change regional reputations

Ironic, because the T14 is arguably east-coast, NYC biased lawl.

Also T14 = national, everything else = regional thing is straight moronic.

IDK if it's biased. I think much of it is because our country was only the east coast for sometime, and that's where all the Ivy's are who have a 100 years more of an alumni base on pretty much everyone else.

With that, Stanford, Chicago, Michigan and Northwestern are all non-North Eastern schools, and when you look at 15-50, the East Coast only has a handful of schools compared with the Midwest and West Coast.

Thats the bias.

I don't know if its bias but rather signaling. All the best students go to Harvard and Yale because all the best students go to Harvard and Yale. Is it bias to simply assume they're better? Of course it is. But its the fact that its bias that most people buy into that makes it actually worth something.

[Fark-o-vision]

I lol when people suggest Chicago isn't part of the East Coast bias that infects most parts of life, from professional schools to major sports. I know, I know, it isn't on the coast. But it's still so far, far away that we on the west coast couldn't care about it if we tried. And we don't. Try, that is.

[zonto]

Revisiting the Value of Elite Colleges
by David Leonhardt

Article link

Highlights:

"'Even applying to a school, even if you get rejected, says a lot about you,' Mr. Krueger told me. He points out that the average SAT score at the most selective college students apply to turns out to be a better predictor of their earnings than the average SAT score at the college they attended."

"My advice to students: Don’t believe that the only school worth attending is one that would not admit you. That you go to college is more important than where you go. Find a school whose academic strengths match your interests and that devotes resources to instruction in those fields. Recognize that your own motivation, ambition and talents will determine your success more than the college name on your diploma.

My advice to elite colleges: Recognize that the most disadvantaged students benefit most from your instruction. Set financial aid and admission policies accordingly."

[Casey2889]

"all the best students go to Harvard or Yale"

or Stanford, lest we forget.

[JG Hall]

This is clearly true. My father is a lawyer at a ( for this area ) a medium sized firm (50 lawyers) and asked a number of his partners to rank the top ten law schools .Most never even came close. The only consistent pattern in addition to Harvard being first was that the school they went to was ranked higher than USNWR would rank it. Unless you are on the hiring committee a practicing lawyer has only a vague idea and typically doesn't care

Does anyone else matter?

[JG Hall]

I lol when people suggest Chicago isn't part of the East Coast bias that infects most parts of life, from professional schools to major sports. I know, I know, it isn't on the coast. But it's still so far, far away that we on the west coast couldn't care about it if we tried. And we don't. Try, that is.

The Bulls are in the East, therefore Chicago is in the east.

[dr123]

Saying Chicago isnt in the east is like saying Denver isnt in the west

[ExpectLess]

Which makes TCU and all of Texas in the east, and the Hornets and all of Louisiana in the west!

[JG Hall]

Which makes TCU and all of Texas in the east, and the Hornets and all of Louisiana in the west!

Hornets are irrelevant. Should be contracted.

[dr123]

But seriously how is chicago not in the eastern united states, look at a map people

[Aggiegrad2011]

Illinois is the midwest. I am from the midwest and certainly, we considered Illinois to be a midwestern state.

Therefore, Chicago is a midwestern city.

[danquayle]

I which is worse, that this has digressed into a debate of whether Chicago is East or West, or the underlying premise that it's completely feasible to place all cities in a country the size of the US into one of two regions. To try to pretend like Montana is in the same region as South LA is laughable. I know many Midwesterns feel as though there is a coastal bias period and the South often thinks largely ignored and marginalized... there's more going on than East versus West.

[You Gotta Have Faith]

But seriously how is chicago not in the eastern united states, look at a map people

East of the Mississippi, yes. "Eastern" as in part of the traditional "East" part of the country (think NY, PA, MA, VT, NH, MD, etc.), no... it certainly is not.

Illinois is the midwest. I am from the midwest and certainly, we considered Illinois to be a midwestern state.

Therefore, Chicago is a midwestern city.

+1

I which is worse, that this has digressed into a debate of whether Chicago is East or West, or the underlying premise that it's completely feasible to place all cities in a country the size of the US into one of two regions. To try to pretend like Montana is in the same region as South LA is laughable. I know many Midwesterns feel as though there is a coastal bias period and the South often thinks largely ignored and marginalized... there's more going on than East versus West.

I think that about sums it up. There are at least 5 or so very distinct regions in the US, even on a macro-level.

[beachbum]

Chicago is in the Midwest. I can't believe this is even a debate.

[JG Hall]

In all seriousness, there's the Northeast, California, and everything else.

[dr123]

In all seriousness, there's the Northeast, California, and everything else.

Throw in the midwest and the south and you've got all the areas I have no desire to live in

[DreamShake]

In all seriousness, there's the Northeast, California, and everything else.

Northeast, California, Texas, Midwest, Mountain West, and the South.

[Bildungsroman]

In all seriousness, there's Colorado, and then there's everything else.

[dr123]

There's the North West and the Mountain West and then there's everything else

[pinkzeppelin]

Let's put this debate to rest. The only regions that matter in the US are: Southeastern, Atlantic Coast, Pacific 10, Big East, Big 12 and Big 10.

[1ferret!]

pac 12

[lolschool2011]

In all seriousness, there's ColoradoI prefer Dos Equis, and then there's everything else.

But seriously, do you think some schools wait until rankings are out to adjust thier last minute admit/scholarship offer strategy? (for the current cycle)

[AreJay711]

In all seriousness, there's Colorado, and then there's everything else that actually matters.

FTFY

[legal_eagle]

tagged for future reference