Top Law Schools

The title is fairly straightforward. So, what do you think? Leaving T14 out of the mix, is it better for employment prospects to be wedged at the cusp of the top half or so of a tier 1 school or the top 10-15% of a T2?

I'm considering both, so any insight would be valuable.

Get into the best school you can (with any regional considerations you may have). Then rock it! I think its kind of a non sequitur to doubt your performance. Your level of competition is not going to be all that different between the two. After all, law school is a whole new game. A good book to read is "1L of a Ride," it debunks some of the common rumors...

Get into the best school then be the best student you can!

Good luck!

lol @ thinking you'll be in either category 1+ years ahead of schedule

Top 50% in T1

Lxw wrote:lol @ thinking you'll be in either category 1+ years ahead of schedule

This. Only this.

Unless by top 50 percent you mean UT/UCLA/Vandy, I'd definitely say top 15 percent at T2 is what counts. The difference between a lower T1 and a T2 is negligible anyway.

For that matter, I'm not exactly even sure that T14 median beats out T2 top 15 percent.

Lxw wrote:lol @ thinking you'll be in either category 1+ years ahead of schedule

Call it a hypothetical.

dresden doll wrote:Unless by top 50 percent you mean UT/UCLA/Vandy, I'd definitely say top 15 percent at T2 is what counts. The difference between a lower T1 and a T2 is negligible anyway.

For that matter, I'm not exactly even sure that T14 median beats out T2 top 15 percent.

Thanks for the reply! I guess I'll be more specific....I'm looking at a T20-25 and a T50-60. I really like both programs and there are obviously tons of variables. That being said, I think I would have a better shot at law review at a school in the second tier (unless this is completely misguided).

I agree about the negligible difference.

I think that it depends on the legal market. Generally speaking, you are better off finishing in the Top 1/2 at a T25. However, in regional or mid-markets, someone who finishes in the top 10% at a local T2 is likely in a much better position than someone finishing in the top 50% at a T14. A market like St. Louis comes to mind!

chadwick218 wrote:I think that it depends on the legal market. Generally speaking, you are better off finishing in the Top 1/2 at a T25. However, in regional or mid-markets, someone who finishes in the top 10% at a local T2 is likely in a much better position than someone finishing in the top 50% at a T14. A market like St. Louis comes to mind!

^This.

I would be inclined to say, just in general, that it's best to attend the best school you can get into. Having to worry about making it into the top half is considerably less stressful than needing to make top 15 percent.

dresden doll wrote:I would be inclined to say, just in general, that it's best to attend the best school you can get into. Having to worry about making it into the top half is considerably less stressful than needing to make top 15 percent.

Absolutely ... law school is stressful enough. Not a day went by that I didn't think about grades and I attend a school where finishing in the top 40% or so (even in a down market), still provides me with a very good shot at big law. I personally could not attend a school where big law was dependant upon finishing in the top 10%.