Top Law Schools

Hi all,

I would really appreciate some advice on these 4 schools. I want to practice in NY, Boston or DC. I am in at all 4 schools, money at BU (but i think i can leverage the other schools for money and am under consideration for a scholar in law scholarship at Wash U. What do people think gives me the best chance at big law?

Follow the $ to any of BC/BU/GW. They're all roughly equal for biglaw, pretty equal for NYC prospects and vastly different in terms of Boston/DC prospects. If you don't care which of the 3 cities, just go to the cheapest.

Why no to WUSTL?

With my limited knowledge, I'd say go to BC or BU. They seem to be the most portable of the three schools. BC might even take you farther as I believe it has more national prestige than BU.

In terms of portability and my own personal perception of lay prestige, I would rank as follows: GW > WUSTL > BC > BU

chadwick218 wrote:In terms of portability and my own personal perception of lay prestige, I would rank as follows: GW > WUSTL > BC > BU

Portability I'd say WUSTL > BU > BC/GW ... thats by placement data.

chadwick218 wrote:In terms of portability and my own personal perception of lay prestige, I would rank as follows: GW > WUSTL > BC > BU

I dont think alot of lay people (outside of academica/medicine/midwest) have heard of wustl

Blindmelon wrote:

chadwick218 wrote:In terms of portability and my own personal perception of lay prestige, I would rank as follows: GW > WUSTL > BC > BU

I would say BU/GW > BC > WUSTL.

Okay, I can live with that ... WUSTL has only recently risen in the rankings in the last ten or so years and much of their lay presige comes from their undergraduate programs and their medical school.

GW and BU have been perennially ranked in the USNWR T25 ever since the first set of rankings that I have found in 1987. WUSTL first cracked the T25 in 2002 and BC remains on the outside looking in!

Should I be worried by GW's recent 8 spot drop in the rankings or will that be corrected next year? Also can anyone finally settle the debate over which school BU or BC places better in Boston?

dnesto01 wrote:Should I be worried by GW's recent 8 spot drop in the rankings or will that be corrected next year? Also can anyone finally settle the debate over which school BU or BC places better in Boston?

This answer to your last question is no. All of the lawyers and such that I speak to praise BC over BU, but you'll find a LOT of support for BU from those that are attending or about to attend BU, especially on TLS.

dnesto01 wrote:Should I be worried by GW's recent 8 spot drop in the rankings or will that be corrected next year? Also can anyone finally settle the debate over which school BU or BC places better in Boston?

0L here...know people with good legal jobs/plugged into hiring:

The firms that are recruiting kids from LS really do not put much stock in the annual fluctuations of the US News ranking- they have schools that they historically recruit from/like their graduates. If a firm loves GW kids, i do not think they will be deterred by a completely arbitrary drop in rankings.

Also BC gets tons of love from people practicing 10+ years

dnesto01 wrote:Should I be worried by GW's recent 8 spot drop in the rankings or will that be corrected next year? Also can anyone finally settle the debate over which school BU or BC places better in Boston?

It may be an anomaly ... as much much smack as I talk about GW, I refuse to believe that IUB, UIUC, BC, and Iowa, and W&M (actually tied) should be ranked ahead of GW.

chadwick218 wrote:

dnesto01 wrote:Should I be worried by GW's recent 8 spot drop in the rankings or will that be corrected next year? Also can anyone finally settle the debate over which school BU or BC places better in Boston?

It may be an anomaly ... as much much smack as I talk about GW, I refuse to believe that IUB, UIUC, BC, and Iowa, and W&M (actually tied) should be ranked ahead of GW.

Agreed. (BU = BC = GW = ND) > Iowa/WM/IUB.

As for placement in Boston, BC/BU are roughly equal.

I'm facing the same decision -- just substitute W&M for WUSTL and subtract all the scholarship $.

Would love to know what you decide -- keep us posted!