Top Law Schools

I mean, 14 is such an arbitrary number...why not just go T15. Hell why not just make it T10 or T20 for that matter. What is the logic behind stopping at 14.

onthecusp wrote:I mean, 14 is such an arbitrary number...why not just go T15. Hell why not just make it T10 or T20 for that matter. What is the logic behind stopping at 14.

Pretty much because, since 87 when USNWR started ranking law schools (as I understand it), the T14 schools have pretty much always stayed in the Top 14 positions, and from T15 on down they've rocketed up and down.

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Very true. Look at schools like Emory, Iowa, and Indiana over the years. Also, Berkeley has snuck into the T6 from out of the T10

http://www.prelawhandbook.com/law_schoo ... 00_present

This is a very original question which has never been asked before!

It's actually T13.

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onthecusp wrote:

SilverE2 wrote:This is a very original question which has never been asked before!

And yet strangely, I didn't give a shit, and decided to ask anyway! To lazy to use the search function on a Saturday afternoon.

You're so badass what must I do to be like you

onthecusp wrote:

SilverE2 wrote:This is a very original question which has never been asked before!

And yet strangely, I didn't give a shit, and decided to ask anyway! To lazy to use the search function on a Saturday afternoon.

Apparently also too lazy to type the extra "O."

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The term "T14" comes from the fact that there are historically fourteen law schools which have national recognition and wider placement options. It isn't arbitrary because, in the eyes of many, these fourteen have always been the highest echelon of law schools...this was the case long before rankings came into play.

Granted, all these years later, the differences between Cornell, Georgetown, UCLA, Texas, Vandy, etc. are minor...but the "T14" distinction still stands.

onthecusp wrote:I mean, 14 is such an arbitrary number...why not just go T15. Hell why not just make it T10 or T20 for that matter. What is the logic behind stopping at 14.

What makes you think there would be a nice round number of top law schools?

rayiner wrote:

onthecusp wrote:I mean, 14 is such an arbitrary number...why not just go T15. Hell why not just make it T10 or T20 for that matter. What is the logic behind stopping at 14.

What makes you think there would be a nice round number of top law schools?

I guess it has to do with the fact that I don't see much difference between UCLA and Georgetown as far as university prestige, and job prospects go.

onthecusp wrote:

rayiner wrote:

onthecusp wrote:I mean, 14 is such an arbitrary number...why not just go T15. Hell why not just make it T10 or T20 for that matter. What is the logic behind stopping at 14.

What makes you think there would be a nice round number of top law schools?

I guess it has to do with the fact that I don't see much difference between UCLA and Georgetown as far as university prestige, and job prospects go.

ooh, veeeeeery subtle UCLA troll. Way to go!

onthecusp wrote:

rayiner wrote:

onthecusp wrote:I mean, 14 is such an arbitrary number...why not just go T15. Hell why not just make it T10 or T20 for that matter. What is the logic behind stopping at 14.

What makes you think there would be a nice round number of top law schools?

I guess it has to do with the fact that I don't see much difference between UCLA and Georgetown as far as university prestige, and job prospects go.

Who says UCLA would be 15th? Vandy and Texas are more national schools and have arguably better job prospects ITE.

D. H2Oman wrote:It's actually T13.

I knew I could count on you bro.

onthecusp wrote:

rayiner wrote:

onthecusp wrote:I mean, 14 is such an arbitrary number...why not just go T15. Hell why not just make it T10 or T20 for that matter. What is the logic behind stopping at 14.

What makes you think there would be a nice round number of top law schools?

I guess it has to do with the fact that I don't see much difference between UCLA and Georgetown as far as university prestige, and job prospects go.

I am looking to create a very detailed FAQ section where questions (which are good questions) that are asked repeatedly can be addressed in a link to the detailed answer (Georgetown has never moved from #14 for the last 11 years, it is the keeper of the T14 gate).

I love UCLA, but with the troubles in California I would put more money on Vandy usurping GTown if it ever does happen.

With all the fun making of the OP, no one has actually answered the question correctly. In case the question was genuine, I'll answer:

We would normally list a T10 as you suggest. However, in this case, each of the schools in the T14 have, at some point, been in the T10. No other schools have ever been in the T10. So, if someday, UCLA or Vandy or UT is ranked above Georgetown or Cornell, none of those schools can be considered T14 because they would never have been in the T10.

So, all the UCLA, Vandy, UT prospectives and alumni, accept the fact that you go to a very good school that will never be a T14.

thrillhouse wrote:With all the fun making of the OP, no one has actually answered the question correctly. In case the question was genuine, I'll answer:

We would normally list a T10 as you suggest. However, in this case, each of the schools in the T14 have, at some point, been in the T10. No other schools have ever been in the T10. So, if someday, UCLA or Vandy or UT is ranked above Georgetown or Cornell, none of those schools can be considered T14 because they would never have been in the T10.

So, all the UCLA, Vandy, UT prospectives and alumni, accept the fact that you go to a very good school that will never be a T14.

This.

We really do need that FAQ Ken, this question is asked too often. Although I can't really blame anyone for not wanting to search T14 on here.

thrillhouse wrote:With all the fun making of the OP, no one has actually answered the question correctly. In case the question was genuine, I'll answer:

We would normally list a T10 as you suggest. However, in this case, each of the schools in the T14 have, at some point, been in the T10. No other schools have ever been in the T10. So, if someday, UCLA or Vandy or UT is ranked above Georgetown or Cornell, none of those schools can be considered T14 because they would never have been in the T10.

So, all the UCLA, Vandy, UT prospectives and alumni, accept the fact that you go to a very good school that will never be a T14.

The existence of the T14 predates all of them being T10. In a way, the T14 predates the USNWR ranking. Most of the T14 have been "arguably T10" in reputaion surveys dating back to the 1970s.

As for the current gap between the lower T14 and UCLA/Vandy/Texas, remember the term was coined before that gap became as small as it is today. Just look back to NLJ250 placement charts for Vandy from just 5 years ago. Also keep in mind the explosive growth of Cali/Texas/the South in the past two decades since the rankings were first published.

thrillhouse wrote:With all the fun making of the OP, no one has actually answered the question correctly. In case the question was genuine, I'll answer:

We would normally list a T10 as you suggest. However, in this case, each of the schools in the T14 have, at some point, been in the T10. No other schools have ever been in the T10. So, if someday, UCLA or Vandy or UT is ranked above Georgetown or Cornell, none of those schools can be considered T14 because they would never have been in the T10.

So, all the UCLA, Vandy, UT prospectives and alumni, accept the fact that you go to a very good school that will never be a T14.

Since when they get into the T10 it will be T15, T16, and T17, based on this criteria.

awilson11 wrote:

thrillhouse wrote:With all the fun making of the OP, no one has actually answered the question correctly. In case the question was genuine, I'll answer:

We would normally list a T10 as you suggest. However, in this case, each of the schools in the T14 have, at some point, been in the T10. No other schools have ever been in the T10. So, if someday, UCLA or Vandy or UT is ranked above Georgetown or Cornell, none of those schools can be considered T14 because they would never have been in the T10.

So, all the UCLA, Vandy, UT prospectives and alumni, accept the fact that you go to a very good school that will never be a T14.

Since when they get into the T10 it will be T15, T16, and T17, based on this criteria.

Good answer. It was worth the year-long wait.

Not to appear psychotic, but I averaged the ranks of the T14 schools over the past 10 years (2002 to 2011):



EDIT: mistake on Cornell; woopsies. But you get the point. Berkeley is the only real big mover.