Top Law Schools

Hi,

For those with some experience in IP law: how important is it that one gain admittance to a T14 school? I'm currently halfway to my PhD in Chemistry from a top 10, but my undergrad GPA is an unimpressive 3.59 and my LSAT scores are - well - nonexistent (yet). Without having any reasonable basis from which to predict a fantastic LSAT score, I am not terribly confident that I'll be able to land a T14 law school after getting my PhD. However, I also don't want to spend three years and a whole lot of money on a lower-rank school if the consequent job prospects are dim.

So for IP law, is a T14 school necessary? Is it difficult to get a job with a JD from a <T14 school? Is IP really booming, or do the current grim prospects for aspirant law students extend to IP law as well?

Thanks.

edit: Sorry, I originally meant to include this question: is it more difficult to get into Law school now that I'll have spent 4-5 years focused solely on science? Will my undergraduate GPA affect me as badly as I assume?

I can't answer your main question, but if you do well on the LSAT I think you would have a good shot at many schools in T14. Your GPA is not stellar, but it is not crap either.

168+ and you are into the T14. It's definitely doable, your UGPA isn't bad at all unless you had your hopes set on YHS and to a certain extent CC.

It makes a huge difference. Someone with your background is likely to get hired coming out of most law schools... but the quality of firm will differ greatly. Also, the higher ranked the school you go, the less dependent your options will be on law school performance, and the more prestigious firms you'll have a shot at vs. what you have as other characteristics. You might even become interested in other areas of the law and be able to go into general practice litigation, tax, or corporate work if you find yourself more into that... those options will be far greater if you go to highly ranked schools.

ITE, I would definitely go to the highest ranked school that accepts you, regardless of cost. You will get a job that can pay back your loans, so focus on where you can get the best possible job that lets you do that.

OP, you should PM amylachemist. She's a PhD in Chemistry (I think) as well, attending a T14, and can probably answer any questions you have.