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Top ranked school/criminal law
Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2011 7:46 pm
by tmc07d
Does it really matter what ranked school you go to if your going into criminal law in relation to employment? If so are their top ranked large criminal firms out their that almost require a top 10 law school to be hired? Thanks.
Re: Top ranked school/criminal law
Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2011 7:52 pm
by Doritos
What kind of criminal law? white collar martha stewart type? want to work for the DOJ? public defender in DC? public defender in Idaho? The answer to this question depends
Re: Top ranked school/criminal law
Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2011 7:58 pm
by Renzo
Depends what you mean.
Big money, superstar defense attorneys are made, not born, so you can't really go to school for this. More generally, defense work at public/federal defender's offices can be competitive, but more because they are looking for "true believers" than based on prestige.
Local prosecutorial work is more about local community/political ties and networking. The best thing you can do is go to the best school in the community in which you want to practice.
White collar and corporate work is a biglaw kind of gig, so going to a good school will matter. Federal prosecutorial work is very competitive, and having biglaw bona fides can make a difference, so again, a good school can matter.
Re: Top ranked school/criminal law
Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2011 8:52 pm
by tmc07d
Yeah I was talking in relation to a potential federal prosecutor career. Even if you went to a low ranked school wouldnt graduating top of your class still give you a potential to get a great job in criminal law in general?
Re: Top ranked school/criminal law
Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2011 9:01 pm
by Doritos
tmc07d wrote:Yeah I was talking in relation to a potential federal prosecutor career. Even if you went to a low ranked school wouldnt graduating top of your class still give you a potential to get a great job in criminal law in general?
graduating at the top of your class is verrrrryyy far from guaranteed so don't bank on it. Being at the very top of you class just about anywhere will give you potential to have a great job but there are sooo many who didn't make it to the very top who thought they would
Re: Top ranked school/criminal law
Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2011 9:02 pm
by Cole S. Law
Not many AUSAs are hired directly out of law school. Go to a school that is a pipeline to the prosecutor's office of the biggest city in your desired area. Work at said prosecutor's office during law school. Get hired at the office when you graduate. Work your way up from deadbeat dads to rapists and murderers (or kiddie porn given the current focus of federal criminal prosectutions). Now you're ready to move to an AUSA position.
Re: Top ranked school/criminal law
Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2011 9:02 pm
by beach_terror
tmc07d wrote:Yeah I was talking in relation to a potential federal prosecutor career. Even if you went to a low ranked school wouldnt graduating top of your class still give you a potential to get a great job in criminal law in general?
Maybe, but if you bank on this, you may not be intelligent enough to do so
Re: Top ranked school/criminal law
Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2011 9:04 pm
by Adjudicator
If you want to be a federal prosecutor, you should try to attend the best law school that you can get into.
Re: Top ranked school/criminal law
Posted: Fri Jan 14, 2011 12:35 am
by Renzo
Cole S. Law wrote:Not many AUSAs are hired directly out of law school. Go to a school that is a pipeline to the prosecutor's office of the biggest city in your desired area. Work at said prosecutor's office during law school. Get hired at the office when you graduate. Work your way up from deadbeat dads to rapists and murderers (or kiddie porn given the current focus of federal criminal prosectutions). Now you're ready to move to an AUSA position.
This, or biglaw litigation are basically the two ways in.
Re: Top ranked school/criminal law
Posted: Fri Jan 14, 2011 12:42 am
by JazzOne
beach_terror wrote:tmc07d wrote:Yeah I was talking in relation to a potential federal prosecutor career. Even if you went to a low ranked school wouldnt graduating top of your class still give you a potential to get a great job in criminal law in general?
Maybe, but if you bank on this, you may not be intelligent enough to do so
Re: Top ranked school/criminal law
Posted: Fri Jan 14, 2011 1:21 pm
by nodummy
Yeah...but what if you want to do public defense and can only expect making 40-50K per year? Wouldn't it be best going to a shitty school for free instead of taking on a lot of debt?
Re: Top ranked school/criminal law
Posted: Fri Jan 14, 2011 1:27 pm
by beach_terror
nodummy wrote:Yeah...but what if you want to do public defense and can only expect making 40-50K per year? Wouldn't it be best going to a shitty school for free instead of taking on a lot of debt?
Go to the more expensive school and IBR it (and hopefully LRAP it too)
Re: Top ranked school/criminal law
Posted: Fri Jan 14, 2011 2:27 pm
by byronmullens
If you want to be an AUSA, you need to go a respected school in the region you want to be an AUSA. Then seek employment in local DA's office build trial experience, as most US Atty's won't hire someone w/ less than 5yrs experience. In fact I know several AUSA's who graduated from TTT's, that is because trial experience and performance as a prosecutor are more important. That said I would shoot for a t1 or t2 with the goal of keeping debt down. Also being in the region is more important than prestige as networking is how you land DA jobs.
Also since its a federal job you have to be scored and in that process being a vet or minority adds points.