Top Law Schools

Which are the best low ranked law schools for someone looking to work for Bryan Cave or another large firm?

Almost totally unrelated: http://www.businessinsider.com/the-50-b ... 012-9?op=1


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The best information to answer this question with, to my knowledge, is found at law school transparency.

http://www.lawschooltransparency.com

You can find large firm placement rates, employment rates, federal and state clerkship rates, etc.

That being said, Southern Methodist University has 14% in biglaw which ain't too shabby for being at #48. If you want to go to a school with a good percentage though, shoot for the T14.

It depends on the region/specific city you're gunning for. While SMU places a decent amount in large firms I'm guessing its almost entirely Dallas/Texas at large. So if you have no ties to Dallas or want to work in NYC it doesn't make sense to go there. Use LST and look in the region (state) you want to work in.

In general though getting a big firm job from outside the T14 is pretty dang difficult.

isuperserial wrote:The best information to answer this question with, to my knowledge, is found at law school transparency.

lawschooltransparency.com

You can find large firm placement rates, employment rates, federal and state clerkship rates, etc.

That being said, Southern Methodist University has 14% in biglaw which ain't too shabby for being at #48. If you want to go to a school with a good percentage though, shoot for the T14.

SMU does seem to have a good big law connection. Many of their alumni keep the connection strong in the state by coming back and recruiting from the pool. Bryan Cave seems to take Saint Louis Law students in the top 10% annually, but I can't find any other schools like these --besides Howard.

john7234797 wrote:It depends on the region/specific city you're gunning for. While SMU places a decent amount in large firms I'm guessing its almost entirely Dallas/Texas at large. So if you have no ties to Dallas or want to work in NYC it doesn't make sense to go there. Use LST and look in the region (state) you want to work in.

In general though getting a big firm job from outside the T14 is pretty dang difficult.

I want to leave NY state for law school, but return after graduation. Is it almost impossible to go to a small school, then find a firm in NY?

Why do you think low-ranked schools are necessarily "small"? And why do you want to go to a "small" school so badly?

Yale, U of C.

jas1503 wrote:

john7234797 wrote:It depends on the region/specific city you're gunning for. While SMU places a decent amount in large firms I'm guessing its almost entirely Dallas/Texas at large. So if you have no ties to Dallas or want to work in NYC it doesn't make sense to go there. Use LST and look in the region (state) you want to work in.

In general though getting a big firm job from outside the T14 is pretty dang difficult.

I want to leave NY state for law school, but return after graduation. Is it almost impossible to go to a small school, then find a firm in NY?

Yes. Ultimately if you want to get a biglaw job in NY, you better be a graduate from T14. Failing that, Fordham wouldn't be disastrous, if you had a scholly. Bear in mind, NY is the most competitive legal market, followed by California and DC.

rinkrat19 wrote:Why do you think low-ranked schools are necessarily "small"? And why do you want to go to a "small" school so badly?

I wrote small in the sense of perceived portability and recognition. I'm looking for schools that would not cost me sticker

isuperserial wrote:

jas1503 wrote:

john7234797 wrote:It depends on the region/specific city you're gunning for. While SMU places a decent amount in large firms I'm guessing its almost entirely Dallas/Texas at large. So if you have no ties to Dallas or want to work in NYC it doesn't make sense to go there. Use LST and look in the region (state) you want to work in.

In general though getting a big firm job from outside the T14 is pretty dang difficult.

I want to leave NY state for law school, but return after graduation. Is it almost impossible to go to a small school, then find a firm in NY?

Yes. Ultimately if you want to get a biglaw job in NY, you better be a graduate from T14. Failing that, Fordham wouldn't be disastrous, if you had a scholly. Bear in mind, NY is the most competitive legal market, followed by California and DC.

Would it be possible to return to NY after 6 years? 3 at a lower ranked law school, then 3 (hopefully) working in the region that the school is located in.

jas1503 wrote:

isuperserial wrote:

jas1503 wrote:

john7234797 wrote:It depends on the region/specific city you're gunning for. While SMU places a decent amount in large firms I'm guessing its almost entirely Dallas/Texas at large. So if you have no ties to Dallas or want to work in NYC it doesn't make sense to go there. Use LST and look in the region (state) you want to work in.

In general though getting a big firm job from outside the T14 is pretty dang difficult.

I want to leave NY state for law school, but return after graduation. Is it almost impossible to go to a small school, then find a firm in NY?

Yes. Ultimately if you want to get a biglaw job in NY, you better be a graduate from T14. Failing that, Fordham wouldn't be disastrous, if you had a scholly. Bear in mind, NY is the most competitive legal market, followed by California and DC.

Would it be possible to return to NY after 6 years? 3 at a lower ranked law school, then 3 (hopefully) working in the region that the school is located in.

Unfortunately, I'm terribly under-qualified to deliver that opinion. My gut reaction is don't count on it. If that kind of upward mobility was commonplace, everyone would just get full rides to their local lower tier option.

jas1503 wrote:

john7234797 wrote:It depends on the region/specific city you're gunning for. While SMU places a decent amount in large firms I'm guessing its almost entirely Dallas/Texas at large. So if you have no ties to Dallas or want to work in NYC it doesn't make sense to go there. Use LST and look in the region (state) you want to work in.

In general though getting a big firm job from outside the T14 is pretty dang difficult.

I want to leave NY state for law school, but return after graduation. Is it almost impossible to go to a small school, then find a firm in NY?

Fordham is your best bet then I'd imagine. I dunno your LSAT or anything like that but if NYC BigLaw is your goal it's a probably a good idea to max out on attempts and get the highest score you can to maximize your chances of T14.

jas1503 wrote:best low ranked law schools for ... large firm

These don't exist.

Cornell.

The University of Retake.

jas1503 wrote:

rinkrat19 wrote:Why do you think low-ranked schools are necessarily "small"? And why do you want to go to a "small" school so badly?

I wrote small in the sense of perceived portability and recognition. I'm looking for schools that would not cost me sticker

So really your definition of small is any school that will give you a scholarship? Not the size of the class or location?

isuperserial wrote: Yes. Ultimately if you want to get a biglaw job in NY, you better be a graduate from T14. Failing that, Fordham wouldn't be disastrous, if you had a scholly. Bear in mind, NY is the most competitive legal market, followed by California and DC.

NYC isn't the most competitive market since it's so huge. DC is definitely more competitive.

OP: Don't plan on leaving NY to come back, unless you go to a school that has good placement in NYC (which isn't going to be any regional, low-ranked schools not in NY). TCR is probably retake or don't go to law school.

Davidbentley wrote:The University of Retake.

Ded Precedent wrote:

jas1503 wrote:

rinkrat19 wrote:Why do you think low-ranked schools are necessarily "small"? And why do you want to go to a "small" school so badly?

I wrote small in the sense of perceived portability and recognition. I'm looking for schools that would not cost me sticker

So really your definition of small is any school that will give you a scholarship? Not the size of the class or location?

Not necessarily.

If only shitty schools=small schools, then they wouldn't be so offensive. Cough(American) Cough.

Desert Fox wrote:Yale, U of C.

This. Also I enjoy the rather random specificity of Brian Cave.
Anyway, retake. If you want a large NY firm you need to go to a T14.

Desert Fox wrote:Yale, U of C.

Egregious anti-Stanford trolling.

BearState wrote:

Desert Fox wrote:Yale, U of C.

Egregious anti-Stanford trolling.

Ah, I forgot they had a small class.

Desert Fox wrote:

BearState wrote:

Desert Fox wrote:Yale, U of C.

Egregious anti-Stanford trolling.

Ah, I forgot they had a small class.

SLS has the smallest class in the T14 and the second smallest in the T25