We're talking past each other. I should have been more clear. I'm only referring to the non-T14 schools that were on the initial list and only place well regionally. If you get in a T14, that likely makes the most sense. A ranking of non-T14 based on BigLaw stats alone disguises the significant regional skews of those numbers. A lesser-ranked school that places well in your preferred region likely makes more sense than the non-T14 schools listed that only place well regionally (i.e. BU, BC, WUSTL, etc.).albanach wrote:Even though these schools place well regionally, they can't in any way be compared to a regional equivalent of a T-14. Just because a decent percentage of graduates will end up at large mid-law firms, those outcomes are not the same. And we're looking at their employment data at a market peak. If there's a downturn, that's where it will be felt hardest.Anony1234 wrote:
As mentioned, applicants shouldn't treat BigLaw as a monolith of jobs. From the perspective of just basic life choices, I wouldn't go on an "all BigLaw jobs are the same" approach without considering location. Schools like BC, BU, WUSTL, and Fordham that place well regionally should be treated as such.
UVA placed almost a quarter of its class in DC. Almost 70 students.Anony1234 wrote: I assume few of the non-T14 schools listed (save GWU) place very well in DC BigLaw, for instance, whereas a few lower-ranked schools with lower BigLaw numbers probably place disproportionately well in DC relative to these schools. You should probably go to the latter if you're interested in DC only and can get into both schools. You will likely save money on tuition in case you don't get a BigLaw offer and will at least have an easier avenue into that market for other jobs.
NYU sent 23 there.
Almost 15% of the Duke class of 2017 landed in VA,DC,MD or WV. The bulk of those are sure to be in the DC area as it's by far the largest market there.
The only reason to go to a significantly lower ranked school is if you're DC or bust to the point you'd rather not work, or would work for $50k/year rather than take employment elsewhere. The best DC jobs are available to any T-14 graduate with the numbers to get them, and those T-14 graduates will almost always outperform anyone at a lower ranked school in the DC vicinity.
FWIW, I knew I only wanted to practice in DC and decided on a school that seemed to give me the best shot. It worked out. I graduated exactly at median. I don't think it's that crazy. But, I do think working in DC before law school (which I did) gives you a considerable advantage.
