Top Law Schools

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addicted wrote:I feel like we all go into law school with the anticipation of placing in the top of our class and securing that dream position. what about those kids that don't finish at the top? do they just fall off the law school map? do they still get decent jobs? in this economy?

specifically, Im thinkin about those mid-level schools. The graduates from Maryland, American, Tulane, Cardozo, Temple, Villanova...

what happens to the kids that fall out of the top 15%, the top third, or even the top half?

They don't get jobs, unless they put some hustle behind that muscle (or vice versa).

From those schools, they should be fine up until about the bottom 30%, then they probably have a helluva time finding legal employment. Some will take low level clerkships/work in small law/ or be public defenders probably. That's my guess.

Btw- all of you JDUndergrounders are retarded if you actually think they don't find legal employment. The "business and industry" category at these schools is usually under 10% and unemployment #'s are usually under 8%. Who knows ITE though......

A'nold wrote:From those schools, they should be fine up until about the bottom 30%, then they probably have a helluva time finding legal employment. Some will take low level clerkships/work in small law/ or be public defenders probably. That's my guess.

Btw- all of you JDUndergrounders are retarded if you actually think they don't find legal employment. The "business and industry" category at these schools is usually under 10% and unemployment #'s are usually under 8%. Who knows ITE though......

I feel you. I didn't mean that literally. But they will have to rely on networks and do some extra looking on their own. I don't think OP should include Tulane in that group. It has a wide national network.

But you are correct. Top-30% at those schools will at least sniff the prestigious jobs. But below that?%*&%&*) It will take some motivation.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paralegal


jk! this is what jdu folks would like everyone to believe though...

iceberger wrote:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paralegal


jk! this is what jdu folks would like everyone to believe though...

Haha.

Zbarron- I wasn't aiming my response to you, if that's what it seemed like. I was just talking about the majority of JDU people that come on here and say that anything outside of the top 10% of any class outside of the t25 schools will be unemployed.

addicted wrote:I feel like we all go into law school with the anticipation of placing in the top of our class and securing that dream position. what about those kids that don't finish at the top? do they just fall off the law school map? do they still get decent jobs? in this economy?

specifically, Im thinkin about those mid-level schools. The graduates from Maryland, American, Tulane, Cardozo, Temple, Villanova...

what happens to the kids that fall out of the top 15%, the top third, or even the top half?

What happens to them? They become lawyers.... usually, at those schools, quite good lawyers.

TLS claims that there is no such thing as mid-law, or solid law firms outside of big law... guess again, there absolutely are. I agree with what one poster said, if I had to guess, I think if you are in the top 70% of your class out of these schools, you won't be making the top money, but you will be a lawyer practicing law....

iceberger wrote:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paralegal


jk! this is what jdu folks would like everyone to believe though...

Don't laugh--I know paralegals with JDs (with the overtime, biglaw paralegaling can net you over $85k a year-better than what small firms pay attorneys).

That would have been funny if it wasnt going to be one of you in 2-3 years from now....

hoffb86 wrote:

addicted wrote:I feel like we all go into law school with the anticipation of placing in the top of our class and securing that dream position. what about those kids that don't finish at the top? do they just fall off the law school map? do they still get decent jobs? in this economy?

specifically, Im thinkin about those mid-level schools. The graduates from Maryland, American, Tulane, Cardozo, Temple, Villanova...

what happens to the kids that fall out of the top 15%, the top third, or even the top half?

What happens to them? They become lawyers.... usually, at those schools, quite good lawyers.

TLS claims that there is no such thing as mid-law, or solid law firms outside of big law... guess again, there absolutely are. I agree with what one poster said, if I had to guess, I think if you are in the top 70% of your class out of these schools, you won't be making the top money, but you will be a lawyer practicing law....

Hoff, I like this answer. This is what I expect for myself as well, though I hope to work for a nonprofit instead of a small to medium sized firm. I hardly expect to make top 10% at Fordham, though I hope I will at least meet the curve, if I do not exceed it.

I believe the phrase you're looking for is "doc review."

OperaSoprano wrote: Hoff, I like this answer. This is what I expect for myself as well, though I hope to work for a nonprofit instead of a small to medium sized firm. I hardly expect to make top 10% at Fordham, though I hope I will at least meet the curve, if I do not exceed it.

You know what you call a lawyer from a TTT who passes the bar, but finished at the bottom of his class? .... Counsel. Do you know what you call a lawyer who graduated number 1 in his class at yale? .... Counsel.

Will the job prospects be the same, absolutely not, but there is still a level of respect that all lawyers share with one another.

And, as far as those schools the OP mentioned, they are among the 40 -60 best law schools in the country, so those students, unless they are the unfortunate individuals whose personal or social issues prevented them from finding a legal job, or are just miserable they didn't make biglaw (see JDU), will be just fine. Let's get real here TLS, we aren't all going to the T14, but that list of schools the OP listed is solid.

unless you HAVE to be in a giant market, or a giant firm, you can do quite well for yourself without being limited to doc review.

Hell, my father went to Syracuse law (granted, syracuse was a school in the top 40-60 at the time) and he is not doing doc review, never did doc review, and is one of the most respected attorneys in his field in new york state. He didn't finish top 30% of his class, and he didn't get a top job coming out. However, he was a lawyer, and he found his niche, and he has done well for himself.... granted, these are different times, but the profession hasn't changed THAT much, that we of the 40-60 school range are all doomed.

I'm starting to find TLS a little bit too doom and gloom/big law or bust.

lex talionis wrote:I believe the phrase you're looking for is "doc review."

Nah, they should be so lucky. It will all be outsourced to India.

It's not that TLS is biglaw-crazed, so much as the alternatives suck. A lot of us can't imagine spending three years on a graduate degree just to make low-5s doing doc review or even making bank as a big fish in BFE. Sure, there are alternatives to biglaw, but the only favorable-looking ones are even more competitive than biglaw (academia, PI, etc.). If I just wanted to be rich in my hometown I would've just saved 200K+ and gone to my state school, but then I'd have to killself.

A'nold wrote:

iceberger wrote:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paralegal


jk! this is what jdu folks would like everyone to believe though...

Haha.

Zbarron- I wasn't aiming my response to you, if that's what it seemed like. I was just talking about the majority of JDU people that come on here and say that anything outside of the top 10% of any class outside of the t25 schools will be unemployed.

Oh...it was cool anyways. But thanx!