Top Law Schools

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I'm going to kill myself if I don't end up working for a top tier law firm. I judge my entire worth as a human being by the USNews rank of my law school, so I'm glad USNews will also rank my place of employment.

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NYAssociate wrote:Yeah, this pinpoints my trouble with rankings in general. It points to an overall problem with the American populace, and I think has driven our hunger for prestige to new levels. With law firms now being ranked, alongside high schools, colleges, and graduate schools, we will be measured and compared to others with these metrics for the rest of our lives.

Agree with this 100%. It'll be interesting to see how closely it matches the "established" hierarchy. Depending on their methodology, they could wind up with some crazy results, or they could wind up basically mirroring what chambers and vault already "provide."

I remember from the first time I read the story that the rankings will be based heavily on consumers of the legal services, which should be interesting. Vault's methodology probably couldn't be worse (I bet Skadden does better than it should just because there are more Skadden attorneys to fill out PRESTIGE SURVEYS than there are stars in the heavens) so that's something.

Do we know if they're planning to break it down by region or practice area at all?

Simply given the market power that US News wields, I think this definitely has the potential to become the new, "default" list that people (law students, lawyers, laymen) turn to when evaluating law firms.

Vault will of course come out with some revised, also-ran rankings but US News will in time establish itself as the market leader.

I hope the USNR flips the V100 rankings on its head so that even if we work at a low Vault-ranked firm, we will be working at a high USNR-ranked firm and vice versa.

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miamiman wrote:Simply given the market power that US News wields, I think this definitely has the potential to become the new, "default" list that people (law students, lawyers, laymen) turn to when evaluating law firms.

Vault will of course come out with some revised, also-ran rankings but US News will in time establish itself as the market leader.

People who need legal services are not going to turn to US NEWS to figure out which law firm to use...

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I know I was once something of an enabler, but that magazine needs to be stopped.

OperaSoprano wrote:I know I was once something of an enabler, but that magazine needs to be stopped.

NYAssociate wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:

miamiman wrote:Simply given the market power that US News wields, I think this definitely has the potential to become the new, "default" list that people (law students, lawyers, laymen) turn to when evaluating law firms.

Vault will of course come out with some revised, also-ran rankings but US News will in time establish itself as the market leader.

People who need legal services are not going to turn to US NEWS to figure out which law firm to use...

I don't think miamiman said that they would.

The regular Tom, Dick, or Jerry wouldn't use a big firm anyhow....I could see some general counsels being affected by this if -- say, fore example, -- they found themselves choosing between a Tier 1 and a Tier 3 firm. Might be a harder pitch to the higher-ups if both firms charge roughly equivalent rates. I dont know; I'm obviously grasping in the air a bit here but I definitely think this list could be a gamechanger.

vanwinkle wrote:

OperaSoprano wrote:I know I was once something of an enabler, but that magazine needs to be stopped.

<3

(At least tell me you'll read it in the COOP or something and not spend money on it!)

OperaSoprano wrote:

vanwinkle wrote:

OperaSoprano wrote:I know I was once something of an enabler, but that magazine needs to be stopped.

<3

(At least tell me you'll read it in the COOP or something and not spend money on it!)

Come on, even if you don't post it online for free, you know someone will!

vanwinkle wrote:

OperaSoprano wrote:

vanwinkle wrote:

OperaSoprano wrote:I know I was once something of an enabler, but that magazine needs to be stopped.

<3

(At least tell me you'll read it in the COOP or something and not spend money on it!)

Come on, even if you don't post it online for free, you know someone will!

Mmmm, not going to soil my hands on this one! I will read it under protest that it exists. When NYAssociate and Disco_barred agree about something, can there be any doubt in the world as to the truth of that thing?

disco_barred wrote:

NYAssociate wrote:Yeah, this pinpoints my trouble with rankings in general. It points to an overall problem with the American populace, and I think has driven our hunger for prestige to new levels. With law firms now being ranked, alongside high schools, colleges, and graduate schools, we will be measured and compared to others with these metrics for the rest of our lives.

Agree with this 100%. It'll be interesting to see how closely it matches the "established" hierarchy. Depending on their methodology, they could wind up with some crazy results, or they could wind up basically mirroring what chambers and vault already "provide."

I remember from the first time I read the story that the rankings will be based heavily on consumers of the legal services, which should be interesting. Vault's methodology probably couldn't be worse (I bet Skadden does better than it should just because there are more Skadden attorneys to fill out PRESTIGE SURVEYS than there are stars in the heavens) so that's something.

Do we know if they're planning to break it down by region or practice area at all?

The problem with law firm rankings... what are we ranking exactly?

At least the Vault ranking is simple to understand: we're measuring prestige.

What will the law firm ranking measure? How are these measurements relevant to anyone?

rayiner wrote:The problem with law firm rankings... what are we ranking exactly?

Why, how highly a law firm is ranked, of course!

vanwinkle wrote:

rayiner wrote:The problem with law firm rankings... what are we ranking exactly?

Why, how highly a law firm is ranked, of course!

You just blew my mind.

The target readership of this ranking is probably the population which visits this board and upperclass students (and their parents) at highly selective colleges who haven't figured out what they're going to do with a liberal arts degree. I doubt it's aimed as much at in-house counsel or even corporations seeking lawyers, although there may be some interest on the part of such people. But USNews is a mainstream publication read more for personal (as opposed to business) reasons and I think they're trying to anticipate and follow the interest trends of the readership which loved the college rankings.

By the way OS, I just read INS v. AP for my Intellectual Property class and my Copyright class last week. The whole time, I kept thinking of your escapades with the early edition of USNews.

aschup wrote:

vanwinkle wrote:

rayiner wrote:The problem with law firm rankings... what are we ranking exactly?

Why, how highly a law firm is ranked, of course!

You just blew my mind.

I enjoyed this sequence.

I can't wait until USNews releases its grocery store rankings. Finally, I'll be able to lord by Safeway Club Card over all those TTT Albertson's shoppers.

Bosque wrote:By the way OS, I just read INS v. AP for my Intellectual Property class and my Copyright class last week. The whole time, I kept thinking of your escapades with the early edition of USNews.

I'm lucky to be off so easy, right?

On a related note, IP class = awesome.

SBL wrote:

aschup wrote:

vanwinkle wrote:

rayiner wrote:The problem with law firm rankings... what are we ranking exactly?

Why, how highly a law firm is ranked, of course!

You just blew my mind.

I enjoyed this sequence.

I can't wait until USNews releases its grocery store rankings. Finally, I'll be able to lord by Safeway Club Card over all those TTT Albertson's shoppers.

Whole Foods to 190! Wait, I think they charge that already...

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Strange. As if anyone reading US News can afford the #1 firm, and anyone able to afford the #1 firm reads US News. I doubt it.