Top Law Schools

Many people on this website say that law schools outside the US News Top 14 are less national and more regional in reputation.

What data provides the best support for this statement? I agree with the idea because it makes sense. I just need hard data or some evidence that I can reference.

Hiring/placement data from the law schools.

I put this thread together a couple weeks ago, might be of interest to you

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 1&t=150843

CanadianWolf wrote:Hiring/placement data from the law schools.

In other words, no one, single place that somehow indicates this? It's more of a broad consensus by individually examining placement data of each school?

Anyone who says "T14 = national, everything else = regional" is dumb. It's not as simple as people make it seem. Where you can get a job from a given school depends on

1) grades
2) your ties to the region you're targeting
3) your school's name band prestige in the region you're targeting

T14 schools happen to be high on 3.

rad law wrote:Anyone who says "T14 = national, everything else = regional" is dumb. It's not as simple as people make it seem. Where you can get a job from a given school depends on

1) grades
2) your ties to the region you're targeting
3) your school's name band prestige in the region you're targeting

T14 schools happen to be high on 3.

Thanks for this info.

Basically, I have people telling me I should go to Washington University in St. Louis instead of Boston College, because it is higher in USN and thus "more national."

I guess I'm just confused about the whole USN rankings, because some people treat it like the holy gospel, but to me it's largely subjective and in many cases useless, in terms of job prospects.

lincolnadams74 wrote:

rad law wrote:Anyone who says "T14 = national, everything else = regional" is dumb. It's not as simple as people make it seem. Where you can get a job from a given school depends on

1) grades
2) your ties to the region you're targeting
3) your school's name band prestige in the region you're targeting

T14 schools happen to be high on 3.

Thanks for this info.

Basically, I have people telling me I should go to Washington University in St. Louis instead of Boston College, because it is higher in USN and thus "more national."

I guess I'm just confused about the whole USN rankings, because some people treat it like the holy gospel, but to me it's largely subjective and in many cases useless, in terms of job prospects.

Dude, I dunno who's telling you that but this ain't undergrad. USNWR is the worst reason to pick a law school this side of the Cooley rankings. The whole better ranking = more national thing doesn't apply (at least, not enough to be worth deciding based solely on that criteria) from WashU down if the 2 schools are within 10-15 spots of each other. Go to BC.

stratocophic wrote:

lincolnadams74 wrote:

rad law wrote:Anyone who says "T14 = national, everything else = regional" is dumb. It's not as simple as people make it seem. Where you can get a job from a given school depends on

1) grades
2) your ties to the region you're targeting
3) your school's name band prestige in the region you're targeting

T14 schools happen to be high on 3.

Thanks for this info.

Basically, I have people telling me I should go to Washington University in St. Louis instead of Boston College, because it is higher in USN and thus "more national."

I guess I'm just confused about the whole USN rankings, because some people treat it like the holy gospel, but to me it's largely subjective and in many cases useless, in terms of job prospects.

Dude, I dunno who's telling you that but this ain't undergrad. USNWR is the worst reason to pick a law school this side of the Cooley rankings. The whole better ranking = more national thing doesn't apply (at least, not enough to be worth deciding based solely on that criteria) from WashU down if the 2 schools are within 10-15 spots of each other. Go to BC.

Agree with his synoposis. But only go to BC if you want Boston or a job on the east coast. Go to WashU if you want a job in the midwest. I wouldn't attend WashU with the expectation of working in STL without a connection to STL though.

Vanderbilt ( ranked 16) claims they have a national reputation and place grads all over the country.

Emma1 wrote:Vanderbilt ( ranked 16) claims they have a national reputation and place grads all over the country.

In all fairness, most schools claim this and state you can go anywhere your heart desires after graduation. But I'll admit Vanderbilt appears to be one of the most national Non-T14s.

lincolnadams74 wrote:Many people on this website say that law schools outside the US News Top 14 are less national and more regional in reputation.

What data provides the best support for this statement? I agree with the idea because it makes sense. I just need hard data or some evidence that I can reference.

Even most T14s are semi-regional.