Top Law Schools

Hi, I'm wondering about the difference in education I would receive from one potential law school from another.

If I went to a T14, would I learn more than I would have at a lower end Tier 1? Is there really a big gap between what is taught at the top schools compared to some lower schools?

How much of a difference would there be between a mid Tier 1 and a mid Tier 2?

Don't factor in prestige at all. Just learning about the law. Thanks.

Dash41 wrote:Hi, I'm wondering about the difference in education I would receive from one potential law school from another.

If I went to a T14, would I learn more than I would have at a lower end Tier 1? Is there really a big gap between what is taught at the top schools compared to some lower schools?

How much of a difference would there be between a mid Tier 1 and a mid Tier 2?

Don't factor in prestige at all. Just learning about the law. Thanks.

You will get the same education at every school. Except Yale, where you will get no education.

There is very little difference. Some might argue that the best practical education you could get would be from a lower ranked part time program, where practicing attorneys come to teach.

Unfortunately, you can't get a job from a lot of those schools.

Tiago Splitter wrote:There is very little difference. Some might argue that the best practical education you could get would be from a lower ranked part time program, where practicing attorneys come to teach.

Unfortunately, you can't get a job from a lot of those schools.

Thanks for your response. I'm going to work in the sports industry, and I already have all my connections built in to get a job. Prestige really isn't that big of factor for me, so I'm probably going to go to a school that best fits financial and location considerations. I just wanted to make sure I wouldn't be missing out on a better education by going to a lower ranked school.

As far as I've seen, virtually all accredited schools have highly qualified faculty, and for the most part I suspect that they all teach the same stuff. Substantively, I doubt there is a big difference anywhere. It's all about applying yourself.

How could anyone but a transfer student even answer this question? Even with transfers their experience is questionable because there's such a culture jump between 1L and 2L*. 1L you gotta hustle to get the grades to get the jobs, and all your classmates are doing the same (with the possible exception of electives). 2L it's much more relaxed - for both you and your classmates.

*at least, that's how I find it to be at UVA.

dailygrind wrote: 2L it's much more relaxed - for both you and your classmates.

*at least, that's how I find it to be at UVA.

I thought 2/3L is usually hell if you don't get a job at OCI?

dailygrind wrote:How could anyone but a transfer student even answer this question? Even with transfers their experience is questionable because there's such a culture jump between 1L and 2L*. 1L you gotta hustle to get the grades to get the jobs, and all your classmates are doing the same (with the possible exception of electives). 2L it's much more relaxed - for both you and your classmates.

*at least, that's how I find it to be at UVA.

It's kind of like how people on here talk about how you wont find a job as a lawyer after law school, and most of them are in law school, or haven't started yet.

Does anyone know of a reputable source which discusses this?

minnbills wrote:

dailygrind wrote: 2L it's much more relaxed - for both you and your classmates.

*at least, that's how I find it to be at UVA.

I thought 2/3L is usually hell if you don't get a job at OCI?

Yeah, but a fair number of people do, so they ease off and the pressure is reduced academically.

dailygrind wrote:

minnbills wrote:

dailygrind wrote: 2L it's much more relaxed - for both you and your classmates.

*at least, that's how I find it to be at UVA.

I thought 2/3L is usually hell if you don't get a job at OCI?

Yeah, but a fair number of people do, so they ease off and the pressure is reduced (academically - otherwise, the pressure is probably soul crushing).

Is this pretty much just the case at t14s... or t20s.... just looking through the employment forum it seems like there is hardly any hope for anyone. With all the high-achieving TLSers you would think it would be offer this, offer that etc.

No.

You'll probably get a pretty good education anywhere. If it's a major city the school will probably have great professors regardless of rank, profs care more about living and working somewhere desirable than living in a shit city for a marginally higher ranked school.

But if school doesn't matter of course you should just pick based on overall cost.

Although I have heard that higher ranked schools tend to offer a more "academic" education than lower ranked schools which may be more practical. Might just be nonsense in the grapevine though. None of this should factor into your decision of where to go to school.

MC Southstar wrote:Although I have heard that higher ranked schools tend to offer a more "academic" education than lower ranked schools which may be more practical. Might just be nonsense in the grapevine though. None of this should factor into your decision of where to go to school.

I've heard this before too, though I think it applies to schools which have a major discrepancy in rank, like T1 vs. TTT

minnbills wrote:

MC Southstar wrote:Although I have heard that higher ranked schools tend to offer a more "academic" education than lower ranked schools which may be more practical. Might just be nonsense in the grapevine though. None of this should factor into your decision of where to go to school.

I've heard this before too, though I think it applies to schools which have a major discrepancy in rank, like T1 vs. TTT

That's pretty correct. I worked with a guy from a local TTTT this summer, and he basically said they get absolute practical education and not very theory-based. It's all geared towards passing the bar.

minnbills wrote:

MC Southstar wrote:Although I have heard that higher ranked schools tend to offer a more "academic" education than lower ranked schools which may be more practical. Might just be nonsense in the grapevine though. None of this should factor into your decision of where to go to school.

I've heard this before too, though I think it applies to schools which have a major discrepancy in rank, like T1 vs. TTT

I disagree that the difference is just between T1 and TTT. I would say that the type of education you receive at top schools will be very different between schools.

For example, NU and Columbia students have a much more professionally-grounded faculty and therefore have less theory-based courses.

Chicago and Yale students get a much more theory-based approach, with less emphasis on practical application in courses like civ pro, crim, property, and contracts.

Berkeley and NYU students have uniquely strong and specific clinical opportunities and PI-related courses.

Harvard has a lot of great theory at the top and a lot of practical/academic-newbie courses on the bottom.

Dash41 wrote:Does anyone know of a reputable source which discusses this?

Yes - most schools disclose their curriculum and degree requirements on their websites, as well as their course offerings. You will likely find that higher ranked = more electives, and lower ranked = more required classes extending further into 2L and 3L, maybe more focus on practice. I wouldn't think of it in terms of learning "more" at one or the other, not least because law school is only the beginning of learning.

Big schools offer more courses, so it is a bit easier to specialize as a 3L in a big school. For instance, if you want to do Tax it might make sense to go somewhere that offers an LLM. You can usually take the classes as a JD student.

minnbills wrote:

dailygrind wrote:

minnbills wrote:

dailygrind wrote: 2L it's much more relaxed - for both you and your classmates.

*at least, that's how I find it to be at UVA.

I thought 2/3L is usually hell if you don't get a job at OCI?

Yeah, but a fair number of people do, so they ease off and the pressure is reduced (academically - otherwise, the pressure is probably soul crushing).

Is this pretty much just the case at t14s... or t20s.... just looking through the employment forum it seems like there is hardly any hope for anyone. With all the high-achieving TLSers you would think it would be offer this, offer that etc.

I have no idea. Even if you don't get a job through OCI your grades are no longer your focus - you're probably mass mailing like your future career depends on it. All I'm addressing here is the nature of the difference between 1L and 2L academics as context for the idea that even a transfer would be able to gauge the difference in the learning environment between one school and another. 2L has the potential to be much more difficult than 1L overall; indeed the old saying is 1L they scare you to death, 2L they work you to death, and 3L they bore you to death.

run26.2 wrote: You will get the same education at every school.

Trollin bro?

Cooley = NYLS = Brookyln = Dozo = Fordham = Columbia...

Cooley = Columbia???

uhh Cooley is #1 bro, dunno where you've been.

Quality of students is likely to affect the quality of education received even though similiar textbooks are used.

I believe schools are all the same, you will get trained on the job for practical skill (if you are lucky enough to get a job....). However, you'll be more likely to get hired graduating from a Tier 1 school then a Tier 4 school...

JohnMK wrote:I believe schools are all the same, you will get trained on the job for practical skill (if you are lucky enough to get a job....). However, you'll be more likely to get hired graduating from a Tier 1 school then a Tier 4 school...

So Harvard Law School = People's College of Law?