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Choosing the Right Law School / Re: Notre Dame 2L Taking Questions
« on: February 23, 2007, 09:25:41 PM »
"With regard to job prospects: how national do you consider ND in comparison to lower T14 schools like Duke, Cornell, or Georgetown?"
It's really hard to say. The most obvious situation, if you're talking about D.C., then Georgetown will probably beat out ND. If you're talking about the Midwest, I think ND wins the battle. If you're talking about a more objective location, then I'm not sure. You'd have to consider the firm, where the firm likes to hire, where the firm interviews, where the lawyers in the firm went to school, etc. etc. The best way to get this information would probably be to go to the firms' websites and do an attorney search by school. See where the most recent attorneys are coming from. I don't think there are general answers like people on these forums like to give. People are ALWAYS going to talk up the school that they have decided on.
I'd say that on a general firm-wide basis, not considering individual offices, the higher ranked the school, the more attorneys hired out of that school.
"Also, do you know if class rank is a major factor in OCI success?"
I think class rank will be important wherever you go. I know that at ND firms go pretty deep into the class, but the top firms are always going to be competing for the top students. I mean, of course Skadden wants someone on law review over someone not on law review, it's just common sense. I don't think Skadden caters to the bottom of the class at most t-14 schools. Again, if you check out new associates' profiles on firms' sites, you'll see many have Greek recognition after their names, moot court, journal experience, etc. I didn't have moot court or journal on my resume, but I was ranked very high out of the school from which I transferred. ND doesn't even rank its students, by the way, for whatever this is worth. Of course, GPA is a factor considering the curve.
Again, probably the higher ranked the school, the deeper into the classes firms will go, but I really don't think by all that much.
"I would be very interested in any knowledge you can offer about the clinics: how competitive it is to participate in one, how worthwhile they are, etc."
Sorry, don't know much about them. I'd check the website.
"I'm also very interested in trial advocacy and know that ND is especially highly regarded in this area of law. Do you or your friends have any experience with or opinions about the trial advocacy specialty at ND or the moot court team?"
Trial Ad is big at ND and very well respected. Anyone can take one semester of moot court (requires an appellate brief), but it's also a competition for who stays on for the following semester and following year. I know there are a few different moot court teams, maybe four? It is competitive. Out of a class of probably 40+ students, I think 10 were selected based on their briefs and oral argument.
It's really hard to say. The most obvious situation, if you're talking about D.C., then Georgetown will probably beat out ND. If you're talking about the Midwest, I think ND wins the battle. If you're talking about a more objective location, then I'm not sure. You'd have to consider the firm, where the firm likes to hire, where the firm interviews, where the lawyers in the firm went to school, etc. etc. The best way to get this information would probably be to go to the firms' websites and do an attorney search by school. See where the most recent attorneys are coming from. I don't think there are general answers like people on these forums like to give. People are ALWAYS going to talk up the school that they have decided on.
I'd say that on a general firm-wide basis, not considering individual offices, the higher ranked the school, the more attorneys hired out of that school.
"Also, do you know if class rank is a major factor in OCI success?"
I think class rank will be important wherever you go. I know that at ND firms go pretty deep into the class, but the top firms are always going to be competing for the top students. I mean, of course Skadden wants someone on law review over someone not on law review, it's just common sense. I don't think Skadden caters to the bottom of the class at most t-14 schools. Again, if you check out new associates' profiles on firms' sites, you'll see many have Greek recognition after their names, moot court, journal experience, etc. I didn't have moot court or journal on my resume, but I was ranked very high out of the school from which I transferred. ND doesn't even rank its students, by the way, for whatever this is worth. Of course, GPA is a factor considering the curve.
Again, probably the higher ranked the school, the deeper into the classes firms will go, but I really don't think by all that much.
"I would be very interested in any knowledge you can offer about the clinics: how competitive it is to participate in one, how worthwhile they are, etc."
Sorry, don't know much about them. I'd check the website.
"I'm also very interested in trial advocacy and know that ND is especially highly regarded in this area of law. Do you or your friends have any experience with or opinions about the trial advocacy specialty at ND or the moot court team?"
Trial Ad is big at ND and very well respected. Anyone can take one semester of moot court (requires an appellate brief), but it's also a competition for who stays on for the following semester and following year. I know there are a few different moot court teams, maybe four? It is competitive. Out of a class of probably 40+ students, I think 10 were selected based on their briefs and oral argument.