Quote from: TheJ on March 04, 2008, 02:12:01 AMQuote from: TJCCARDCO on March 03, 2008, 05:16:32 PMQuote from: TheJ on March 03, 2008, 02:04:43 PMGenerally, with few exceptions, the lower the school is ranked, the lower its national pull. In other words, lower rank = more regionally specific. If you want a more comfortable shot at mid-law, a higher ranked school would probably be your better bet.The REAL question is, what can you afford? If you go to a lower ranked school, you'll save money, but you'll start at a lower average salary. You need to be comfortable entering at that low salary before you start. It doesn't mean you CAN'T hit mid or big law from a T3 or T4, but your chances are substantially reduced the further down the USNews ladder you go (again, with a few exceptions).Even a "decent regional firm" will be difficult to hit in a congested market where T3s are competing with a few T1s and T2s. If they're in less congested markets, or ones where they're alone, then your chances rise considerably. You need to be more specific about the schools you're choosing between.Isnt it all relative though? If you get top 15% of your class, regardless of where you go, you should be able to get a decent job anywhere. No? Umm, maybe. But the point here is that, were you to attend, say, Catholic in DC, you'd NEED to be top 10-15% to make BigLaw (or probably even most of MidLaw), whereas you'd only NEED to be above the bottom third of the class at Georgetown.Rule #1: Never count on being top 15% at any school. Ever. No matter how well you did in everything else you ever did before. Ever.I keep asking questions about the top 15% of a class, or making statements and everyone automatically assumes that I am talking about myself or trying to say I'm going to be in the top 15% of any class at any school I go to. I am not holding out some false hope that I am going to go to law school and get straight A's, I hope that I'm not coming off sounding like that. That would be utterly douchey, cocky and arrogant. I do not know what law school is going to be like, I am just looking forward to it.But, I think that if you want something, and you try hard enough at it...you can do anything you want. Top 15% anywhere.
Quote from: TJCCARDCO on March 03, 2008, 05:16:32 PMQuote from: TheJ on March 03, 2008, 02:04:43 PMGenerally, with few exceptions, the lower the school is ranked, the lower its national pull. In other words, lower rank = more regionally specific. If you want a more comfortable shot at mid-law, a higher ranked school would probably be your better bet.The REAL question is, what can you afford? If you go to a lower ranked school, you'll save money, but you'll start at a lower average salary. You need to be comfortable entering at that low salary before you start. It doesn't mean you CAN'T hit mid or big law from a T3 or T4, but your chances are substantially reduced the further down the USNews ladder you go (again, with a few exceptions).Even a "decent regional firm" will be difficult to hit in a congested market where T3s are competing with a few T1s and T2s. If they're in less congested markets, or ones where they're alone, then your chances rise considerably. You need to be more specific about the schools you're choosing between.Isnt it all relative though? If you get top 15% of your class, regardless of where you go, you should be able to get a decent job anywhere. No? Umm, maybe. But the point here is that, were you to attend, say, Catholic in DC, you'd NEED to be top 10-15% to make BigLaw (or probably even most of MidLaw), whereas you'd only NEED to be above the bottom third of the class at Georgetown.Rule #1: Never count on being top 15% at any school. Ever. No matter how well you did in everything else you ever did before. Ever.
Quote from: TheJ on March 03, 2008, 02:04:43 PMGenerally, with few exceptions, the lower the school is ranked, the lower its national pull. In other words, lower rank = more regionally specific. If you want a more comfortable shot at mid-law, a higher ranked school would probably be your better bet.The REAL question is, what can you afford? If you go to a lower ranked school, you'll save money, but you'll start at a lower average salary. You need to be comfortable entering at that low salary before you start. It doesn't mean you CAN'T hit mid or big law from a T3 or T4, but your chances are substantially reduced the further down the USNews ladder you go (again, with a few exceptions).Even a "decent regional firm" will be difficult to hit in a congested market where T3s are competing with a few T1s and T2s. If they're in less congested markets, or ones where they're alone, then your chances rise considerably. You need to be more specific about the schools you're choosing between.Isnt it all relative though? If you get top 15% of your class, regardless of where you go, you should be able to get a decent job anywhere. No?
Generally, with few exceptions, the lower the school is ranked, the lower its national pull. In other words, lower rank = more regionally specific. If you want a more comfortable shot at mid-law, a higher ranked school would probably be your better bet.The REAL question is, what can you afford? If you go to a lower ranked school, you'll save money, but you'll start at a lower average salary. You need to be comfortable entering at that low salary before you start. It doesn't mean you CAN'T hit mid or big law from a T3 or T4, but your chances are substantially reduced the further down the USNews ladder you go (again, with a few exceptions).Even a "decent regional firm" will be difficult to hit in a congested market where T3s are competing with a few T1s and T2s. If they're in less congested markets, or ones where they're alone, then your chances rise considerably. You need to be more specific about the schools you're choosing between.
J, if you didn't bring enough penis for everyone, you shouldn't have brought any penis at all.
I have posted this topic on another thread; however, I have not received that many responses. I feel like the advice I have read on this thread has been really helpful, so I'll ask the question again. I am curious how much weight should be placed on USNWR Specialty Rankings.In my case, I know that I want to get into Health Law. I have been accepted to SLU (#1 Health Law). Does this REALLY matter that much. I know that it would be a better idea to go to a top school as opposed to a school with a high Health Law ranking, but my numbers do not really allow that. I applied to WUSTL, but it is a REALLY far reach in my opinion. I am aware that SLU is a regional school and I do not mind staying in the region. Does a high specialty ranking make the school more known on a national level with firms that focus on that area? Any input on this will be greatly appreciated
Yea I figured among schools of similar ranking this would be the case. The big question I will face is if I do get into WUSTL (USNWR - 19), as unlikely as that is, what do I do. I know that Health Law is what I want to get into (From previous experience), but SLU is T2. I have an unconditional 10K per year scholarship at SLU and I would not get any $ at WUSTL. The tuition difference would be 24K vs. 40K. I guess that will be a question to face if the time comes. My main question is what a high speciality ranking does to a schools national pull. I would think it would help within that specific area of law, but I really have nothing to base that on other than just what seems to make sense to me.
Don't think changing your avatar will make you safe. I'll eat baby lobsters. I'm not above that.
If you're absolutly set on doing Health Law go to SLU- hands down.
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