Is it worth attending a Tier 4 school?

[oceangal123]

Hi guys, this is my first post, and I just want to start off by saying that you guys are so awesome for helping each other out. I didn't do that well on the LSAT(144) and I decided that I'm not going to take it again(seeing that I studied 6 months prior). I was admitted to two Tier 4 schools; University of DC, and U of D.
My question for you guys is, is it worth attending a tier 4 school? Will I have a job when I'm done? Please help guys, and all feed back is highly appreciated!

[nikos13]

It depends on what you ultimately see yourself doing with a legal degree. If you're aiming for government work or biglaw, it might be worth reevaluating your desire to go to law school. If you want to open your own practice, it might be worth it to go tier 4. A job is never guarenteed (outside of T14), so it's good that you're asking these questions now before you've spent three years of your life and $150,000. I'm sure others will have better insight into this decision-making process, but that's my $.02. Good luck.

[Burning Sands, Esq.]

Depends on what you mean by "job."

[pulvillus]

I know an attorney who went to a non-ABA accredited law school and is doing fine. A friend of mine also knows a couple of attorneys, one of whom attended the same non-accredited school and later helped his friend, a Vandy grad, get started. The moral of the story here is that you're not doomed just for failing to make it into a T14 school. I would however advise against going into debt significantly, as the loan payments might crush you without a high-paying first job.

[TruOne]

It is going to be harder for you to find a job unless you are at the top of your class.

My mentor owns used to work for Jones Day before he went to work for several other Plaintiff firms in ATL. He graduated from U of D, however he also had top grades, so he was able to get a Federal Clerkship. That Clerkship was an equalizeer when it came down to him applying to jobs.

Going to a Tier 4 is harder than a Tier 1, because the Tier 4 will actually flunk out a good portion of their students.

Save yourself the stress and try to shoot for at least a T-2 school.

[cui bono?]

It is going to be harder for you to find a job unless you are at the top of your class.

My mentor owns used to work for Jones Day before he went to work for several other Plaintiff firms in ATL. He graduated from U of D, however he also had top grades, so he was able to get a Federal Clerkship. That Clerkship was an equalizeer when it came down to him applying to jobs.

Going to a Tier 4 is harder than a Tier 1, because the Tier 4 will actually flunk out a good portion of their students.

Save yourself the stress and try to shoot for at least a T-2 school.

Cosign, cosign, and cosign!  Wait a year or so, retake the LSAT. Not worth it to go right now even though I know how tempting it is.  Even if you are doing well, why have the possibility of getting the boot looming over your head?  Your first year is hard enough.   You can go to a tier 4 school get mediocre grades that you may or may not deserve and still get "that" job-  but only after a whole bunch of time.  Not as soon as you graduate.  When people on this site used to say that, I used to dissmiss it as "elitist"  but it's true.

But don't take our word for it.  Go on those job hunting sites in the legal section (i.e., monster.com). The ads that you'll see say something to the effect of "top school or top grades & law review".  As you will quickly learn once you get into law school there's a huge difference between the words "or" and "and".     What the ad is saying is that if you go to a bottom school, you need to have great grades and be on law review (basically "grade on" to law review as oppossed to writing on to law review).  But if you go to a top school, you could be at the middle to bottom of the class without being on law review and still apply.   Make it easier on yourself. 

[Burning Sands, Esq.]

Who you know almost always beats where you go...

Sage words.

[oceangal1234]

thank you so much for the feedback. I'm still confused, but everything you all said was very helpful.
Also, say if I were to transfer, does employers look at that as a red flag?

F.Y.I. I forgot my original password, so my username is slightly different(just in case anyone noticed 

[intent06]

It depends on what you ultimately see yourself doing with a legal degree. If you're aiming for government work or biglaw, it might be worth reevaluating your desire to go to law school. If you want to open your own practice, it might be worth it to go tier 4. A job is never guarenteed (outside of T14), so it's good that you're asking these questions now before you've spent three years of your life and $150,000. I'm sure others will have better insight into this decision-making process, but that's my $.02. Good luck.

Probably one of the most untrue statements I've read on here.  "A job is never guaranteed (outside of T14)".  Not true and just not realistic.  I attend a Tier 4 law school and the job offers and interviews are very much present.  However, you do have to make the grades and it is ultimately about who you know.  I know people at the very top of my class who are jobless because they lack character and personality.  I also know people at the damn near bottom of my class who are at the "so-called" coveted BIGLAW firms.  Who you know almost always trumps grades as far as what I have seen.

In the end, it is up to you.  Everyone is not going to get in and attend a top law school and that's why there are freakin' 200 of them or whatever.  Do what's best for you and do not let anyone put you in a box based on where you go to law school.  I am not saying be unrealistic (based on your overall applicant profile), but I am saying do not base your worth on the ranking of law school you attend.  I know people who attend schools in the top 5 law schools and are working for the government (or not at all) and I know several at the lowest ranked who are in BIGLAW.

[TruOne]

Because it’s hard. Simple as that. It takes time, effort, and putting yourself out in front of strangers, all things more difficult than mass mailing or signing up for OCI. Do this from day one and your odds of finding a “good job” from a T4 school increase immensely, do not do this and your odds are very against you.

If you can’t get into a better school than only go to a T4 school if YOU ARE WILLING to put forth the effort to find yourself a good job rather than relying on the school to do it for you. Who you know beats where you go, but only if you actually take the time to get to know the right people. Most T4 students (or all law students) don’t. Most have poor success finding jobs. Most blame their school, not themselves. Most are wrong about whose fault it really is.

Good luck.

As stated above, save yourself the stress and attend a higher ranked school. Classes and school in general will be hard enough, but then you add on the hustle and bustle of running to all those different ABA and other Bar events?

Go to a higher ranked school where OCI and your school's name will actually be worth something.