How important is the name really?

[RedNBlack]

First of all, I said "likely", and that is true. Second of all, how about you back that statement up with some numbers? I still stand by the statement that people outside of the top 50% at non-top 15 schools "likely" aren't going big law. Bottom line.

[T. Durden]

First of all, I said "likely", and that is true. Second of all, how about you back that statement up with some numbers? I still stand by the statement that people outside of the top 50% at non-top 15 schools "likely" aren't going big law. Bottom line.

the man speaks the truth

[Budlaw]

Sorry, I just have to respond to your comment noting that UGA is "out of the way." UGA places the most law students in biglaw in Atlanta than any other law school, and I don't think its close. Nearly every one of my friends in the top 1/3 had a good shot at big law and either got an offer, or at least had multiple shots at it. If you aren't in the top 1/3 - 1/2 at any schools outside of the top 15, you likely aren't going biglaw. So the point: UGA is a bad example of a school that doesn't place well in biglaw, and while it is an hour from ATL, it certainly isn't "out of the way" in terms of getting a job.

Maybe I should have said that it doesn't place well in Biglaw unless you're in the top 1/3rd?

Happy now?

If you notice I did say "if you don't do well" - that would imply being outside of the top 1/3rd of your class.

And to clarify my "out of the way" - I was talking about a T1 school not located inside a major legal market. I love Athens to death (went to undergrad there), but it's not a major legal market. It's a little over an hour away from one (Atlanta) - but it's not located in one.

[RedNBlack]

I see what you're saying, I just don't think UGA is as good an example as Colorado or Alabama b/c it basically functions as though it is in Atlanta in terms of employment. And of course you have the advantage of not paying $10 a beer, but you already know that well if you went to undergrad here.

[Budlaw]

I see what you're saying, I just don't think UGA is as good an example as Colorado or Alabama b/c it basically functions as though it is in Atlanta in terms of employment. And of course you have the advantage of not paying $10 a beer, but you already know that well if you went to undergrad here.

$1 dollar schlitz

$1.50 PBR - gotta love it.

[UChi2L]

First of all, I said "likely", and that is true. Second of all, how about you back that statement up with some numbers? I still stand by the statement that people outside of the top 50% at non-top 15 schools "likely" aren't going big law. Bottom line.

I suppose that depends on what you mean by "likely" ... would that be a preponderance of the evidence standard?

[RedNBlack]

No, reasonable person....

[DOCLAW]

DOCLAW, what city do you go to school in? And how did you manage to get a job?  ANy advice?  Does anyone know if it is possible to get a federal clerkship coming from a t2, do most federal judges (like some firms) simply only take canidates from certain schools?

I am in Maryland.  Most alumni from my school practice at Baltimore & DC firms.   How did I get a job? Like everybody else.  1L: Starting in December, I sent out resumes with writing samples to 20-30 large firms (150+).  Received 5 interviews.  Accepted a well paid summer associate position. Also received a few random offers to apply to firms.  Additionally, if you are unable to find employment on your own for 1L summer, my school has gaureenteed placement (clerkship, or firm) for all 1L students.

2L: Did OCI. 

So, the point is that no generalized statement can be made that applies across the board.  Like another poster said, it depends on location, reputation of the school within the community, interviewing and social skills.  If you have absolutely no interviewing or social skills and normally would not be able to find a job, then yeah I would agree that you need to transfer to the highest ranked school you can possibly find in order to compensate.

Good luck on finals!!

[Krisace]

I keep reading these posts and people seem to be speaking accross each other.  Yes, it is possible to get a Biglaw job out of a T-2 or maybe even a T-3 that is in a big metropolitan area. The point that peopple are trying to make, and that those who do well as a 1L should note, is that the BigLaw jobs out of a T-2 or T-3 are few and afr between.  Sure you can be one of the 5 people at U. San Francisco to get one in your class of 300 or so.  You might be one of the 2 at McGeorge that get one iun your class of 350.

But the safe bet,and the wiser choice, is to transfer to a T-1, perhaps even a top-14 school.  T-1's are likely placing 25% of their studnetbody into BigLaw.  Top-14 schools are placing 50% or so (virtually everyone, with rare exception of course, of those who wants such a job). 

Staying at a lower-ranked school is a smart decision only if you can see that those with your precise rank got a BigLaw job the year before. Or, of course, it makes sense if you simply don't care to work for a national or global firm.

[ksully]

BUT Hofstra has a brand new Dean (who is in fact my Torts prof) and he has already started the improvement process.  I actually am a part of it, because I among many of my classmates, are the recruits he wanted to get so much. 

Hofstra had the lowest bar passage rate of all NYC schools, 6 points below the state average, for the last bar exam. So much for improvements.


http://www.nylawyer.com/adgifs/decisions/121506examchart.pdf