what's more important to you in selecting a law school - debt, employ, bar pass

[ohioan]

I'm curious...what is more important to you when selecting a law school?
Debt
Employment at graduation
bar passage

Please specify your year and if a 3L or grad, please state if you got your job at graduation.

For me, (0L) I think the bar passage is least important of these three (still an important consideration), and I would put Employment at Graduation first because, although debt is common for us all, a reasonable job makes that debt manageable.

[Matthies]

Of the three I agree with you bar passage would be my least consideration. I’m studying for the bar now, and no freaking way is what they teach you in the survey classes enough, or I remember enough from the last four years (part time) to pass the thing without extensive prep, bar classes, flash cards and hours upon hours of studying. If I fail the bar it’s going to have nothing to do with my school, I either prepared for it between now and then well enough or I did not.

[ihateattorneys]

I would also say that the bar passage rate is the least important factor in choosing a school.  The passage rate is most likely indicative of the students' inclination rather that the instruction they receive.  For instance, monkeys could teach Harvard Law students and they would probably still have a 90something % pass rate and the greatest professors in the world could teach students an unaccredited school, and the pass rates would still be dismal.

The factors of cost and employment are the relevant factors here.  I am currently going through this process myself.  You must evaluate what you want to do with your degree.  If it is working in "Big Law", the debt may not be a bad idea at the expense of a high ranking school.  However, if you are like me and you anticipate staying local (with respect to the school) and intend on seeking employment in a field that does not require a big name school, then the obvious choice would be to save your money.  Debt is nothing to take lightly, especially when it comes in six figures.

I would implore someone considering to think long and hard and know with certain degree of accuracy where and what they want to practice.  If you can answer that, you can choose a school.

[vap]

I'll be the third person to say that debt and employment rate are the two most important.  I think you should balance them carefully.  A decent employment rate does not always offset high debt.

A school offering better employment prospects makes you more attractive to employers; but having little to no debt makes more employers attractive to you.

Also, many people do not last more than a few years at a big firm before quitting or getting canned.

[NMUZ]

OL and I would say that employment at graduation is the most important to me, then bar passage, then debt.  If you have a good job at graduation because you passed the bar, debt will not be as big of an issue

[themanwithnoname]

bar pass rate is least important (unless it is exceptionally low). Debt vs % employed on graduation depends on how much of each we are talking about and what sorts of law schools we are looking at. The % employed numbers are pretty meaningless at the top 10 law schools. Also, those numbers can be gamed, and are, by some schools.

[nailemlaw]

Echoing some of the sentiments above.  Employment upon graduation can also set you up for continued success down the road.  Debt and bar passage can be adjusted for down the road, but being employed upon graduation will pay dividends down the road.

http://www.nailemlaw.com

[vap]

Echoing some of the sentiments above.  Employment upon graduation can also set you up for continued success down the road.  Debt and bar passage can be adjusted for down the road, but being employed upon graduation will pay dividends down the road.

http://www.nailemlaw.com

Is it just me, or has the crappy pre-law website spamming increased dramatically in the past year?

[Matthies]

Echoing some of the sentiments above.  Employment upon graduation can also set you up for continued success down the road.  Debt and bar passage can be adjusted for down the road, but being employed upon graduation will pay dividends down the road.

http://www.nailemlaw.com

Is it just me, or has the crappy pre-law website spamming increased dramatically in the past year?

Its the economy, law studnets can't get big law jobs so they all just start thier own biz to pray of the people like them 3 years ago

[vap]

Echoing some of the sentiments above.  Employment upon graduation can also set you up for continued success down the road.  Debt and bar passage can be adjusted for down the road, but being employed upon graduation will pay dividends down the road.

http://www.nailemlaw.com

Is it just me, or has the crappy pre-law website spamming increased dramatically in the past year?

Its the economy, law studnets can't get big law jobs so they all just start thier own biz to pray of the people like them 3 years ago

 

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