US NEWS RANKINGS leak (2011)

[wyatth]

Another note on bar passage rates: It would only make sense to use that as a factor for schools in the same state. Schools in different states should not be compared to each other for Bar passage %... CA is notoriously hard, so a CA school with a few % lower pass rate than a school in an easier state is not that indicative.. My opinion, anyway.

[cooleylawstudent]

How many bars are there in the US anyways? Someone told me that not every state even has one.

[bigs5068]

Yea every state has one and I didn't know this, but if you pass one the easiest I imagine being South or North Dakota you can do federal law in any state. I had an interview with JAG and the guy that interviewed told me he wanted to be in JAG and took the South Dakota Bar, because he heard it was the easiest to pass and doing that he is able to be a JAG anywhere and he works in California now. He said the same thing applies to the DOJ, Department of Labor, any federal organization.  I had no idea about that, but it is a pretty clever way to get around taking the CA bar, which is by far the hardest.

[cooleylawstudent]

Do you think the peurto rico one is in spanish? What is an anglo like me wanted to take it?

[LearnedCortex]

The highest USNWR rankings are true self-fulfilling prophesies.  Add two pinches of real geniuses, a pinch of "feel good" students from sympatheic backgrounds, a convincingly high number of incidental "statistical" geniuses who (for one reason or another) rocked the LSATs/uGPAs, and top it all off with the creamy froth of well-heeled legacies who don't fall into the first or third aforementioned categories.
    Next, tally the opinions/perceptions of the thoroughly entrenched and established.   
            Along the way, let us disregard expenses beyond the scope of the process:
                    -Private high school guidance counselor:  $25,000
                   -Charitable donation of family member 9 months before law school application:  $75,000-?
                  -Private LSAT tutoring:  $4000 and up
                  -Arranged dinner with the Dean of X law school 2 months before law school application: $100 meal + (insert quid pro quo here)
The results? Priceless.  "Meritocracy Light"   

It is, of course, in the nature of society to manifest all forms of nepotism, just as it is in the nature of capitalist societies to both woo and revolve around wealth.  One might as well ask the sky to stop being blue.  But that doesn't mean I have to drink the koolaid and succumb to the temptation of projecting innate talent and superiority, by default, on those who emerge from pedigreed law schools. 

Bud Fox: This is really a nice club, Mr. Gekko.
Gordon Gekko: Yeah, not bad for a City College boy. I bought my way in, now all these Ivy league schmucks are sucking my kneecaps
               
Those who care to may freely underestimate me--I go to Brooklyn Law School.  But several years from now, in the heat of litigation, you do so at your own risk.     

[the white rabbit]

The highest USNWR rankings are true self-fulfilling prophesies.  Add two pinches of real geniuses, a pinch of "feel good" students from sympatheic backgrounds, a convincingly high number of incidental "statistical" geniuses who (for one reason or another) rocked the LSATs/uGPAs, and top it all off with the creamy froth of well-heeled legacies who don't fall into the first or third aforementioned categories.
    Next, tally the opinions/perceptions of the thoroughly entrenched and established.   
            Along the way, let us disregard expenses beyond the scope of the process:
                    -Private high school guidance counselor:  $25,000
                   -Charitable donation of family member 9 months before law school application:  $75,000-?
                  -Private LSAT tutoring:  $4000 and up
                  -Arranged dinner with the Dean of X law school 2 months before law school application: $100 meal + (insert quid pro quo here)
The results? Priceless.  "Meritocracy Light"   

It is, of course, in the nature of society to manifest all forms of nepotism, just as it is in the nature of capitalist societies to both woo and revolve around wealth.  One might as well ask the sky to stop being blue.  But that doesn't mean I have to drink the koolaid and succumb to the temptation of projecting innate talent and superiority, by default, on those who emerge from pedigreed law schools. 

Bud Fox: This is really a nice club, Mr. Gekko.
Gordon Gekko: Yeah, not bad for a City College boy. I bought my way in, now all these Ivy league schmucks are sucking my kneecaps
               
Those who care to may freely underestimate me--I go to Brooklyn Law School.  But several years from now, in the heat of litigation, you do so at your own risk.     

I agree that being rich and connected helps in the process, but I think the majority of folks who are at the top schools don't have such ridiculous advantages.  I certainly didn't have any of the "expenses beyond the scope of the process" that you described.

Also, I would avoid making statements like your last line about what will happen in a few years.  Basically what you're saying is, "I'll show you!"  It makes you look a little silly.  If you're going to become really good, just go ahead and do that and people will respect you for it.  On the other hand, saying you're going to become really good before you actually do won't earn you any points.