Best Law Schools according to lay perception

[exspes]

The two groups are very different. The average Americans won't even get an associates degree(dont need it to pull turds out of urinals for a living)
So to say a fully college educated person would think as a true "layperson" is not at all true. Those are two totally seperate groups.

I don't think online degrees carry much weight...
I did define "lay perception" in OP as what does the typical college educated person think? I think most college educated people know that University of Phoenix is not exactly the most competative degree.

[Cicero]

I think most college educated people don't view online programs (such as Kaplan) as being at the same level as a regular in-class degree program (exception: if it is through a respected university and is considered the same as that university's in-class degree). I would think this view would carry over to their opinion of law schools.

[exspes]

True, for those who went through it, but thats like asking what the average person thinks of the military and then only polling veterans. Not really the same deal, ya'know?

I think most college educated people don't view online programs (such as Kaplan) as being at the same level as a regular in-class degree program (exception: if it is through a respected university and is considered the same as that university's in-class degree). I would think this view would carry over to their opinion of law schools.

[Cicero]

My answer is based on the OP's question. The OP asked for the opinion of the regular college educated person who has not attended LS, not the opinion of people in general.

[exspes]

 Author Topic: Best Law Schools according to lay perception


lay person, layperson
n pl lay persons, laypersons, lay people, laypeople
1. a person who is not a member of the clergy
2. a person who does not have specialized or professional knowledge of a subject a lay person's guide to conveyancing

Then the OP was wrong in a what a layperson was.

My answer is based on the OP's question. The OP asked for the opinion of the regular college educated person who has not attended LS, not the opinion of people in general.

[bigs5068]

I heard Harvard & Yale were decent schools. I think most lay people will agree with that. Honestly, I doubt most people not in law school know anything about any law school. Most people in San Francisco have no idea Hastings or GGU exist. If you tell someone you are in law school in San Francisco they assume University of San Francisco, Berkley, or Stanford. They don't even know the other ones exist.

I am sure in Florida if you said I am in law school they would assume Florida or Florida State most people probably have no idea Stetson or any of the other ones exist. Cardozo is a good school, but lay people in New York have no idea about it they don't know about Brooklyn Law School either. If you say law school in New York people will know NYU & Columbia the rest lay people would have no idea.

The real truth is if a school is famous for sports or is really prestigious then people will have heard of it. Otherwise people have no reason and don't care what school you go to. The odds are most clients you get in the real world will have absolutely no idea if a school is highly ranked or not.

It's like Medical School I have no idea if a school is ranked highly or not I know Harvard is good, but I don't even know if University of San Francisco has a medical school.  I am sure there are several medical schools in San Francisco, but I don't know what they are I know Stanford has one, but that is really all I know.  I do know a medical school trains doctors and that is as far as my knowledge goes. If I am sick I will go to a doctor with a medical degree and probably not care to much about what school he/she went to, because they will know how to treat illness better than me or any jackass without a medical degree would.

[the white rabbit]

short of actually doing a full on cross country survey, all anyone (including you) can do is give guesses and their own opinions based on the facts they have available to them. I gave other layman in semi-simular situations, you just gave "I dont think they would".

Actually, I don't believe I expressed an opinion one way or the other.  And short of doing some kind of survey, I don't think people should say they're "pretty sure" of what laymen think in general.

[the white rabbit]

The odds are most clients you get in the real world will have absolutely no idea if a school is highly ranked or not.

Depends what kind of law you're practicing.  If you're at a big firm where most of your clients are large corporations, then you're probably dealing with their GC's, who generally have an idea as to how highly schools are regarded (though not necessarily ranked).

[exspes]

pretty sure is an opinion, beyond that would be a fact.

short of actually doing a full on cross country survey, all anyone (including you) can do is give guesses and their own opinions based on the facts they have available to them. I gave other layman in semi-simular situations, you just gave "I dont think they would".

Actually, I don't believe I expressed an opinion one way or the other.  And short of doing some kind of survey, I don't think people should say they're "pretty sure" of what laymen think in general.

[lawboy81]

I think college educated people are a little bit more knowledgable about law schools.
Let's take a fairly successful businessman, for example. His company has likely needed lawyers before for a merger, for employment discrimination suit, products liability suit, whatever. So he's met lawyers that way.
Maybe he sends his kids to a decent private school and he knows the parents, some of whom are lawyers.
Maybe he goes to church and knows other middle-aged professional people, some of whom are lawyers.
It's not unlikely that he has a brother or cousin or lifelong friend who is a lawyer.
Maybe when he gets old enough his daughter or niece is considering applying to law school.

I am asking about this type of person -- middle/ upper middle-class college educated people. These people probably have some familiarity with what law schools are generally considered good, but it is limited.

I wasn't asking about Tyrone who dropped out after 9th grade and is currently a server at Burger King, or Billy Bob the farmer, because of course these people probably have no idea about law schools...
Now I realize who I'm talking abojt may not in fact be the "typical American" or a correct definition of a lay person. Just go with me here.