Cooley vs Capital

[jsweeden]

Been accepted at Cooley and Capital.  Would appreciate any input on where to go…  Thanks

[HolmesBoy]

General employment stats for both schools:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/pub?key=0Aik9aY0xMn8JdHZpRzRGNmpIVnFMMTJ0bXNRS0NBd3c&gid=8

Law related employment stats:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/pub?key=0Aik9aY0xMn8JdHZpRzRGNmpIVnFMMTJ0bXNRS0NBd3c&gid=4

[fortook]

I admit I don't know too much about Capitol.  But, Cooley's reputation is horrendous.  Cooley is definitely on the top 5 list of places not to go.  Is Capitol?  Probably not.

[jbean29]

I admit I don't know too much about Capitol.  But, Cooley's reputation is horrendous.  Cooley is definitely on the top 5 list of places not to go.  Is Capitol?  Probably not.

What are your other 4?

[Tiery Eyed]

Cooley vs. Anything = Anything.   

Without knowing anything about Capital, it isn't Cooley..... so I'd go Capital.

[fortook]

The other 4 can vary, Appalachian, FL Coastal, Weidner, Touro are up there.  Anything with high attrition and low employment stats = bad, bad, bad.

Capitol has high attrition, but okay employment stats.

[Maintain FL 350]

Someone once told me that Cooley has a bad reputation for having a bad reputation. Some of the criticism is fair, some is unfair. Yes, I know, Cooley has a self-serving ranking system that produces dubious results. I agree, its absurd. I also think USNWR is absurd. Their attrition rate is very high, the result of admitting too many unqualified students. Certainly an argument can be made that it's unethical to matriculate such students, knowin  that they'll likely fail out. As a result of high attrition, however, they have an OK first time Michigan bar pass rate.

The legal education offered at Cooley is not significantly different from what most T3-T4s offer. If it was, they wouldn't be ABA accredited. I think Cooley's reputation has taken on a larger than life aspect at this point, and might not have much of a foundation in reality. Nonetheless, that is Cooley's rep.

I don't know much about Capital, but they have a great bar pass rate in Ohio. If you want to practice in the midwest I'm sure that Capital is fine. If you want to do small firm/solo/government in Michigan, Cooley might be alright too.

No matter where you go, be realistic about your goals and options. Go into law school with your eyes open wide, do as many internships as possible, and make solid connections. I have friends who graduated from well respected schools who are unemployed, and yet I spoke to someone the other day who is about to graduate from La Verne and has a kick-ass job offer. Network and learn to market yourself! 

[FalconJimmy]

Capital

[john4040]

Cooley

"Representatives at three large Tampa area law firms, requesting to speak without attribution, said they have no Cooley graduates and consider it a school that admits just about any applicant."

http://www.bizjournals.com/tampabay/print-edition/2011/10/07/cooley-fights-defamation-as-it.html?page=3

Capital

"The school has been in operation since 1903 - as the Columbus Law School. According to this Avvo rating/profile, Capital Law School has 5,709 total alumni. Of this figure, 1,131 members are inactive. ALSO, AMONG THESE 5,709 GRADUATES, ONLY THREE ARE JUDGES!!! And 153 have apparently received disciplinary sanctions."

"USN&WR lists the average student indebtedness for Class of 2009 Crapital Law grads who incurred law school debt at $98,531."

http://thirdtierreality.blogspot.com/2011/01/ring-in-new-year-with-fourth-tier.html

[fortook]

^^^ Don't trust any of that.  How do those Capitol numbers compare with say, Akron, which I know is fine.  Is 1,131 inactive out of almost 6,000 normal?  I'm assuming most of those are retires.  Is 153 with disciplinary action normal?  Doesn't seem too many out of 6000.

I'm personally not a big fan of Cooley, but what some fool at some unnamed firm says....come on.