Ok.
In an effort to get completely off track from the original topic, which is what online boards are all about I suppose. Here is an example of why stats in any context don't mean a whole lot. Realistically you can have a stat say anything you want.
Here is a recent list of the top 10 best cities to raise a family based on the following stats.
http://www2.forbes.com/business/the-best-cities-for-raising-a-family/?utm_campaign=Best-Cities-Raising-Family&utm_source=yahoo-gemini&utm_medium=referral Metro Population: 567,000
Major Industries: Technology, Health care, Education
Gross Metro Product: $18.5 B
Median Household Income: $59,916
Median Home Price: $177,100
Unemployment: 3.5%
Job Growth (2013): 5.3%
Cost of Living: 7.3% below nat’l avg
College Attainment: 35.8%
Net Migration (2013): 610
-The cost of living is 7.3 below the national average, but what are the salaries?
Collegiate attainment is 35.8%, but what is the median income of the households that end up enrolling in college. Does every family that makes over $1,000,000 a year send their kid to college, probalby, but what about the families making under $50,000.
More importantly what is college attainment. If you enroll in a Sports & Film nightclass at a Junior College is that "attainment"
You could go on and on and poke holes in any stat, including job placement for law grads.
Frankly, everyone I know that graduated with me 4 years ago is employed. Did I know everyone in my class no, but of the 50-60 people I interacted with during law school every single one passed the bar some took two attempts and found employment.
One guy took 4 times to pass, but he did and got a job.
So the point is don't rely heavily on stats, the rankings, or anything else. Use this magical thing called common sense.
If you graduate law school and don't pass the bar your not going to get a job as an attorney. 100% of students that never passed a bar are not working as attorneys, that is a stat I can get behind.
Additionally, just because you pass the bar and a test of minimal competence to practice law does not mean every firm in the world is going to beg you to work there. Instead you will have to hustle to get a job.
it is the catch 22 everyone faces in every profession. You need education and experience to do X job. However, as a new graduate you don't have experience and therefore you are not qualified to do many jobs, but eventually you will find a job that allows you to get experience. Thereafter, you have experience and problem solved, but it will be an annoying 1-2 year journey to start your career.
I don't know any profession that doesn't have this barrier. You don't do brain surgery the second you graduate from Med School, you don't handle a Murder Trial the second you graduate from Law School, You are not named CEO the second you get your MBA, you are not made the Head of Accounting at Global Tax Firm after getting your CPA license, You are not named head of Psychiatric Care for the State after getting your Ph.D. in Psychology, your are not named Head of Nursing after graduating from Nursing School, your not made Chief of Police the second you graduate from the Police Academy.
On and on it goes.
Starting a career is difficult and the law is no better or worse. In fact personally I think it is a little easier than a lot of careers to get your start, because there are only so many licensed attorneys.
If your competing for X Admin Job literally millions of people are qualified to do that job.
So to get back on track 1L Semester Grades you want to do as well as possible, because that will open as many doors. However, there is a 99% chance that any 0L is not going to graduate in the top 1% of their class or graduate from the top 1% of law schools.
Every firm would surely love to have to the Valedictorian of Harvard work at their firm. Every NBA team would love to have Lebron James, Steph Curry, Dirk Nowitzki, Chris Paul and DeAndre Jordan as their starting 5. so on and on so, but they can't.
There is only one Lebron there is only one Harvard Valedictorian per year.
End of incoherent rant.