Widener School of Law

[Led_Zep]

I was wondering, what's the consensus on Widener.  I have no clue which schools are good.  How do I get a list of school rankings?  And how do you know which schools are in which tier?  And one more thing, do the tier divisions really mean anything?  In other words, is there a major difference between a good tier 2 and a bad tier 1?  Thanks.

[Manwithaplan]

the us news and world report rankings will give you a senese of good vs. bad, ranks (1-100, then 3rd and 4th tiers). but keep in mind, their rankings are flawed and well....everyone can list why they are dumb. they mostly feed ppl's egos.

[stateofbeasley]

Widener often gets overshaddowed by older schools.  The W-Harrisburg has to deal with Dickinson, and W-Delaware is up against every school in the Philadelphia region.  In terms of reputation, bar passage rates, and facilities, it doesn't compete all that well. 

That being said, I've worked with several Widener alums, all of whom are good lawyers.

If you are hell bent on large firm work, Widener is probably not a good option. However, if you are interested in other job types and you can schmooze well, it doesn't really matter where you go.

[140am]

Widener often gets overshaddowed by older schools.  The W-Harrisburg has to deal with Dickinson, and W-Delaware is up against every school in the Philadelphia region.  In terms of reputation, bar passage rates, and facilities, it doesn't compete all that well. 

That being said, I've worked with several Widener alums, all of whom are good lawyers.

If you are hell bent on large firm work, Widener is probably not a good option. However, if you are interested in other job types and you can schmooze well, it doesn't really matter where you go.

Pretty accurate summary.

Widener is the least competitive school in the Philadelphia area in terms of bar passage and employment after graduation.  I am not an attorney and know Widener alums who have taken on the same position as myself in order to be employed.  For me, looking to change the course of my career, that sends up a red flag.  However, all of the Widener alums I know are smart people (with the exception of one person), and are all good lawyers.

The school in Wilmington has programs in health law, apparently that is the one area they do well in.

This is by no means a knock on Widener.  It is a legitimate law school.  But the fact remains that the grads stuggle in a lot of cases, to get jobs, and that it does not boast the highest bar passage rate.