why so import to go to "top" school?

[jarvisa]

If you plan to practice a few years before you go into local politics, just make sure you practice in the state in which you want to go into politics.  Then you would just want to make sure your law school sufficiently places people in that state.

[drowles]

so you can learn how to spell the word important... jackass

[queencruella]

As to the question about future political options- look at Clinton. He did absolutely fine going to Yale and then coming back to Arkansas to eventually become attorney general and governor.

[jarvisa]

so you can learn how to spell the word important... jackass

Yeah, that's what they teach you at top schools, spelling.  Because everyone knows that of all the skills to possess, spelling is the most important.  It certainly outranks having enough social grace not to flame somebody for being a little careless.  Jackass.

[SuicideNixon]

Every time I read about a top lawyer and find out where he/she went to school they are usually from lower ranked schools. What does this prove? I really don't know, maybe all the Yale and Harvard grads are slaving away in huge firms while these lawyers, such as the lawyer who defended Micheal Jackson(who went to UC Hastings), get all the glory. Maybe all of us trying so hard to get into a "top" law school are wasting a lot of time and energy. It seems to me if your focused and determined it does not matter where you go to law school. The cream rises to the top, isn't that the saying?

law is a diverse field, and the areas that get the most "glory" in the press are the least academic--basically trial law, civil and criminal. that's not to say these people aren't skilled, but that kind of skill is not something that either the LSAT or undergrad selects for. It's more like acting or something like that. the top schools send people to big firms, legal academia and into federal judgeships. If you are dead-set on being the next Johnny Cochran, then it doesn't really matter where you go to law school. these people in general work a lot harder for a lot less money though than guys at big firms, despite what appears to be the prevailing view on this board.