Obviously, all of us are obsessed with the question of where we'll get in, and then where we should go. I just wonder how much it matters where you end up going, or if other, much more personal factors ultimately determine success.
For example, there was a great study done recently that showed that students who got into highly selective colleges but went to non-selective colleges ended up with just as much success as those who attended these highly selective colleges. In other words, the best evidence suggests that it is the person, not the school, that determines success.
I wonder if this is also true of law school. I don't know.
The defender of the elite schools would point to all the prominent achievers who went to the top five or six law schools. This would not prove anything, however, because those schools attract the top students. If all those top students decided to go to some school ranked 75th, I'm guessing that school's alumni would suddenly be just as successful as the students at the top. The person, not the school, makes the difference.
I think it would be great if someone tried to do a similar study comparing people who got into top 14 law schools, but chose to go elsewhere, with those who actually attended the top 14 schools. It's a fascinating question.
Here's a link to an article that discusses the study:
http://www.brookings.edu/views/articles/20040902easterbrook.htm