If You're Law School Bound - I Want To Help You Get There!!!

[jnewton0828]

is law school like the movie Legally Blonde ?

I haven't seen the movie.

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The school I attended was ranked 7th for clinical legal training by U.S. News & World Report's Best Law Schools 2016 .

This is a little misleading. You should be very proud of your accomplishments, but a niche category ranking of the USNWR is certainly not the same as USNWR's overall law school ranking (for which University of the District of Columbia [Clarke] did not qualify for ranking).

depending on what you plan to do with your degree after passing the bar, this could be irrelevant. So I understand if this doesn't matter for you. But in the law field, school prestige is unfortunately still VERY important in most of the fields overall --- and falling outside of the T50, let alone not being ranked, is significant for the good ol' boys club. Eventually this will change, of course (with any luck).

Again, this is probably not relevant for your situation so I'm not making a statement about your circumstances. And your explanation of why this doesn't matter to you is definitely valid. I'm not trying to be critical.

Aside from Clarke, were any of the other schools you got into ranked in USNWR's overall ranking (not category-specific)?

I said it is ranked by USNWR for a specific category.  But if we assume when someone says ranked they only mean the T14, T25 then no UDC as are so many others is not ranked in the T14 or T25.  I qualified my statement by discussing what the importance of ranking is if you are trying to get on with a top firm or a federal clerkship. My intention here is to provide general information not to mislead anyone. I thought, I qualified my answer enough with the information about prestige. 

If you are seeking to go to a T14 or even a T25, it may be difficult to do so with our method of undergraduate of study, as some of those school are much more stringent in their admission criteria and selection process. They may also want to see graded credits for everything. I don't know that is the case.  I had an average LSAT and a unique personal statement.  I may never know which school would have accepted me because I applied for the ones that I thought I could afford to attend if I didn't get and keep scholarship money after year 1.  They key is to know what you want going in, so there is no surprises on the exit.  You and I agree on the prestige factor of the T14 schools.

Here's an outside opinion that verifies what I am saying about that matter.  Summed up: if you are dead set on practicing in one of the large law firms or competing for a clerkship, IT MATTERS SIGNIFICANTLY.  Don't sleep on the un-ranked or regional schools either though, because they have valuable alumni circles and connections for a multitude of jobs outside of the top law firms. My school, UDC has such circles and connections, especially in the DC metro area and moreover for public interest law.  

https://7sage.com/does-attending-a-t14-l...ol-matter/

[sanantone]

Are you worried about job prospects with an unranked degree since there's an overabundance of lawyers out there?

[jnewton0828]

Are you worried about job prospects with an unranked degree since there's an overabundance of lawyers out there?

I think there is a lot of misinformation out there concerning legal jobs.  The Bureau of Labor Statistics is a good source to look at the outlook for the occupation as a whole.

It is a fact, there is are a ton of lawyers out here. Many of which thought getting a law degree was a magic pill to get a 150k jo. Those opportunities do exist but they're not as plentiful as they were in the past.  The legal sector as a business is changing because of technology. There are all sorts of sources for legal information online. This all has an impact on the legal industry. As a result, large firms have tightened their belts and cut staff. 

There is also dozens of law grads who, while they wait for their dream job, work as document reviewers for anywhere between $30-60 per hour and those projects are plentiful in some metro areas.  Some us, who are awaiting bar results, scrap through by working as law clerks and paralegals. No one is pulling in market rate of $200-$400 (metro) per hour, but you can make anywhere between $75 - $125 per hour as a contract paralegal. 

But one area of law remains steadfast:  the need for affordable, effective, professional legal representation.  The industry breaks down into people who cannot afford a lawyer at all because of poverty, people who can afford any lawyer they want because they are wealthy and the rest of us, who have some money yet cannot afford the market rates for a lawyer.  Believe it or not, that is where the opportunity for many solos is. But even if you want to take a traditional legal job, you will get a job, even with an un-ranked degree.  The school I attended has always been un-ranked.  Yet, you can find dozens of alums from there that have done some pretty extraordinary things. It's a matter of your tenacity.

[jsd]

I guess it varies based on location. I know a couple folks who both graduated from the same ranked school, but it is on the tail end of the rankings and neither can find jobs in the field. One is now a real estate agent -- i have no idea what the other one is doing these days but last time we talked they were considering moving out of state for a public defender job that i think he said he'd be lucky to get $50k/year for.

[jnewton0828]

I guess it varies based on location. I know a couple folks who both graduated from the same ranked school, but it is on the tail end of the rankings and neither can find jobs in the field. One is now a real estate agent -- i have no idea what the other one is doing these days but last time we talked they were considering moving out of state for a public defender job that i think he said he'd be lucky to get $50k/year for.

Where are they?  Location does play a role in finding a job.  Rural areas is tougher.  Metro areas not so much. Just about the same with any other occupation.  Only difference is that others don't require or expect 100k + of student loan debt.  Public Defenders, even in DC, start at about $65k.  MD is $54k. Other places, some start in the low to mid 40s.  There is a federal loan forgiveness program that allows students to get their loans forgiven if they put in 10 years of service in public interest law. Some jurisdictions even have loan repayment assistance programs that give you money to pay loans as long as you are in public interest.

[Life_One]

Congratulations on your achievement! Thank you for sharing this information as well. I don't have any questions currently but if I do happen to attend law school or get into the field someday I'll let you know.

[jsd]

I guess it varies based on location. I know a couple folks who both graduated from the same ranked school, but it is on the tail end of the rankings and neither can find jobs in the field. One is now a real estate agent -- i have no idea what the other one is doing these days but last time we talked they were considering moving out of state for a public defender job that i think he said he'd be lucky to get $50k/year for.

Where are they?  Location does play a role in finding a job.  Rural areas is tougher.  Metro areas not so much. Just about the same with any other occupation.  Only difference is that others don't require or expect 100k + of student loan debt.  Public Defenders, even in DC, start at about $65k.  MD is $54k. Other places, some start in the low to mid 40s.  There is a federal loan forgiveness program that allows students to get their loans forgiven if they put in 10 years of service in public interest law. Some jurisdictions even have loan repayment assistance programs that give you money to pay loans as long as you are in public interest.

Southern California. I don't recall what state he was considering moving to, however.