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Btw I don't know how accurate those average salary. Check the reporting percentage. I'm basing some of my choices on that. If I can make around $125,000 (most top schools are that in the private sector) on average from that school why go to a even more expensive or harder to get into school? But again my previous post does still apply.
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<p>Salary can usually be split into two sectors....biglaw and non biglaw. Biglaw market is 160k for first years, non biglaw market is usually always below 100k but varies by firm/type of work....therefore most people break down schools by ones chance at getting biglaw. Take Yale for example, you can finish bottom 5% and still get biglaw (160k). If you come from Pepperdine or Loyola you're going to have to finish top 5% to get that. </p>
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For example Like Fordham is around $125,000 in private, that looks good for me. Lower tuition (15k) then most schools. Easy for me to get into to. And employment rate is 98.6% after 9 months. Plus since it ranks around 25th which isn't bad. And there is always the chance I can get some financial aid or scholarship.
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<p>Are you high? Tuition @ fordham is 39k and will run you about 60k/yr after everything is figured in. <a href="http://law.fordham.edu/ihtml/fa-2Loan_COA.ihtml?id=320%5B/url%5D">http://law.fordham.edu/ihtml/fa-2Loan_COA.ihtml?id=320</a></p>
<p>Also, dont put alot of weight into % employed after graduation. First, these #'s are self reported (if you're not employed you have more problems to worry about then returning a survey your school sends you) + employment doesn't mean legal employment....hell if school A graduated 100% of it's class, but 100% worked at mcdonalds after graduation, they would have 100% employment. </p>
<p>You should pick a law school based on two decisions. First, do you want to go into biglaw or not? If you don't want to do it then go where you want and can get the most $$ (therefore lowering tuition) but just remember that you will most likely make 50-70k upon graduation. If you want to go to biglaw go to the highest ranked school. Now, obviously there's no different between 7 and 8, or 10 and 12...but if it comes down to Georgetown at 14 and fordham at 25....go to georgetown if you want the big firm job. The "rule of thumb" at fordham is top 1/3 get biglaw, everyone out side of that has to hustle for it. Gtown, on the other hand, can get top 60% or so into biglaw with the rest having to hustle for it (mind you, it's easier to hustle for it when you have georgetown compared to fordham on your resume). </p>
<p>To sum up:</p>
<p>1) higher ranked schools get you the better shot at the big firm jobs (and big $)</p>
<p>2) if you want to work at a big firm you should go to the higher ranked school (assuming the difference is more then 1/2 spots)</p>
<p>3) if you want to work in a big firm and you're choosing between a few less then stellar schools, go with wherever you can get the $$, because outside of say the top 25 biglaw is VERY hard to get.</p>