<p>In response to the OP’s post (#s as in original):</p>
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<li><p>It is VERY difficult to get a position teaching law. It is USUALLY necessary to be near the top of your class at a top 14 school, preferably a top 6 school. I disagree with the advise to get a MPP, unless you are doing a combined one with a JD. Politicians may end up spending a lot of time out of office; you need to earn a living during those years. I’d recommend a JD or an MBA for that. </p></li>
<li><p>The number of law schools has increased dramatically in the last 15 years and, unfortunately, is likely to keep increasing. There is an oversupply of attorneys. While you can be a success from any law school, the entry level positions often don’t pay enough to cover student loans. My own kid ONLY borrowed the max federal student loans–no private loans at all. Bill is over $1,000 per month. (Kid has no undergrad loans.) The lower down on the totem pole a law school is, the less likely it is to have a loan forgiveness program. You really should not count on the fact that if you go to a lower tier law school you are going to be able to get a job which allows you to pay back loans straight out of law school. (I forget the limitations, but if you earn above a certain amount, you can not deduct the interest on student loans from your taxable income. The amount isn’t that high.) </p></li>
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<p>Someone in my office has hired a 2007 law grad to work on a per diem basis. He doesn’t get to work every day–just whenever he’s needed. He recently extended his loan repayment schedule to 30 years because it is impossible for him to meet the monthly payments for a 10 or 20 year program on the amount he is earning. (As I understand it, he can’t change this option when his financial circumstances change. I don’t know if that’s true for all loans or only his.) He is living at home with his parents right now. Of course, his life may improve dramatically once he is admitted to the bar. Someone may hire him full time then. However, he had to pay for the bar review course, etc., and that meant going another several thousand collars into debt. In New York State, at least, you are lucky if you can get admitted within 10 months of finishing law school. That assumes you pass the bar on the first try. </p>
<p>Short version: NOBODY should assume that if (s)he goes to a school outside the top 50, (s)he will be able to get a job that will allow him/her to pay back law school debt of $100,000+. The exception, of course, is someone who knows a job is waiting–usually as part of a relative’s law firm. </p>
<p>Additionally, for some types of law, it doesn’t make sense to go to a lower tier law school. Yes, you can be a successful lawyer from any law school. However, if you think you can get a job as an associate in the merger and acquisitions department of a major law firm doing anything other than document review coming from a law school outside the top 50 WITHOUT a “hook,” I’ll sell you the Brooklyn Bridge. </p>
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<li><p>Is true at most law schools.</p></li>
<li><p>Strong LSATs don’t prove anything about strong liberal arts education. (My own kid broke 170 taking a practice test while still in high school.) It is true that a very high LSAT score really helps. However, there is an assumption on this board that if someone studies hard enough, (s)he can geat a 175+. It is NOT true. There ARE people who have done that–but not everyone does. Some folks just do not do well on standardized tests. a 160 LSAT–still a very good score–and a 3.7 from a top school looks better than a 160 and a 3.7 from a college which doesn’t make USNews’s list of best colleges in the US. If you do not test well but tend to get good grades, my advice is to go to the most selective, prestigious college you can go to without accumulating too much debt. </p></li>
<li><p>Agree with OP.</p></li>
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