<p>YHS goes deeper than Top 50%, and it depends on what you consider TTT's. School like Fordham, UCLA, BU are gonna put more than 5-10% in biglaw.</p>
<p>Most T14 go deeper than top 50%.</p>
<p>You're right. Dropping below t14 you run into problems. Not every sub-14 are TTT - they can still get biglaw in their region. Fordham is a great example of this. UCLA in Los Angeles has some cred with firms like Quinn Emanuel. But if you go to Northern Illinois University Law and expect NYC Biglaw, you're delusional.</p>
<p>"What a lot of people don't know is your transcript follows you for years." I'd estimate that your transcript has a half life of about three years, unless you're looking for a second "big law" job, or you're looking for your first job as a law professor.</p>
<p>Aside from those contexts, people will stop asking about your grades (and stop asking for a transcript). They may still ask about them when you interview for your second job, but they will be much more interested in what you accomplished in your first job. By the time you interview for your third job, your prospective employer's interest will have shifted to what you accomplished on your second job.</p>
<p>Your grades may continue to have an indirect influence, though, on the arc of your career. Your prospective employers will always care a great deal about where you have worked, and where you work at the beginning of your career has a great deal to do with what grades you earned in law school.</p>