<p>Hi, I was wondering what all of you thought about Non top 14 schools. In particular, the general sense I get from reading through a few posts, is that those who dont go to an "elite" law school are at a MUCH greater disadvantage. Now I know that it is better to go to harvard then "state" law school, but is it really that big of an advantage? In particular I've been looking at Suffolk law school in Boston. Will a law degree from suffolk hold any weight? I don't want to go to suffolk and find out after the fact that I will be stuck making 60k the rest of my life. I want to be able to get a law degree that will allow me to progress up the ranks because of my hard work, and not be hindered as to where I work because my degree is deemed not "prestigious" enough. Thank you.</p>
<p>You'll be lucky to get 60K out of Suffolk. It's definitely not a place you should be looking unless you're dead-set on law school and you have no other options.</p>
<p>
[quote]
I want to be able to get a law degree that will allow me to progress up the ranks because of my hard work, and not be hindered as to where I work because my degree is deemed not "prestigious" enough
[/quote]
</p>
<p>This is going to sound rude: you should have buckled up in college.</p>
<p>Those who did are or will be enjoying the fruits of their labor.</p>
<p>you should see if placement information is available from the law schools you are considering. with respect to suffolk law, here is their web site for their career development office -- <a href="http://www.law.suffolk.edu/offices/career/%5B/url%5D">http://www.law.suffolk.edu/offices/career/</a> -- read the links, especially the ones for graduation survey results -- it'll show you how many got jobs and what they are earning.</p>
<p>if you compare this data with similar data you will find for a T14 school, you will see clear differences. it is a simple fact that the better the law school you attend, the more employment opportunities you will have when you graduate.</p>
<p>i am not familiar with suffolk law. when i worked at law firms and was involved in recruiting, i can say that a graduate from a top law school could get in the door more easily. a graduate of a lower tier school had to have something to distinguish them to get a foot in the door - ie be on law review or have some other distinction to make them really stand out from their classmates. the degree to which this is true will depend a lot on the employing firm and the degree to which they are able to attract applicants from top schools. </p>
<p>the focus on this forum is often getting jobs at large big city firms. sometimes people forget that many lawyers never work at such firms in their entire lives. but those are the highest paying jobs and the ones people focus on. if you have your eyes set on a large big city practice, you should probably expect to be at the top of your law school class to have a even a shot at such a job. (you should look into how they do with firms in their local city -- sometimes lower tier schools do have decent local reputations and do better locally in placement.)</p>
<p>i don't know what you mean by being able to progress up the ranks -- once you get a job, how you advance at that job will likely hinge on your performance. but your future job growth will be affected by the first law job that you are able to get. again, if you have you eye on a large big city firm -- if you don't get a job there straight out of law school, you are unlikely to get a job there 3-4 years later. it is possible that if you really establish yourself as something truly special through your practice that you may have greater ability to move to a more prestigious job laterally -- but again we're really talking about something unique (i think).</p>
<p>all of this doesn't mean you can't have a wonderful successful career as a lawyer going to a non-T14 school. but you really have to consider what types of jobs the graduates of the school you are considering end up at and whether those are the types of jobs that will satisfy you. also be sure to factor in your likely debt load and the average starting salary of graduates of the school you are considering in deciding whether this is a course you can pursue.</p>
<p>It depends on where you live. If you are trying to work on the East coast then you'll hvae a harder time if you aren't in a t14 school because that is where so many of them are. I live in Chicago and from my experience and research, go to a lower tier school like Loyola, DePaul, John Hopking (really low tier) can still get you a great job, especially from the first two schools I mentioned. But all these schools are in Chicago so they have connections to the law firms here. </p>
<p>Check the different schools and where they are located and what connections they have. Look up different firms where you want to work and see where the people they hire come from.</p>
<p>nsped is soooooo retardedly smart.</p>
<p>
[quote]
nsped is soooooo retardedly smart.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>It's not a question of being intelligent. It's a question of working hard. I've seen not-so-bright students – who work very hard – get into HLS.</p>
<p>
[quote]
I live in Chicago and from my experience and research, go to a lower tier school like Loyola, DePaul, **John Hopking<a href="really%20low%20tier">/b</a> can still get you a great job, especially from the first two schools I mentioned. But all these schools are in Chicago so they have connections to the law firms here.
[/quote]
John Hopking? </p>
<p>Possibly you mean John Marshall Law School, a relatively unselective law school in Chicago.</p>
<p>Possibly there is some confusion with Johns Hopkins, which is similar except that it is not in Chicago and has no law school.</p>
<p>^Call it a brain fart. I was looking at John Hopkins University on another browser. Yes, I do mean John Marshall Law school, sorry.</p>
<p>For whatever it's worth, disputed though the numbers may be, a Princeton Review book lists this info for Suffolk:</p>
<p>% employed within 9 months: 89
Average starting salary: $62,320
Most popular states for bar exam: MA, NH, RI, NY, FL
Pass rate for first-time bar: 82</p>
<p>Grads employed by field (%):
Academic - 3
Business/industry - 24
Government - 13
Judicial clerkships - 8
Military - 2
Other - 2
Private practice - 47
Public interest - 1</p>
<p>Student comments include:</p>
<p>"Students are also appreciative of the local 'excellent network of alumni who, already in the first year, have made themselves accessible to us. They offer advice and also will be useful in securing jobs.' Students will also need that career advice, it seems, for while everyone agrees that the location is ideal, some students wish that the school wasn't so myopic when it comes to career placement and instruction. 'Career Services has a difficult time providing assistance for places outside of Massachusetts, and the professors almost exclusively refer to massachusetts law. For those of us who do not plan to practice in Massachusetts, it would be helpful if the school offered a more diverse curriculum and support system.' Another student agrees, 'The school needs to spread themselves out further than Boston and appeal to more students on a country-wide scale.'"</p>
<p>So take that data with a grain of salt, but there you go. The stats for T14 schools are much stronger, but you could also do far worse. Most people are not at T14 schools. Also, beware of the generally skewed nature of these boards (info may often be accurate, but I would very rarely call it representative).</p>
<p>It's also probably worth pointing out that there's a pretty big difference between merely not being a t14 and being a fourth tier school like Suffolk.</p>
<p>"It's definitely not a place you should be looking unless you're dead-set on law school and you have no other options."</p>
<p>Or unless they give you a full scholarship. Taking out loans to go to Suffolk is a big bet with very long odds.</p>