<p>There are jackasses in every profession, law, engineering, be it as your clients/bosses or as your colleagues.</p>
<p>OP, @Demosthenes49 is right. As a general rule, T14 to maybe T20 gives you mobility and more options. But if you know you want to stay in a specific area, or Big Law isn’t your goal, then a more cost effective regional school may be best. Also, while job prospects for law school grads are dismal, prospects for patent lawyers are improving. There is a great thread on CC devoted to intellectual property law.</p>