Is it even worth it to apply and attend law schools that are not ranked in the top 50 anymore?

[khalid]

I want to become an intellectual property lawyer, but with grade inflation at law schools and the increased applicant pools in this recession, I'm concerned about whether or not I will have a difficult time joining a firm if I don't attend a top 50 law school. Granted, law schools that aren't necessarily in the top ranked pool are much cheaper compared to a Vanderbilt or USC J.D. program, but I am wondering if there are any hidden gems that can provide me with a solid foundation of the law but won't break the bank too much?

[bachir93]

Educational quality isn't the problem, except at the very bottom (tier four schools). Most tier one, tier two, and tier three schools give you a perfectly acceptable "foundation [in] the law." If you look at the faculty of low-ranked schools, you'll find that most of them attended law schools in the top six.

The real problem with low-ranked schools is that the job prospects are just terrible. After the top 20-30 law schools, there's basically a huge tie on downward where rankings really cease to matter. After 20 or 30, you want to attend the strongest school in the region you want to work in after graduation.

For example, let's take Arizona State (#38) and UC Hastings (#42). If we were "top 50 or bust," we might think attending Arizona State would be the better option because it's four slots higher. What if I want to work in California, though? I would be dumb to pick Arizona State over Hastings because they're both strong *regional* schools. Take UC Davis (#28) and Fordham (#34). If I want California, then Davis makes sense. If I want New York, I should NOT go to Davis, even though it's higher ranked. Fordham in New York would be the better choice here.

Very few law schools have a national reputation. Don't worry so much about top 50 or top 100. If you can't attend a school with a national reach, then pick the top law school in the market where you want to work. Hawaii only has one law school. It's a third tier, I believe. If you want to be in Hawaii and can't go to a top 14, then the University of Hawaii is fine.

The schools with the national reputation have the best job prospects (not only in terms of pay, but also in number and prestige) and are the most mobile (meaning you can take them to different markets), but a strong regional school where you can attend with minimized debt is not a horrible option as long as you know your job prospects are much worse and you won't be able to take your JD outside the area.

[bothan]

Schools outside the top 50 are still going to give you a good education. Going to the 'Name' schools really only matters if you plan on being in a high profile position. If you want to go into politics or work at a big time firm where the lawyers are getting named on the news all the time, then you should go to the big schools. Otherwise, look for an in-state university with a law program. It'll probably be good enough and way cheaper.

[eadweald71]

What region do you want to work in? In many regions, there are one or two highly respected law schools that aren't top 50. For example, there are a lot of states/regions that don't have any law schools in the top 50, and which aren't likely to attract grads of the top schools for whatever reason. I mean, if you're from Oklahoma and plan to work in OK, feel free to go to the best law school in OK - which will not be top 50.

In other regions/states, there are respected law schools, where grads get hired, which are not top 50. In the NYC metro area, for example, there's Seton Hall. In Boston, there's Northeastern.

You need to do serious research on lower ranking law schools, but it is possible to find those that are going to get you jobs, even if they aren't top 50. But pick wisely. And do *very* well there, including doing the things that law employers want to see, such as law review, etc. If you're going to a lower tier school, it's important to *not* be "an average student". You want to have done very well there.

[sayre]

It's not worth it to apply and attend law schools that are not in the top 50. I attended law school at Illinois University (ranked 64), was an average student, but I can't find a job, not even as a pubic prosecutor.

[montrel68]

Mcq is wrong. It is very critical that you go to a law school that at least breaks the top 50. If you go to a lower tier school and/or if you are not at the top of the class, you probably will not be making much use of your law degree. Plus, many of the top law schools have generous financial aid and loan forgiveness programs, so it's worth the work to get into one of them.