Difference between law schools?

Question

I’m a college sophomore, and I’m considering law school after graduation. Currently in New York for college but I’m originally from the west coast. The two schools that I’m shooting for is either Stanford or Berkeley. Stanford is ranked higher but is there any difference between the two schools. Will it be easier to get jobs from Stanford? How important is rank?

Thanks

Answer 1

As a practicing California attorney and Stanford law alum, I can tell you that the difference with respect to job prospects after graduation is very minimal. While its true that some firms simply don’t hire graduates of lower ranked schools, Stanford and Boalt Hall (Berkeley’s Law School) have consistently been ranked in the top 10 schools in the country. Any firm recruiting at Stanford will also be recruiting at Boalt. You will earn the same and your work will also be evaluated the same.

The one area where going to a higher ranked school may have an impact is if you decide to practice very far away (geographically) from the location of your law school.



My friends from law school who wanted to practice in New York or DC had no problems finding jobs. Similarly, while my firm mostly hires graduates from CA schools, new associates from Yale, Harvard, Columbia, NYU, etc. is not uncommon. However, we don't have associates from other highly ranked but non-elite law school from outside California. While I know for a fact Boalt grads are practicing out east, it just seems to me that fewer Boalt grads move east. This may be attributed to a greater personal desire from Stanford grads to practice east or it may be a result of Stanford’s higher ranking. If it can be attributed to Stanford's rank, then its a very minimal bump. I still think that a JD from Boalt will not harm you in anyway. My hunch is that your academic record in school and how well you interview will have a bigger impact on your job prospects than whether your law degree says Stanford or Boalt. Now, I’m not in a position to make hiring decisions, but I’ve been at the same firm for 5 years and I’ve had discussions with partners who do make hiring decisions.



Law students sometimes place too much emphasis on which school they go to. Once you get into practice, you will find out that the law school you attended is most helpful in securing your first job. After that, your work performance will determine if you will be invited to stay at that firm, advance toward partner track, or if your work product will allow you to secure positions at larger and more prestigious firms. While my firm does not hire new law graduates from any school ranked lower than 30, we have several attorneys in the firm from lower ranked schools that came to us as lateral hires from other firms. Usually, they are very competent attorneys with proven track records. While rankings are important, your job prospects will ultimately be dictated by your abilities.



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Ah, yes from the poster below I can see how my answer might give you the impression that ranking does not matter. My comment deals with differences in rank within the top 10 law schools.The law student below is absolutely correct when he says rankings matter. They do and thats just a fact of the legal profession.

Answer 2

In general, if you can attend one of the very top schools in the nation, that will make a difference. So if you can get into Harvard, Yale, U of Michigan, etc. for law school then your prospects would be improved noticeably.



I don't think there's significant difference between the two UC schools you're considering--more important to your future prospects will be your rank in the graduating class, your extracurriculars and honors, and the network of attorney contacts that you'll be able to build.



You should probably ask some of your pre-law professors, or anyone at the law school at your current university, for their opinions on this.

Answer 3

Rankings are always very controversal. It really depends on what you want and it most important. So if you are looking at jobs, you'll have to see the ABA data on percentage employed within 9 months of graduation. The ABA (American Bar Assoc) also releases data on the proprtion that go into a law firm, public, government, business, etc.



Rankings? Use your own system by ranking based on your own specifications. See the link below of a law school finder that will search all ABA data. You can search by region, GPA, LSAT, employmet, tuition, etc.

Answer 4

It will be easier to get jobs coming out of Stanford. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. In terms of academics, Berkeley may be just as good, but if you want a high-paying job at the top law firms (any of the top 200), law school reputation is very important.



If you are a law student, the reputation of your school is more important than it is for med schools, maybe because there are more high-paying doctor jobs than high-paying lawyer jobs. In law, both grades and school reputation matter for hiring after graduation.



If you get straight A's, you can get an excellent job no matter whether you got the A's at Stanford or Berkeley. But, if you get B's, you will be much better off getting B's at Stanford than getting B's at Berkeley, in terms of the job opportunities open to you.



There is a site that people here often link to, at

informeddecisionmaking.blogspot.com



I don't really like that site, because I think it scares people away from law school by exagerrating the horrors of law school and the difficulty of finding a job. However, the part of that site that talks about school reputation on the job market, is correct--just exaggerated. So you can check it out if you want another perspective. Just keep in mind that the site exaggerates the truth.



And the lawyer above me correctly says that after your first job, your second job will be based mostly on your first job performance, and not on where you went to law school. However, from my perspective as a current law student, I think it's very important to get a good first job, so that you can have the $$ to pay the huge loans law school requires, and also because, if you get a good first job, you might not need to find a second job for a long time. Ideally, you want to stay at a firm you like, and make partner, not be bouncing from one firm to the next as an associate, with no job security.



And I think the fact that the lawyer above says that his law firm simply does NOT hire graduates of law schools ranked below 30 speaks volumes. Many firms have similar hiring policies, and so if you go to a lower-ranked school, where are you supposed to find your first job that is supposed to springboard you into your second job?



That said, Berkeley is one of the top law schools in the country, and it is good enough to get you a job at probably any law firm, if you get good grades. But if you think you might get medium or bad grades, it's better to get them at Stanford than at Berkeley.



For me, I was deciding between Columbia and Harvard. I came to Harvard, and I'm glad I did, because my law school grades are crap! But I still got a great job.



And for full disclosure: Berkeley rejected me when I applied. I got into Stanford though. So maybe that makes me biased. I don't think I'm biased, but I mention it to you just in case.

Answer 5

When you major in law you are learning about it, studying it and taking classes on it. Law school is where you go for your graduate degree and the classes are harder and there are more requirements that you have to complete. Majoring in law = Undergraduate degree Law School = Masters or Law Degree Blessings

Answer 6

Harvad has claimed that they may be showing rank #2, but their graduates make more money and have more presiege than any other law school.



Stanford is a very good school, and Berkeley is generally seen even more liberal in their views. If you have the grades and LSAT scores, personally, I would go to in this order:



1. Harvard

2. Yale

3. Columbia

4. NYU



Helpful links: major schools

http://www.top-law-schools.com/



Stanford

http://www.top-law-schools.com/stanford-law-school.html



Berkeley

http://www.top-law-schools.com/boalt-hall.html



Top Law Schools (2007 ranked - US News)

http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/usnews/edu/grad/rankings/law/brief/lawrank_brief.php



Harvard:

http://www.top-law-schools.com/harvard-law-school.html



Good Luck!

Answer 7

I hate to say it, but rank is very, very important. My dad is a really successful lawyer in NYC; he owns his own firm, so he hires a lot of people. He says that if they don't come from a top 10 law school, he is much more likely to reject them--or will do it outright if their grades aren't incredibly good.

Answer 8

From what I hear, lawyers are snobs--20 years from now, they'll still ask where you went to law school. However, last I heard, Boalt Hall was right up there, nothing to be ashamed of. Why not apply to both of them, see if they both accept you, and then worry about deciding? Maybe even apply to one or two more--and be sure to do well on your LSAT!