For whom do rankings matter, and why?

[Johnny21]

I've been in the law school application process for the better part of two years now, and I still don't understand the ranking system used by USNWR and why it's accorded so much respect and attention. The prestigious schools that churn out biglaw associates and federal clerks are the T14. The T20 schools are somewhere in that ballpark, but they don't guarantee the same opportunities that T14 schools do. Every other school is considered "regional", and they offer very different opportunities.

So my question is, why is so much attention given to USNWR's ranking system? These schools shift places every year arbitrarily, and the schools considered "prestigious" are already cemented in living memory, starting with Georgetown and ending with Yale. Even if Georgetown ranks 15 or 16 one year and Texas takes the 14th spot, most people wouldn't think any less of Georgetown- it's still Georgetown law. Given the changes in annual rankings, should we really assume that over the course of one year, one school is suddenly better than another (only for those schools to change places again the year after)?

The general consensus seems that Biglaw hopefuls should go to a T14 school, while everyone else should go to a school located in the geographic area of their choice. There doesn't seem to be any room for deference to USNWR in making this decision. Is there still a use for those rankings? What do you think?

[Jeremy Press]

Hi Johnny,

To make a long story short, minor movements in the rankings from year to year really don't matter at ALL. Sure, Stanford folks love it when they "leap frog" over Harvard for a year or two. For a few years, back when I was going to law school, Chicago was constantly annoyed by the fact that Columbia and NYU were ranking "above" it (whereas now Chicago consistently hits #4). And every so often one of the traditional top ten (Michigan, or Berkeley, etc.) or top 14 (usually Georgetown) falls a spot or two and everybody freaks out. Whose interests does this serve? U.S. News, mostly, to generate chatter and keep it in the conversation. Does it have anything to do with the career prospects, or educational experience, of students at those schools? Absolutely not.

There's a longer conversation to be had about whether the broad tiers (Top 14, Top 20, Top 50, etc.) give useful information about the educational experience at a school. But what's absolutely certain is that the profession behaves as if those broad tiers are important. You're right: if you want to get a job with a Vault 100 law firm, or clerk for a federal judge, or work at a prestigious public-interest outfit (like the ACLU), or get hired by the Department of Justice, you really should go to a T14 school. And if your goals are to stay in a particular region and work for a smaller firm, or a DA's office, or the local public defender, or hang out your own shingle, then you should go to a school in that region (preferably the city you want to be in), keep your debt level low, and network and intern and take advantage of all opportunities to make connections with the folks you want to work with. At the end of the day, that's the system we're currently stuck with. Does it have to be that way, long term? Of course not! But it will take a lot of inertia, and a lot of people like you, asking the right questions and adjusting their own hiring practices when they're in the boss's chair some day, to move in a new direction.

Let me know if this helps, or if it raises more questions!

[emccready24]

Jeremy,

I have similar questions to Johnny. I'm stuck on the idea that T14 is only for Biglaw because I see myself at a smaller to midsize firm working in estate planning. So I am not sure whether I should even consider a T14-T20 school if it's going to be in the opposite direction of my goals? I don't have a specific location that I want to end up, so that's why I originally thought a T20 school would be beneficial. Do you have any additional advice here?

[Jeremy Press]

Hi em,

Be a little careful with what I said there. For anyone whose goals include big law firms, prestigious public interest, federal government jobs, etc., they should absolutely be aiming for T14-20 schools. But that doesn't mean someone shouldn't go to a T14-20 school (if they have the opportunity), even though their goals don't include those narrow options. Building networks in law school is key, and the resources and national connections available from T14-20 schools are vast. If you go in with a specific goal in mind, you can approach career services your first year and figure out where to intern over the summers, and who to connect with to get where you want to be. Those kinds of resources and connections could justify going to a top school, even with different goals.

The other consideration, though, if you're not aiming for a big firm job, is debt level. It's very likely you can find a great regional school outside the top 20 where (with credentials allowing for T14 admission) you could get the kind of scholarship money that would let you graduate with very little debt. All things considered, I'd take no debt and the ability to get the kind of job I wanted, over a massive amount of debt and a somewhat improved ability to find the job I want anywhere in the country.

Include both types of schools in your application list, and when the time comes, make sure you're asking lots of questions at visit weekends to figure out which situation is going to be best for you.

I hope this helps!

[emccready24]

Thank you so much Jeremy! What are visit weekends? Do you mean Admitted Students Days/Weekends and if so, do you think those will happen this Spring?

[Stephanie Oswalt]

Thank you so much Jeremy! What are visit weekends? Do you mean Admitted Students Days/Weekends and if so, do you think those will happen this Spring?

Hi emccready,

Thanks for the reply! Yes, he is referring to anytime you visit/tour the campus or any chance you have to speak with school/admissions staff/students! That could include admitted student days or just a general tour.

I would look into each school to see what they're offering. A lot of schools are offering virtual tours in lieu of in-person ones. Hopefully, things will be back to "normal" by the spring (please, please!) but if not, schools will likely continue to offer virtual options .

Thanks!