Amazing how I realized I didn't want to be a doctor but a lawyer from one day to another. I have been watching your videos non stop. Thank you for this!!
My choice of law school initially was based on pedigree/prestige after further consideration I'm hoping to apply to a law school with a small class size
I took the LSAT….got an average score, 3.1 GPA. I applied to ten schools, got admitted to three. I enrolled in a Summer entry program at a mid-tier school to see if it was for me, but it just wasn’t. Got an MPA instead and went into law enforcement. No regrets. 👍😋
I'm 16 and have always wanted to be a DA. My close friend was in the DA's office for 30+ years. However, he sadly passed away in 2018. I always had an interest in following in his footsteps.
As someone who followed your advice, back in the mid 1980s, I can say it is the right way to go. Pick a top tier law school in a city where you want to practice and which guarantees you financial aid all three years. Some top ten schools only guarantee their level of scholarship for the first year. Like in real estate location matters.
From my perspective after attending a Tier 1 state school, I would say state schools often teach you the law for that state, which is helpful if you know you will practice in that state. If you are looking for a State Supreme clerkship, many judges prefer state schools if they are highly ranked. For evidence, this was really helpful to me. My professor wrote the book that all judges and attys here use. My law school had tons of on campus interviewing from Big Law in the state. They really work their connections. Most of the partners were from the same law school I attended. I think alumni donations and job placement factor into the school's ranking.
0:35 - Chapter 1 - What legal job do you want ? 1:45 - Chapter 2 - Where do you want to practice ? 3:35 - Chapter 3 - How much can you afford ? 5:35 - Chapter 4 - What field do you want to practice ? 6:45 - Chapter 5 - Do you want to be a big law attorney ? 10:50 - Chapter 6 - Higher ranking open options 12:55 - Chapter 7 - Go to law school in the state you want to practice
Currently got my first acceptance and scholarship package, but I'm still waiting to see for my two top choices. This video helps, cause while financial aid is needed, I also should consider more the other two that are better ranked
I’ve always been told that if you want to practice in Louisiana you basically *must* go to law school there because of the Napoleonic Code, and that’s very much worth considering for anyone who wants to get into the energy industry.
Since my son wanted to join his dad's law practice in our hometown, financial aid was far more important than the law school's ranking. Both the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) and Southern Illinois University-Carbondale (SIU-C) offered him financial aid, but UIUC offered a partial tuition scholarship while SIU offered a full-tuition scholarship, so SIU was where he went. (That, and also because he had just finished his undergrad degree at UIUC, and he wanted to go someplace different.) Since graduating, he's continuing to live at home, so he can plow the vast majority of his pay into paying down his student loans. At the rate he's going, he'll have approx. $60K total student loans (undergrad & law school) totally paid off in 4-5 years (maybe sooner?)
Could you do a video on LLMs and the institutions offering them? In the jurisdiction where I practice, lawyers generally get LLMs so they can get into teaching at high-tier law school
NYU(#6) sends ~75% of its class to Big Law firms, ~ 10% to clerkships(which are as prestigious if not more than big law firms), and the other 15% is in public interest(which is something that people often choose to do even if they are a top student). The rest of the T14 have similar numbers, down to Georgetown which is ~60% of its class. The video is wrong in that you do not need to be top 1/3rd of your class for Biglaw at T14's(which pays 190k as of 2021). You can be a below-average student and chances are pretty high you will still get a good job. You can search up "_______ law school employment statistics" if you don't believe me over Devin(which is fair). I think this video kind of underestimates the safety that T14's guarantees its students.
I enjoy watching all your videos regarding the law school. But it would be great if you could do a video talk about how to prepare the LSAT? Since the LSAT is the most important factor that most law school admissions weigh heavily on to determine who is a qualified candidate to their school.
That is very true. We're experts in law school not the LSAT. We can show you how to get A's in law school, but others are better suited to explaining the tricks for the LSAT. I always recommend a live LSAT course and can personally vouch for BluePrint and Testmasters.
What if you are very talented, go to a mid level school to save costs, then when you go into practice at a small firm you do so well you get recognized and recruited by higher firms? It works in other fields, how about law?
I am applying to law school this fall and I am trying to decide on my list before applications officially open. My list right now includes schools close to the firm I want to work at and its different locations and I couple of schools that are just generally good school and some that are just "safety"
Can you do a video particularly on patenting law. It's something I'm trying to consider whether or not to go after and I just can't find enough information on it.
Im looking forward to attend law school after high school and Im quite torn against which job I would like to get into. Would it be possible if you could make a video about jobs you can get after attending law school?
some of your information is incorrect. you don't need to be in the top third of your class to get a biglaw job from the T14. T14 law schools send anywhere from 80-60% of their graduating classes into Biglaw. You typically need to be in the top third for schools ranked 20 to 40-ish.
I guess listening to these maybe law wouldn't be a good idea for me I'm interested in law but not as a full time career (I'm 25 and I still don't know what career I want to do)
What advice would you offer older people looking to go to law school? I am 27 and only two years into my undergrad but plan to take the LSAT after I graduate.
fun fact, i can go to any law school here in germany and have the same chances of getting a "top job" as long as my grades are good. law school names dont matter.
It's because there is a lot more students in law schools in america and you need to sort all of these people out. The smart ones go to top schools and get reworded for it and the ones that aren't as smart as the other people go to lower ranked law schools. This is done so it would be easier for the system. Big Law firms want to pick out the students they want that are in the big law schools, it's that simple. Also put it this way, why would you want to pick some lower ranked draft player if you can pick Zion Williamson.
jaso 1911 but it is still not accurate tho. Imagine: a person don’t have an as good interview and wasn’t good in math etc. but is a genious lawyer because law fits better and subjects actually challange and interest him. Based on high school grades and based on interviews you can’t pick the best out of the best. A pre-law test also is stupid as hell as not everyone can prepare as good, due to home circumstances.
aversion to sunlight & a taste for human blood. Mua ha hah ha ha seriously tho. i just want to do something to help society & knowing how to use the law gives you a certain amount of power
Hi! I am a graduating senior in college trying to decide between number 22 ranked Boston University and 7 ranked UPenn. Lord willing, I will receive the same amount of scholarship money from UPenn as I will from BU (potential 10k difference). I am inclined to think that I want to practice in Massachusetts and live there after law school (in the immediate future at least, because it is home) however, I am not dead-set on it. I also do not think that Big Law will be my path, though having the option in case my interests change is a bit of a factor. I, overall, am more social justice minded. What do you make of this situation? I appreciate anybody who might read or respond to this! Thanks Legal Eagle!
I live in Brooklyn , and I'm looking for affordable law school , I definitely don't want to be paying huge debt so what do you recommend ? my goal is to practice criminal law.
Hey James, I've noticed that you mentioned both entertainment law in this video and being a member of the entertainment law journal in law school at UCLA. I too am interested in entertainment law which is why I chose to start my 1L year this upcoming August at USC Gould. Is entertainment law the field that you currently practice in?
That's unfortunate that you're going to USC (kidding). I do a little entertainment work; mainly as a side effect litigating copyrights and trademarks in the LA area.
Thank you for the great videos. I am an international student in US. I was wondering how much financial aid I might get with almost perfect gpa and 170 LSAT score? Which law schools are known to financially accommodate for international students?
@@0utcast I cant speak for sweden, but in Norway anyone can come and study completely free. Its free for everyone in the whole world. You only have to pay a semester fee each semester (~$60) and you need to pay the living costs (rent, food etc..)
Lawyers and their role in society and in the job market is very different between European countries and the US. Like here in Turkey, you can graduate with a bachelors in law and be a lawyer. But in the US, you obviously need a J.D and need to pass the bar. The earning potential is much higher in the US
I have a family member who went to a public university and they work in legal aid because that’s what they’re passionate about. If you want to make a difference in your community, you don’t necessarily need to go to a top law school.
@@ringz3215 this isn’t necessarily true. I’ve talked to adcoms and some have said that they care about undergrad prestige to a certain extent. I also know of a couple people who graduated with 4.0s from unknown online colleges with a 170+ on the lsat and they got rejected from all but 1 t14. There’s just a difference between someone getting a 4.0 at an ivy undergrad vs that same gpa from some unknown, unranked liberal arts school. When ppl say undergrad prestige doesn’t matter, what they mean is that a high gpa is going to be king, in that it’s better to get a 4.0 in some unknown state school vs getting a 3.0 from UChicago. But when gpas are about equal, adcoms would prefer the better undergrad institution and it’s seen as more impressive
You graduate from law school in May and the bar exams are usually late in the summer. So always take the bar exam as early as possible. You'll either have a job that is contingent on passing the bar that summer or you'll need to pass the bar then find a job. Either way, take the bar right after graduating.
Hey, I just wanted to say your channel has helped me immensely in pursuing my childhood dream. I had a question for you what kind of gpa should I be looking at as a computer science major. I am sitting at a 3.57 on 4.0. My target schools are Harvard, UPenn , NYU and Columbia. Also, what is your opinion on combined J.D/MBA. I am really thankful for your help. I hope you reply @LegalEagle
For those schools your gpa has got to be AT LEAST 3.8, probably more like 3.9, if you want a good shot of acceptance. Law schools care very little for your major and even tho CS is more difficult/rigorous than a sociology major, they unfortunately will not have sympathy for your relative course rigor when your gpa falls well short of their median. That’s unless you can absolutely destroy the LSAT and get like a 175+ but even then that would make it difficult cuz LSAT scores have gone up a ton this year. If your school has given you some A+s tho your lsac GPA might actually be higher than the 3.57, since LSAC counts A+s as 4.3. This is what happened to me, my undergrad reported gpa was 3.91/4.00 but because of some A+s I got it turned into a 4.0 for law school admissions.
Currently practising Law in the UK and damn do I wish I had went to law school in the USA just so I could apply your lawfully factual videos to my job. Still listen anyway😂👍
I’m finishing my first year of undergrad and am deadset on law so if anyone sees this random comment, feel free to drop some advice, I’ve got a 3.44 GPA currently but I know I can raise it to a 3.6 or even 3.7 by the time I graduate, and haven’t started studying for the LSAT yet since I’ve got a few more years in Uni
"regional school" in Wisc, just graduating from Marquette or UW-Madison admits you to the bar automatically. question: does ANY other state (Marquette is private, obvs) provide that? is any reciprocity an issue (or assumed)?
Currently, I am active duty military and plan to continue for another 10 years. I'm in a Master's program for cybersecurity and have aspirations to practice CyberLaw once my military career is over. I am looking for an online law program, any suggestions? Should I go for a JD before a Ph.D. in Cyber? or wait till I am closer to taking the BAR exam?
I don't think any online law schools are well-reputed. It may be better to work for a while, then try to get into a top full-time, regular law school program. Best wishes!
I heard that the reason big firms pay people so much that are right out of law school is because of basically bragging rights and they can pay them a lot to do work that other people don’t want to do
I am 26 in 2 weeks,made a lot of bad choices so far A LOT,but i really fell atracted to this profession,i will 100% join law school this year,tho do you think age should be an impediment or it s just a stupid thing in my head?
My choice in law school is very limited... Broke, below competitive GPA... no ability to relocate... do I have a chance? I've looked at getting an online law certificate, or paralegal certificate and actually working as a paralegal to get some income, but the more i look into it the more daunting it gets... Should I just give up and look elsewhere for a career? I want to be involved in medical law in some way or another... but if i can't be a lawyer, perhaps there is another way to get involved?
I don't know if you're still looking for an answer to this, but here I am. I'm in a similar situation, but I do have an associates degree in paralegal studies from the local community college in my area in addition to a bachelor's I just graduated with in criminal justice. I've been looking for jobs and have been finding that all paralegal jobs I've seen all require 5+ years of specialized experience (litigation is the most popular type) for their entry level jobs. Needless to say, I'm still unemployed. And I started finding that issue for the paralegal jobs back around 2012, and it's continuing (possibly even worse now) today. That lack of job availability is even the reason I went back to school for a bachelor's. I was really kinda thinking about maybe law school, but then saw this video and am now thinking it's just not possible, especially with learning disabilities and being older.
If I want to work for Crane, Poole and Shmidt, Harard would be the obvious choice. And, as you can clearly see, since I misspelled Harvard, I didn't choose Harvard, did I? Shows how smat I am.
guys please understand that rankings are a sham and that employment numbers matter most. Please please make sure to understand this before going to law school.
I've just discovered your channel.You're doing some great work here. I want to study in a law school in Europe because I live in a European country and I have to consider the financial part too. It would be very helpful to me If you could recommend some universities to check out.I just need the lessons to be in English or in French.Also, do you know if a European student can take a scholarship from an American university easily?
I don't know the answer to that one. I know that students who have a law degree from most foreign countries can get an LLM in the US and then practice here.
I am looking into personal injury law, I rlly look up to guys like brent wisner, Nick Rowley, Gary Dordick, Sarah’s homampour, brian panish, in 11th grade rn…
First, let me say I'm not a lawyer but I'm really enjoying your videos. Thank you. So I was having this conversation with a lawyer friend a few years ago. She went to Duke and worked in an established firm. I went to Baylor and I commented about Baylor's recent bar passage rate (in 2015 it was 100%). They are consistently the highest in that category. She said that's not really a good measure of a law school and I retorted "so is the bar exam not a good measure of legal knowledge?" You kind of addressed this in this video as Duke would be what you called a tier 1 school and Baylor would be a tier 2. But i never could get a straight answer from her as to why Duke was superior to Baylor and why this statistic was not really important. I was hopeful you might elaborate.
I went to a Tier 1 school and none of the teachers worry about preparing you for the Bar exam. You get that from your Bar prep class 2 you take after law school. Good law schools teach you how to think like a lawyer and how to write and argue.
The situation percentage-wise is the same in the US too. 250 law schools, but most of them are worthless. Graduate schools are full of young lawyers who couldn't get a job as lawyers.
@@redapple3256 You will not get any job offer, and honestly I am not surprised. I know a couple of law students from the 3rd-tier law school in my town, what can I say. Some of them doesn't have a clue who Winston Churchill was. I wouldn't hire them either.
I’m not sure if you’re still answering from this video, but I talked to a lawyer in my area about the possibility of going back and he mentioned he went to law school at a local regional school (IU McKinnely) at night while working a day job. I am worried about the debt and I realize that unless I get a 178-180 on an LSAT that I’m probably not going to get a huge scholarship or full ride. I wanted to know from the perspective now of someone in a big firm, such as yourself, are there any downsides other than the obvious of limiting myself to a geographic area (of which I am content with)? Would working full time and using my business degree at a big company to get tuition assistance for law school have any issues with time, conflict of interest, availability, etc.? Could I potentially have to sacrifice study time and grades too adversely to be attractive to a big firm or corporate advisement position?
Yes, there are always trade-offs. Evening law school is really tough for 4 years if you're also working full-time. Most law schools with those programs aren't worth it. Best wishes!
How does law school ranking impact those who are looking to go into the academic field (e.g. law professor)? I received a full scholarship from a state school (in the T2) and am I highly considering; however, I want to make sure this choice matches my career goals.
Schools like viginear NYU.etc have over 70% big law placement rate, plus some students do federal clerkships, it seems almost sure thing can get big law, why need top one third.
You are really filling their heads up right now. Big firms are not the business. You can make money in other ways. Law isnt about money. Money is about money. I really think people should think in terms of AAG, AUSA, or private practice.
I have a question for you. How important is it where a person goes to Law School. I plan on going to Law School in a couple of years. I feel I can get into a very good law school. I am a senior and want to spend my time wisely. I live in California and get the Cal Vet Fee waiver which makes it possible for me to go to school at any college in California tuition free. However if I go to Harvard then I am looking at Tuition and fees of around $300,000. Is it worth it to go to a higher ranked school and spend the tuition? What more would I gain out of going to Harvard? Would it be worth it? Thank you, David
I'm not intending to be a cynical critic but you were inaccurate with saying Yale, Harvard, and Stanford are always changing in the number one spot. Yale has been ranked the No. 1 law school EVERY single year for over the past two decades, by the U.S. News and World Report. Harvard and Stanford do change rankings from year to year for the No. 2 and No. 3 spots however. All that being said, I really enjoyed the video! Quality content, excellently articulated!
US News and World Report ranks schools numerically, but you have to subscribe to see their full rankings. National Jurist will break down each law school with a summary, average costs, and a letter grade for that school's value or specialty. I think it's more informative than US News
From what I know, if your school is not ABA sanctioned, then you cannot be admitted to any state bar (which is required to practice law in any state). California is the only state that I know of that is the exception to this rule, since they have some law schools that are sanctioned by the California Bar, but not the ABA. As a result, graduates from these schools can only practice in California. Hope this helps.
Make the right choice and don't go to law school. There are No Jobs for most law school grads, because the job market for lawyers is grossly oversaturated and has been for decades. Doubt me? Well, there are 11 ABA-accredited law school in the state of Florida. 10 in Pennsylvania. 6 in the tiny District of Columbia. 8 in Virginia. You get the idea. Do you think that Florida has job openings for over 1,200 new lawyers every year--over 100 a month? Or PA can reliably employ 10 entire graduating classes of lawyer each and every year? Oh, and did you know that law schools have been caught make up employment statistics and lying to students and potential applicants many times over the years? Did you know that some unemployed JD's have SUED THEIR LAW SCHOOL FOR FRAUD because it promised them jobs that don't exist? Do your research and then go into a field that needs workers, like nursing/teaching/trucking/flying commercial airplanes. There are lots of fields that badly need workers, and pay them well--law isn't one of them.
Technically, you're actually wrong; UCLA Law was ranked #14 in 1987 by USNWR. UCLA Law has been ranked between 15 and 17 in recent years. But yeah, it's not part of the T14 generally. I think you misheard what he said. He mentioned UCLA as part of the *top tier* law schools -- i.e. Tier 1 -- which it indisputably is a part of. Tier 1 includes 50 law schools, Tier 2 includes the next 50, and so on. There are 4 tiers each with 50 law schools which makes sense since there are about 200 ABA-accredited law schools. Btw, today, about a third (maybe slightly) more of UCLAW grads enter big law after graduation.
@Rich 91 You're ignorant and clearly not familiar with law school rankings at all. Or just just pulled all that out of your ass. USNWR ranks law schools and that's where *tiers* come from. There are about 200 ABA-accredited law schools and you divide those into four tiers. You can do math, can't you? That's 50 schools for each tier. T-14 is the most exclusive *of the Tier-1* schools. Look it up -- there are tons of sources on Google to verify this. Also, you don't even make any sense. UCLA Law is not Top-14 yet their median LSAT is 167-168 depending on the year. "Fourth-tier law schools get their name from the U.S. News and World Report annual law school rankings. The magazine does not place schools in specific "tiers"; instead it ranks the first 150 schools numerically and lists the final 40 to 50 schools alphabetically." www.theclassroom.com/fourthtier-law-schools-8240279.html "Beyond the top 100 schools, the U.S. News and World Report law school rankings have created groupings for third-tier and fourth-tier law schools, which we have listed and profiled in detail." www.top-law-schools.com/schools.html
@Rich 91 I literally can't take you seriously now. You have no idea what you're talking about. Either that, or you're not talking about American law schools.
So I just started pre law at liberty university online how is there law school or should I apply to a more established law school ? Do law schools even care about online undergraduate degrees ? Or are undergraduate degrees bad for top tier law schools ?
Should I go to a law school in the city I want to live in after or just move after if both cities are in the same state? Like I want to go to UT Law but I want to practice in Dallas so should I just aim for SMU instead?
My goal University of American Samoa with a specialization in Bird law
Me too, its really the only smart way.
"Ladies and gentlemen of the jury...you want fries with that?"
Better Call him
I lovvveeee this comment
It’s all good man.
My choice for law school was a combination of specialty, location, and financial aid - in that order. I start my 1L in August, and I’m so excited!
Awesome. Glad I know what I'm talking about!
Teresa J.S. Update?
How’s it going now?
Yo how'd it go?
Did you finish school by this point? How was it?
I have been watching your videos for 2+ years now, and I was just admitted at Duke University Law today. Thank you for sharing such amazing insights!
Amazing how I realized I didn't want to be a doctor but a lawyer from one day to another. I have been watching your videos non stop. Thank you for this!!
Cool, thanks for watching.
“Just go to a top tier law school”
*gets rejected from the entire t50*
Lmaooo
Get a better LSAT score
That’s a lot money to apply all t50
My choice of law school initially was based on pedigree/prestige after further consideration I'm hoping to apply to a law school with a small class size
I took the LSAT….got an average score, 3.1 GPA. I applied to ten schools, got admitted to three. I enrolled in a Summer entry program at a mid-tier school to see if it was for me, but it just wasn’t. Got an MPA instead and went into law enforcement. No regrets. 👍😋
I'm 16 and have always wanted to be a DA. My close friend was in the DA's office for 30+ years. However, he sadly passed away in 2018. I always had an interest in following in his footsteps.
As someone who followed your advice, back in the mid 1980s, I can say it is the right way to go. Pick a top tier law school in a city where you want to practice and which guarantees you financial aid all three years. Some top ten schools only guarantee their level of scholarship for the first year. Like in real estate location matters.
From my perspective after attending a Tier 1 state school, I would say state schools often teach you the law for that state, which is helpful if you know you will practice in that state. If you are looking for a State Supreme clerkship, many judges prefer state schools if they are highly ranked. For evidence, this was really helpful to me. My professor wrote the book that all judges and attys here use. My law school had tons of on campus interviewing from Big Law in the state. They really work their connections. Most of the partners were from the same law school I attended. I think alumni donations and job placement factor into the school's ranking.
Yes, I agree. Better to go to your state's top public law school for connections.
What about a video on what kind of law to specialized in? Criminal, family? Wills and trust?
0:35 - Chapter 1 - What legal job do you want ?
1:45 - Chapter 2 - Where do you want to practice ?
3:35 - Chapter 3 - How much can you afford ?
5:35 - Chapter 4 - What field do you want to practice ?
6:45 - Chapter 5 - Do you want to be a big law attorney ?
10:50 - Chapter 6 - Higher ranking open options
12:55 - Chapter 7 - Go to law school in the state you want to practice
Currently got my first acceptance and scholarship package, but I'm still waiting to see for my two top choices. This video helps, cause while financial aid is needed, I also should consider more the other two that are better ranked
Hey! How are you now?
I’ve always been told that if you want to practice in Louisiana you basically *must* go to law school there because of the Napoleonic Code, and that’s very much worth considering for anyone who wants to get into the energy industry.
Since my son wanted to join his dad's law practice in our hometown, financial aid was far more important than the law school's ranking. Both the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) and Southern Illinois University-Carbondale (SIU-C) offered him financial aid, but UIUC offered a partial tuition scholarship while SIU offered a full-tuition scholarship, so SIU was where he went. (That, and also because he had just finished his undergrad degree at UIUC, and he wanted to go someplace different.) Since graduating, he's continuing to live at home, so he can plow the vast majority of his pay into paying down his student loans. At the rate he's going, he'll have approx. $60K total student loans (undergrad & law school) totally paid off in 4-5 years (maybe sooner?)
Could you do a video on LLMs and the institutions offering them? In the jurisdiction where I practice, lawyers generally get LLMs so they can get into teaching at high-tier law school
NYU(#6) sends ~75% of its class to Big Law firms, ~ 10% to clerkships(which are as prestigious if not more than big law firms), and the other 15% is in public interest(which is something that people often choose to do even if they are a top student). The rest of the T14 have similar numbers, down to Georgetown which is ~60% of its class. The video is wrong in that you do not need to be top 1/3rd of your class for Biglaw at T14's(which pays 190k as of 2021). You can be a below-average student and chances are pretty high you will still get a good job. You can search up "_______ law school employment statistics" if you don't believe me over Devin(which is fair). I think this video kind of underestimates the safety that T14's guarantees its students.
I enjoy watching all your videos regarding the law school. But it would be great if you could do a video talk about how to prepare the LSAT? Since the LSAT is the most important factor that most law school admissions weigh heavily on to determine who is a qualified candidate to their school.
That is very true. We're experts in law school not the LSAT. We can show you how to get A's in law school, but others are better suited to explaining the tricks for the LSAT. I always recommend a live LSAT course and can personally vouch for BluePrint and Testmasters.
LegalEagle Thank you for your advice. You are doing a great job.
What if you are very talented, go to a mid level school to save costs, then when you go into practice at a small firm you do so well you get recognized and recruited by higher firms? It works in other fields, how about law?
I am applying to law school this fall and I am trying to decide on my list before applications officially open. My list right now includes schools close to the firm I want to work at and its different locations and I couple of schools that are just generally good school and some that are just "safety"
Can you do a video particularly on patenting law. It's something I'm trying to consider whether or not to go after and I just can't find enough information on it.
Im looking forward to attend law school after high school and Im quite torn against which job I would like to get into. Would it be possible if you could make a video about jobs you can get after attending law school?
That is a great suggestion. I'll add that to the list!
LegalEagle can you go to law school right after high school? I thought one of the 2 requirements was to have a BA.
In other countries, law is a BA. It was the same in the US until 1969, when the ABA made it a graduate degree.
Law school is a graduate degree. You need a 4-year college degree to even apply.
IN THE UNITED STATES. In other countries, law can be a BA. Thank the ABA's 1969 decision for that....
I’m hoping for LSU down here in Louisiana. I’ve got a solid GPA in my undergrad and I’m looking at taking the LSAT soon. Aiming for a 174!
This video has helped me a lot. Thank you!!!
I have no interest in Law, as a profession, but these videos are delightful. Thanx.
This video is a Life saver. Thank you so much!
Thanks!
I want to work in appeals and wrongful convictions (hopefully for the innocence project) thanks for all the good info!
Sabrina Scherer that’s awesome, good luck!
Good luck!
some of your information is incorrect. you don't need to be in the top third of your class to get a biglaw job from the T14. T14 law schools send anywhere from 80-60% of their graduating classes into Biglaw. You typically need to be in the top third for schools ranked 20 to 40-ish.
I guess listening to these maybe law wouldn't be a good idea for me
I'm interested in law but not as a full time career (I'm 25 and I still don't know what career I want to do)
What advice would you offer older people looking to go to law school? I am 27 and only two years into my undergrad but plan to take the LSAT after I graduate.
Id like to know the answer to this too
fun fact, i can go to any law school here in germany and have the same chances of getting a "top job" as long as my grades are good. law school names dont matter.
Not when you‘re from Hamburg. 😂 There are differences.
Same story in the Netherlands.
This is another reason lawyers in the US are paid more. Competition makes prestige, and employers will pay more for the these students.
It's because there is a lot more students in law schools in america and you need to sort all of these people out. The smart ones go to top schools and get reworded for it and the ones that aren't as smart as the other people go to lower ranked law schools. This is done so it would be easier for the system. Big Law firms want to pick out the students they want that are in the big law schools, it's that simple. Also put it this way, why would you want to pick some lower ranked draft player if you can pick Zion Williamson.
jaso 1911 but it is still not accurate tho. Imagine: a person don’t have an as good interview and wasn’t good in math etc. but is a genious lawyer because law fits better and subjects actually challange and interest him. Based on high school grades and based on interviews you can’t pick the best out of the best. A pre-law test also is stupid as hell as not everyone can prepare as good, due to home circumstances.
Can you talk about what personality traits would make a person what to be.a lawyer?
aversion to sunlight & a taste for human blood. Mua ha hah ha ha
seriously tho. i just want to do something to help society & knowing how to use the law gives you a certain amount of power
Hi! I am a graduating senior in college trying to decide between number 22 ranked Boston University and 7 ranked UPenn. Lord willing, I will receive the same amount of scholarship money from UPenn as I will from BU (potential 10k difference). I am inclined to think that I want to practice in Massachusetts and live there after law school (in the immediate future at least, because it is home) however, I am not dead-set on it. I also do not think that Big Law will be my path, though having the option in case my interests change is a bit of a factor. I, overall, am more social justice minded. What do you make of this situation? I appreciate anybody who might read or respond to this! Thanks Legal Eagle!
Pierrce Holmes go to UPenn. Going to an Ivy League will always open doors for you
Thanks¡ Good video among many I have seen without a good criteria and professional experience. I expect next good ones.
I live in Brooklyn , and I'm looking for affordable law school , I definitely don't want to be paying huge debt so what do you recommend ? my goal is to practice criminal law.
Hey James, I've noticed that you mentioned both entertainment law in this video and being a member of the entertainment law journal in law school at UCLA. I too am interested in entertainment law which is why I chose to start my 1L year this upcoming August at USC Gould. Is entertainment law the field that you currently practice in?
That's unfortunate that you're going to USC (kidding). I do a little entertainment work; mainly as a side effect litigating copyrights and trademarks in the LA area.
I like that you are honest.
Always! Some one needs to tell it like it is.
Thank you for the great videos. I am an international student in US. I was wondering how much financial aid I might get with almost perfect gpa and 170 LSAT score? Which law schools are known to financially accommodate for international students?
A perfect GPA and a 170 would get you a substantial scholarship or perhaps even a full scholarship at UCLA Law.
The fact that we only have 7 law schools in sweden that are equally good AND free makes me proud of my country
Oskar free but Only for Swedish Citizens?
@@0utcast I cant speak for sweden, but in Norway anyone can come and study completely free. Its free for everyone in the whole world. You only have to pay a semester fee each semester (~$60) and you need to pay the living costs (rent, food etc..)
Lawyers and their role in society and in the job market is very different between European countries and the US. Like here in Turkey, you can graduate with a bachelors in law and be a lawyer. But in the US, you obviously need a J.D and need to pass the bar. The earning potential is much higher in the US
I have a family member who went to a public university and they work in legal aid because that’s what they’re passionate about. If you want to make a difference in your community, you don’t necessarily need to go to a top law school.
If I went to a top college like Emory does that give me a better chance to get into a top tier law school
Where you went for undergrad doesn’t matter unless you went to a college with low rigor and the law schools know that.
@@ringz3215 this isn’t necessarily true. I’ve talked to adcoms and some have said that they care about undergrad prestige to a certain extent. I also know of a couple people who graduated with 4.0s from unknown online colleges with a 170+ on the lsat and they got rejected from all but 1 t14. There’s just a difference between someone getting a 4.0 at an ivy undergrad vs that same gpa from some unknown, unranked liberal arts school.
When ppl say undergrad prestige doesn’t matter, what they mean is that a high gpa is going to be king, in that it’s better to get a 4.0 in some unknown state school vs getting a 3.0 from UChicago. But when gpas are about equal, adcoms would prefer the better undergrad institution and it’s seen as more impressive
Would recommend to take the bar exam after we find an employer or just right after we get out of law school??
You graduate from law school in May and the bar exams are usually late in the summer. So always take the bar exam as early as possible. You'll either have a job that is contingent on passing the bar that summer or you'll need to pass the bar then find a job. Either way, take the bar right after graduating.
Video really motivated me
Hey, I just wanted to say your channel has helped me immensely in pursuing my childhood dream. I had a question for you what kind of gpa should I be looking at as a computer science major. I am sitting at a 3.57 on 4.0. My target schools are Harvard, UPenn , NYU and Columbia. Also, what is your opinion on combined J.D/MBA. I am really thankful for your help. I hope you reply @LegalEagle
For those schools your gpa has got to be AT LEAST 3.8, probably more like 3.9, if you want a good shot of acceptance. Law schools care very little for your major and even tho CS is more difficult/rigorous than a sociology major, they unfortunately will not have sympathy for your relative course rigor when your gpa falls well short of their median. That’s unless you can absolutely destroy the LSAT and get like a 175+ but even then that would make it difficult cuz LSAT scores have gone up a ton this year. If your school has given you some A+s tho your lsac GPA might actually be higher than the 3.57, since LSAC counts A+s as 4.3. This is what happened to me, my undergrad reported gpa was 3.91/4.00 but because of some A+s I got it turned into a 4.0 for law school admissions.
This is INCREDIBLY useful! You should also do a video on how to get into a highly ranked law school. Thank you!!
Glad you found it useful! Getting in to a top law school would be a pretty short video: get a high LSAT score.
Really helpful video. I enjoyed watching it 👌🏽
Glad it helped.
Your channel is great and I really appreciate it
Is it extremely hard to because a Intellectual Property lawyer? What’s characteristics considered for this focus?
Currently practising Law in the UK and damn do I wish I had went to law school in the USA just so I could apply your lawfully factual videos to my job. Still listen anyway😂👍
You’re lucky-in most nations other than the US, law school is an undergraduate degree instead of a graduate degree.
I’m finishing my first year of undergrad and am deadset on law so if anyone sees this random comment, feel free to drop some advice, I’ve got a 3.44 GPA currently but I know I can raise it to a 3.6 or even 3.7 by the time I graduate, and haven’t started studying for the LSAT yet since I’ve got a few more years in Uni
"regional school"
in Wisc, just graduating from Marquette or UW-Madison admits you to the bar automatically.
question: does ANY other state (Marquette is private, obvs) provide that?
is any reciprocity an issue (or assumed)?
Are there any strictly online law schools in the US?
Thank you for the great advice. My first choice is the University of Alabama. Roll tide!
You showed Boston? What law school? Suffolk is not hard to get into but seems decently solid
Penn Foster is close to Quebec and New York.
Thanks for the info.
Any differences about european schools? This video has the most information in comparison with what i see when i look into this topic
Currently, I am active duty military and plan to continue for another 10 years. I'm in a Master's program for cybersecurity and have aspirations to practice CyberLaw once my military career is over. I am looking for an online law program, any suggestions? Should I go for a JD before a Ph.D. in Cyber? or wait till I am closer to taking the BAR exam?
I don't think any online law schools are well-reputed. It may be better to work for a while, then try to get into a top full-time, regular law school program. Best wishes!
Amazing! Congratulations for the great job. I love your vid
Thanks for watching!
I heard that the reason big firms pay people so much that are right out of law school is because of basically bragging rights and they can pay them a lot to do work that other people don’t want to do
Holy nuggets! Great information
Thanks for watching!
what if you want to start your own law firm? any straight recommendations here?
Yeah and yeah I am ready
I am 26 in 2 weeks,made a lot of bad choices so far A LOT,but i really fell atracted to this profession,i will 100% join law school this year,tho do you think age should be an impediment or it s just a stupid thing in my head?
26 is not old for a law student at all. Probably average.
Thank you!
My choice in law school is very limited... Broke, below competitive GPA... no ability to relocate... do I have a chance? I've looked at getting an online law certificate, or paralegal certificate and actually working as a paralegal to get some income, but the more i look into it the more daunting it gets... Should I just give up and look elsewhere for a career? I want to be involved in medical law in some way or another... but if i can't be a lawyer, perhaps there is another way to get involved?
I don't know if you're still looking for an answer to this, but here I am. I'm in a similar situation, but I do have an associates degree in paralegal studies from the local community college in my area in addition to a bachelor's I just graduated with in criminal justice. I've been looking for jobs and have been finding that all paralegal jobs I've seen all require 5+ years of specialized experience (litigation is the most popular type) for their entry level jobs. Needless to say, I'm still unemployed. And I started finding that issue for the paralegal jobs back around 2012, and it's continuing (possibly even worse now) today. That lack of job availability is even the reason I went back to school for a bachelor's. I was really kinda thinking about maybe law school, but then saw this video and am now thinking it's just not possible, especially with learning disabilities and being older.
If I want to work for Crane, Poole and Shmidt, Harard would be the obvious choice.
And, as you can clearly see, since I misspelled Harvard, I didn't choose Harvard, did I? Shows how smat I am.
guys please understand that rankings are a sham and that employment numbers matter most. Please please make sure to understand this before going to law school.
I know this isn't directly related to this video, but what Undergrad major would you recommend for getting in and preparing for Law School? Thanks!
I've just discovered your channel.You're doing some great work here.
I want to study in a law school in Europe because I live in a European country and I have to consider the financial part too. It would be very helpful to me If you could recommend some universities to check out.I just need the lessons to be in English or in French.Also, do you know if a European student can take a scholarship from an American university easily?
I don't know the answer to that one. I know that students who have a law degree from most foreign countries can get an LLM in the US and then practice here.
I am looking into personal injury law, I rlly look up to guys like brent wisner, Nick Rowley, Gary Dordick, Sarah’s homampour, brian panish, in 11th grade rn…
First, let me say I'm not a lawyer but I'm really enjoying your videos. Thank you. So I was having this conversation with a lawyer friend a few years ago. She went to Duke and worked in an established firm. I went to Baylor and I commented about Baylor's recent bar passage rate (in 2015 it was 100%). They are consistently the highest in that category. She said that's not really a good measure of a law school and I retorted "so is the bar exam not a good measure of legal knowledge?" You kind of addressed this in this video as Duke would be what you called a tier 1 school and Baylor would be a tier 2. But i never could get a straight answer from her as to why Duke was superior to Baylor and why this statistic was not really important. I was hopeful you might elaborate.
Baylor! I was class of 92 with a business degree. Five of the best and worst years of my life. Sic em'!
I went to a Tier 1 school and none of the teachers worry about preparing you for the Bar exam. You get that from your Bar prep class 2 you take after law school. Good law schools teach you how to think like a lawyer and how to write and argue.
250 law schools in US wow. literally only 2 law schools in sydney worth going to UNSW and USYD
The situation percentage-wise is the same in the US too. 250 law schools, but most of them are worthless. Graduate schools are full of young lawyers who couldn't get a job as lawyers.
@@NorceCodine really worthless? So it’s no good to go if you don’t get into a top school?
@@redapple3256 You will not get any job offer, and honestly I am not surprised. I know a couple of law students from the 3rd-tier law school in my town, what can I say. Some of them doesn't have a clue who Winston Churchill was. I wouldn't hire them either.
New York and I want to learn more a about the law
I’m not sure if you’re still answering from this video, but I talked to a lawyer in my area about the possibility of going back and he mentioned he went to law school at a local regional school (IU McKinnely) at night while working a day job. I am worried about the debt and I realize that unless I get a 178-180 on an LSAT that I’m probably not going to get a huge scholarship or full ride. I wanted to know from the perspective now of someone in a big firm, such as yourself, are there any downsides other than the obvious of limiting myself to a geographic area (of which I am content with)? Would working full time and using my business degree at a big company to get tuition assistance for law school have any issues with time, conflict of interest, availability, etc.? Could I potentially have to sacrifice study time and grades too adversely to be attractive to a big firm or corporate advisement position?
Yes, there are always trade-offs. Evening law school is really tough for 4 years if you're also working full-time. Most law schools with those programs aren't worth it. Best wishes!
So whats your opinion of Thomas Cooley?
It's a true bottom tier law school with poor outcomes.
How does law school ranking impact those who are looking to go into the academic field (e.g. law professor)? I received a full scholarship from a state school (in the T2) and am I highly considering; however, I want to make sure this choice matches my career goals.
Law school ranking will be a significant hiring factor for being a prof.
What do you think is more important, being in the middle of your class at a T12 or top of your class at the bottom of the T25?
You definitely want to be at the top of your class to give yourself the greatest competitive advantage when looking for jobs.
Schools like viginear NYU.etc have over 70% big law placement rate, plus some students do federal clerkships, it seems almost sure thing can get big law, why need top one third.
Is there any point going to a third-tier law school?
No, unless it's free & you can graduate within the top 2% of the class.
Very nice vid. This will help me :)
Great to hear!
does it matter where you go for undergrad?
You are really filling their heads up right now. Big firms are not the business. You can make money in other ways. Law isnt about money. Money is about money. I really think people should think in terms of AAG, AUSA, or private practice.
I have a question for you. How important is it where a person goes to Law School. I plan on going to Law School in a couple of years. I feel I can get into a very good law school. I am a senior and want to spend my time wisely. I live in California and get the Cal Vet Fee waiver which makes it possible for me to go to school at any college in California tuition free. However if I go to Harvard then I am looking at Tuition and fees of around $300,000. Is it worth it to go to a higher ranked school and spend the tuition? What more would I gain out of going to Harvard? Would it be worth it?
Thank you,
David
So I want to work in Houston should I go to a Houston law school?
I'm not intending to be a cynical critic but you were inaccurate with saying Yale, Harvard, and Stanford are always changing in the number one spot. Yale has been ranked the No. 1 law school EVERY single year for over the past two decades, by the U.S. News and World Report. Harvard and Stanford do change rankings from year to year for the No. 2 and No. 3 spots however. All that being said, I really enjoyed the video! Quality content, excellently articulated!
I need one of u in the uk 😭😭
I'm thinking of law school but I am not sure. I am also considering Human Resources/MBA.
Cool. Good luck with the decision. Hope the videos help.
If you are looking at HR, consider going the Cert route instead after undergrad. A PHR or SPHR can be just as meaningful as a HR masters.
How do we find the ABA's review and ranking of Law Schools? How do you navigate the site?
US News and World Report ranks schools numerically, but you have to subscribe to see their full rankings. National Jurist will break down each law school with a summary, average costs, and a letter grade for that school's value or specialty. I think it's more informative than US News
Hello, what do you think of those California bar accredited (non ABA approved) online law schools?
What does it mean when your law school is not sanctioned by the ABA?
From what I know, if your school is not ABA sanctioned, then you cannot be admitted to any state bar (which is required to practice law in any state). California is the only state that I know of that is the exception to this rule, since they have some law schools that are sanctioned by the California Bar, but not the ABA. As a result, graduates from these schools can only practice in California. Hope this helps.
Penn Foster works for me. AA.
Do the court scene from Big Daddy!
What is big law?
Big Law is the term for large law firms or corporations that hire attorneys.
Brooklyn Academy Of Law
Make the right choice and don't go to law school. There are No Jobs for most law school grads, because the job market for lawyers is grossly oversaturated and has been for decades. Doubt me? Well, there are 11 ABA-accredited law school in the state of Florida. 10 in Pennsylvania. 6 in the tiny District of Columbia. 8 in Virginia. You get the idea. Do you think that Florida has job openings for over 1,200 new lawyers every year--over 100 a month? Or PA can reliably employ 10 entire graduating classes of lawyer each and every year? Oh, and did you know that law schools have been caught make up employment statistics and lying to students and potential applicants many times over the years? Did you know that some unemployed JD's have SUED THEIR LAW SCHOOL FOR FRAUD because it promised them jobs that don't exist? Do your research and then go into a field that needs workers, like nursing/teaching/trucking/flying commercial airplanes. There are lots of fields that badly need workers, and pay them well--law isn't one of them.
Can you explain the JAG corps
UCLA isn't and has never been a T14 school (though I'm sure UCLA grads can get into big firms in LA).
Technically, you're actually wrong; UCLA Law was ranked #14 in 1987 by USNWR. UCLA Law has been ranked between 15 and 17 in recent years. But yeah, it's not part of the T14 generally. I think you misheard what he said. He mentioned UCLA as part of the *top tier* law schools -- i.e. Tier 1 -- which it indisputably is a part of. Tier 1 includes 50 law schools, Tier 2 includes the next 50, and so on. There are 4 tiers each with 50 law schools which makes sense since there are about 200 ABA-accredited law schools.
Btw, today, about a third (maybe slightly) more of UCLAW grads enter big law after graduation.
@Rich 91 You're ignorant and clearly not familiar with law school rankings at all. Or just just pulled all that out of your ass. USNWR ranks law schools and that's where *tiers* come from. There are about 200 ABA-accredited law schools and you divide those into four tiers. You can do math, can't you? That's 50 schools for each tier. T-14 is the most exclusive *of the Tier-1* schools. Look it up -- there are tons of sources on Google to verify this. Also, you don't even make any sense. UCLA Law is not Top-14 yet their median LSAT is 167-168 depending on the year.
"Fourth-tier law schools get their name from the U.S. News and World Report annual law school rankings. The magazine does not place schools in specific "tiers"; instead it ranks the first 150 schools numerically and lists the final 40 to 50 schools alphabetically." www.theclassroom.com/fourthtier-law-schools-8240279.html
"Beyond the top 100 schools, the U.S. News and World Report law school rankings have created groupings for third-tier and fourth-tier law schools, which we have listed and profiled in detail."
www.top-law-schools.com/schools.html
@Rich 91 I literally can't take you seriously now. You have no idea what you're talking about. Either that, or you're not talking about American law schools.
LOL you’re just mad because you’re wrong. How pathetic!
@Rich 91 Why are you even responding a year later you troll?
So I just started pre law at liberty university online how is there law school or should I apply to a more established law school ? Do law schools even care about online undergraduate degrees ? Or are undergraduate degrees bad for top tier law schools ?
Should I go to a law school in the city I want to live in after or just move after if both cities are in the same state? Like I want to go to UT Law but I want to practice in Dallas so should I just aim for SMU instead?
UT sounds like a much better choice if you would pay in-state tuition there. Good luck!