Choose school based on overall rank or specialty rank?!

Comments

• 3 Likes

  glauconn Member

  March 2021 30 karma

  Depends on the context of the overall ranking vs the specialty ranking.

  University of Florida legitimately carries weight with its Tax Law specialty for example.

  However, most supposed specialties are honestly just giveaways from USNWR to T2-T5 ranked schools so that they can be the best at underwater basketweaving or whatever.

  Really, what I would do is decide based upon which school actually gets you a job upon graduation. Check out their respective 509 reports to see how their employment stats shake out (you can just google 509 "school here" to get it).

  Good luck with your decision!
• 1 Like

  VerdantZephyr Member ⭐

  March 2021 2054 karma

  @cmoren21 I think we'd need a lot more information about your law career goals, your financial position/goals, and what schools you're looking at.
• 1 Like

  tahurrrrr Member

  March 2021 1106 karma

  Without having full context of your goals, I'm just going to say to keep in mind that as far as specialty, you may change your mind. So if you go to school based on specialty only to specialize in something different, you kind of defeated the purpose of choosing that school in the first place.
• 1 Like

  Selene Steelman Free Trial Member Admissions Consultant

  March 2021 2037 karma

  As a former admissions officer, I would agree with @tahurrrr that students often change their mind about what they want to practice once they start their studies. Sometimes students end up practicing whatever law their job requires. On the other hand, if a school has a strong specialty rank, it may be because the school has chosen to invest resources into developing a reputation in that area of law, offering unique opportunity and access to its students.

  While the top 14-15 schools have national brand recognition and you could practice anything and anywhere once your graduate, schools outside this group tend to offer support and resources that may be more regional in focus. So in addition to rank and specialty rank, you should consider what legal market you might want to practice in and the places where your target school's alumni tend to practice. Do they match up? You can find information about where school alumni went to work for the past 9 years at the 509 disclosures under Employment Outcomes report. Good luck!
• cmoren21 Member

  March 2021 217 karma

  Thank you all for responding. I appreciate your advice and input! My goal is not to go into big law but I am hoping to go in-house (very difficult, I know lol) or work for state or federal government. I know for a fact that I want to study health law. I work at a PI firm now and I have had amazing opportunities and experiences working with attorneys that specialize in health law, I'm an advocate for women and immigrant health rights. I will look into 509 data and maybe use that the be the deciding factor.

  Once again, thank you!!!!!
• 1 Like

  noonawoon Alum Member ⭐

  March 2021 3481 karma

  Specialty rankings don't really speak much to your ability to get a job in that field so I say overall ranking!