Location can outweigh rankings when it comes to job opportunities Being in a major legal city means easier access to internships, networking, and hiring firms Law firms prefer local talent, making it harder for out-of-state graduates to compete Bar passage rates and state-specific legal systems often favor in-state graduates Attending law school in a legal hub offers long-term career advantages beyond the first job Imagine two law students, Jake and Sarah. Both were accepted into law schools of similar ranking.

Law school rankings matter, but location can often be more important for job prospects Major legal markets (New York, D.C., Chicago, L.A.) offer better internship, networking, and job placement opportunities Many law firms hire from their local talent pool, favoring schools in the same city over equally ranked schools elsewhere A law graduate from a mid-ranked school in a big city often has better job prospects than a higher-ranked graduate from a small town Many students obsess over law school rankings, believing that attending a higher-ranked institu

Ranking Criteria – Law school rankings prioritize job placement, reputation, selectivity, faculty resources, and student debt, with a strong focus on BigLaw and clerkships. T14 Advantage – T14 schools rank higher due to elite job placements, strong reputation, and selective admissions, making their degrees highly valuable nationwide. Limitations – Rankings favor prestige and BigLaw jobs, often overlooking regional strengths, affordability, and alternative legal careers.