How Much Does the Law School You Went to Matter When You Lateral Firms? By Harrison Barnes from Los Angeles Office Managing Director Applying as an entry-level associate, your law school will play a greater role in whether or not you are hired. The notoriety of your law school only comes into play again if you choose to lateral. Applicants that go to top-tier law schools are more likely to get an interview regardless of other credentials. Summary: Considering a lateral move? Learn how much the quality of the law school you went to matters to law firms. Get advice from law students, prelaw students and others at: Top Law Schools Most attorneys believe that the law school they went to matters a great deal when they are lateralling law firms. Does it? I decided to find out how much it matters by simply tallying BCG interview and placement data from attorneys coming from different law schools. This is a very interesting and likely accurate way to assess how much the law school an attorney attends matters and how seriously the market treats each law school. This article contains many charts created from BCG interview and placement data. Each chart has a slightly different focal point or emphasis in regards to the issue of how much law school matters for law firm interviews and placements. There are 15 charts located throughout the article, so to help orient the reader as to what can be expected, here is an index of the charts: OVERVIEW DATA FOR INTERVIEWS AND PLACEMENTS DURING 2015 AND 2016 Chart A. Frequency with Which BCG Candidates from Various Law Schools Received Law Firm Interviews in 2015 and 2016 Chart B. Frequency with Which BCG Candidates from Various Law Schools Received Law Firm Placements in 2015 and 2016 DATA RELATED TO LAW FIRM INTERVIEWS IN 2016 Chart 1. Percentage of BCG Candidates That Received Law Firm Interviews in 2016 by Law School Chart 2. Percentage of BCG Candidates That Received Law Firm Interviews in 2016 by Law School, As Weighted for Class Size Chart 3. Top 10 Law Schools for BCG Candidates That Received Interviews in 2016, Not Accounting for Class Size Chart 4. Top 9 Law Schools for BCG Candidates That Received Interviews in 2016, Accounting for Class Size Chart 5. Top 5 Law Schools for Laterals Getting Interviews in 2016 (Accounting for Class Size and Not Accounting for Class Size and Listed on Charts 3 and 4) Chart 6. Percentage of BCG Candidates That Received Law Firm Placements in 2016 by Law School Percentage of BCG Candidates That Received Law Firm Placements in 2016 by Law School, As Weighted for Class Size Chart 8. Percentage of BCG Candidates That Received Law Firm Placements in 2015 by Law School Chart 9. Top 20 Law Schools for BCG Candidates That Received Placements in 2016, Not Accounting for Class Size Chart 10. Top 20 Law Schools for BCG Candidates That Received Placements in 2016, Accounting for Class Size Page 1
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Chart 11. Top 15 Law Schools for Laterals Getting Placements in 2016 (Accounting for Class Size/Not Accounting for Class Size and Listed on Charts 9 and 10) Chart 12. Percentage of BCG Candidates That Received Law Firm Placements in 2015 by Law School Chart 13. Top 6 Law Schools for BCG Candidates That Earned the Most Placements in 2015 and 2016 The lateral market is different from the entry-level market. In the entry-level market, the school that an attorney attends really does matter, and it is important. There are no other criteria for firms to evaluate candidates by at such an early stage in their legal careers. This is how law firms separate the "wheat from the chaff." Do you think it is fair that law firms mainly use an attorney's law school ranking in the selection process? Share your comments below. For more information about the current state of the market, by practice area as well as by geographic region, please see the following: The BCG Attorney Search 2017 State of the American Lateral Law Firm Legal Market Report At BCG Attorney Search, we only work with attorneys in the lateral market. The attorneys we work with are interested in new lateral opportunities. We find our candidates using a variety of methods, including advertising, our existing databases, networking, traditional recruiting, and more. Each year, tens of thousands of attorneys approach us looking for positions. If the attorney is coming out of a practice setting where he or she is getting good experience and appears to be someone for whom our few decades of experience indicate a placement is likely, we will try to work with the attorney. We want to work with anyone we believe is marketable because this is how we get paid. A good school will bias us in the candidate's favor, of course, but the most important criteria for a law firm deciding whether or not to hire a particular candidate is whether or not the attorney has the experience that they are looking for and is coming out of a practice setting that suggests they are going to be able to perform for the firm's clients. The fact that an attorney is looking for a position through us may suggest that the attorney is not happy at his or her existing firm, trying to move to a better firm, not doing well at his or her current firm, or doing well but simply looking for something better. Out of all of this information, however, the most important point is that law firms that hire attorneys through legal recruiters are doing so because they are extremely concerned about whom they hire. They hire and use legal recruiters to go out into the market seeking talent because they have serious concerns about quality: They want the absolute best people they can find. How can you show a law firm that you are the absolute best candidate for them? See the following articles for more information: The Only Six Factors Prestigious Law Firms Care about When Hiring Lateral Attorneys Be the Person You Are Capable of Being The Importance of High Standards in Your Life and Career: What High Standards Mean In order to do the study, this is what I did: I made a spreadsheet by including data from all the interviews and placements made by our firm during the past two years (2015 and 2016). I counted the number of interviews that attorneys from each law school received. I did a separate calculation controlling this information for class size from each school, since this had an impact on how many attorneys the law school sent into the market each year to compete.
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A. OVERVIEW DATA FOR INTERVIEWS AND PLACEMENTS DURING 2015 and 2016 Chart A. Frequency with Which BCG Candidates from Various Law Schools Received Law Firm Interviews in 2015 and 2016 Rank as Yearly Year Year Growth or Decline Law School Weightage per Class Size 2015(%) 2016(%) Based on 2015 Weightage University of Chicago Law 206 School Columbia Law School 388 Albany Law School of Union 121 University American University 351 Ave Maria School of Law 89 Baylor University School of 131 Law Boston College Law School 231 University of California 312 Brooklyn Law School 302 Boston University School of 224 Law Benjamin N. Cardozo School 294 of Law Chapman University School 145 of Law Charlotte School of Law 237 Thomas M. Cooley Law 58 School Cleveland State University 93 The Catholic University of 94 America Interamerican University 255 School of Law Drexel University School of 129 Law Fordham Law School 319 University of Southern 199 California, The Law School George Washington 490 University Harvard Law School 589 Indiana University McKinney 173 School of Law John Marshall Law School 248 Chicago-Kent College of Law 212 Arizona State University 208 College of Law
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1.4%
3.9%
170.24%
17.99
1
3.1%
2.1%
-32.58%
5.15
30
0.1%
0.1%
-12.35%
0.82
108
0.4% 0.1%
0.8% 0.1%
133.72% -12.35%
2.28 1.12
72 97
0.2%
0.5%
119.11%
3.82
49
1.2% 1.3% 0.4%
1.8% 2.3% 0.5%
49.00% 75.29% 46.08%
7.35 7.06 1.65
16 18 81
1.3%
2.6%
99.19%
11.16
2
0.7%
0.6%
-12.35%
2.04
77
0.2%
0.1%
-56.18%
0.69
114
0.1%
0.0%
-100.00%
0.00
124
0.5%
0.4%
-12.35%
6.90
20
0.1%
0.0%
-100.00%
0.00
125
0.1%
0.4%
250.58%
4.24
39
0.0%
0.1%
100.00%
0.39
123
0.2%
0.2%
-12.35%
1.55
85
2.9%
1.8%
-37.92%
5.33
27
2.3%
0.5%
-76.94%
2.51
67
1.9%
1.7%
-12.35%
3.27
56
2.2%
1.6%
-26.96%
2.55
66
0.2%
0.4%
75.29%
2.31
71
1.4% 0.2%
1.4% 1.6%
-5.05% 557.34%
5.24 7.09
29 17
2.5%
1.0%
-62.44%
4.33
38
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State University of New York 165 Yearly 0.4% Year at BuffaloLaw LawSchool School Class Size 2015(%) Brigham Young University, J. 131 0.5% Reuben Clark Law School Capital University Law 85 0.1% School Case Western Reserve 127 1.6% University School of Law De Paul University College of 201 0.2% Law University of Denver, Sturm 234 0.1% College of Law Duke University School of 223 1.4% Law Duquesne School of Law 102 0.2% Emory University School of 279 1.9% Law Florida International 125 0.0% University College of Law Georgetown University Law 575 6.4% Center George Mason University 110 0.7% School of Law Gonzaga University School 112 0.0% of Law Hofstra University School of 226 0.8% Law Howard University School of 138 0.0% Law University of Illinois College 159 1.2% of Law Indiana University Maurer 179 1.3% School of Law University of Kansas School 121 0.4% of Law Marquette University Law 174 0.1% School University of Miami School of 303 0.2% Law Michigan State College of 236 1.4% Law North Carolina Central 157 0.0% University School of Law University of Notre Dame 194 0.6% Law School Northwestern University 219 0.0% School of Law New York University School Page 4
0.2% -41.57% 94Rank as Year Growth or Decline 1.21 Weightage per 2016(%) Based on 2015 Weightage 0.0% -100.00% 0.00 126 0.0%
-100.00%
0.00
127
0.4%
-73.03%
3.16
57
0.5%
119.11%
2.49
69
0.2%
75.29%
0.86
107
1.6%
9.56%
6.74
21
0.0%
-100.00%
0.00
128
0.3%
-83.57%
1.08
99
0.2%
100.00%
1.60
83
4.9%
-23.93%
8.00
12
0.1%
-85.39%
0.91
104
0.1%
100.00%
0.89
106
0.3%
-62.44%
1.33
92
0.3%
100.00%
2.18
74
1.2%
-3.59%
6.92
19
0.2%
-84.06%
1.12
98
0.5%
46.08%
4.14
44
0.6%
425.87%
3.45
52
0.6%
162.94%
1.98
79
0.5%
-63.48%
2.12
76
0.4%
100.00%
2.55
65
1.0%
57.76%
4.65
34
1.5%
100.00%
6.38
25
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of Law
465 4.5% 4.8% 6.60% 9.68 7 Rank as Yearly Year Year Growth or Decline Weightage per Class Size 2015(%) 2016(%) Based on 2015 156 0.0% 0.2% 100.00% 1.28 93 Weightage
Law School University of Oklahoma College of Law Pace University School of 155 Law Pepperdine University 199 School of Law University of Pittsburgh 151 School of Law University of Richmond 156 School of Law Rutgers School of Law 298 Newark University of South Carolina 206 School of Law Santa Clara University 169 School of Law Seattle University School of 186 Law Seton Hall University School 118 of Law St. Louis University School of 139 Law Stanford University Law 191 School Stetson University College of 224 Law Syracuse University College 168 of Law Temple University, Beasley 178 School of Law Texas Tech University 187 School of Law Tulane University Law 190 School University of Alabama School 144 of Law University of Arkansas 117 School of Law University of Baltimore 165 School of Law University of Cincinnati 92 College of Law University of California, Davis 165 School of Law UCLA School of Law 325 The University of Connecticut 109 Page 5
0.0%
0.4%
100.00%
2.58
63
1.1%
0.5%
-51.31%
2.51
68
0.6%
0.3%
-47.41%
1.99
78
0.4%
0.0%
-100.00%
0.00
129
0.7%
1.0%
31.47%
3.02
59
0.0%
0.7%
100.00%
3.40
54
0.5%
0.7%
53.38%
4.15
43
0.4%
1.0%
162.94%
4.85
32
1.8%
0.4%
-76.63%
3.40
53
0.2%
0.2%
-12.35%
1.44
90
1.6%
0.1%
-93.26%
0.52
121
0.2%
0.1%
-56.18%
0.45
122
1.6%
0.5%
-66.29%
2.97
61
0.1%
0.2%
75.29%
1.12
96
0.2%
0.1%
-56.18%
0.53
120
1.2%
2.0%
66.53%
10.00
6
0.2%
0.1%
-56.18%
0.70
113
0.2%
0.3%
31.47%
2.57
64
0.1%
0.7%
513.52%
4.23
40
0.1%
0.0%
-100.00%
0.00
130
0.1%
0.1%
-12.35%
0.61
116
1.0%
2.6%
173.89%
7.70
14
0.4%
0.6%
75.29%
5.49
26
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School of Law Rank as School of Law, University of Yearly Year Year Growth or Decline Law School Weightage 115 per 146 0.0% 0.1% 100.00% 0.68 Detroit Mercy Class Size 2015(%) 2016(%) Based on 2015 Weightage University of Florida College 320 0.1% 0.7% 513.52% 2.19 73 of Law The University of Georgia 192 0.4% 0.0% -100.00% 0.00 131 School of Law University of Houston Law 202 0.8% 0.3% -62.44% 1.49 88 Center The University of Iowa 129 0.5% 0.2% -56.18% 1.55 86 College of Law University of Maryland 171 2.0% 1.2% -43.29% 6.42 24 School of Law The University of Michigan 311 3.9% 3.4% -12.35% 10.30 4 Law School University of Missouri129 0.2% 0.3% 31.47% 2.33 70 Kansas City School of Law University of Minnesota Law 211 0.6% 0.8% 40.23% 3.80 50 School University of North Carolina 219 0.4% 0.2% -41.57% 0.91 103 School of Law Franklin Pierce Law Center 69 0.4% 0.7% 104.51% 10.14 5 University of Nebraska 110 0.0% 0.1% 100.00% 0.91 105 College of Law William S. Boyd School of 126 0.1% 0.2% 75.29% 1.58 84 Law University of Oregon Law 122 0.0% 0.2% 100.00% 1.64 82 School University of Pennsylvania 251 1.1% 2.2% 104.51% 8.37 11 Law School University of Utah S.J. 107 0.2% 0.2% -12.35% 1.86 80 Quinney College of Law The University of Texas 316 0.8% 1.5% 75.29% 4.43 37 School of Law University of Washington 165 1.1% 0.1% -90.26% 0.60 117 School of Law Vanderbilt University Law 179 0.7% 0.8% 16.86% 4.46 36 School Villanova University School 164 0.4% 0.5% 46.08% 3.05 58 of Law The University of Virginia 311 1.2% 3.1% 154.17% 9.31 8 School of Law Wayne State University Law 122 0.5% 0.1% -78.09% 0.82 109 School Wake Forest University 164 0.4% 0.0% -100.00% 0.00 132 School of Law Whittier Law School 109 0.0% 0.1% 100.00% 0.92 102 University of Wisconsin Law Page 6
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School 173 0.1% 0.0% -100.00% 0.00 133 Rank as Yearly Year Year Growth or Decline Washington & Lee University Law School Weightage per Class Size 0.6% 2015(%) 0.4% 2016(%) -29.88% Based on 2015 3.82 105 48 School of Law Weightage William & Mary School of 215 Law Washington University 109 School of Law Yale Law School 205 Cornell Law School 196 Lewis & Clark 138 Loyola Law School 267 University of Louisville Louis 101 D. Brandeis School Loyola University Chicago 194 School of Law McGeorge School of Law 119 William Mitchell College of 125 Law The Ohio State University 174 Moritz College of Law Northeastern University 151 School of Law University of Mississippi 126 Ohio State University 174 Quinnipiac University School 69 of Law University of San Diego 211 School of Law Southern Methodist 187 University South Texas College of Law 265 St. John's University School 201 of Law University of St. Thomas Law 210 School St. Thomas University School 113 of Law Suffolk University Law 263 School Southwestern Law School 220 Thurgood Marshall School of 169 Law Texas Wesleyan University 132 School of Law University of California, 301 Hastings University of Dayton School Page 7
1.3%
1.2%
-12.35%
5.12
31
1.9%
0.0%
-100.00%
0.00
134
0.8% 1.3% 0.2% 0.7%
2.3% 1.4% 0.1% 2.5%
175.46% 3.58% -56.18% 250.58%
10.75 6.63 0.72 9.00
3 23 112 10
0.0%
0.3%
100.00%
2.98
60
1.3%
1.0%
-28.29%
4.64
35
0.2%
0.5%
119.11%
4.21
41
0.0%
0.1%
100.00%
0.80
110
1.1%
0.7%
-31.83%
4.02
45
3.5%
0.0%
-100.00%
0.00
135
0.0% 0.0%
0.1% 0.1%
100.00% 100.00%
0.79 0.57
111 119
0.0%
0.1%
100.00%
1.44
89
1.1%
0.7%
-31.83%
3.31
55
0.0%
0.4%
100.00%
2.14
75
0.2%
0.3%
31.47%
1.13
95
1.2%
1.7%
40.23%
7.95
13
0.0%
0.2%
100.00%
0.95
101
0.5%
0.0%
-100.00%
0.00
136
1.4%
0.4%
-70.78%
1.52
87
0.0%
0.8%
100.00%
3.64
51
0.1%
0.1%
-12.35%
0.59
118
0.2%
0.0%
-100.00%
0.00
137
1.0%
2.1%
119.11%
6.64
22
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of Law 85 1.9% Yearly Year UniversityLaw of Kentucky 125 0.0% School Class Size 2015(%) University of North Dakota 75 0.1% University of New Hampshire 72 0.0% University of San Francisco 144 0.4% University of Toledo College 65 0.0% of Law Valparaiso University School 40 0.0% of Law Vermont Law School 125 0.0% Widener University School of 106 0.4% Law Willamette University College 100 0.0% of Law Washington University 228 0.0%
0.4% Year 0.5% 2016(%) 0.2% 0.1% 0.6%
-78.09% Growth or Decline 100.00% Based on 2015 75.29% 100.00% 75.29%
4.69 33Rank as 4.01 Weightage 46 per Weightage 2.68 62 1.40 4.18
91 42
0.6%
100.00%
9.18
9
0.3%
100.00%
7.44
15
0.5%
100.00%
4.00
47
0.0%
-100.00%
0.00
138
0.1%
100.00%
1.00
100
1.3%
100.00%
5.26
28
Chart B. Frequency with Which BCG Candidates from Various Law Schools Received Law Firm Placements in 2015 and 2016 Yearly Growth or Rank as Year Year Law School Class Decline Based Weightage per 2015(%) 2016(%) Size on 2015 Weightage University of Arizona American University Washington College of Law Baylor University Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law Boston College Law School Boston University School of Law Brooklyn Law School Case Western Reserve University School of Law The Catholic University of America Charlotte School of Law Chicago Kent College of Law Columbia University School of Law Cornell Law School Dayton University School of Law DePaul University School of Law Duke Law School Emory University Fordham University School of Law George Mason University School of Law George Washington University Law School
Page 8
120
0.7%
0.9%
40.74%
0.84
27
351
2.0%
1.9%
-6.17%
0.57
39
131 294 231 224 302
0.7% 1.3% 3.3% 0.7% 0.7%
0.0% 0.9% 1.9% 2.8% 0.0%
-100.00% -29.63% -43.70% 322.22% -100.00%
0.00 0.34 0.86 1.34 0.00
57 54 23 9 58
127
2.0%
0.9%
-53.09%
0.79
29
94 237 212 388 196 85 201 223 279 319
0.7% 0.7% 0.7% 2.6% 0.7% 0.7% 0.7% 1.3% 1.3% 3.3%
0.0% 0.0% 0.9% 7.4% 2.8% 0.9% 0.0% 0.9% 0.0% 0.9%
-100.00% -100.00% 40.74% 181.48% 322.22% 40.74% -100.00% -29.63% -100.00% -71.85%
0.00 0.00 0.47 2.06 1.53 1.17 0.00 0.45 0.00 0.31
59 60 49 2 6 14 61 51 62 56
110
2.6%
0.0%
-100.00%
0.00
63
490
3.9%
2.8%
-29.63%
0.61
36
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Georgetown University Law Center Georgia Law School State University College of Law Gould School of Law Harvard Law School Howard University School of Law Indiana University Maurer School of Law Indiana University Mckinney School of Law Loyola Law School Loyola University Chicago School of Law Michigan State College of Law New York University School of Law Northeastern University School of Law Northwestern University School of Law Notre Dame School of Law Pennsylvania State University Seton Hall University School of Law Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law Stanford Law School Suffolk University Law School The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law The University of Chicago Law School The University of Kansas School of Law The University of Texas School of Law The University of Virginia School of Law Thomas M. Cooley Law School Tulane University Law School UC Berkeley School of Law UCLA School of Law University at Buffalo Law School University of Connecticut School of Law University of Iowa College of Law University of Maryland School of Law University of Michigan Law School Page 9
575 Yearly Class 152 Size 199 589 138
2.6% Year 0.7% 2015(%)
3.7% Year 0.0% 2016(%) 0.9% 0.0% 0.0%
40.74% or Growth Decline Based -100.00% on 2015 -79.89% -100.00% -100.00%
0.70 Rank as 33 Weightage per 0.00 64 Weightage 0.50 42 0.00 65 0.00 66
4.6% 4.6% 1.3%
179
0.7%
0.9%
40.74%
0.56
40
173
0.7%
0.0%
-100.00%
0.00
67
267
0.7%
2.8%
322.22%
1.13
16
194
1.3%
0.0%
-100.00%
0.00
68
236 465
0.7% 3.9%
0.9% 3.7%
40.74% -6.17%
0.42 0.86
53 24
151
1.3%
0.0%
-100.00%
0.00
69
219
2.6%
2.8%
5.56%
1.37
8
194 118 118
0.7% 0.7% 2.0%
1.9% 0.0% 0.9%
181.48% -100.00% -53.09%
1.03 0.00 0.85
18 70 26
187
0.7%
0.9%
40.74%
0.54
41
191 263
0.7% 0.7%
0.0% 1.9%
-100.00% 181.48%
0.00 0.76
71 32
174
0.7%
1.9%
181.48%
1.15
15
206
3.9%
1.9%
-53.09%
0.97
20
121
0.7%
0.0%
-100.00%
0.00
72
316
2.6%
3.7%
40.74%
1.26
12
311
2.0%
0.0%
-100.00%
0.00
73
58 190 312 325 165
0.7% 1.3% 3.3% 1.3% 0.7%
0.9% 1.9% 5.6% 1.9% 0.0%
40.74% 40.74% 68.89% 40.74% -100.00%
1.72 1.05 1.93 0.62 0.00
5 17 3 35 74
109
0.7%
0.0%
-100.00%
0.00
75
129
0.7%
0.9%
40.74%
0.78
31
171
1.3%
0.9%
-29.63%
0.58
38
311
0.7%
3.7%
462.96%
1.29
11
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University of North Carolina School Yearly 219 of Law Law School Class Size University of Pennsylvania Law 251 School University of Pittsburgh School of 151 Law University of Richmond School of 156 Law University of San Diego School of 211 Law University of San Francisco Law 144 School University of Wisconsin Law School 173 Utah University School of Law 107 Vanderbilt University Law School 179 Vermont Law School 125 Villanova University School of Law 164 Washington and Lee University, 105 School of Law Washington University School of 109 Law William S. Richardson, University of 77 Hawaii Yale Law School 205 Drexel University School of Law 129 Franklin Pierce Law Center 69 Hastings College of the Law 301 John Marshall Law School 248 Pepperdine University School of 199 Law Santa Clara University School of 169 Law St John's School of Law 201 University of Arkansas School of 117 Law University of Denver Sturm College 234 of Law University of Florida Levin College 320 of Law University of Houston Law Center 202 University of Miami School of Law 303 University of Minnesota 211 University of Missouri 108 University of South Carolina School 206 of Law Wayne State University Law School 122 Page 10
Year 1.3% 2015(%)
Year 0.9% 2016(%)
Growth or Rank as -29.63% 0.46 50 Decline Based Weightage per on 2015 Weightage
1.3%
0.0%
-100.00%
0.00
76
2.0%
1.9%
-6.17%
1.32
10
1.3%
0.0%
-100.00%
0.00
77
1.3%
0.9%
-29.63%
0.47
48
0.7%
0.0%
-100.00%
0.00
78
1.3% 0.7% 1.3% 0.7% 0.7%
0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%
-100.00% -100.00% -100.00% -100.00% -100.00%
0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
79 80 81 82 83
0.7%
0.9%
40.74%
0.96
21
2.0%
0.0%
-100.00%
0.00
84
0.7%
0.0%
-100.00%
0.00
85
0.7% 0.0% 1.3% 0.0% 0.0%
0.9% 0.9% 1.9% 2.8% 2.8%
40.74% 100.00% 40.74% 100.00% 100.00%
0.49 0.78 2.90 1.00 1.21
45 30 1 19 13
0.0%
0.9%
100.00%
0.50
43
0.0%
0.9%
100.00%
0.59
37
0.0%
2.8%
100.00%
1.49
7
0.0%
0.9%
100.00%
0.86
25
0.0%
0.9%
100.00%
0.43
52
0.7%
1.9%
181.48%
0.62
34
0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%
0.9% 0.9% 0.9% 1.9%
100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00%
0.50 0.33 0.47 1.85
44 55 47 4
0.0%
0.9%
100.00%
0.49
46
0.0%
0.9%
100.00%
0.82
28
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Whittier Law School Law School
109 0.0% 0.9% Yearly Year Year Class 2015(%) 2016(%) Size B. DATA RELATED TO LAW FIRM INTERVIEWS IN 2016
100.00% 0.92 Growth or Rank as 22 Decline Based Weightage per on 2015 Weightage
Here are the results regarding law schools from which our candidates received interviews in 2016: CHART 1 Percentage of BCG Candidates That Received Law Firm Interviews in 2016 by Law School Georgetown University Law Center 4.90% New York University School of Law 4.80% University of Chicago Law School 3.90% The University of Michigan Law School 3.40% The University of Virginia School of Law 3.10% UCLA School of Law 2.60% Boston University School of Law 2.60% Loyola Law School 2.50% University of California 2.30% Yale Law School 2.30% University of Pennsylvania Law School 2.20% Columbia Law School 2.10% University of California, Hastings 2.10% Tulane University Law School 2.00% Fordham Law School 1.80% Boston College Law School 1.80% George Washington University 1.70% St. John's University School of Law 1.70% Harvard Law School 1.60% Duke University School of Law 1.60% Chicago-Kent College of Law 1.60% The University of Texas School of Law 1.50% Northwestern University School of Law 1.50% John Marshall Law School 1.40% Cornell Law School 1.40% Washington University 1.30% William & Mary School of Law 1.20% University of Maryland School of Law 1.20% University of Illinois College of Law 1.20% Rutgers School of Law - Newark 1.00% Arizona State University College of Law 1.00% Loyola University Chicago School of Law 1.00% University of Notre Dame Law School 1.00% Seattle University School of Law 1.00% American University 0.80% Southwestern Law School 0.80%
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University of Minnesota Law School Vanderbilt University Law School University of Florida College of Law University of San Diego School of Law University of South Carolina School of Law The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law Santa Clara University School of Law University of Baltimore School of Law Franklin Pierce Law Center University of Miami School of Law Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law Marquette University Law School University of San Francisco The University of Connecticut School of Law University of Toledo College of Law Brooklyn Law School Michigan State College of Law De Paul University College of Law Pepperdine University School of Law University of Southern California, The Law School Syracuse University College of Law Villanova University School of Law Baylor University School of Law Vermont Law School University of Kentucky University of Kansas School of Law McGeorge School of Law Suffolk University Law School Southern Methodist University Indiana University McKinney School of Law North Carolina Central University School of Law Pace University School of Law Case Western Reserve University School of Law Seton Hall University School of Law Washington & Lee University School of Law The Catholic University of America University of Dayton School of Law Thomas M. Cooley Law School Emory University School of Law South Texas College of Law Hofstra University School of Law University of Houston Law Center University of Pittsburgh School of Law Howard University School of Law University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law Page 12
0.80% 0.80% 0.70% 0.70% 0.70% 0.70% 0.70% 0.70% 0.70% 0.60% 0.60% 0.60% 0.60% 0.60% 0.60% 0.50% 0.50% 0.50% 0.50% 0.50% 0.50% 0.50% 0.50% 0.50% 0.50% 0.50% 0.50% 0.40% 0.40% 0.40% 0.40% 0.40% 0.40% 0.40% 0.40% 0.40% 0.40% 0.40% 0.30% 0.30% 0.30% 0.30% 0.30% 0.30% 0.30%
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University of Arkansas School of Law
0.30%
University of Louisville Louis D. Brandeis School Valparaiso University School of Law University of Denver, Sturm College of Law University of North Carolina School of Law University of St. Thomas Law School Indiana University Maurer School of Law Temple University, Beasley School of Law State University of New York at Buffalo Law School University of Oklahoma College of Law St. Louis University School of Law The University of Iowa College of Law Drexel University School of Law William S. Boyd School of Law Florida International University College of Law University of Oregon Law School University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law University of North Dakota Interamerican University - School of Law Stetson University College of Law Stanford University Law School Texas Tech University School of Law Ohio State University Thurgood Marshall School of Law University of Washington School of Law University of California, Davis School of Law School of Law, University of Detroit Mercy Chapman University School of Law University of Alabama School of Law Lewis & Clark University of Mississippi William Mitchell College of Law Wayne State University Law School Albany Law School of Union University Gonzaga University School of Law University of Nebraska College of Law George Mason University School of Law Whittier Law School Willamette University College of Law Ave Maria School of Law University of New Hampshire
0.30% 0.30% 0.20% 0.20% 0.20% 0.20% 0.20% 0.20% 0.20% 0.20% 0.20% 0.20% 0.20% 0.20% 0.20% 0.20% 0.20% 0.10% 0.10% 0.10% 0.10% 0.10% 0.10% 0.10% 0.10% 0.10% 0.10% 0.10% 0.10% 0.10% 0.10% 0.10% 0.10% 0.10% 0.10% 0.10% 0.10% 0.10% 0.10% 0.10%
Quinnipiac University School of Law
0.10%
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This information is useful and interesting because it certainly does demonstrate what most people already understand: You are generally better off going to a better school. How much has the law school you attended affected your legal career? See the following articles for more information: Do Grades and School Rankings Matter If Aiming for a Big-Law Job? How Easy Is It to Relocate If You Went to a Second-Tier Law School? I also believe it is important to control for the size of the school, as schools should be weighted according to the number of people they send out into the market. When this is done you get different results: CHART 2 Percentage of BCG Candidates That Received Law Firm Interviews in 2016 by Law School, As Weighted for Class Size Rank as School Year Law School Weightage per Size 2016(%) Weightage University of Chicago Law School Boston University School of Law Yale Law School The University of Michigan Law School Franklin Pierce Law Center Tulane University Law School New York University School of Law The University of Virginia School of Law University of Toledo College of Law Loyola Law School University of Pennsylvania Law School Georgetown University Law Center St. John's University School of Law UCLA School of Law Valparaiso University School of Law Boston College Law School Chicago-Kent College of Law University of California University of Illinois College of Law Thomas M. Cooley Law School Duke University School of Law University of California, Hastings Cornell Law School University of Maryland School of Law Northwestern University School of Law The University of Connecticut School of Law Fordham Law School Page 14
617 672 614 932 207 570 1,395 934 196 800 753 1,725 604 974 121 694 635 935 477 174 668 903 588 514 658 328 956
3.90% 2.60% 2.30% 3.40% 0.70% 2.00% 4.80% 3.10% 0.60% 2.50% 2.20% 4.90% 1.70% 2.60% 0.30% 1.80% 1.60% 2.30% 1.20% 0.40% 1.60% 2.10% 1.40% 1.20% 1.50% 0.60% 1.80%
6 3.72 3.58 3.43 3.38 3.33 3.23 3.1 3.06 3 2.79 2.67 2.65 2.57 2.48 2.45 2.36 2.35 2.31 2.3 2.25 2.21 2.21 2.14 2.13 1.83 1.78
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27
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Washington University JohnSchool Law Marshall Law School Columbia Law School William & Mary School of Law Seattle University School of Law University of Dayton School of Law University of Notre Dame Law School Loyola University Chicago School of Law Vanderbilt University Law School The University of Texas School of Law Arizona State University College of Law The Catholic University of America University of Baltimore School of Law McGeorge School of Law University of San Francisco Santa Clara University School of Law University of Kansas School of Law The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law University of Kentucky Vermont Law School Washington & Lee University School of Law Baylor University School of Law University of Minnesota Law School Southwestern Law School Marquette University Law School Seton Hall University School of Law University of South Carolina School of Law University of San Diego School of Law George Washington University Case Western Reserve University School of Law Villanova University School of Law Rutgers School of Law - Newark University of Louisville Louis D. Brandeis School Syracuse University College of Law University of North Dakota Pace University School of Law University of Arkansas School of Law North Carolina Central University School of Law Harvard Law School University of Southern California, The Law School Pepperdine University School of Law De Paul University College of Law University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law Indiana University McKinney School of Law American University Page 15
684 School 744 Size 1,165 645 557 256 581 582 538 949 623 283 496 356 431 506 362 523 374 375 314 393 632 659 521 353 618 634 1,469 380 491 893 302 505 224 466 350 470 1,767 598 598 602 387 519 1,052
1.30% Year 1.40% 2016(%) 2.10% 1.20% 1.00% 0.40% 1.00% 1.00% 0.80% 1.50% 1.00% 0.40% 0.70% 0.50% 0.60% 0.70% 0.50% 0.70% 0.50% 0.50% 0.40% 0.50% 0.80% 0.80% 0.60% 0.40% 0.70% 0.70% 1.70% 0.40% 0.50% 1.00% 0.30% 0.50% 0.20% 0.40% 0.30% 0.40% 1.60% 0.50% 0.50% 0.50% 0.30% 0.40% 0.80%
1.75 1.75 Weightage 1.72 1.71 1.62 1.56 1.55 1.55 1.49 1.48 1.44 1.41 1.41 1.4 1.39 1.38 1.38 1.34 1.34 1.33 1.27 1.27 1.27 1.21 1.15 1.13 1.13 1.1 1.09 1.05 1.02 1.01 0.99 0.99 0.89 0.86 0.86 0.85 0.85 0.84 0.84 0.83 0.78 0.77 0.76
28 Rank as 29 per Weightage 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72
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University of Florida College of Law Law School Howard University School of Law Southern Methodist University Michigan State College of Law Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law University of Pittsburgh School of Law University of Miami School of Law University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law Brooklyn Law School University of Oregon Law School Florida International University College of Law William S. Boyd School of Law Drexel University School of Law The University of Iowa College of Law Suffolk University Law School University of Houston Law Center Quinnipiac University School of Law St. Louis University School of Law University of New Hampshire Hofstra University School of Law University of Oklahoma College of Law State University of New York at Buffalo Law School South Texas College of Law Temple University, Beasley School of Law Ave Maria School of Law Indiana University Maurer School of Law Emory University School of Law Willamette University College of Law University of St. Thomas Law School Whittier Law School University of North Carolina School of Law George Mason University School of Law University of Nebraska College of Law Gonzaga University School of Law University of Denver, Sturm College of Law Albany Law School of Union University Wayne State University Law School William Mitchell College of Law University of Mississippi Lewis & Clark University of Alabama School of Law Chapman University School of Law School of Law, University of Detroit Mercy University of California, Davis School of Law University of Washington School of Law Page 16
961 School 413 Size 560 709 881 453 909 322 907 366 374 379 386 387 788 605 208 418 215 679 467 494 794 534 268 538 836 301 630 326 657 329 330 336 701 364 365 375 379 414 431 436 438 494 496
0.70% Year 0.30% 2016(%) 0.40% 0.50% 0.60% 0.30% 0.60% 0.20% 0.50% 0.20% 0.20% 0.20% 0.20% 0.20% 0.40% 0.30% 0.10% 0.20% 0.10% 0.30% 0.20% 0.20% 0.30% 0.20% 0.10% 0.20% 0.30% 0.10% 0.20% 0.10% 0.20% 0.10% 0.10% 0.10% 0.20% 0.10% 0.10% 0.10% 0.10% 0.10% 0.10% 0.10% 0.10% 0.10% 0.10%
0.73 73 Rank as Weightage per 0.73 74 Weightage 0.71 75 0.71 76 0.68 77 0.66 78 0.66 79 0.62 80 0.55 81 0.55 82 0.53 83 0.53 84 0.52 85 0.52 86 0.51 87 0.5 88 0.48 89 0.48 90 0.47 91 0.44 92 0.43 93 0.4 94 0.38 95 0.37 96 0.37 97 0.37 98 0.36 99 0.33 100 0.32 101 0.31 102 0.3 103 0.3 104 0.3 105 0.3 106 0.29 107 0.27 108 0.27 109 0.27 110 0.26 111 0.24 112 0.23 113 0.23 114 0.23 115 0.2 116 0.2 117 WWW.BCGSEARCH.COM
Thurgood Marshall School of Law Law School Ohio State University Texas Tech University School of Law Stanford University Law School Stetson University College of Law Interamerican University - School of Law
508 School Size 523 561 572 672 766
0.10% Year 2016(%) 0.10% 0.10% 0.10% 0.10% 0.10%
0.2 Weightage 0.19 0.18 0.17 0.15 0.13
118 as Rank per 119 Weightage 120 121 122 123
CHART 3 Top 10 Law Schools for BCG Candidates That Received Interviews in 2016, Not Accounting for Class Size Georgetown University Law Center New York University School of Law University of Chicago Law School The University of Michigan Law School The University of Virginia School of Law UCLA School of Law Boston University School of Law Loyola Law School University of California Yale Law School
CHART 4 Top 9 Law Schools for BCG Candidates That Received Interviews in 2016, Accounting for Class Size University of Chicago Law School Boston University School of Law Yale Law School The University of Michigan Law School Franklin Pierce Law Center Tulane University Law School New York University School of Law The University of Virginia School of Law University of Toledo College of Law What is interesting about this is that certain schools simply get "blown out of the water" when you consider them based on class size. For example, Georgetown Law Center has close to 1,800 students and like three different schools in one when you when you compare it to the University of Chicago Law School or Yale Law School. There are fewer graduates from Yale and the University of Chicago to compete with graduates from Georgetown. The most meaningful numbers to me seem to be the schools that make both lists. Why do you think some of the smaller schools received more interviews from big law firms in 2016?
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CHART 5 Top 5 Law Schools for Laterals Getting Interviews in 2016 (Accounting for Class Size and Not Accounting for Class Size and Listed on Charts 3 and 4) University of Chicago Law School Yale Law School The University of Michigan Law School New York University School of Law The University of Virginia School of Law This data correlates with what I have observed in my practice as a legal recruiter. These five schools are the schools that the market (and not US News and World Report) seem to indicate most consistently pique the interest of most law firms. These law schools consistently send people into large law firms. They have excellent reputations and their graduates do well in the market generally. However, it is important to note that these schools may not be the ones from which people get the most jobs. For example, I have found students from Yale Law School often go into interviews with a sense of entitlement, which turns off law firms. I have found University of Virginia Law School students earnest and hungry for positions, but not nearly as academic as Yale Law School students. I have found New York University Law School students motivated, direct, and willing to work hard. For more observations about the top law schools, see the following article: Top Law Schools Analyzed and Ranked By America's Top Legal Recruiter Harrison Barnes Each law school has its pluses and minuses. In general, the real test of what happens is when these students show up for interviews: Getting an interview is not the same thing as getting a job. Law firms will hire the very best people they can find in the market for their jobs. Hiring decisions are based on "fit," the quality of the attorney, and whether or not the law firm believes the attorney has the personality characteristics to perform in their firm, will stay, and will work hard. What other factors have you seen law firms look for when hiring attorneys? See the following article for more information: 10 Factors That Matter to Big Firms More Than Where You Went to Law School: Why the Law School You Went to Ultimately Does Not Matter as Much as You Think It Does to Major Law Firms C. Data Related to Law Firm Placements in 2016 These are the schools that yielded the most placements in 2016: CHART 6 Percentage of BCG Candidates That Received Law Firm Placements in 2016 by Law School Columbia University School of Law UC Berkeley School of Law New York University School of Law The University of Texas School of Law Georgetown University Law Center
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7.40% 5.60% 3.70% 3.70% 3.70%
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University of Michigan Law School George Washington University Law School Northwestern University School of Law Cornell Law School Boston University School of Law Loyola Law School St John's School of Law John Marshall Law School Hastings College of the Law The University of Chicago Law School Boston College Law School University of Pittsburgh School of Law American University Washington College of Law Franklin Pierce Law Center Tulane University Law School UCLA School of Law The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law Notre Dame School of Law Suffolk University Law School University of Florida Levin College of Law University of Missouri Gould School of Law Fordham University School of Law Seton Hall University School of Law Case Western Reserve University School of Law University of Maryland School of Law University of San Diego School of Law University of North Carolina School of Law Duke Law School Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law Thomas M. Cooley Law School Dayton University School of Law Washington and Lee University, School of Law University of Arizona University of Iowa College of Law Indiana University Maurer School of Law Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law Yale Law School Chicago Kent College of Law Michigan State College of Law Whittier Law School University of Arkansas School of Law Wayne State University Law School Drexel University School of Law Santa Clara University School of Law Page 19
3.70% 2.80% 2.80% 2.80% 2.80% 2.80% 2.80% 2.80% 2.80% 1.90% 1.90% 1.90% 1.90% 1.90% 1.90% 1.90% 1.90% 1.90% 1.90% 1.90% 1.90% 0.90% 0.90% 0.90% 0.90% 0.90% 0.90% 0.90% 0.90% 0.90% 0.90% 0.90% 0.90% 0.90% 0.90% 0.90% 0.90% 0.90% 0.90% 0.90% 0.90% 0.90% 0.90% 0.90% 0.90%
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Pepperdine University School of Law
0.90%
University of Houston Law Center University of South Carolina School of Law University of Minnesota University of Denver Sturm College of Law University of Miami School of Law
0.90% 0.90% 0.90% 0.90% 0.90%
Weighted for class size, these are the schools that yielded the most placements in 2016: CHART 7 Percentage of BCG Candidates That Received Law Firm Placements in 2016 by Law School, As Weighted for Class Size Franklin Pierce Law Center Columbia University School of Law UC Berkeley School of Law University of Missouri Thomas M. Cooley Law School Cornell Law School St John's School of Law Northwestern University School of Law Boston University School of Law University of Pittsburgh School of Law University of Michigan Law School The University of Texas School of Law John Marshall Law School Dayton University School of Law The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law Loyola Law School Tulane University Law School Notre Dame School of Law Hastings College of the Law The University of Chicago Law School Washington and Lee University, School of Law Whittier Law School Boston College Law School New York University School of Law University of Arkansas School of Law Seton Hall University School of Law University of Arizona Wayne State University Law School Case Western Reserve University School of Law Drexel University School of Law University of Iowa College of Law
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207 1,165 935 324 174 588 604 658 672 453 932 949 744 256 523 800 570 581 903 617 314 326 694 1395 350 353 359 365 380 386 387
1.90% 7.40% 5.60% 1.90% 0.90% 2.80% 2.80% 2.80% 2.80% 1.90% 3.70% 3.70% 2.80% 0.90% 1.90% 2.80% 1.90% 1.90% 2.80% 1.90% 0.90% 0.90% 1.90% 3.70% 0.90% 0.90% 0.90% 0.90% 0.90% 0.90% 0.90%
0.97 0.69 0.64 0.62 0.57 0.51 0.5 0.46 0.45 0.44 0.43 0.42 0.4 0.39 0.38 0.38 0.35 0.34 0.33 0.32 0.32 0.31 0.29 0.29 0.29 0.28 0.28 0.27 0.26 0.26 0.26
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
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Suffolk University Law School Georgetown University Law Center University of Florida Levin College of Law UCLA School of Law George Washington University Law School Santa Clara University School of Law University of Maryland School of Law American University Washington College of Law Indiana University Maurer School of Law Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law Gould School of Law Pepperdine University School of Law University of Houston Law Center Yale Law School University of South Carolina School of Law University of Minnesota University of San Diego School of Law Chicago Kent College of Law University of North Carolina School of Law Duke Law School University of Denver Sturm College of Law Michigan State College of Law Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law University of Miami School of Law Fordham University School of Law
788 1725 961 974 1,469 506 514 1,052 538 560 598 598 605 614 618 632 634 635 657 668 701 709 881 909 956
1.90% 3.70% 1.90% 1.90% 2.80% 0.90% 0.90% 1.90% 0.90% 0.90% 0.90% 0.90% 0.90% 0.90% 0.90% 0.90% 0.90% 0.90% 0.90% 0.90% 0.90% 0.90% 0.90% 0.90% 0.90%
0.25 0.23 0.21 0.21 0.2 0.2 0.19 0.19 0.19 0.18 0.17 0.17 0.17 0.16 0.16 0.16 0.16 0.16 0.15 0.15 0.14 0.14 0.11 0.11 0.1
32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56
When you do the same thing for the 2015 year, this is what you get. Here are the results for the law schools from which our law firm clients hired attorneys in 2015: CHART 8 Percentage of BCG Candidates That Received Law Firm Placements in 2015 by Law School Georgetown University Law Center New York University School of Law The University of Michigan Law School Northeastern University School of Law Columbia Law School Fordham Law School Arizona State University College of Law University of Southern California, The Law School Harvard Law School University of Maryland School of Law George Washington University University of Dayton School of Law Page 21
6.40% 4.50% 3.90% 3.50% 3.10% 2.90% 2.50% 2.30% 2.20% 2.00% 1.90% 1.90% WWW.BCGSEARCH.COM
Emory University School of Law Washington University School of Law Seton Hall University School of Law Syracuse University College of Law Case Western Reserve University School of Law Stanford University Law School University of Chicago Law School Duke University School of Law John Marshall Law School Michigan State College of Law Suffolk University Law School Boston University School of Law University of California Cornell Law School William & Mary School of Law Loyola University Chicago School of Law Indiana University Maurer School of Law The University of Virginia School of Law Tulane University Law School Boston College Law School St. John's University School of Law University of Illinois College of Law University of Pennsylvania Law School The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law University of San Diego School of Law Pepperdine University School of Law University of Washington School of Law UCLA School of Law University of California, Hastings Yale Law School The University of Texas School of Law Hofstra University School of Law University of Houston Law Center Loyola Law School Rutgers School of Law - Newark Vanderbilt University Law School Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law George Mason University School of Law University of Notre Dame Law School University of Minnesota Law School Washington & Lee University School of Law University of Pittsburgh School of Law Santa Clara University School of Law Thomas M. Cooley Law School The University of Iowa College of Law Page 22
1.90% 1.90% 1.80% 1.60% 1.60% 1.60% 1.40% 1.40% 1.40% 1.40% 1.40% 1.30% 1.30% 1.30% 1.30% 1.30% 1.30% 1.20% 1.20% 1.20% 1.20% 1.20% 1.10% 1.10% 1.10% 1.10% 1.10% 1.00% 1.00% 0.80% 0.80% 0.80% 0.80% 0.70% 0.70% 0.70% 0.70% 0.70% 0.60% 0.60% 0.60% 0.60% 0.50% 0.50% 0.50%
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Wayne State University Law School
0.50%
Brigham Young University, J. Reuben Clark Law School St. Thomas University School of Law Seattle University School of Law American University Franklin Pierce Law Center The University of Connecticut School of Law University of San Francisco Brooklyn Law School University of Kansas School of Law Villanova University School of Law State University of New York at Buffalo Law School University of North Carolina School of Law University of Richmond School of Law The University of Georgia School of Law Wake Forest University School of Law Widener University School of Law Chicago-Kent College of Law University of Miami School of Law Baylor University School of Law De Paul University College of Law McGeorge School of Law Indiana University McKinney School of Law University of Arkansas School of Law University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law South Texas College of Law Drexel University School of Law St. Louis University School of Law University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law Chapman University School of Law Stetson University College of Law Texas Tech University School of Law University of Alabama School of Law Lewis & Clark Duquesne School of Law Texas Wesleyan University School of Law University of Baltimore School of Law University of Florida College of Law Marquette University Law School The Catholic University of America University of Denver, Sturm College of Law Temple University, Beasley School of Law William S. Boyd School of Law University of North Dakota Albany Law School of Union University
0.50% 0.50% 0.40% 0.40% 0.40% 0.40% 0.40% 0.40% 0.40% 0.40% 0.40% 0.40% 0.40% 0.40% 0.40% 0.40% 0.20% 0.20% 0.20% 0.20% 0.20% 0.20% 0.20% 0.20% 0.20% 0.20% 0.20% 0.20% 0.20% 0.20% 0.20% 0.20% 0.20% 0.20% 0.20% 0.10% 0.10% 0.10% 0.10% 0.10% 0.10% 0.10% 0.10% 0.10%
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Ave Maria School of Law
0.10%
University of California, Davis School of Law Thurgood Marshall School of Law Charlotte School of Law Cleveland State University Capital University Law School University of Cincinnati College of Law University of Wisconsin Law School
0.10% 0.10% 0.10% 0.10% 0.10% 0.10% 0.10%
CHART 9 Top 20 Law Schools for BCG Candidates That Received Placements in 2016, Not Accounting for Class Size Columbia University School of Law UC Berkeley School of Law New York University School of Law The University of Texas School of Law Georgetown University Law Center University of Michigan Law School George Washington University Law School Northwestern University School of Law Cornell Law School Boston University School of Law Loyola Law School St John's School of Law John Marshall Law School Hastings College of the Law The University of Chicago Law School Boston College Law School University of Pittsburgh School of Law American University Washington College of Law Franklin Pierce Law Tulane University Law School
CHART 10 Top 20 Law Schools for BCG Candidates That Received Placements in 2016, Accounting for Class Size Franklin Pierce Law Center Columbia University School of Law UC Berkeley School of Law University of Missouri Thomas M. Cooley Law School Cornell Law School
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St John's School of Law Northwestern University School of Law University of Pittsburgh School of Law University of Michigan Law School The University of Texas School of Law John Marshall Law School Dayton University School of Law The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law Loyola Law School Tulane University Law School Notre Dame School of Law Hastings College of the Law The University of Chicago Law School Boston University School of Law
CHART 11 Top 15 Law Schools for Laterals Getting Placements in 2016 (Accounting for Class Size/Not Accounting for Class Size and Listed on Charts 9 and 10) Columbia University School of Law UC Berkeley School of Law The University of Texas School of Law University of Michigan Law School Northwestern University School of Law Cornell Law School Boston University School of Law Loyola Law School St John's School of Law Hastings College of the Law The University of Chicago Law School Boston College Law School University of Pittsburgh School of Law American University Washington College of Law Tulane University Law School
Because this information did not "seem quite right" to me, I ran the statistics for 2015 as well to see what the top schools were for that year. In 2015 we saw the following: CHART 12 Percentage of BCG Candidates That Received Law Firm Placements in 2015 by Law School Gould School of Law 4.60% Harvard Law School 4.60% George Washington University Law School 3.90%
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New York University School of Law The University of Chicago Law School Boston College Law School Fordham University School of Law UC Berkeley School of Law Columbia University School of Law George Mason University School of Law Georgetown University Law Center Northwestern University School of Law The University of Texas School of Law American University Washington College of Law Case Western Reserve University School of Law Seton Hall University School of Law The University of Virginia School of Law University of Pittsburgh School of Law Washington University School of Law Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law Duke Law School Emory University Howard University School of Law Loyola University Chicago School of Law Northeastern University School of Law Tulane University Law School UCLA School of Law University of Maryland School of Law University of North Carolina School of Law University of Pennsylvania Law School University of Richmond School of Law University of San Diego School of Law University of Wisconsin Law School Vanderbilt University Law School Franklin Pierce Law Center University of Arizona Baylor University Boston University School of Law Brooklyn Law School The Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law Charlotte School of Law Chicago Kent College of Law Cornell Law School Dayton University School of Law DePaul University School of Law Georgia State University College of Law Indiana University Maurer School of Law Indiana University McKinney School of Law Page 26
3.90% 3.90% 3.30% 3.30% 3.30% 2.60% 2.60% 2.60% 2.60% 2.60% 2.00% 2.00% 2.00% 2.00% 2.00% 2.00% 1.30% 1.30% 1.30% 1.30% 1.30% 1.30% 1.30% 1.30% 1.30% 1.30% 1.30% 1.30% 1.30% 1.30% 1.30% 1.30% 0.70% 0.70% 0.70% 0.70% 0.70% 0.70% 0.70% 0.70% 0.70% 0.70% 0.70% 0.70% 0.70%
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Loyola Law School
0.70%
Michigan State College of Law Notre Dame School of Law Pennsylvania State University Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law Stanford Law School Suffolk University Law School The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law The University of Kansas School of Law Thomas M. Cooley Law School University At Buffalo Law School University of Connecticut School of Law University of Iowa College of Law University of Michigan Law School University of San Francisco Law School Utah University School of Law Vermont Law School Villanova University School of Law Washington and Lee University, School of Law William S. Richardson, University of Hawaii Yale Law School University of Florida Levin College of Law
0.70% 0.70% 0.70% 0.70% 0.70% 0.70% 0.70% 0.70% 0.70% 0.70% 0.70% 0.70% 0.70% 0.70% 0.70% 0.70% 0.70% 0.70% 0.70% 0.70% 0.70%
What is so fascinating about this data is that in 2015 we placed 10+ attorneys from both the University of Southern California Law School and Harvard Law School. In 2016, those schools were almost completely absent from the list of schools from which we made placements. Why? Obviously, USC Gould School of Law did not suddenly jump up in the rankings in 2015 and Harvard did not take a fall in 2016. What this suggests is that what happens in the market--and, yes, at BCG Attorney Search as well--is somewhat random. It also should be quite clear that we are happy to work with people from a wide variety of schools and that it is not extremely important where you went to school when looking for a job--but it does matter. Do you think law firms should place more or less emphasis on law school for lateral attorneys? Why? CHART 13 Top 6 Law Schools for BCG Candidates That Earned the Most Placements in 2015 and 2016 New York University School of Law Boston College Law School UC Berkeley School of Law Columbia University School of Law Georgetown University Law Center The University of Texas School of Law Conclusions In the lateral market, the quality of the law school you went to matters, of course, but it is not as important as attorneys think it is. While not the focus of this article, the real motivating factor for most law firms is often the Page 27
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law firm that the attorney is coming from. While I did not share this data (for obvious reasons we do not want law firms to know where our candidates are coming from), the law firm an attorney is coming from has the most significant impact on whether or not the attorney will be interviewed and hired. The practice area the attorney is in also is extremely important. See the following articles for more information about law schools and law school grades: Are Law School Transcripts Necessary When Applying for Jobs? Law School for Mature Students How Can I Find a Job When I Didn't Graduate at the Top of My Class? I've Heard that [X Law Firm] Only Accepts Top 10 Law Schools/Laterals from Amlaw100 Firms/Top Gpas. Should I Still Submit My Materials? Do I Need to Submit my Transcript When Applying for Jobs Years After Law School? Are Law School Transcripts Necessary When Applying for Jobs? Do Grades Matter If You Have Good Litigation Experience? Law School Grades and Your Career Grades vs. Experience What Yale Law School Teaches about How to Approach Your Legal Career That No Other Law School Does The 2016 BCG Attorney Search Guide to America's Top 50 Law Schools Share Your Thoughts How does knowing the information in this article affect your career? Do you think the current way law firms evaluate lateral attorneys is fair? Why or why not? Why do you think the law school you went to matters less to firms later in your career? Share your answers to the questions above and any other comments you have in the comments below the article.
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