Do You Think Your Law School's Name and Reputation Affected Your Career Path? For Better or Worse?
University of California Berkeley School of Law graduates.
Richard Thornton / Shutterstock.com
This week, U.S. News & World Report took note of where the 46 Fortune 500 CEOs with JDs went to law school. Eight of those 46 went to Harvard, the story noted, and five went to law schools outside of U.S. News’ top 100.
But how much did it ultimately matter where these leaders went to law school? The cover story of the ABA Journal’s July issue explores “The Pedigree Problem“—how large law firms’ and recruiters’ focus on hiring graduates of elite law schools can create career struggles for accomplished law students and lawyers who graduated from less-favored institutions, and how this focus keeps law schools from innovating.
So this week, we’d like to ask you: Do you think your law school’s name and reputation affected your career path? And did it do so for better or for worse?
Answer in the comments.
Read the answers to last week’s question: How Does Your Firm Handle Unlicensed Law Grads? What Happens If They Fail the Bar Exam?
Featured answer:
Posted by Goldcoaster: “Time is money. If a new associate can’t make money as a licensed lawyer, then goodbye. They are provisional hires, contingent upon passing the bar exam. They only do work that is reviewed by licensed attorneys before it leaves the firm and under that licensed attorney’s name. Basically, it’s a three-month training period to get them up and running by the time they are sworn in. If they flunk the bar exam, then it’s on to their Plan B—not mine.”
Do you have an idea for a future question of the week? If so, contact us.
