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| Summary |
Having a law degree from a regional, lower-tier law school can be just as marketable outside of its state as any degree from a more prestigious school. This can be achieved through careful strategy regarding internships, research, extra-curricular activities, networking, and job searching.
When selecting a law school, it is important to understand that both lower and higher-ranked schools will have their own advantages. Lower-tier law schools may be more affordable in terms of tuition and may offer more personalized attention to students. In addition, they may have more opportunities to forge close connections with faculty and other students. However, regional law schools may not be well-known outside of their state and thus, may not have the same prestige as higher-ranked schools.
It is possible to make a regional law degree marketable beyond its region. Networking is a key tool for job seekers of any background. Developing connections with larger law firms, local legal organizations, and faculty members of the school will open up doors for job opportunities. During law school, it is important to participate in internships related to the field and to seek out research opportunities. Gaining experience through extracurricular activities such as moot court and mock trial teams is also beneficial for a student's resume.
Job searching is an essential step in pursuing a legal career. Knowing what types of opportunities exist in the region, researching companies and organizations, and applying for internships will help build a strong foundation for the job search process. It is also important to keep an open mind: regional law degrees are not limited to regional opportunities; they can also be applicable to national or international opportunities.
Having a regional law degree can be an asset when looking for a job in a different region. A well-crafted cover letter, thorough research of open positions, networking, and a flexible, open-minded approach can help law school graduates make their degrees marketable outside of their state.
What to Consider Before Attending a Regional Lower Tier Law School
When making the decision to attend law school, it's important to consider whether or not a degree from a regional lower tier law school will be marketable outside of its state. Lower tier law schools may offer a quality education and provide its alumni with ample opportunity to gain invaluable experience in their chosen field, but may lack widespread recognition in other geographic areas. Therefore, it's important to understand the potential limitations of graduates from regional lower tier law schools.Becoming Locally Engaged
One of the most important things for prospective students to consider before committing to a regional lower tier law school is the availability of networking and job opportunities in the local area. While the school may offer excellent resources and a quality education, its graduates may find it difficult to find jobs outside of the region due to their lack of name recognition. Therefore, it's important that graduates of regional lower tier law schools become active and engaged with their local legal community and make every effort to network with potential employers in their desired geographic area.Developing Professional Skills
In addition to becoming locally engaged, graduates of regional lower tier law schools must take the initiative to hone their professional skills and gain additional experience. One of the best ways to make a law degree from a regional lower tier law school more marketable is to gain experience working in a variety of legal settings, such as in private practice, with a state or federal government agency, or in a specialized area of law. This additional experience can be invaluable in helping graduates of regional lower tier law schools to stand out from the competition.Making Connections
Finally, it's important for graduates of regional lower tier law schools to make strong connections within their chosen field and reach out to individuals who may be able to help them in their career. By building a network of contacts within their desired geographic area, graduates of regional lower tier law schools can help to make their degree more marketable outside of their home state. Additionally, graduates of these lower tier law schools can benefit from the advice and guidance of professionals in their field, which can give them the edge they need in order to find a desirable job outside of their home state.
I have a law degree from a Tier 2 school in California and I'd like to move to New York, what are the chances that I'll get a good job?
Answer
Unless you graduate from one of the top 25 law schools (sometimes top 15), a law degree is generally most marketable in the state in which you graduated. The reasoning behind this thinking (followed by most law firms) is that unless a candidate has exceptional qualifications, there is no incentive to pay additional fees to search for an out-of-state attorney, especially if there are several local attorneys looking for jobs. The exceptions to this rule are lawyers with highly specialized skills that are in high demand or work experience in a top law firm.
High demand jobs will always be easy to fill and therefore, the transition from state to state would not be a problem. However, chances are that if you are asking this question, you may not have the higher level science or accounting experience some firms look for when trying to fill the in demand positions. Almost everywhere in the county, firms and corporations would be willing to overlook a mediocre law school in exchange for technical expertise.
Prior experience in a top law firm can also vastly improve an attorney's chances of relocating successfully with a less well-known law school degree. Of course, if you are already working in a top law firm in a major metropolitan area, you most likely succeeded at a top law school, probably making law review or placing in top 10% of your class. If this is not the case, however, and you were able to find a job at a top firm despite that, the prestige of your job will provide you with the credibility that perhaps your law school couldn't provide on a national level.
At a certain point in the career of an attorney, the work experience overshadows the degree in hiring decisions. Unfortunately, when that happens for each firm can be different, so it is impossible to tell when the right time to move is. If your career is still in its early stages, though, you might consider sticking in your home market where your law school will provide you with the kind of connections that you need to get placed at the top firms, if that is your aspiration. If you start out at the local office of a national law firm, that firm may even allow you to transfer to another office without having to look for a new position altogether.
One last thing to note is that good grades can help your cause immensely. While the name of your law school might not carry the same cachet as some others, an incredible performance at a Tier 2 law school (top 5%, top 10%, Managing Editor of Law Review, solid summer associate work) can make you look like a good candidate, no matter what school you graduated from.
