Comments on: Brooklyn Speaks Out About Rankings

By: Bob Morse Releases New Information on Brooklyn’s Ranking | Law School Headlines

Mon, 18 May 2009 20:00:38 +0000

[...] Brooklyn Speaks Out About Rankings Re: Brooklyn Gaming the Rankings Did Brooklyn Law School Game the Rankings? Posted in [...]

By: Occam's Razor

Occam's Razor — Sat, 09 May 2009 16:08:48 +0000

@ JimmyShrugs,

I’m not quite sure where you’re getting this. Did you go to Brooklyn? And do you work in biglaw? I don’t really see how a school could leverage a ranking in the 60s to put the majority of students into biglaw. I would guess like 10-15% of the class ends up at market-paying firms in the city, in a good year. Yes, there is a problem in the career services office because the counselors focus on jobs that are well out of reach for the majority of Brooklyn alums. But this doesn’t have anything to do with the qualifications of Brooklyn students.

One of Brooklyn’s strengths is its extensive clinical program. As a 3L, I have personally argued a case in an appellate court and two of my friends have been the lead counsel on misdemeanor criminal trials. Many of my friends draft contracts, asylum petitions, and orders of protection; visit clients in jail; and take depositions. I don’t know anyone who hasn’t done a clinic.

No, law schools in general don’t do a great job of preparing their graduates for practice, but I think a clinical program like this is the best way to do it.

By: JimmyShrugs

JimmyShrugs — Sat, 09 May 2009 14:53:58 +0000

I think the problem is that BLS uses the rankings to lever their graduates into BigLaw programs – even though BigLaw firms aren’t hiring, that those firms pigeon hole attorneys into specialized fields which leave them ill-prepared to actually practice law and BLS continued to look down their nose at attorneys who practice in firms of 10 lawyers or less.

Art Law may be an interesting subject to learn at Williams College or Hampshire. It is not particularly relevant to a trade school. Law Schools are trade schools. The issue is BLS is not adequately preparing their graduates for their trades. Ask my colleagues, class of 2002, good soldiers, did everything they were asked to do of their Big Law capos and now they are collecting unemployment. The Art Law class is not helping.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 08 May 2009 22:34:08 +0000

This comments on this blog are just another example of people with too much time on their hands blowing things out of proportion. I went to BLS and I had a wonderful experience there. The professors actually taught the material and provided a top notch legal education. Granted that you need to be in the upper part of the class to obtain a biglaw job (which I was in), this is the reality for many of the schools ranked at or near BLS (after all, how many big law jobs are there while there 60 schools ranked better with anywhere between 200-500 graduates a year – you do the math).
In my view, the rankings have very little if anything to do with the success of the students and the quality of the education. I work side by side with Harvard and Columbia grads and I do not notice anything so special about them and neither do the partners.

By: Anon

Anon — Fri, 08 May 2009 21:41:51 +0000

That explains why BLS admits a substantial number of people part-time, but who are allowed to transfer to the full-time division after only one semester. Keeps their “first-year” numbers high I guess.

By: Anon

Anon — Fri, 08 May 2009 21:38:05 +0000

Very interesting that US News did not catch this prior to publication. The rankings do not list BLS’s part-time program, even though it has a rather large program. How did US New miss that? They didn’t even footnote that data was missing.

I question how thorough US News is confirming stats and information from schools.

By: Occam's Razor

Occam's Razor — Fri, 08 May 2009 14:47:28 +0000

Cool. I was under the impression that you had already completed the rankings. I’m happy to wait as long as you do publish what you’ve got (and the model).

By: admin

admin — Fri, 08 May 2009 14:32:35 +0000

It’s in the pipeline Occam. We still have a dozen+ hours of work before it will be ready for the web.

By: Occam's Razor

Occam's Razor — Fri, 08 May 2009 14:13:12 +0000

Also, yes, it’s time for you to publish your revised rankings. Thanks in advance.

By: Occam's Razor

Occam's Razor — Fri, 08 May 2009 14:12:35 +0000

See my response to the U.S. News entry below.