Lately there has been a growing trend among recent college graduates to attend law school. Fifty years ago, a law degree was viewed as being on the level of as surgeon or high ranking politician, but there has since been a decline in the value of a law degree. Economics can explain this as an increase in the quantity supplied while the demand remains constant and thus leads to a surplus of degrees. That could account for one job opening for every two graduates of law school. Anyone thinking of attending law school should put a lot of consideration into the law school they select to attend.

You have probably heard growing up, “this car is good, but not all cars are created equal," which mean there are different variations in cars. While a Toyota Prius is capable of getting you from point A to point B, there are better cars such as a Ford Mustang or Rolls-Royce (even though not as fuel efficient). This concept also applies to law schools.

Law schools are divided into four tiers, with tier one being the top and descending from there. The tier one law schools, often considered the top 14 law schools, consist mainly of Ivy League institutions such as Stanford, Yale and Harvard but also Duke and the University of Texas, to name a few. Tier two is less prestigious but encompasses some great schools like Boston University and Florida State. Tier three and four include lesser known schools, which in most instances have only recently added a law school branch. This in no way means that they are bad schools though.

When applying, it’s important to strive for the tier one schools.The tier one schools have the highest graduation percentage, LSAT scores, Bar exam scores and percentage of graduates employed full time within the first nine months. Not to mention, the tier one schools have the most graduates employed by big law firms and judge positions. It is important to be cautious though as these schools charge over $50,000 a year in tuition, which will in most cases, lead to a large amount of debt.

Tier two is where law schools become tricky. Tier two’s have a lower percentage of graduates that are successful on the bar exam but not drastically different from the tier one school students. The main problem with tier two is finding a job after graduation as many top firms and judges are highly selective and usually only hire the top of the class. A blog “Outside the Law School Scam” points out 26 ranked Law School, Washington and Lee, where only 49.2 percent of students obtained a full time law job within nine months of graduation, which is below the national average. “…please do not plan your future around being in the top 15% at a Trap such as Washington and Lee. Law school grading is way too capricious.” (Suggests the risk one takes in attending a tier two schools.)

Tier three and four schools can be grouped together as they are not strongly advised to attend. Students that attend a T-3 or T-4 often are lured in by receiving a big scholarship which will cover most of the tuition. These schools are often trying to fill a quota in the number of students needed for the school to continue, which does not create the best environment for learning. The T-3 and T-4 are usually easier to get into as their LSAT requirements are in the bottom quartile of 150 or below. If attending either of these schools, having a strong network is important for finding a job. Outside the Law School Scam suggests avoiding tier 3 and 4 schools as they will not make your resume stand out while also going into debt, which you most likely won’t be able to pay off. There are less connections in these schools, which will make your hunt for a job even more difficult.

No name law schools and scam law schools are where law schools should not be considered at all. There are many online schools that are now offering law degrees. The problem is in many instances, these degrees are not accredited. Essentially, these schools are taking over $100,000 while leaving people with a worthless degree. These schools prey on people being uneducated on the topic and take advantage of them. This is why it is important to research the topic and not be scammed.

Now on law schools as a whole. As stated above, the job market is not seeking out law school graduates. It is important to remember that law schools are a business like any other business. While the rates are high to attend, you should be aware of the trap. I’ll say straight out that law school is a scam under certain conditions. If you don’t get into a T1, your chances of recovering from debt and finding a good job drop dramatically. You don’t want to invest three years of your life without receiving any benefit from it. Also, not to mention the scores on the Bar exam fall as the law school rank decreases. Law schools will promise you a good career but that’s what they are supposed to do. As a business they need people to buy into this dream, which in many cases, never comes true.

So does that mean you should not attend law school? It all depends. Law school can be a great opportunity to become an advanced critical thinker in which you could work for a large firm and obtain large quantities of money. In addition, you could help many people by working as a public defender, for example. It’s very important that you place a lot of research into law schools though. You would not buy a $200,000 house without checking out the ceiling, floor plan, windows and garage. Similarly, you should not simply go to law school just to go. You should have a plan and do research on which schools to attend.

There is an abundance of lawyers and not enough jobs, so the school you attend may make that difference in you getting the position post graduation. Since law school is such a large financial commitment, considerations should be taken regarding which school to attend. It’s a good decision and investment in your future, but make sure not only the university is the correct fit, but law school as a whole works for you.