[PBear]

Interesting thread. I'm a recent grad from a top law school who did quite well, racking up all the usual honors like law review and an appellate clerkship along the way.

I mostly agree with everything that has been said -- common sense to those of us who have had the experience, for the most part.

I would just add that there is another reason to go to an elite law school if you get a chance: there is no guarantee that you will prove to be good at taking law school exams and getting good grades. Believe it or not, it is a very specific skill and often quite arbitrary. The whole "go to a lower tier school and get great grades" can work just fine, but it can backfire if it turns out you don't pick up quickly on the very delicate art of taking law school exams.

I know very smart people -- who were very accomplished before and after law school -- who could never do all that well on law school exams. I can happen to you almost no matter how smart you are -- it's a bit of a lottery.

Go to a great school, and even if you suck you are going to land just fine though. It's not a bad insurance policy.

It looks like things worked out just as planned for the OP, but it's worth considering the downside.