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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]OP here. You all confirmed my fears. I don't imagine her getting into a T10, maybe a T14, but probably somewhere in the 20s. She's a biology major at an okay public school so her grades are probably not up to par. Does it help that she's a STEM major? I feel like she's being too idealistic about this and her parents are being too encouraging. Can I send them articles or is that too passive aggressive? [/quote]

If she can get into a T14, she might be able to get into a T50 with significant money/free ride (e.g., UMD, American, GMU).  That would most likely lead to a better outcome than a school in the 8-14 range at sticker.  Even if she "wins" (i.e., gets biglaw) the debt, thanks to continuing tuition hikes, will be so crushing that she will just be working to pay that off and stands a reasonable chance of getting "the talk" just as the loans are paid and going inhouse or government at an okay but not mind-blowing salary.

Going to a state flagship that has a decent ranking with a free ride, she would most likely get biglaw (if she got into a T14, as long as she works hard she should be in the top 10-15%, which should still be sufficient to land biglaw) and be able to bank serious money during her few high-earning years.

In sum, no - law school is generally not worth it. [/quote]

Good advice here.  This is what I did (almost 20 year ago).  Free ride at a state flagship ranked in the 30s.  I didn't pay for a thing other than living expenses (in a lower COL city) and the university's gym fee (the law school apologized profusely for not being able to waive it for me!).  I didn't know this when I started, but my living expenses were essentially covered by the money I made as a summer associate my 1L and 2L summers.  Graduated at the top of the class and went to biglaw.  But even if I hadn't got a biglaw job (which is[b] never[/b] a given, especially coming out of a non T14 law school), I had no student loan debt at all.  I could have afforded to take a less lucrative job.

I'd tell your niece to seriously consider a full ride at a less prestigious school if that is an option for her.  I could have gone to a "better" law school, and at the time I went, I did wonder if I was doing the right thing.  But since then I have never had a doubt that I did the right thing.  I got a terrific legal education, thoroughly enjoyed my three years of law school, and got my JD debt free.  I'm sure that going to a lower ranked school foreclosed some options for me - being a law professor, getting a Supreme Court clerkship, etc. - but those things were never relatistically on the table for me anyway.  I'm sure some attorneys (especially on a place like DCUM) feel superior to me because they attended better schools, but I know I'm just as intelligent as they are, and I know I did the right thing.  [/quote]

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