Do lower ranked U.S. law schools require the same credentials?
Generally yes. The difference is one of degree. A new tenure-track hire at a top-ten law school may have graduated at the top of her class from a top-five law school, served as a law review editor, clerked for the Supreme Court, and published an interesting law review article while pursuing a graduate degree. A new tenure-track hire at a second or third tier law school may have strong grades from a top-ten law school, served as a law review editor, clerked for a federal court of appeals, and published two practitioner pieces while working as an associate at a well known law firm. But there is no hard and fast rule, and the process can be unpredictable.
