The demand has spread to legal support staff. Many law firms are increasing pay, offering signing bonuses, flexible work schedules, investment opportunities and even law school tuition. They always have been. It is in their nature to scrutinize each other's pedigree. There are lots of law school rankings, and, naturally, lots of opinions on which schools are best.
Different surveys use different standards.
But even numero uno varies and it is virtually impossible to reach consensus on even a top twenty law school list. Even so, there are exceptions. We know of one prominent West Coast firm that will not hire graduates of the school their lead partner attended, a curiosity that hits at the tyranny in the top twenty concept. Initial screening in some firms is based on credentials alone and though you may feel your law school education was sound, and even though you performed well and demonstrated true talent for the profession, some prospective employers may not deem that sufficient if your alma mater is not on their list. The largest law firms in the country are consistent.