Unfortunately, the way the legal market is, I sincerely doubt that going to a top tier school will definitely lead to a decent job without decent grades and a substantial commitment to market yourself and network. As an attorney, I have been at legal aid clinics with students from Columbia law school who could not secure a clerkship or summer internship. The legal field is undergoing a structural change, with a great amount of more menial tasks being assigned to paralegals instead of lawyers (i.e. doc-review, which is essentially pre-chewing reams of computer generated discovery materials), with legal research being done by foreign companies (India as a common law country has rooms of English-Speaking attorneys who spend all day compiling legal research in open rooms on computers with no hard-drives), there being a glut of law schools, and an overall trend to hire attorneys as in-house counsel instead of engaging law firms (that's where I work).
If you want to simply work in law in some capacity, law school might get you there, but then again it might not. I for example work in a quasi-legal position where I was hired for a certification I have and to get more certifications, and gradually moved into a transactional legal role (essentially drafting/negotiating contracts).
All said though, big law jobs are out there and are attainable, and can lead to significant income and engagement in complex issues. But what I would ask myself is whether or not you see yourself as a salesperson, as most big law jobs will expect you to generate revenue, "rain-make," if you are to ever make partner. I would think any of the roles described by Law2Doc sound like good options and would add patent law to the mix as a good aspiration for someone with a medical/science background along with government work for relevant federal agencies such as the FDA, etc.
If you want to make a good comparison to the job market as well I suggest visiting the bureau of labor statistics and compare attorneys with physicians. Also, check out JDunderground and look for threads relating to your post, but be prepared for a great deal of negativity and whining as you explore that site...
