Right now, the most accessible Madhhab for the muslim newbies is that of Imam Shafi'i, which is where I started out. (that is, of course, if Al-Albani & Co. don't snatch you up first). Alot of new reverts head for Shafi'i fiqh thanks to Shaykh Nuh's translation of 'Umdat as-Salik (The Reliance of the Traveler)
I think that the Maliki school is equally accessible thanks to several quality translations of key maliki works (Al-Muwatta, ar-Risala by Ibn Abi Zaid, Bidāyat al-Mujtahid wa Nihāyat al-Muqtaṣid by Ibn Rushd, and of course, the modern reworking of the Guiding Helper by Shaykh Abu Qanit.) Although I will admit most revert muslims who are Maliki are so under the influence of good Shaykh Hamza and Zaid Shakir from Zaytuna (although I do not count myself among those ranks)
Frankly, I grew rather tired with the Shafi'i maddhabs ivory tower legal theories and started shopping around for another maddhab that fit my mindset. I had strong disagreements with several aspects of Hambali and Hanafi fiqh, so I started investigating the fiqh of Imam Malik, and found precisely what I was looking for. I believe the fiqh of Imam Malik is the most fully developed in terms of usability by Muslims living as a minority. I also think that several aspects of Maliki fiqh that Shafi'i jettisoned (Considerations of public interest, the practices of the madinites, etc) are key to Islams advancement over the coming years.
*clink clink*
My two cents.
PS. Dogs aren't strictly "pure" in Maliki fiqh. They only thing we dispute is the validity of the hadith which states that a dish has to be washed if it is licked by a dog.
