Top Law Schools

I need help! I found out that I was wait-listed at UT Knoxville, so now I have to pick one of my safety schools....

Memphis pros:
much, much cheaper than Cumberland (I'll be getting in-state tuition, which is 16k)
beautiful new building

Memphis cons:
the City of Memphis (aka Making Easy Money Pimpin Hoes In Style)
it was a 4th tier law school a few years ago
I know that I don't want to practice law in Memphis, West Tennessee, or North Mississippi
I know no one in Memphis

Cumberland pros:
I personally know Cumberland grads who have done well in their careers
I like Birmingham and have lots of friends in the city
I'm from Alabama, and would have an easier time networking for a job in the state
An hour and a half away from my parents, grandparents, and boyfriend

Cumberland cons:
Cost (33k)
Cost (33k)
Cost (33k)
I'm not Baptist


So here's the real question....Is cost a more important factor than general happiness and well-being? Also, would the job market in Tennessee be worse or better than Alabama? I keep reading about Tennessee being over-saturated with lawyers, but I know that could be true for any state.

Any advice would be much appreciated!!!

I would go with Memphis. Cumberland is just too expensive for a school of its ranking. Memphis is not a bad city, I bet that you will learn to like it after being there a little while.

It's not about ranking in this situation. If you want to work in Alabama, go to Cumberland. Cumberland grad's do pretty well in Birmingham and the rest of the Alabama markets. Plus knowing people that are doing well will give you a leg up in the job hunt.

If you want to work in Memphis, and money is an issue, go there. With your connections to Bama, you should still be able to at least get interviews with firms down there.

Memphis.