UNC vs. UF vs. EMORY

[UFLS2013]

Pretty sure I want to practice back home in Miami once I graduate (but not sure). I am sticker price at all three but in-state for UF.


suggestions????

[icydash]

Pretty sure I want to practice back home in Miami once I graduate (but not sure). I am sticker price at all three but in-state for UF.


suggestions????

Don't think any of these will have a significant advantage over the other, since they are all regional schools and outside the region in which you want to practice (Miami).... I could be wrong though.

My vote: go where it's cheapest (UF if that's in-state i guess)

[cr073137]

Pretty sure I want to practice back home in Miami once I graduate (but not sure). I am sticker price at all three but in-state for UF.


suggestions????

Go to UF, Emory and UNC are better ranked, but you will have better career prospects IN MIAMI out of UF than any of them. And it is also going to be cheaper. With that said, if you think you may want to have the option to move around to other states, go to Emory, it has the most portable degree.

[UFLS2013]

Pretty sure I want to practice back home in Miami once I graduate (but not sure). I am sticker price at all three but in-state for UF.


suggestions????

Go to UF, Emory and UNC are better ranked, but you will have better career prospects IN MIAMI out of UF than any of them. And it is also going to be cheaper. With that said, if you think you may want to have the option to move around to other states, go to Emory, it has the most portable degree.

Does anyone think an Emory degree might differeniate me more in a flooded south florida market?

[icydash]

Pretty sure I want to practice back home in Miami once I graduate (but not sure). I am sticker price at all three but in-state for UF.


suggestions????

Go to UF, Emory and UNC are better ranked, but you will have better career prospects IN MIAMI out of UF than any of them. And it is also going to be cheaper. With that said, if you think you may want to have the option to move around to other states, go to Emory, it has the most portable degree.

Does anyone think an Emory degree might differeniate me more in a flooded south florida market?

Meh, not really.

[Aberzombie1892]

If you have ties to south FL, I would say Emory. Granted, I'm an advocate against paying full tuition to schools because they are scams (at least in that capacity).

However, if you finish 1/3 at Emory + ties to south FL you would be competitive (to say the least - basically, Emory would give you a little more room in chasing big law dreams).

*Note that I don't believe you should pay sticker for Emory over sticker (instate) for U of F.

[lawandorderfan]

I guess it may be a bit out of fashion to hold this view but wouldn't Emory provide the best legal education? In any event if the ultimate goal is to practice in Floida I would eliminate UNC.

[Grizz]

I guess it may be a bit out of fashion to hold this view but wouldn't Emory provide the best legal education? In any event if the ultimate goal is to practice in Floida I would eliminate UNC.

Even if it did, would it matter?

[Grizz]

I don't think Emory is worth sticker, especially since market for biglaw associates is nowhere near $160k. In Tampa, a comparable market, it's about $90k if I recall correctly. Emory might differentiate you in the market, but not enough to beat out in-state at UF. So go to UF.

[Grizz]

Pretty sure I want to practice back home in Miami once I graduate (but not sure). I am sticker price at all three but in-state for UF.


suggestions????

Go to UF, Emory and UNC are better ranked, but you will have better career prospects IN MIAMI out of UF than any of them.

Not if he already has South FL ties, which I think he does.

[missvik218]

I don't think Emory is worth sticker, especially since market for biglaw associates is nowhere near $160k. In Tampa, a comparable market, it's about $90k if I recall correctly. Emory might differentiate you in the market, but not enough to beat out in-state at UF. So go to UF.

+1 your CLEAR answer is UF here. If you were more interested in the South then I might think about it (it being Emory), and if you really wanted the Northeast (first I'd wonder why you applied to these places, but then ..) I'd consider it a little more. But for work in FL, IMO this should be an easy decision. Congrats, you're going to get a great education for a bargain price from UF.

[Grizz]

Don't think any of these will have a significant advantage over the other, since they are all regional schools and outside the region in which you want to practice (Miami).... I could be wrong though.

My vote: go where it's cheapest (UF if that's in-state i guess)

Miami is firmly in FL, no matter how many Cubans live there. It deinitely is in UF's region, and many UF grads work there, making it a good choice for Miami, not just the cheapest, even though it is.

[malfurion]

Not taking a side one way or the other, but something to consider: if you're below median at Emory, you will still be able to get a job somewhere, even if it's not the highest-paying or in the exact location you want. If you're below median at UF, you probably won't be able to get a job whether in Florida or anywhere else. On the positive side, UF is really cheap in-state, so it wouldn't be a huge loss if you went for a year and then just dropped out if you were below median.

[98234872348]

However, if you finish 1/3 at Emory + ties to south FL you would be competitive (to say the least - basically, Emory would give you a little more room in chasing big law dreams).

Definitely isn't advisable to go to law school banking on finishing top 1/3.

Just saying.

[Grizz]

but something to consider: if you're below median at Emory, you will still be able to get a job somewhere, even if it's not the highest-paying or in the exact location you want.

Maybe so, but with almost $200k debt, you can't really afford to just take any ol' job. Go to UF.

[98234872348]

If you're below median at UF, you probably won't be able to get a job whether in Florida or anywhere else. On the positive side, UF is really cheap in-state, so it wouldn't be a huge loss if you went for a year and then just dropped out if you were below median.

This argument is fundamentally flawed; while below median students at UF might not get ideal legal employment, they can still get jobs. Believe it or not, outside of OCI/Clerkships/prestigious government positions, grades don't mean everything...

[Aberzombie1892]

However, if you finish 1/3 at Emory + ties to south FL you would be competitive (to say the least - basically, Emory would give you a little more room in chasing big law dreams).

Definitely isn't advisable to go to law school banking on finishing top 1/3.

Just saying.

Of course. Hence the "if."

Wouldn't you rather be at the top 20% mark at Emory than the top 20% mark UF (in abstract)?

The point was just that Emory added a buffer for major employers, but then I stated that any advantages Emory had were not worth the additional cost.

[98234872348]

However, if you finish 1/3 at Emory + ties to south FL you would be competitive (to say the least - basically, Emory would give you a little more room in chasing big law dreams).

Definitely isn't advisable to go to law school banking on finishing top 1/3.

Just saying.

Of course. Hence the "if."

Wouldn't you rather be at the top 20% mark at Emory than the top 20% mark UF (in abstract)?

The point was just that Emory added a buffer for major employers, but then I stated that any advantages Emory had were not worth the additional cost.

I can't deny that top 20% at Emory is likely in a substantially better position than top 20% at UF. Although I don't know too much about Emory generally.

[JCougar]

In Tampa, a comparable market, it's about $90k if I recall correctly.

That's a little bit extreme. Foley's Tampa office pays $125K, Holland Knight pays $115K, and Shook Hardy & Bacon pays $110K. Neither come close to paying $160K, but $90K is more of a lower NLJ 250 salary.

[JCougar]

This is a very tough decision. You probably couldn't go wrong with either, but Emory only really benefits you over UF if you can finish in the top 25% of your class and get a job out of OCI. Otherwise, Florida's alumni network will likely give you the networking advantage in Miami.

FWIW (I've mentioned this on here before), one of my best friends here (Tampa) went to UNC and graduated top 2% of her class, came back, and easily had a V100 job in Tampa. She said in hindsight, she would have rather gone to UF, since their alumni network is so much stonger. My guess is that after you get that first job, the UF comeraderie is something that lasts you a lot longer than will the Emory prestige. Just something to think about (aside from the debt being lower).

[Grizz]

In Tampa, a comparable market, it's about $90k if I recall correctly.

That's a little bit extreme. Foley's Tampa office pays $125K, Holland Knight pays $115K, and Shook Hardy & Bacon pays $110K. Neither come close to paying $160K, but $90K is more of a lower NLJ 250 salary.

Appreciate the info. I got the figure from a family member (ex H&K) who went through the process years go, and I suspected it might be a little low.

Still not worth going into Emory debt for the slim shot of making $115k, I'd argue.

edit: especially considering the horribly glutted market here.

[JCougar]

Still not worth going into Emory debt for the slim shot of making $115k, I'd argue.

Probably not.

[malfurion]

In Tampa, a comparable market, it's about $90k if I recall correctly.

That's a little bit extreme. Foley's Tampa office pays $125K, Holland Knight pays $115K, and Shook Hardy & Bacon pays $110K. Neither come close to paying $160K, but $90K is more of a lower NLJ 250 salary.

Also, $110K in Tampa goes a lot farther than $160K does in NYC (although it doesn't help you pay off your loans faster).

[RonArtest]

Definitely UF if you want to work in Miami.

[crazyeddie]

If you want to practice anywhere in the state of Florida, then UF is a no brainer. UF has a supreme reputation througout Florida, and in-state tutition makes it very attractive.

People say that you should never bank on being in the top 1/3. But if you are going to pay sticker at either Emory or UNC (out of state) then you had better be planning on working your a$$ off and getting top 1/3 at least

Otherwise, choose another career path.

My $.02