If you were me, which school would you choose? Forum

[legalease9]

Oh, and if you do go, go where you want to practice. Given these schools, this should be your one and ONLY concern, because the region you learn in will be the region you practice in.

[Voyager]

DUDE. ARMY OCS! (or is this the wrong thread?)

[Barbie]

I'd go to New England. I live in Boston and have visited the school a few times. It's really small, but the building is nice. Also, the few attorneys I've met from there have jobs in mid-level Boston firms. One I talked to just became partner. Also, Boston is an awesome city-I've lived here my whole life, it has just about everything. The only downside is housing is expensive.

A girl I know said she got a 161 on her LSAT and has a 3.7 and that shes going to New England only on a partial scholly (I smell inflation of numbers...) but there must be something taking her out of FL up there...

[flcath]

I'd go to New England. I live in Boston and have visited the school a few times. It's really small, but the building is nice. Also, the few attorneys I've met from there have jobs in mid-level Boston firms. One I talked to just became partner. Also, Boston is an awesome city-I've lived here my whole life, it has just about everything. The only downside is housing is expensive.

A girl I know said she got a 161 on her LSAT and has a 3.7 and that shes going to New England only on a partial scholly (I smell inflation of numbers...) but there must be something taking her out of FL up there...

What's "partial"? People in FL think that UF is in the Ivy League, and someone with those numbers seems (a) nearly certain to get into UF and (b) nearly certain to choose UF over the other available offers.

[Barbie]

I'd go to New England. I live in Boston and have visited the school a few times. It's really small, but the building is nice. Also, the few attorneys I've met from there have jobs in mid-level Boston firms. One I talked to just became partner. Also, Boston is an awesome city-I've lived here my whole life, it has just about everything. The only downside is housing is expensive.

A girl I know said she got a 161 on her LSAT and has a 3.7 and that shes going to New England only on a partial scholly (I smell inflation of numbers...) but there must be something taking her out of FL up there...

What's "partial"? People in FL think that UF is in the Ivy League, and someone with those numbers seems (a) nearly certain to get into UF and (b) nearly certain to choose UF over the other available offers.

Idk... not full?? haha. the point is, UF / FSU are cheap and decently ranked....

[jmaan]

to answer ur question straight up....id prefer boston to the other listed places.

[Patriot1208]

to answer ur question straight up....id prefer boston to the other listed places.

well considering the likely small income coming in after graduation, maybe a bigger city is not the right option.

[12262010]

none of the above

[Regionality]

Of those schools, choose one that has no local competition (like Idaho) and be willing to practice in Idaho. Going to UIdaho isn't a terrible choice if you don't mind staying and working in the state...plus its COA is probably very cheap.

Low COA + no regional competition + willingness to work in its market = Solid living as a lawyer with minimal debt.

[BigA]

Of those schools, choose one that has no local competition (like Idaho) and be willing to practice in Idaho. Going to UIdaho isn't a terrible choice if you don't mind staying and working in the state...plus its COA is probably very cheap.

Low COA + no regional competition + willingness to work in its market = Solid living as a lawyer with minimal debt.

Total cost of Idaho at sticker is still 41k a year. Sure it's better than Boston, but this is still a load of debt, wouldn't ya say?

[PDaddy]

Miami is a waste unless you get almost a full scholarship.

Howard is a waste unless you are URM; employers OCI there for diversity hires.

I did think about that. However, some white students do extremely well there and get top jobs. If you're top-5%, you will raise eyebrows no matter what school you go to or what your ethnic background may be.

So what's your point?

I took it to mean that go to an HBC as a white person and top 5% will be easier

Not what I was saying at all. I just mean that top-5% very impressive no matter what school you go to or who you are. It's extremely difficult to reach top-5% at any school, so top-5% at Howard or Miami would not be a duck-walk, although there are certainly schools where it would be tougher.

I also disagree that Miami is a complete waste without a "full" scholarship. Miami, Houston, Marqutte and other similar schools that dominate their own markets are great choices even without full rides - though I would never advise anyone to pay sticker unless they were already connected.

I do agree that OP's numbers probably aren't strong enough to get into those other schools. He probably needs a higher GPA/LSAT from what it looks like (i.e., his current choices).

[PDaddy]

+ole miss

You know? I have actually heard pretty good things about that school.

[PDaddy]

Try Suffolk, Marquette, Wayne State, Vermont, Southwestern, Howard, Gonzaga, South Carolina, Michigan State, St. Thomas. If you go TTT, those are pretty much the only universally accepted ones. The bolded ones are widely believed to be underrated.

lol wut

Well...they are! lol. Look at other threads on TLS. There are other acceptable TTT for those who must attend one. But the ones I mention are probably the most popular. Can't really count Syracuse, Hofstra and San Francisco as TTT b/c they bounce back and forth between T2 and TTT. I hear Suffolk doesn't "feel" like a lower ranked school at all when you are sitting in the classrooms.

I can only speak from what faculty and other students have told me. They say the profs are fantastic and the discussions are very good. Wayne State is just a kick-ass school and produces a lot of top lawyers in the Michigan area. Southwestern has produced many great entertainment attorneys (fwiw, that specialty is more about who you know, so the school's networks must be really good). Top environmental lawyers come from Vermont. Marquette might as well be Northwestern if you talk to people in Wisconsin. Howard is its own animal. The rest have their strong suits too.

[romothesavior]

Well...they are! lol. Look at other threads on TLS. There are other acceptable TTT for those who must attend one. But the ones I mention are probably the most popular. Can't really count Syracuse, Hofstra and San Francisco as TTT b/c they bounce back and forth between T2 and TTT. I hear Suffolk doesn't "feel" like a lower ranked school at all when you are sitting in the classrooms.

I can only speak from what faculty and other students have told me. They say the profs are fantastic and the discussions are very good. Wayne State is just a kick-ass school and produces a lot of top lawyers in the Michigan area. Southwestern has produced many great entertainment attorneys (fwiw, that specialty is more about who you know, so the school's networks must be really good). Top environmental lawyers come from Vermont. Marquette might as well be Northwestern if you talk to people in Wisconsin. Howard is its own animal. The rest have their strong suits too.

It doesn't matter how much people in WI love Marquette if there are no jobs for their graduates. And they are also incredibly stingy on merit aid, which makes it incredibly overpriced. I actually considered Marquette before I retook... I visted their campus while I was in Milwaukee one time. My GPA/LSAT were way above median and they straight up told me I was likely not getting much merit aid. And Suffolk and Hofstra? Umm... no.

Some of the others you mentioned may not be too bad but I don't know much about them. Generally, I'd say the best T3 schools are the ones that are 1) cheap and 2) fill a niche. For example, in my own homestate, Southern Illinois is a pretty solid option if you can go for cheap and you want to be a prosecutor, PD, DUI attorney, etc. in the downstate area.

[Grizz]

Lulz @ Hofstra.

[thepaintrain]

Akron is the best option by far.

Dayton is horrible and sloppy. New England will leave you trapped in a market you won't be able to compete in. Idaho seems like a good idea but there aren't many legal jobs in Idaho, you'll have to compete for legal jobs in Spokane, Bellevue, Denver and Seattle and you really won't have much of a shot at those considering you'll be competing with Gonzaga, Colorado, UDenver and Obviously UW.

Akron at least does decent for top people, but like many TTT heck even low T1's, it's a gamble to attend. I'm not going to tell you it's stupid to go, but I hope you've thought about how you'll handle the debt worst case scenario. I've had to do this as I'm going to Loyola in LA and if I don't have astounding grades I can't expect much.

[Barbie]

Well...they are! lol. Look at other threads on TLS. There are other acceptable TTT for those who must attend one. But the ones I mention are probably the most popular. Can't really count Syracuse, Hofstra and San Francisco as TTT b/c they bounce back and forth between T2 and TTT. I hear Suffolk doesn't "feel" like a lower ranked school at all when you are sitting in the classrooms.

I can only speak from what faculty and other students have told me. They say the profs are fantastic and the discussions are very good. Wayne State is just a kick-ass school and produces a lot of top lawyers in the Michigan area. Southwestern has produced many great entertainment attorneys (fwiw, that specialty is more about who you know, so the school's networks must be really good). Top environmental lawyers come from Vermont. Marquette might as well be Northwestern if you talk to people in Wisconsin. Howard is its own animal. The rest have their strong suits too.

It doesn't matter how much people in WI love Marquette if there are no jobs for their graduates. And they are also incredibly stingy on merit aid, which makes it incredibly overpriced. I actually considered Marquette before I retook... I visted their campus while I was in Milwaukee one time. My GPA/LSAT were way above median and they straight up told me I was likely not getting much merit aid. And Suffolk and Hofstra? Umm... no.

Some of the others you mentioned may not be too bad but I don't know much about them. Generally, I'd say the best T3 schools are the ones that are 1) cheap and 2) fill a niche. For example, in my own homestate, Southern Illinois is a pretty solid option if you can go for cheap and you want to be a prosecutor, PD, DUI attorney, etc. in the downstate area.

Or one or the other. I still think Stetson has a lot to offer, regardless of TTT. But they do fall into the "fill a niche" category. But, they are expensive, but at least not TOO stingy with schollys from what I hear...

[GoBroncos22!]

Depends on where you wanna work. I am from Boise, Idaho and U of Idaho is big option for me. Literally, 85% of the attorneys I have met and know of in Boise went to U of I and alot of them are making lots of $$$$. U of I obviously has a stellar reputation in the Boise and larger Idaho area as it is the only school in the area. If you are planning on working on anywhere outside of Idaho, I am not sure I would give it a big consideration.

[Grizz]

Or one or the other. I still think Stetson has a lot to offer, regardless of TTT. But they do fall into the "fill a niche" category. But, they are expensive, but at least not TOO stingy with schollys from what I hear...

No. Both. Not one of the other.

I don't think Stetson really fills a niche, either.