Breaking into the Florida (Tampa) Market
Posted: Tue Dec 25, 2012 2:00 am
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https://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=200673
y-u-mad-bro wrote:Hope everybody is enjoying the holidays, I was wondering if you could help me with a decision I need to make.
Recently I was admitted to UF, Vanderbilt, and Georgetown law. I am from Tampa, my family has lived here for over 30 years, and I am a UF graduate. Ideally, I'd like to come back to Tampa to practice. Some other influential information is that in my particular situation, I will graduate debt free from all of these schools. I also feel like my connections/ties in Tampa/Florida are quite solid.
Now the question I have is which school to attend, and why. I want a school that offers me the best opportunities for the future (duhh), which I see as a clerkship or big law in the short term. I'm not assuming I can land either, I'm just looking for the school that can offer me the best possibility to qualify for these positions. However, after researching and talking to local lawyers working for major firms, I've come to my own personal conclusion that big law sucks in the long run. Although I am open to the idea that I may actually like big law, I am extremely entrepreneurial with a strong business background. The main reason I am considering big law is because I view it as a necessary evil/apprenticeship on my path to becoming part of a boutique firm/opening my own (I already know, quite a lofty goal) and perhaps eventually making a run for the bench years later.
*A curveball is that I'd like to get litigation experience as early on as possible, something I understand big law may not be able to offer. If you have an idea for a way to build my resume while getting litigation experience, I'm all ears. For instance, public interest is a possibility that comes to mind. I'm interested to hear if this would be a better/worse path towards becoming part of a boutique firm, or would help more opening a solo practice.
Essentially, I am looking as long term as possible and trying to decide which school would help me the most (or limit me the least) on this path. Again, I am not assuming I can meet all of my aspirations, but as of right now this is my criteria and I am asking for your unbiased opinion. If more information would prove helpful, I'd be more than glad to supplement this post.
Thank you in advance!!
LOL. Troll the internet and act like a huge douchbag much?cahwc12 wrote:FWhile UF is objectively better as an undergraduate institution for almost all areas of study, FSU has the objectively better law school.
http://www.lstscorereports.com/?school=fsu
http://www.lstscorereports.com/?school=florida
y-u-mad-bro?Lord Randolph McDuff wrote:LOL. Troll the internet and act like a huge douchbag much?cahwc12 wrote:FWhile UF is objectively better as an undergraduate institution for almost all areas of study, FSU has the objectively better law school.
http://www.lstscorereports.com/?school=fsu
http://www.lstscorereports.com/?school=florida
You are a 1L at FSU. Right?
Look douchzilla, just because FSU has a higher employment score than UF for 1 year doesn't mean shit. Hell, the numbers you just posted make me think UF is better-- higher big clerk/ big firm ratio. By the way, you realize that all of these numbers are SELF-REPORTED, right? If 15 more people at FSU scribble "full-time attorney" on their employment survey then boom-- FSU IS OBJECTIVELY BETTER.
By the way, I'm really sorry; I have no idea why I'm so angry today.
FSU and UF are both good schools for FL. No reason to shit your insecurity into this thread.
I wouldn't go to either school for law, but let me know how the "don't trust employment data because it's self-reported" works out for you.Lord Randolph McDuff wrote:LOL. Troll the internet and act like a huge douchbag much?cahwc12 wrote:FWhile UF is objectively better as an undergraduate institution for almost all areas of study, FSU has the objectively better law school.
http://www.lstscorereports.com/?school=fsu
http://www.lstscorereports.com/?school=florida
You are a 1L at FSU. Right?
Look douchzilla, just because FSU has a higher employment score than UF for 1 year doesn't mean shit. Hell, the numbers you just posted make me think UF is better-- higher big clerk/ big firm ratio. By the way, you realize that all of these numbers are SELF-REPORTED, right? If 15 more people at FSU scribble "full-time attorney" on their employment survey then boom-- FSU IS OBJECTIVELY BETTER.
By the way, I'm really sorry; I have no idea why I'm so angry today.
FSU and UF are both good schools for FL. No reason to shit your insecurity into this thread.
If you graduated from Harvard and you make a steady 45k, then maybe you leave that off the survey out of shame, not wanting to lower the average, etc. I don't think this would apply to very many people at UF. It may sound hard to believe, but 45k with room for training and growth is a really, really good outcome out of UF right now. There is a sizable chunk of people from both schools that are under-employed-- maybe working part-time nonlaw and doing some contract legal work when they get the chance, just hoping and praying for another interview.nebula666 wrote:
UF has more people in the self reported under-employed category, but they are probably still making more money than the $45k average that FSU public sector grads are making.
I think that UF has been better at larger firms and clerkships every year I have looked, so you are probably right here. People on this site used to shout out that UF was objectively better than FSU. That isn't true though. Both schools have a niche and both schools are better for FL than anything else. When douchnozzle said "FSU is the objectively better law school" and based it off a one year difference of 8% in LST's new employment score I had to say something, but lets not start the UF trolling either.nebula666 wrote: UF still has almost twice as many in biglaw and a few more grads in clerkships. UF is still considered by all firms to be the superior school, it has been around much longer, and the alumni network is very strong.
It sounds like going to law school would be a bad decision for you. If you have enough money that law school cost is not a factor, any possible outcome would put you worse off than you currently are. And if you have, say, $250,000 in this "savings", then you'll blow most or all of it on GULC/Vandy/etc, come out with possibly no job, and be like everyone else (save that you would be debt free). You may also be three years removed (conjecture) from whatever business you run.y-u-mad-bro wrote:I guess let me clarify "debt free" since apparently that is the most controversial aspect of this thread. I don't know what any of you based your assumptions on (read as BigZuck you're a clown), but my parents don't have "oodles" of money nor would I ever waste it if they did. When I was born they created an investment account solely for the sake of paying for my college education. Since UF was extremely cheap (with my merit based bright futures I only paid 2000-3000 a year in tuition), this account has built up a substantial amount of money because my parents had been planning on paying for private college tuition. Additionally, I started my own small business during high school, kept it through college, and have been investing every penny I don't need since I was 18. I've done extremely well and have ridden the post 2008 market through the roof. Now, what we have here is a nice little package perfectly prepared to pay for the vast majority of my legal education wherever I may choose to go.
Now again I propose the question, in this situation, where the price of education is one of the smallest factors, which school+path combo would best help me achieve my goals?
Thank you to all that have responded I really do appreciate it. To the "set or not on biglaw" predicament: like I said before, I am completely open to big law and the opportunities that stem from having that experience on your resume, but I am not absolutely set on making big law my life goal. If there are other routes that lead to the experience and pedigree required to land a job at a boutique firm or give me the strongest launching point to starting my own practice, I am just as willing to take this route.
Hopefully these two supplements will help clear things up.
The only school I could find outside of the state of FL that places 5% or more of their grads there is Mississippi.BullShitWithBravado wrote:Georgetown or Vandy. Even if you want to work in Florida, UF probably won't be a good option because there are plenty of students attending T-20 schools who also want to work in Florida and will probably get hired over you for big law, mid law and government positions unless you're at least top 10% at UF (and even then, it's a big if).
That is a misleading stat though. Self selection distorts placement stats. I think the only valid response to OP's question is gt/vandy>>>>>>>>uf/fsu>lol.nebula666 wrote:The only school I could find outside of the state of FL that places 5% or more of their grads there is Mississippi.BullShitWithBravado wrote:Georgetown or Vandy. Even if you want to work in Florida, UF probably won't be a good option because there are plenty of students attending T-20 schools who also want to work in Florida and will probably get hired over you for big law, mid law and government positions unless you're at least top 10% at UF (and even then, it's a big if).
I personally know someone who did this and got biglawpolkij333 wrote:No attorney in Tampa will question your loyalty to the area because you went to Georgetown...and came immediately back looking for a job. I think that may actually play pretty well if you spin it correctly.
I also met someone in this same position, I talked to her about this process a few months ago and she recommended that I attend Georgetown. She said it set her apart from many of the other applicants applying (UF, etc.) and that your grades would not have to be as high coming from a t-14/t-20.scottyc66 wrote:I personally know someone who did this and got biglawpolkij333 wrote:No attorney in Tampa will question your loyalty to the area because you went to Georgetown...and came immediately back looking for a job. I think that may actually play pretty well if you spin it correctly.