Arkansas, Tennessee, or FSU Forum

[ChadMichael]

Still deciding between these final 3 law schools and would love any pros/cons of these law schools to make the best decision possible. I am hoping to practice law in the Southeast United States but currently have no particular state in mind or connection to any of these States. Any help at all in making this decision is greatly appreciated!

[Ruxin1]

Still deciding between these final 3 law schools and would love any pros/cons of these law schools to make the best decision possible. I am hoping to practice law in the Southeast United States but currently have no particular state in mind or connection to any of these States. Any help at all in making this decision is greatly appreciated!

Where do you have connections to?

[ChadMichael]

I'm from Pennsylvania, Penn State University, yet don't see myself staying within the State or area for my future. I have some family and friends in Dallas-Fort Worth and have loved East Texas and the Southern states, so I'm hoping to study/practice law there and have a profession I am passionate about and live in an area which I enjoy at the same time.

[patrickd139]

I'm from Pennsylvania, Penn State University, yet don't see myself staying within the State or area for my future. I have some family and friends in Dallas-Fort Worth and have loved East Texas and the Southern states, so I'm hoping to study/practice law there and have a profession I am passionate about and live in an area which I enjoy at the same time.

You sound a bit naiive about the process of how legal hiring works. I'll give you a hint: your chances of finding a job in East Texas as a Pennsylvania native/PSU alum with a law degree from FSU are asymptotically approaching zero. Trust me on this one--I grew up in the piney woods of East Texas.

[ChadMichael]

Once again, I am not set on living in a particular state. I am wondering which schools in the geographic region are recognized in neighboring states/job outlook for the various schools/etc. I want to know what all these schools offer and what they lack in order to make the best choice possible, I do not have my mind set on living in one exact location yet want a general overlook of the possibilities these various schools offer.

[Ruxin1]

Once again, I am not set on living in a particular state. I am wondering which schools in the geographic region are recognized in neighboring states/job outlook for the various schools/etc. I want to know what all these schools offer and what they lack in order to make the best choice possible, I do not have my mind set on living in one exact location yet want a general overlook of the possibilities these various schools offer.

If you want some geographic flexibility - T14, even then those schools are pretty regional. Find a state you want to work in and have ties.

[patrickd139]

Let's try to approach this differently:

What is the overall cost of attending each of these three schools?

Do you have any offers from Pennsylvania law schools?

What are your specific career goals?

[ChadMichael]

Once again, I am not set on living in a particular state. I am wondering which schools in the geographic region are recognized in neighboring states/job outlook for the various schools/etc. I want to know what all these schools offer and what they lack in order to make the best choice possible, I do not have my mind set on living in one exact location yet want a general overlook of the possibilities these various schools offer.

If you want some geographic flexibility - T14, even then those schools are pretty regional. Find a state you want to work in and have ties.

Okay, thank you for your advice. Currently, I have yet to receive any offers from T14 though I had just recently sent my applications in.

[Ruxin1]

Once again, I am not set on living in a particular state. I am wondering which schools in the geographic region are recognized in neighboring states/job outlook for the various schools/etc. I want to know what all these schools offer and what they lack in order to make the best choice possible, I do not have my mind set on living in one exact location yet want a general overlook of the possibilities these various schools offer.

If you want some geographic flexibility - T14, even then those schools are pretty regional. Find a state you want to work in and have ties.

Okay, thank you for your advice. Currently, I have yet to receive any offers from T14 though I had just recently sent my applications in.

You won't be getting a job to a place you don't have ties, sans NYC though.

[Lord Randolph McDuff]

Once again, I am not set on living in a particular state. I am wondering which schools in the geographic region are recognized in neighboring states/job outlook for the various schools/etc. I want to know what all these schools offer and what they lack in order to make the best choice possible, I do not have my mind set on living in one exact location yet want a general overlook of the possibilities these various schools offer.

If you want some geographic flexibility - T14, even then those schools are pretty regional. Find a state you want to work in and have ties.

Okay, thank you for your advice. Currently, I have yet to receive any offers from T14 though I had just recently sent my applications in.

You won't be getting a job to a place you don't have ties, sans NYC though.

Lots of people do this every year.

[cooldude87]

Once again, I am not set on living in a particular state. I am wondering which schools in the geographic region are recognized in neighboring states/job outlook for the various schools/etc. I want to know what all these schools offer and what they lack in order to make the best choice possible, I do not have my mind set on living in one exact location yet want a general overlook of the possibilities these various schools offer.

If you want some geographic flexibility - T14, even then those schools are pretty regional. Find a state you want to work in and have ties.

Okay, thank you for your advice. Currently, I have yet to receive any offers from T14 though I had just recently sent my applications in.

You won't be getting a job to a place you don't have ties, sans NYC though.

that is bs, it might be harder, but i know many people who got jobs in a state they had no ties in

[PRgradBYU]

that is bs, it might be harder, but i know many people who got jobs in a state they had no ties in

+1. If you're diligent and proactive about it, it's definitely possible to do this.

[ChadMichael]

Okay, thank you guys for assuring me it's not impossible to find a job if I go to one of these schools. I definitely plan on being proactive and trying to network as quickly as possible once I settle into the university I choose . . . hopefully being from Pennsylvania doesn't negatively affect me too much.

[cooldude87]

Okay, thank you guys for assuring me it's not impossible to find a job if I go to one of these schools. I definitely plan on being proactive and trying to network as quickly as possible once I settle into the university I choose . . . hopefully being from Pennsylvania doesn't negatively affect me too much.

Just start incorporating words like y'all and fixin' in your everyday vocabulary and you'll be fine

[rad lulz]

that is bs, it might be harder, but i know many people who got jobs in a state they had no ties in

+1. If you're diligent and proactive about it, it's definitely possible to do this.

(0L)

[rad lulz]

None of those schools travel outside their respective states, much less to East TX.

If you are not from FL or TN I can personally guarantee you it will be VERY difficult to find a job in one of those states even if you go to the regional school. I would surmise AK is similar.

Unfortunately that's the nature of legal hiring bro.

[AMilfordMan]

Option 1: get an LSAT score that gets you real $$$ at Vandy.
Option 2: go to PSU and hustle a job
Option 3: retake, t14 with $$, work 20-30 years, retire in FL!

Granted, I'm 0L, but I know a handful of unemployed JDs that have made me very debt averse. Six figures of debt + no job + non-home state = crying yourself to sleep. A grim reality.

[PRgradBYU]

that is bs, it might be harder, but i know many people who got jobs in a state they had no ties in

+1. If you're diligent and proactive about it, it's definitely possible to do this.

(0L)

Maybe you didn't pick up on the ambiguous phrasing of "definitely possible." Even a 0.0001 percent chance would classify as "definitely possible." I know more than half a dozen people who fall under this category so by no means was it incorrect for me to write that.

...but still. I'm a 0L. Take what I wrote with a grain of salt.

[RodneyBoonfield]

that is bs, it might be harder, but i know many people who got jobs in a state they had no ties in

+1. If you're diligent and proactive about it, it's definitely possible to do this.

(0L)

Maybe you didn't pick up on the ambiguous phrasing of "definitely possible." Even a 0.0001 percent chance would classify as "definitely possible." I know more than half a dozen people who fall under this category so by no means was it incorrect for me to write that.

...but still. I'm a 0L. Take what I wrote with a grain of salt.

Great point. This doesn't help OP at all.

[timbs4339]

The issue is that it's going to be very hard to "network" in places where you are not going to school and have no ties. The best networking is to work or volunteer for a firm or organization while in school. So without ties and with geographic restrictions the portability of the degrees are going to be limited to their markets. I'd pick where you'd want to work and start there. How much debt from each school?

[rad lulz]

that is bs, it might be harder, but i know many people who got jobs in a state they had no ties in

+1. If you're diligent and proactive about it, it's definitely possible to do this.

(0L)

Maybe you didn't pick up on the ambiguous phrasing of "definitely possible." Even a 0.0001 percent chance would classify as "definitely possible." I know more than half a dozen people who fall under this category so by no means was it incorrect for me to write that.

...but still. I'm a 0L. Take what I wrote with a grain of salt.

Possible? Yes.

Advisable to go based on the possibility? No.

[deadpanic]

I would recommend not going to UT being from PA. Tennessee, and especially East TN, is extremely suspicious of outsiders. It will be an uphill battle. Arkansas is probably the same way.

[bmili]

.

[patrickd139]

If you go to Arkansas, do well, and network you can end up in DFW or other regional cities (Houston, Tulsa, KC, Memphis, STL). I know of a 2L going to D.C. this summer as well. If you want to work in Arkansas, you just need to convince whatever firm you interview with that you are interested in living in that specific location (this goes pretty much with any interview though). I am not sure where in East Texas you are interested in going to, but the UofA is not going to be your best bet for that (unless your family member is going to give you a job). PM me if you have other questions.

Just so we're transparent here: when you say people end up in DC, Houston, Tulsa and St. Louis, precisely what kind of jobs are these grads taking? Exactly how many of them are there?

That part of this post is potentially very, very misleading.

[romothesavior]

If you go to Arkansas, do well, and network you can end up in DFW or other regional cities (Houston, Tulsa, KC, Memphis, STL). I know of a 2L going to D.C. this summer as well. If you want to work in Arkansas, you just need to convince whatever firm you interview with that you are interested in living in that specific location (this goes pretty much with any interview though). I am not sure where in East Texas you are interested in going to, but the UofA is not going to be your best bet for that (unless your family member is going to give you a job). PM me if you have other questions.

Just so we're transparent here: when you say people end up in DC, Houston, Tulsa and St. Louis, precisely what kind of jobs are these grads taking? Exactly how many of them are there?

That part of this post is potentially very, very misleading.

It's incredibly misleading. The odds of getting into a market like St. Louis, KC, Houston, Dallas, etc. from Arkansas without ties is functionally zero. And without insanely good grades, you probably aren't getting to a place like D.C. from Arkansas. I agree, I think this post is very misleading.