Top Law Schools

I think I've got a solid idea of where I'd like to go, but I'd like to hear some other opinions in case there's something I'm overlooking.

Ideally, I'd like to stay in Texas and practice O&G biglaw (transactional work, like M&A). I'm from Texas, went to UT for undergrad, and have connections here. My parents have said they will pay for COL wherever I attend, so UT would be 100% free. Aside from the cost benefit of attending UT, there is also the networking benefit. Quality of life would also be better. However, the job prospects at UT are not nearly as solid as the other schools I'm considering, so biglaw is no guarantee (I won't make the assumption that I'm going finish near the top of my class). I have a pretty strong business background, so that may shield me from this a little bit. Also, the degree is not very portable outside of Texas, which kinda worries me if I ever decide to leave Texas for whatever reason.

UChicago and NYU, on the other hand, both have solid job prospects. Both degrees are portable, with UChicago probably getting the edge for the prestige factor. I would pretty much be paying for prestige, if I decided to go either school. Returning to Texas likely would not be a problem. I'm gonna try to negotiate with UChicago based on the NYU scholarship.

That's my current thought process. I'm on the waitlist at Harvard and Penn, and an acceptance to either school could change my thinking. I still have not heard from Stanford, so I'm going to assume that's a waitlist/ding.

Hard to turn down UT for free if you want Texas biglaw, especially transactional O&G stuff. The best energy law profs in the country teach here. And if you change your mind about geography, I know from personal and anecdotal experience that a Texas J.D. is more portable than you seem to think. But you really can't lose with any of these options, especially since COL is covered.

Simplicity wrote:Ideally, I'd like to stay in Texas and practice O&G biglaw (transactional work, like M&A). I'm from Texas, went to UT for undergrad, and have connections here.

No reason to turn down UT for free considering this. Unless you get into H/S, I would stick with UT, given your career goals.

Also, if you do ever decide to leave Texas, what you've done since graduation will be more important than the school. An experienced O&G attorney from a school that is pretty well-known for O&G will have pretty good job options.

Texas for sure.

Hook 'Em

Are those numbers the amount it will cost you total? If so, no one is actually saying pick UT for free over Columbia for 40K are they?

BigZuck wrote:Are those numbers the amount it will cost you total? If so, no one is actually saying pick UT for free over Columbia for 40K are they?

They appear to be scholarship amounts.

I say Chicago. OP has extensive ties to TX that will make it easy to bring Chicago back home. Given that goal is biglaw, it would seem to be worth the money over UT.

Your best shot outside of Yale and maybe Harvard is Chicago. Pretty much all of the Texans got multiple offers. Chicago has a very large Texas alumni base relative to other top schools because it has such a high percentage of Conservatives. There is even a listserve that most all alumni in Texas subscribe to which actively tries to get those interested in Texas jobs. I envy your position with such good ties.

TaipeiMort wrote:Your best shot outside of Yale and maybe Harvard is Chicago. Pretty much all of the Texans got multiple offers. Chicago has a very large Texas alumni base relative to other top schools because it has such a high percentage of Conservatives. There is even a listserve that most all alumni in Texas subscribe to which actively tries to get those interested in Texas jobs. I envy your position with such good ties.

That's very good to know. Thanks man.

What's the total for Chicago and NYU considering your parents are paying for CoL?

If any TX > non-TX biglaw, then Texas
But, if any biglaw > TX non-biglaw, then NYU/Chicago.

Doorkeeper wrote:What's the total for Chicago and NYU considering your parents are paying for CoL?

If any TX > non-TX biglaw, then Texas
But, if any biglaw > TX non-biglaw, then NYU/Chicago.

^Pretty much this.

Another consideration: UT offers the best best-case scenario (TX biglaw with 0 debt), but Chicago provides the safest bet (though that means more than 100K debt).

Richie Tenenbaum wrote:

Doorkeeper wrote:What's the total for Chicago and NYU considering your parents are paying for CoL?

If any TX > non-TX biglaw, then Texas
But, if any biglaw > TX non-biglaw, then NYU/Chicago.

^Pretty much this.

Another consideration: UT offers the best best-case scenario (TX biglaw with 0 debt), but Chicago provides the safest bet (though that means more than 100K debt).

Non-sequeter: the Royal Tenenbaums is quite literally my favorite film of all time. Kudos to you.

I had to make the same decision as you with basically equal scholarship amounts. I deposited UT. That being said, I had significant undergraduate debt to consider. Hopefully I'll see you in Austin!