Trying to find a good fit Forum

[southernbelle87]

I feel like even starting to look is complicated, and I want to find somewhere that's a good fit. Planning for Fall 2014 (c/o 2017)
I'm currently Virginia based, but I grew up in Alabama and Mississippi. I want to go back to the deep south and do family (hopefully mostly child advocacy/ anti-domestic violence support) and probably some civil. I DON"T want BigLaw and I don't want to end up in New York, Chicago, LA, etc. My ideal outcome would be work for a smaller firm (probably in a smaller town) or in state government and then eventually open my own practice.

I went to Wellesley and did Teach for America. I've been working in a non-profit for the last year. 3.3 GPA and practice LSAT around 165-170

I know to look at the state schools (Alabama, OleMiss, probably Tennessee), but where else should I give serious consideration. Is it worth looking at UVA or William & Mary since I'm currently in VA?

[BigZuck]

I feel like even starting to look is complicated, and I want to find somewhere that's a good fit. Planning for Fall 2014 (c/o 2017)
I'm currently Virginia based, but I grew up in Alabama and Mississippi. I want to go back to the deep south and do family (hopefully mostly child advocacy/ anti-domestic violence support) and probably some civil. I DON"T want BigLaw and I don't want to end up in New York, Chicago, LA, etc. My ideal outcome would be work for a smaller firm (probably in a smaller town) or in state government and then eventually open my own practice.

I went to Wellesley and did Teach for America. I've been working in a non-profit for the last year. 3.3 GPA and practice LSAT around 165-170

I know to look at the state schools (Alabama, OleMiss, probably Tennessee), but where else should I give serious consideration. Is it worth looking at UVA or William & Mary since I'm currently in VA?

I would only go to a school where you have substantial ties. I understand that you might be OK with working in Tennessee but if you're from Alabama you might face an uphill struggle to find a job in Tennessee even though you went to school there. In that instance I would only look at schools in Alabama or schools that are true regional powerhouses in the south (basically just UVA, Duke, Vanderbilt, and maybe Emory).

And definitely don't go a school like Ole Miss and try to find a job in, say, Florida. It doesn't work that way for the most part.

Basically only go to a regional school if you have strong ties to that state, plan on working in that state long term, and this is all at a reasonable price (to me, that's like 60-80K max including cost of living, tuition increases, interest, etc.)

[DoveBodyWash]

Basically only go to a regional school if you have strong ties to that state, plan on working in that state long term, and this is all at a reasonable price (to me, that's like 60-80K max including cost of living, tuition increases, interest, etc.)

+1

Also if you do well enough on your LSAT, you could get some nice scholarships to more national schools. As long as your debt is low, you'll never really be in a BigLaw or Bust situation. All about dat LSAT

[MyNameIsFlynn!]

Get an LSAT and then start looking. Until then, you should check out LSN (as has been suggested in the other identical threads you've posted)

[BmoreOrLess]

A 168+ and a little hardball should get you a full ride or close to it at Alabama.