ITT: Practicing attorneys tell you your top choice is bad Forum

[timbs4339]

Excellent idea. Some of the more common ones on TLS:

UVA ED (i.e, sticker) for biglaw.
Northwestern at sticker for biglaw.

Honestly these are tough choices now that COA is approaching 300K. I see people who have sticker debt from a few years back in biglaw and it is a mixed bag. Some love it, some hate it, most people are meh about it. But all are paying a huge amount of their income to the government and are certainly not living high on the hog. I know one guy who works at a V10 and lives in a shared 4BR fifth floor walkup in a room the size of a closet. It undoubtedly will a good long-term investment but that's not the only factor.

It really comes down to how you want to spend your late 20s/early 30s and how debt averse you are, since it would be possible, but maybe not advisable, to make the standard payments and just stretch the debt over to your post-biglaw career.

This

T14 at sticker was more defensible for around $200k

Now? Ehhhhh

Won't have any COL $ to take out. Does that make it all better?

Any UG debt?

[jk148706]

Any UG debt?

A few thousand but less than 10k

[worldtraveler]

Iowa for free with no ties? Thanks for doing this thread.

Do you really want to live in Iowa?

[Winston1984]

Iowa for free with no ties? Thanks for doing this thread.

Do you have any reason to want to work in Iowa?

If you can't think of one cogent, concrete reason, don't bother.

My thoughts exactly. Be damn ready to answer "Why Iowa?" in interviews.

I definitely get that, but explaining a full-ride plus stipend wouldn't be helpful? Possible to demonstrate willingness to work there through spending summers there/being involved in the community?

[BlueLotus]

Temple for free (+ lives with parents) for someone who wants to work in Legal Aid/PD in southeastern PA

[timbs4339]

Any UG debt?

A few thousand but less than 10k

You're probably looking at around 200K or a little more when all is said and done. It's at the extreme high end of what I'd pay, but I might still pull the trigger on that. All a matter of personal preference, but if you have stars in your eyes about living life like Harvey Specter, your living situation in law school will be more comparable to what it's actually like as a junior.

[Winston1984]

Iowa for free with no ties? Thanks for doing this thread.

Do you really want to live in Iowa?

Not necessarily, but a full ride is tempting. I understand I would most likely be doing small law in Iowa post graduation. I just want to know if employers would just shut me out because of lack of ties to what I assume is a parochial market.

[timbs4339]

Temple for free (+ lives with parents) for someone who wants to work in Legal Aid/PD in southeastern PA

Sure, seems like a reasonable goal.

[jk148706]

Any UG debt?

A few thousand but less than 10k

You're probably looking at around 200K or a little more when all is said and done. It's at the extreme high end of what I'd pay, but I might still pull the trigger on that. All a matter of personal preference, but if you have stars in your eyes about living life like Harvey Specter, your living situation in law school will be more comparable to what it's actually like as a junior.

What it's actually like in the first five-10 yearsish after school I'm guessing? Hoping it could improve a bit down the road, though I have no stars or dreams of living like Harvey Spector.

Edit: just noticed the "as a junior" line

[rad lulz]

m

[rad lulz]

Temple for free (+ lives with parents) for someone who wants to work in Legal Aid/PD in southeastern PA

Sure, seems like a reasonable goal.

[timbs4339]

Any UG debt?

A few thousand but less than 10k

You're probably looking at around 200K or a little more when all is said and done. It's at the extreme high end of what I'd pay, but I might still pull the trigger on that. All a matter of personal preference, but if you have stars in your eyes about living life like Harvey Specter, your living situation in law school will be more comparable to what it's actually like as a junior.

What it's actually like in the first five-10 yearsish after school I'm guessing? Hoping it could improve a bit down the road, though I have no stars or dreams of living like Harvey Spector

It gets better as your income rises and the debt gets paid off. Based on what I've seen it's easy to have an upper-middle class life about midlevel time. But most of my friends who took out bigdebt and are working as second years are living essentially the same lifestyle as they were in law school, partly because of the debt, and partly because they are working so much that it makes no sense to plan a nice vacation or get a bigger roach-free apartment.

[jk148706]

It gets better as your income rises and the debt gets paid off. Based on what I've seen it's easy to have an upper-middle class life about midlevel time. But most of my friends who took out bigdebt and are working as second years are living essentially the same lifestyle as they were in law school, partly because of the debt, and partly because they are working so much that it makes no sense to invest in a nicer apartment or vacations.

Right. I understand this and would be going I with eyes wide open. I'm hoping some t14 gets crazy and throws me some money, just preparing for no scholly.

Thanks for the advice, much appreciated

[Dr. Review]

Iowa for free with no ties? Thanks for doing this thread.

Do you really want to live in Iowa?

Not necessarily, but a full ride is tempting. I understand I would most likely be doing small law in Iowa post graduation. I just want to know if employers would just shut me out because of lack of ties to what I assume is a parochial market.

If the best thing you can say about Iowa is that you got a full ride to the law school there, don't bother.

Truth. I went to a school in a market where I had no ties, and some employers bought into my spiel about liking Pittsburgh after visiting/research, others were still skeptical that I was a flight risk (I confirmed a rejection for this reason after CB in Pittsburgh through a contact). I would not go into an interview with "because it was free" as your reason to attend/move. (As an aside, I ended up leaving Pittsburgh after receiving an offer to work full time in Pittsburgh. Turns out I was a flight risk.)

[AT9]

Sweet thread.

Goals: practice in an area of interest to me; don't care much what form of employment it takes (most interested in land use law).
Ties: strongest ties scattered across southeast and Midwest.
Other: wife will be working while I'm in school, so COL will hopefully be covered/mostly covered.

Got a near full tuition scholly from Wake Forest (less than $10k tuition/fees total), no stips. How much would you need from Vandy, Emory, and WUSTL to pass up the WF offer?

This thread is moving fast and I think my question got passed over, so posting again (sorry). Any input?

[gimmedanger]

goal: Mid-level firm work/government

CU for free
lower t14 with some aid. (accepted to NYU and Northwestern so far)

I'm from Colorado, and would be happy to stay there to work and live after school. However, I wonder if going to a lower ranked school would be detrimental?

I'm still waiting on money info from the other schools I've been accepted to, but wondering if leaving Colorado if ultimately I want to work there is wise.

[phireblast]

Florida State U with in-state + 10k/year no stips.
Government or firms of any size for me.

Am perfectly fine staying in Florida.
Thoughts?

[deadpanic]

Sweet thread.

Goals: practice in an area of interest to me; don't care much what form of employment it takes (most interested in land use law).
Ties: strongest ties scattered across southeast and Midwest.
Other: wife will be working while I'm in school, so COL will hopefully be covered/mostly covered.

Got a near full tuition scholly from Wake Forest (less than $10k tuition/fees total), no stips. How much would you need from Vandy, Emory, and WUSTL to pass up the WF offer?

This thread is moving fast and I think my question got passed over, so posting again (sorry). Any input?

Practicing attorney in the South checking in.

WF is not a bad deal, but the problem becomes if you graduate at median or below, you are in a really bad spot to get a legal job period. NC is saturated from what I can tell.

The general consensus for Vandy seems to be keeping the total COA around 100k. WUSTL seems to give out a lot of free rides and if you happen to snag that, that may be the best option if you prefer the Midwest to the South. I don't think Emory is going to be worth it over Vandy in this situation, but I could be wrong. I would say Emory may be worth attending for around 75K, but in that situation I would pick Vandy for 100K for better prospects...if that is an option of course.

[worldtraveler]

Iowa for free with no ties? Thanks for doing this thread.

Do you really want to live in Iowa?

Not necessarily, but a full ride is tempting. I understand I would most likely be doing small law in Iowa post graduation. I just want to know if employers would just shut me out because of lack of ties to what I assume is a parochial market.

Speaking as a native Iowan, they would. If you weren't born and raised there it would be tough unless you're from a neighboring state.

[Dr. Review]

Sweet thread.

Goals: practice in an area of interest to me; don't care much what form of employment it takes (most interested in land use law).
Ties: strongest ties scattered across southeast and Midwest.
Other: wife will be working while I'm in school, so COL will hopefully be covered/mostly covered.

Got a near full tuition scholly from Wake Forest (less than $10k tuition/fees total), no stips. How much would you need from Vandy, Emory, and WUSTL to pass up the WF offer?

This thread is moving fast and I think my question got passed over, so posting again (sorry). Any input?

I'd say take the lowest COA unless they are within $10k of one another, and then pick the market you like the most (Winston-Salem is kind of a shithole, but I like Raleigh and Charlotte). Although biglaw might be a little less likely at Wake than some others.

[worldtraveler]

Sweet thread.

Goals: practice in an area of interest to me; don't care much what form of employment it takes (most interested in land use law).
Ties: strongest ties scattered across southeast and Midwest.
Other: wife will be working while I'm in school, so COL will hopefully be covered/mostly covered.

Got a near full tuition scholly from Wake Forest (less than $10k tuition/fees total), no stips. How much would you need from Vandy, Emory, and WUSTL to pass up the WF offer?

This thread is moving fast and I think my question got passed over, so posting again (sorry). Any input?

I'd say take the lowest COA unless they are within $10k of one another, and then pick the market you like the most (Winston-Salem is kind of a shithole, but I like Raleigh and Charlotte). Although biglaw might be a little less likely at Wake than some others.

I would take Wake unless you get an almost equal or better offer from the other schools. You're graduating almost debt free and in a region you like. Sounds good.

[redsoxfan1989]

BU for 15k for a year's cost of attendance or Michigan for 55k for a year's cost of attendance.


Currently a Boston resident and can live rent-free in Boston if I stay here. I would prefer to work in Boston, preferably BigLaw.

[Dr. Review]

BU for 15k for a year's cost of attendance or Michigan for 55k for a year's cost of attendance.


Currently a Boston resident and can live rent-free in Boston if I stay here. I would prefer to work in Boston, preferably BigLaw.

I would be more inclined to take Michigan at 165 total than BU for 45k total if you are looking for biglaw, since a shade under half of M grads get biglaw, compared to closer to 1/4 at BU.

[rad lulz]

BU for 15k for a year's cost of attendance or Michigan for 55k for a year's cost of attendance.


Currently a Boston resident and can live rent-free in Boston if I stay here. I would prefer to work in Boston, preferably BigLaw.

I'd probs do BC but biglaw is unlikely

[rad lulz]

m