Top Law Schools

I am from a suburban town near Los Angeles California.

-Cost: Maine gave me a scholarship and would be a little less expensive.
-Specialty: I am passionate about environmental and animal law which I know is a top program in Lewis & Clark.

Biggest Factor: which city would I be happier living in

I would love some input from people who have visited each city or live/lived in the cities. I know I would be happiest in a smaller city with friendly people and somewhere more suitable to raise a family and a fun activity would be going out and walking through the city with shops and restaurants down a range of streets, parks, and a movie theater. Basically a more peaceful setting.

Full rides?

You're going to have a bitch of a time getting jobs in either of those markets because you don't have ties, and a bitch of a time getting jobs anywhere else because those schools have zero portability.

If you're independently wealthy, living in Portland and attending L&C for three years would be great. If you actually want a job, though, you need to go back to the drawing board.

cron1834 wrote:If you're independently wealthy, living in Portland and attending L&C for three years would be great. If you actually want a job, though, you need to go back to the drawing board.

Basically this.

Also know that being an animal lawyer isn't really a job. Also know that being an environmental lawyer doesn't mean you'll be fighting the good fight against Monsanto - if you're lucky, you'll get a job helping Acme Corp. pollute.

If its the issues you care about, get a job at the humane society or work for the sierra club or something. If you want to a be a lawyer, retake the LSAT.

When you send them a bill for legal services, do animals pay it?

(the answer is no)

If you want to live and work in a small town, go live and work in a small town

You will never have a job doing what you envision in the places you envision if you go to either of these schools.

So any of you actually live in Maine or Oregon to tell me how the job market is? It seems like theres a bunch of idiots on this site who only have a response to "Retake LSAT". How about this: you live once and if I have to spend most of my 20s just to get a decent score to get into a top 20 school then that is all those years lost where I could just get into a school I can get a job. For God's sakes I know someone who graduated from unranked La Verne Law and without connections got a job and 2 years later is making over 100k. So don't give me that shit. None of you guys have ever been to law school nor you understand how it works. It is just what you see on employment prospects. I don't care about being wealthy. And right now it is final exam period for law schools so you guys are a bunch of losers who are bitter about not getting into the law school of your choices. I have gotten into U Wisconsin Madison and I rejected. It isn't about the ranking, it is about quality of life. So while you losers just sit here telling me to retake the LSAT, why don't you guys continue doing so while I spend my years pulling ahead and becoming a lawyer and having a family. You dumbness already failed the first lesson in law: ANSWER THE DAMN QUESTION. I didn't ask if I wanted to retake the LSAT, I asked which school based on the city and quality of life in that city. So if there is an educated soul on this stupid pointless forum, that would be appreciated. If not, then all of you go get cancer.

Animal_Activist wrote:So any of you actually live in Maine or Oregon to tell me how the job market is? It seems like theres a bunch of idiots on this site who only have a response to "Retake LSAT". How about this: you live once and if I have to spend most of my 20s just to get a decent score to get into a top 20 school then that is all those years lost where I could just get into a school I can get a job. For God's sakes I know someone who graduated from unranked La Verne Law and without connections got a job and 2 years later is making over 100k. So don't give me that shit. None of you guys have ever been to law school nor you understand how it works[/b]. It is just what you see on employment prospects. I don't care about being wealthy. And right now it is final exam period for law schools so you guys are a bunch of losers who are bitter about not getting into the law school of your choices. I have gotten into U Wisconsin Madison and I rejected. It isn't about the ranking, it is about quality of life. So while you losers just sit here telling me to retake the LSAT, why don't you guys continue doing so while I spend my years pulling ahead and becoming a lawyer and having a family. You dumbness already failed the first lesson in law: ANSWER THE DAMN QUESTION. I didn't ask if I wanted to retake the LSAT, I asked which school based on the city and quality of life in that city. So if there is an educated soul on this stupid pointless forum, that would be appreciated. If not, then all of you go get cancer.

LOL.

Animal_Activist wrote:So any of you actually live in Maine or Oregon to tell me how the job market is? It seems like theres a bunch of idiots on this site who only have a response to "Retake LSAT". How about this: you live once and if I have to spend most of my 20s just to get a decent score to get into a top 20 school then that is all those years lost where I could just get into a school I can get a job. For God's sakes I know someone who graduated from unranked La Verne Law and without connections got a job and 2 years later is making over 100k. So don't give me that shit. None of you guys have ever been to law school nor you understand how it works. It is just what you see on employment prospects. I don't care about being wealthy. And right now it is final exam period for law schools so you guys are a bunch of losers who are bitter about not getting into the law school of your choices. I have gotten into U Wisconsin Madison and I rejected. It isn't about the ranking, it is about quality of life. So while you losers just sit here telling me to retake the LSAT, why don't you guys continue doing so while I spend my years pulling ahead and becoming a lawyer and having a family. You dumbness already failed the first lesson in law: ANSWER THE DAMN QUESTION. I didn't ask if I wanted to retake the LSAT, I asked which school based on the city and quality of life in that city. So if there is an educated soul on this stupid pointless forum, that would be appreciated. If not, then all of you go get cancer.

LJL.

you live once and if I have to spend most of my 20s just to get a decent score to get into a top 20 school

Most of your 20's? Spend 1, maybe 2 years studying. It definitely shouldn't take most of a decade.

where I could just get into a school I can get a job

See here's the problem. Legal jobs aren't assured from those schools.

For God's sakes I know someone who graduated from unranked La Verne Law and without connections got a job and 2 years later is making over 100k.

Everyone knows that one person. Exception not the rule.

It isn't about the ranking, it is about quality of life.

Retake.


I'm sorry you're so angry, but the people on this board, while sometimes harsh, are just trying to give good advice.

What is your total cost of attendance at these schools?

Kid, these schools are fucking awful by every objective measure, and you're almost certainly not going to get a job as a lawyer from either (and you won't have any transferable skills to get a good job that will allow you pay down your debt). Going to either when you are 1) not on a full ride and are debt financing and 2) do not have strong ties to the immediate region is a fucking reprehensible idea. And "animal rights law" isn't a thing.

I would say I don't want you to ruin your life, but, lol. Fire away bruh.

Ummmm animals need lawyers too ya know. Michael Vick ring any bells?

Animal_Activist wrote:all of you go get cancer.

Would you say this if we were animals?

Animal_Activist wrote:So any of you actually live in Maine or Oregon to tell me how the job market is? It seems like theres a bunch of idiots on this site who only have a response to "Retake LSAT". How about this: you live once and (1) if I have to spend most of my 20s just to get a decent score to get into a top 20 school then that is all those years lost where I could just get into a school I can get a job. For God's sakes (2) I know someone who graduated from unranked La Verne Law and without connections got a job and 2 years later is making over 100k. So don't give me that shit. (3) None of you guys have ever been to law school nor you understand how it works. It is just what you see on employment prospects. (4) I don't care about being wealthy. (5) And right now it is final exam period for law schools so (6) you guys are a bunch of losers who are bitter about not getting into the law school of your choices. I have gotten into U Wisconsin Madison and I rejected. It isn't about the ranking, it is about quality of life. So while you losers just sit here telling me to retake the LSAT, why don't you guys continue doing so (7) while I spend my years pulling ahead and becoming a lawyer and having a family. (8) You dumbness already failed the first lesson in law: ANSWER THE DAMN QUESTION. I didn't ask if I wanted to retake the LSAT, (9) I asked which school based on the city and quality of life in that city. So if there is an educated soul on this stupid pointless forum, that would be appreciated. If not, then all of you go get cancer.

Likely flame, but I don't want to get back to my Con Law studying just yet!

(1) You don't. You have to spend probably six months at the most. It's no guarantee, but a laser focus for even 3 months can do wonders. So settle down with the hyperbole. I started law school in my 30s and had a pretty awesome life experience before that. While I was enjoying that life experience (with a family & military job in which I worked >50 hours a week when I wasn't deployed), I studied very hard for the LSAT so that I could maximize my chances of practicing law when finished with law school.

(2) The plural of anecdote is not data.

(3) Most of us have been or are currently attending. But you're correct, most of us don't know how it works.

(4) Neither do I. I care about practicing law in the market in which I would like to practice. That's a hard enough task on its own, and will likely be bordering on single-digit percentage given your approach.

(5) Yep. Else I wouldn't respond. But I'm procrastinating.

(6) Nope. I would absolutely have retaken anything <171 because my GPA was so abysmal that I knew I needed it to get into a law school that would allow me the best chance to do what I wanted to do where I wanted to do it. It's one test. And if your GPA is anywhere north of 3.0, you could do wonders for your future wallet and mobility by ensuring you've squeezed every ounce out of that test.

(7) "Pulling ahead" is a lot more than being a lawyer. My son doesn't care if I break bricks. But, of course I still want to do something challenging and fulfilling. To make the career change, I wanted to do it right and put myself in an excellent position (not a good or decent or lousy one) to do exactly what I wanted.

(8) Damn. Maybe that's why these exams are beating me down.

(9) Portland, OR for my money (I live near there and have been to both). Oh, but not for law school given your goals. You can't ask the wrong question and expect everyone to ignore common sense.

Please consider a more measured approach. But if you won't, Portland, OR is nicer in the winter.

OP, even if people did answer your stated question, as opposed to giving you advice they believe is more helpful, how can you possibly decide between two completely different locations based on comments from random people on the internet? If you're planning to settle and live your life in whichever city you go to law school (which is what it sounds like), you need to visit those cities and talk to lawyers in each of them about the legal markets and your realistic chance at getting the kind of job you want in either of those cities. (I doubt someone who went to LaVerne is in a position to provide this information.)

Animal law technically exists (see http://aldf.org/ - which does not have an office in either Portland) but it's a tiny tiny field. What do you mean exactly when you say you want to do animal law, and how do you plan to get a job in that field? What will you do if you can't get a job in animal law?

Animal_Activist wrote:So any of you actually live in Maine or Oregon to tell me how the job market is? It seems like theres a bunch of idiots on this site who only have a response to "Retake LSAT". How about this: you live once and if I have to spend most of my 20s just to get a decent score to get into a top 20 school then that is all those years lost where I could just get into a school I can get a job. For God's sakes I know someone who graduated from unranked La Verne Law and without connections got a job and 2 years later is making over 100k. So don't give me that shit. None of you guys have ever been to law school nor you understand how it works. It is just what you see on employment prospects. I don't care about being wealthy. And right now it is final exam period for law schools so you guys are a bunch of losers who are bitter about not getting into the law school of your choices. I have gotten into U Wisconsin Madison and I rejected. It isn't about the ranking, it is about quality of life. So while you losers just sit here telling me to retake the LSAT, why don't you guys continue doing so while I spend my years pulling ahead and becoming a lawyer and having a family. You dumbness already failed the first lesson in law: ANSWER THE DAMN QUESTION. I didn't ask if I wanted to retake the LSAT, I asked which school based on the city and quality of life in that city. So if there is an educated soul on this stupid pointless forum, that would be appreciated. If not, then all of you go get cancer.

Great stuff. They're all just mad they couldn't get into Wisconsin. Tell 'em.

I've been to both Portlands. My best guess is that you'll like hip & hippieish Portland, Oregon more than working class LL Bean Outlet Portland, Maine.

A few years ago, George Washington University law school had a leading animal law prof. I've forgotten her name, but she might be worth contacting if you seriously want to venture into animal rights law as part of your practice.

P.S. Before 9/11, the Associated Press carried an article about a person from LA (if I recall correctly) who got on the wrong plane & ended up in Maine when intending to go to Oregon.

OP, you're right. I think these other posters have an infrared complex, or something, and are just jealous of your opportunities. Oregon is actually home to Clifford Mastiff, one of the top BIGDOG firms out there. Portland, ME is very close to the ocean, which most people would call a pretty important part of the environment. Chase your dreams!

BigZuck wrote:You will never have a job doing what you envision in the places you envision if you go to either of these schools.

No but really, this

retake.

The Univ. of Maine may be a very small campus limited to just 250 law students as the undergraduates are spread out among 5 campuses, none of which are in Portland. Also, Portland, Maine is a small city of about 60,000 residents. I've been to Portland, Maine several times & have found it to be a bit on the boring side after a couple of days.

cancer might actually be preferable to these schools.

depending on the type of cancer, you might have far better odds of making a full recovery.

Animal_Activist wrote:So any of you actually live in Maine or Oregon to tell me how the job market is?

Aside from the last 3 years, which I have spent in Chicago for law school, I have lived in the Portland, Oregon area since 1985. The legal market there is TINY and EXTREMELY INSULAR. I lived in Oregon for THIRTY YEARS, I have family there, I own a home there, I am going to fucking Northwestern and I can't get a job. It's INCREDIBLY hard.

Animal_Activist wrote:It seems like theres a bunch of idiots on this site who only have a response to "Retake LSAT".

99% of the time, retaking is the best advice, because school selection is the single biggest factor in whether you'll get a job as a lawyer, and LSAT is the single biggest factor in what school you get into. Wishing it weren't so does not make it untrue.

Animal_Activist wrote:How about this: you live once and if I have to spend most of my 20s just to get a decent score to get into a top 20 school then that is all those years lost where I could just get into a school I can get a job.

Taking 6-12 months to get a decent score is not "most of your 20s," you melodramatic child.

Animal_Activist wrote:For God's sakes I know someone who graduated from unranked La Verne Law and without connections got a job and 2 years later is making over 100k. So don't give me that shit.

This is called an "anecdote." There are always a lucky few who buck the trends, but only an idiot bets his entire life and career on being that special snowflake.

Animal_Activist wrote:None of you guys have ever been to law school nor you understand how it works.

I'm about to graduate from Northwestern, sport. Most people on this forum, especially the people giving advice, are either in law school or have graduated.

Animal_Activist wrote:It is just what you see on employment prospects.

And the employment statistics of L&C and Maine are pretty abysmal.

Animal_Activist wrote:I don't care about being wealthy.

Neither do I. I care about being employed decently in the place I want to be.

Animal_Activist wrote:And right now it is final exam period for law schools so you guys are a bunch of losers who are bitter about not getting into the law school of your choices.

Sure, it's a bummer that I was an engineer so I didn't have the undergrad GPA for Stanford or something, but I'm at Northwestern.

Animal_Activist wrote:I have gotten into U Wisconsin Madison and I rejected.

And I turned down Lewis & Clark with a huge scholarship. Do I get a cookie?

Animal_Activist wrote:It isn't about the ranking, it is about quality of life.

No, you twat, it's about getting a job.

Animal_Activist wrote:So while you losers just sit here telling me to retake the LSAT, why don't you guys continue doing so while I spend my years pulling ahead and becoming a lawyer and having a family.

Kinda too late for me to retake, since as I've mentioned once or twice, I'm about to graduate in a couple weeks.

Animal_Activist wrote:You dumbness already failed the first lesson in law: ANSWER THE DAMN QUESTION.

Lol. The first question in law is "who's paying me, and what do they want the answer to be?" You aren't paying for this advice, so we're not sugar-coating it for a client. It's just solid, unavoidable truth.

Animal_Activist wrote:I didn't ask if I wanted to retake the LSAT, I asked which school based on the city and quality of life in that city.

Quality of life is at best third on the list of factors to choose a law school by:
1. Employment.
2. Cost.
3. Everything else comes a distant third.

Animal_Activist wrote:So if there is an educated soul on this stupid pointless forum, that would be appreciated.

My answer remains the same: none of the above. If you want someone to just sycophantically affirm your terrible decisions, you'll have to go ask your mommy.

Animal_Activist wrote:If not, then all of you go get cancer.

Pure class. I'd advise you never to throw a temper tantrum like this in court, but let's face it, odds are you're never going to see the inside of the courtroom unless you get arrested for something.

I don't know anything about Maine, but I got around 75% scholarship to LC and didn't go because the employment prospects scared me

You know what, I changed my mind. Maine is an AWESOME choice for you, OP!

And I am totally not just saying that because I don't want you shitting up my hometown. Nope. Not at all. You wouldn't like Portland. Too rainy. No flouride in the water. Terrible place.