UConn for CT? Forum

[Stylnator]

Hi everyone,

I have a full scholarship to UConn (no stips) and it looks like I won't be getting into any other schools at a reasonable cost (everything else would be >100k for me which I would have to debt finance). Anyways, I have no problem being locked into CT for practice but I want to go into PI specifically state PD (hopefully FPD one day after I have experience). That being said, the CT state PD hasn't hired in several years and likely won't open up hiring any time soon.

I know UConn is pretty much my only option for CT right now but their employment statistics make me nervous. Can anyone comment on the legal market in CT? I really don't know much about it/how to find more about it.

I really really do not want to retake the LSAT and even if I were to try (only one shot left) I don't think I could get a high enough score to keep my debt at around $50k (which is the max I'd ever take out for any school - and loans will be the only financing option I have available).

If anyone has insight on UConn's placement or knows more about the CT legal market I'd really appreciate it!

[floatie]

If you have one retake left, I'd go for it if U Conn is your best option at the moment. You're right to be concerned about their employment prospects.

[Stylnator]

If you have one retake left, I'd go for it if U Conn is your best option at the moment. You're right to be concerned about their employment prospects.

So is the advice here don't go to UConn under any circumstance? The opportunity costs of a retake for me outweight the benefits (I'm assuming I won't increase more than 4 points and that gain won't get me significant scholarships at T14s).

[floatie]

If you have one retake left, I'd go for it if U Conn is your best option at the moment. You're right to be concerned about their employment prospects.

So is the advice here don't go to UConn under any circumstance? The opportunity costs of a retake for me outweight the benefits (I'm assuming I won't increase more than 4 points and that gain won't get me significant scholarships at T14s).

Ultimately it's up to you to decide. You didn't share your stats to begin with so we can't judge how much you'd have to gain from a 4 point increase. In a lot of instances, 4 points could be the difference between a Tier 2 school like UConn and cracking the T25 with a decent scholarship. You don't need to go to a T14 in order to have a successful legal career, but if your best shot right now is U Conn (which has less than 60% employment) then yeah, you owe it to yourself to at least try and improve.

[Stylnator]

If you have one retake left, I'd go for it if U Conn is your best option at the moment. You're right to be concerned about their employment prospects.

So is the advice here don't go to UConn under any circumstance? The opportunity costs of a retake for me outweight the benefits (I'm assuming I won't increase more than 4 points and that gain won't get me significant scholarships at T14s).

Ultimately it's up to you to decide. You didn't share your stats to begin with so we can't judge how much you'd have to gain from a 4 point increase. In a lot of instances, 4 points could be the difference between a Tier 2 school like UConn and cracking the T25 with a decent scholarship. You don't need to go to a T14 in order to have a successful legal career, but if your best shot right now is U Conn (which has less than 60% employment) then yeah, you owe it to yourself to at least try and improve.

I have a 163 right now so 4 points could maybe get me a decent scholarship at a T25. I do have some regional preference for CT (home state) and I know UConn has a very good network in CT. I'm scared that if I go to a lower T25 they might not have the brand recognition in CT that UConn does.

[KME89]

Full disclosure: UCONN is my first choice for law school. Also, the position I'm aiming for out of law school is JD preferred, with my end goal being to be the head of that particular department (which requires a JD). So, straight out of law school I will (hopefully) be listed in the JD Preferred category on LST. When looking at UCONN's numbers on LST, please keep in mind that a portion of the graduates each year are from the part-time class, who already have jobs. Most, like me, are aiming for JD preferred and they are going to school to advance their careers where they are now. Those people make up a good portion of the students not in long term full time legal jobs. If you just look at the unemployment rate, UCONN is very low. Just something to consider since UCONN is one of a few schools that offer part time programs that can screw with the LST numbers.

[cavalier1138]

I have a 163 right now so 4 points could maybe get me a decent scholarship at a T25. I do have some regional preference for CT (home state) and I know UConn has a very good network in CT. I'm scared that if I go to a lower T25 they might not have the brand recognition in CT that UConn does.

I think UConn is a rare example of a "flagship" (using the term loosely, because it's the only state school) state school that actually sucks for getting employed in its home state.

You need to figure out what you want more: a career in Connecticut, or a career as a PD. Because based on what you said about the Connecticut PD office, it sounds like you can't have both.

[Stylnator]

I have a 163 right now so 4 points could maybe get me a decent scholarship at a T25. I do have some regional preference for CT (home state) and I know UConn has a very good network in CT. I'm scared that if I go to a lower T25 they might not have the brand recognition in CT that UConn does.

I think UConn is a rare example of a "flagship" (using the term loosely, because it's the only state school) state school that actually sucks for getting employed in its home state.

Why do you say that? Is that just off of LST?

[Stylnator]

Full disclosure: UCONN is my first choice for law school. Also, the position I'm aiming for out of law school is JD preferred, with my end goal being to be the head of that particular department (which requires a JD). So, straight out of law school I will (hopefully) be listed in the JD Preferred category on LST. When looking at UCONN's numbers on LST, please keep in mind that a portion of the graduates each year are from the part-time class, who already have jobs. Most, like me, are aiming for JD preferred and they are going to school to advance their careers where they are now. Those people make up a good portion of the students not in long term full time legal jobs. If you just look at the unemployment rate, UCONN is very low. Just something to consider since UCONN is one of a few schools that offer part time programs that can screw with the LST numbers.

I never thought about that. I always just assumed the ABA stats separated part time and full time for employment numbers - but I guess not. It's definitely a factor to keep in mind although I'm not sure if this helps UConn's case or hurts it b/c I guess I still don't know the quantity + quality of job placement for just full time students.

[floatie]

Full disclosure: UCONN is my first choice for law school. Also, the position I'm aiming for out of law school is JD preferred, with my end goal being to be the head of that particular department (which requires a JD). So, straight out of law school I will (hopefully) be listed in the JD Preferred category on LST. When looking at UCONN's numbers on LST, please keep in mind that a portion of the graduates each year are from the part-time class, who already have jobs. Most, like me, are aiming for JD preferred and they are going to school to advance their careers where they are now. Those people make up a good portion of the students not in long term full time legal jobs. If you just look at the unemployment rate, UCONN is very low. Just something to consider since UCONN is one of a few schools that offer part time programs that can screw with the LST numbers.

I never thought about that. I always just assumed the ABA stats separated part time and full time for employment numbers - but I guess not. It's definitely a factor to keep in mind although I'm not sure if this helps UConn's case or hurts it b/c I guess I still don't know the quantity + quality of job placement for just full time students.

That would hurt UConn's case for you, given that you don't have a job to come back to. If their employment statistics include people who came in with jobs and just needed the degree to advance their position at a job they already have, that puts their employment numbers even further into contention for you, since sub-60% employment is already a concern in and of itself, especially if that includes people who already have jobs waiting for them.

[Stylnator]

Full disclosure: UCONN is my first choice for law school. Also, the position I'm aiming for out of law school is JD preferred, with my end goal being to be the head of that particular department (which requires a JD). So, straight out of law school I will (hopefully) be listed in the JD Preferred category on LST. When looking at UCONN's numbers on LST, please keep in mind that a portion of the graduates each year are from the part-time class, who already have jobs. Most, like me, are aiming for JD preferred and they are going to school to advance their careers where they are now. Those people make up a good portion of the students not in long term full time legal jobs. If you just look at the unemployment rate, UCONN is very low. Just something to consider since UCONN is one of a few schools that offer part time programs that can screw with the LST numbers.

I never thought about that. I always just assumed the ABA stats separated part time and full time for employment numbers - but I guess not. It's definitely a factor to keep in mind although I'm not sure if this helps UConn's case or hurts it b/c I guess I still don't know the quantity + quality of job placement for just full time students.

That would hurt UConn's case for you, given that you don't have a job to come back to. If their employment statistics include people who came in with jobs and just needed the degree to advance their position at a job they already have, that puts their employment numbers even further into contention for you, since sub-60% employment is already a concern in and of itself, especially if that includes people who already have jobs waiting for them.

Yes but I believe the point is that the 60% number reported by the school is for 'bar required' jobs whereas a good portion of the students you're referring to fall into 'JD Preferred' and that is separate from the 60% number. Just to be clear, I'm not trying to say 60% isn't worrisome. It is, hence the point of this thread, but I think KME89 was right in their distinction.

[KME89]

Full disclosure: UCONN is my first choice for law school. Also, the position I'm aiming for out of law school is JD preferred, with my end goal being to be the head of that particular department (which requires a JD). So, straight out of law school I will (hopefully) be listed in the JD Preferred category on LST. When looking at UCONN's numbers on LST, please keep in mind that a portion of the graduates each year are from the part-time class, who already have jobs. Most, like me, are aiming for JD preferred and they are going to school to advance their careers where they are now. Those people make up a good portion of the students not in long term full time legal jobs. If you just look at the unemployment rate, UCONN is very low. Just something to consider since UCONN is one of a few schools that offer part time programs that can screw with the LST numbers.

I never thought about that. I always just assumed the ABA stats separated part time and full time for employment numbers - but I guess not. It's definitely a factor to keep in mind although I'm not sure if this helps UConn's case or hurts it b/c I guess I still don't know the quantity + quality of job placement for just full time students.

That would hurt UConn's case for you, given that you don't have a job to come back to. If their employment statistics include people who came in with jobs and just needed the degree to advance their position at a job they already have, that puts their employment numbers even further into contention for you, since sub-60% employment is already a concern in and of itself, especially if that includes people who already have jobs waiting for them.

Yes but I believe the point is that the 60% number reported by the school is for 'bar required' jobs whereas a good portion of the students you're referring to fall into 'JD Preferred' and that is separate from the 60% number. Just to be clear, I'm not trying to say 60% isn't worrisome. It is, hence the point of this thread, but I think KME89 was right in their distinction.

Yes, my point is that of the 20%+ that are JD Preferred, a good portion of those people chose the JD Preferred on purpose. It wasn't that they couldn't get a LT FT legal job. That 60% LST shows is only the percentage of graduates who have a LT FT legal job. There are people out there, like me, who are purposefully not going to law school with the plan of getting a LT FT legal job straight out of school. I hope to be getting an international contract negotiation position for a government military contractor that's located in CT post graduation.

[Stylnator]

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