UConn Law vs. Rutgers Law Forum

[ldittman]

Hey guys! I received substantial scholarships from both of these schools, and though neither was necessarily my top choice, the aid is good enough that I think I'm going to have to bite. If my ultimate goal is to practice IP law in New York City, which school would you recommend? Thanks!!

[QContinuum]

What kind of IP law do you want to practice? Do you have a technical (STEM) background or work experience?

[ldittman]

I don't have a technical background and am not interested in patent law! I'm particularly interested in data privacy law, as well as trademarks and copyright. Thanks!!

[cavalier1138]

I don't have a technical background and am not interested in patent law! I'm particularly interested in data privacy law, as well as trademarks and copyright. Thanks!!

Soft IP is an extremely hard gig to land for anyone, especially if you don't bring any useful prior experience to the table. But that said, what kind of salary do you expect to earn after graduation? Rutgers and UConn are mostly going to set you up for practice at smaller firms, so if your answer is "six figures," you need to adjust your expectations or get better school options.

Additionally, neither of these schools is great for NYC placement. They overwhelmingly place students in their respective states. If you want to work in a smaller NYC firm practicing IP law, I'd strongly recommend shooting for at least Cardozo (Fordham would be better) with a full scholarship.

[LSATWiz.com]

Yeah, Rutgers and UConn don't have much pull outside of their home states. They are fine to go to with aid as they place very well in their home states, but the legal economy also works different there and generally pays less than NYC but COL is generally much lower. I think these schools are generally better choices than St. John's and Brooklyn if you're open to working in Connecticut or New Jersey, but for NYC you really want to go to a school in NYC or that has national placement. It's also much more important to come out earning six-figures or at least $70-80k pretax after loan repayment.

[The Lsat Airbender]

but the legal economy also works different there and generally pays less than NYC but COL is generally much lower

CT and NJ aren't exactly cheap - housing can be pricey unless you live in a place like urban Bridgeport or Newark, which almost nobody wants to do, and they have high tax burdens. Cheaper than NYC, of course, but nothing like flyover country where $60k/yr comfortably supports a middle-class family.

[LSATWiz.com]

but the legal economy also works different there and generally pays less than NYC but COL is generally much lower

CT and NJ aren't exactly cheap - housing can be pricey unless you live in a place like urban Bridgeport or Newark, which almost nobody wants to do, and they have high tax burdens. Cheaper than NYC, of course, but nothing like flyover country where $60k/yr comfortably supports a middle-class family.

That's very true but working in NYC makes it very difficult to own real estate unless you commute on public transit so a lot of that rent is a sunk cost.

[QContinuum]

That's very true but working in NYC makes it very difficult to own real estate unless you commute on public transit so a lot of that rent is a sunk cost.

1) Why do you have to own instead of rent?

2) Why is the expectation that you must live within walking distance of work? Generally in CT/NJ, you won't be able to live within walking distance of work and will need to drive. How is that different from needing to pay for some form of transit (subway/commuter rail/ferry/(express) bus) to get to a job in NYC?

3) Renting is not "throwing money away". There are plenty of (hefty) sunk costs associated with homeownership, including property and school taxes, various maintenance expenses (landscaping, pest control, home insurance, appliance/HVAC/boiler maintenance/replacement, condo association fees), utilities (often partially included in rent), and periodic general capital renovations (changing the carpets, repainting, replacing the roof). On top of that, if you're the type to move every few years, there are sales and transfer taxes, broker fees, attorney fees, and mortgage fees associated with every purchase or sale of real estate. Broker fees alone typically run into the (multiple) tens of thousands of dollars.

Now if you're lucky enough to buy a home that booms in value, and you happen to buy low and sell high, you might make enough money to come out ahead. But that's not a guarantee, even in desirable, high COL areas. Your home could just as easily lose value.

It's a pure fiction that "oh, if I rent, I'm forking over $2000/month to my landlord, but if I own, all I pay is my mortgage which helps me build equity!" That completely ignores all of the hefty costs mentioned above associated with owning real estate.