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Seems like a no-brainer to me to go to WVU this year, given what you say. If you want to be independent, financial considerations be damned, then fine, re-take and with luck, you'll go to a T20. If you want to take a year off, financial considerations be damned, then fine, take the year off. None of us here can help you make those sorts of decision. But the fact of the matter is that with a 3.4, 169 (aspirational score), you aren't getting into T6 schools. Your best job outcome (for financial reasons) will be to end up in your parents' new law firm pretty much no matter what. Retiring at 50 is a real possibility for you, and if I were in your shoes, I could not pass that up.

Family business, it's a no brainer. Hasn't Hollywood brainwashed you yet? You need to see It's a Wonderful Life, right away.

Pastels wrote:

Cilent21 wrote:I don't believe that your parents make that much money. HTH

Hate of the year award goes to...................

..you? For this silly thread. Agreed.

161 and 3.4? It's not like you could get into the T6 with a retake or anything. Cut your losses.

sumus romani wrote:Seems like a no-brainer to me to go to WVU this year, given what you say. If you want to be independent, financial considerations be damned, then fine, re-take and with luck, you'll go to a T20. If you want to take a year off, financial considerations be damned, then fine, take the year off. None of us here can help you make those sorts of decision. But the fact of the matter is that with a 3.4, 169 (aspirational score), you aren't getting into T6 schools. Your best job outcome (for financial reasons) will be to end up in your parents' new law firm pretty much no matter what. Retiring at 50 is a real possibility for you, and if I were in your shoes, I could not pass that up.

Just read this. TITCR.

If you decide not to do this, can your parents adopt me?

No, I agree. The answer seems to be very clear. I am just having one of those grass is always greener moments..... The thought of my peers at higher ranked schools and me being stuck at my state school is a bit depressing. But what is 3 years compared to a lifetime of freedom and high priced toys? I do appreciate the tough love.

Pastels wrote:No, I agree. The answer seems to be very clear. I am just having one of those grass is always greener moments..... The thought of my peers at higher ranked schools and me being stuck at my state school is a bit depressing. But what is 3 years compared to a lifetime of freedom and high priced toys? I do appreciate the tough love.

This is all you keep doing throughout this thread. Can't believe no one is calling you out. So annoying. And the people at the higher ranked schools are not your peers. I think WVU is a good fit

My advice is to pass up your full scholly and guaranteed job. Waste a year of your life. Retake and get the same or slightly better score. Take out a fortune in loans to go to Cardozo or WUSTL. Then come back to your parents with your hat in your hand in 4 years lugging 120K in debt.

I'm going to pull back the curtain and tell you that the grass only looks greener on the other side. You have what appears to be a golden ticket, but you're thinking of burning it. Spend 3 years in Morgantown (which I'm told is a pretty nice college town). Cheer for the excellent Mountaineer sports teams. Since you don't have to worry about doing slave work for a firm in hopes of getting a job, use your windfall savings to do summers abroad (or in NYC if you want to see that the novelty of big city living wears off quickly). Learn as much as you can without stressing yourself into an early grave worrying about making the top 10%. The graduate into a nice job with people who you can trust and who want you to succeed.

Not saying WVU is not a good fit. I took the LSAT under some rough conditions and a very difficult fall UG schedule and stumbled through it in December. My PT avg was higher etc but we will not get into that, the purpose of this thread was to see if my thoughts of holding a year and retaking to go to a better school were atleast some what founded or if it was a mistake. Nothing more, old chap.

Pastels wrote:Not saying WVU is not a good fit. I took the LSAT under some rough conditions and a very difficult fall UG schedule and stumbled through it in December. My PT avg was higher etc but we will not get into that, the purpose of this thread was to see if my thoughts of holding a year and retaking to go to a better school were atleast some what founded or if it was a mistake. Nothing more, old chap.

OK. Then to recap my previous post: mistake.

Pastels wrote:Mom went to WVU, father went to Tennessee.

and no, I want to come back to WV either way as I would be making more than 99% of lawyers in the US if you factor in WV COL compared to NYC COL. Plus I would own my own practice. I just want to get a quality education and mobility just in case something happens.

Dude you want to come back to WV, then go to WVU. I've already said this in a previous thread. I'd love to be in your position. I have lived here all my life, and I'll be 27 at the end of summer. I want to go to WVU (sure I'd love to have the ability to go somewhere else but it's just not in my cards) From a financial stand pt you'll graduate with hardly any debt which is a huge plus. Be in your own practice at 25. You'd be in much better shape than half the people on this board. Like I said I'd love to be in your shoes, hell I'll take your spot. Wish I could, lol. I myself am trying to figure out if it is worth taking the LSAT a 4th time and trying to bring it from a 146 to a 155 and then reapply (it would be the 3rd time for WVU, once before I even took the LSAT, this cycle, then possibly the next)

If you decided not to go and retake, reapply, you could possible run the risk of not scoring much higher or your cycle might not turn out as you want it to. I keep hearing that next years cycle will be just as competetive as this one if not more.

Oh and WVU broke into the top 100, it aint TTT anymore

Desert Fox wrote:If you decide not to do this, can your parents adopt me?

yeah seriously! I just found out I only make 2,000 less than my mother. Really really shocked me.

Do you really want out of WV that bad?

Btw I have no idea what kind of practice generates $500k to $800k in profit in WV but it's a declining market (sort of). It's time to branch out.

Your parents are likely afraid that you appear to have the world in the palm of your hands (get a degree that's paid for and never worry about job hunting again) and that your reaction is "nah, that's not what I want". They may even think that the plan they have for them and you is not going to happen. So thier thoughts have less to do with thinking that you are making a choice that is going to leave you screwed, and more to do with thinking you are crazy not to take what they think is an amazing choice they would have loved to have had.

It appears that you have the following options

Go to WV: No debt, good job at parents firm or at a firm in other WV areas
Lay out: get a job, (remember Murphys Law though) Go work for parents after graduating in WV

But I wonder if you don't want to go to school and be "trapped" in WV, why are you even considering working for your parents in WV.

I think you want some prestige to your name, which isn't a bad thing. You don't need to grow a pair, you need to decide if you'll like the taste of humble pie.

motiontodismiss wrote:Do you really want out of WV that bad?

Btw I have no idea what kind of practice generates $500k to $800k in profit in WV but it's a declining market (sort of). It's time to branch out.

Hmmm....let me think...people injured in mine collapse. Jury awards $3 million. That's $1 million in compensation to plaintiff's attorney. Even if $500k was spent litigating (doubtful), there's 500k right there.

Cole S. Law wrote:

motiontodismiss wrote:Do you really want out of WV that bad?

Btw I have no idea what kind of practice generates $500k to $800k in profit in WV but it's a declining market (sort of). It's time to branch out.

Hmmm....let me think...people injured in mine collapse. Jury awards $3 million. That's $1 million in compensation to plaintiff's attorney. Even if $500k was spent litigating (doubtful), there's 500k right there.

Those lawsuits take a lot longer than a year to litigate. Discovery alone can take more than a year.

My initial argument was the fact that I would have liked to have gone somewhere else for school, branched out, lived somewhere else for 3 years and come back to WV under my own terms and feel like I was there because I wanted to be there. However, now I ask myself is it worth it? Is it worth 200K for LS, is it worth the year off? Is the name prestige of a LS really worth that much?

it is a catch-22 and even though I am graduating from UG and am a fresh 22 years old I still feel like I do not want to waste any time.

How far are your parents from retirement? Chances are, when they retire they'll expect you to take over, and if you don't feel confident that you'll be able to (or you just can't stomach running your own business and having no steady paycheck-there's nothing wrong with that-I certainly can't), you really shouldn't.

If you really want to branch out, go ahead, but I suggest you get some work experience before going back to your parents' firm. That firm isn't going anywhere.

However if you're going to just go back to your parents' rather successful practice in WV, you don't need a prestigious JD, you just need a JD and pass the bar.

motiontodismiss wrote:

Cole S. Law wrote:

motiontodismiss wrote:Do you really want out of WV that bad?

Btw I have no idea what kind of practice generates $500k to $800k in profit in WV but it's a declining market (sort of). It's time to branch out.

Hmmm....let me think...people injured in mine collapse. Jury awards $3 million. That's $1 million in compensation to plaintiff's attorney. Even if $500k was spent litigating (doubtful), there's 500k right there.

Those lawsuits take a lot longer than a year to litigate. Discovery alone can take more than a year.

Great. Maybe you should negotiate a couple of hundred med mal and personal injury settlements in the interim. I know that entrepreneurialism is strongly discouraged these days, but sometimes you have to be a rebel.

motiontodismiss wrote:How far are your parents from retirement? Chances are, when they retire they'll expect you to take over, and if you don't feel confident that you'll be able to (or you just can't stomach running your own business and having no steady paycheck-there's nothing wrong with that-I certainly can't), you really shouldn't.

If you really want to branch out, go ahead, but I suggest you get some work experience before going back to your parents' firm. That firm isn't going anywhere.

However if you're going to just go back to your parents' rather successful practice in WV, you don't need a prestigious JD, you just need a JD and pass the bar.

My parents are young, just turned 50 and I do not see any of them retiring any time soon. With that being said, I love the idea of owning my own business etc. but the main problems for me are the following...
1. Really would not mind branching out a bit and attending a school with some prestige and seeing what else was out there
2. I am 22, WV is not the most sexy place in the world and as a young person it has little appeal.

I know at 35 I will be loving life in WV because it is a great place to have a family, success is close to guaranteed as you can get etc. but at 22 it is hard to stomach.

I know most of you face palming right now as you read this but if you have ever spent any time in WV you would understand where I am coming from.

Pastels wrote:

motiontodismiss wrote:How far are your parents from retirement? Chances are, when they retire they'll expect you to take over, and if you don't feel confident that you'll be able to (or you just can't stomach running your own business and having no steady paycheck-there's nothing wrong with that-I certainly can't), you really shouldn't.

If you really want to branch out, go ahead, but I suggest you get some work experience before going back to your parents' firm. That firm isn't going anywhere.

However if you're going to just go back to your parents' rather successful practice in WV, you don't need a prestigious JD, you just need a JD and pass the bar.

My parents are young, just turned 50 and I do not see any of them retiring any time soon. With that being said, I love the idea of owning my own business etc. but the main problems for me are the following...
1. Really would not mind branching out a bit and attending a school with some prestige and seeing what else was out there
2. I am 22, WV is not the most sexy place in the world and as a young person it has little appeal.

I know at 35 I will be loving life in WV because it is a great place to have a family, success is close to guaranteed as you can get etc. but at 22 it is hard to stomach.

I know most of you face palming right now as you read this but if you have ever spent any time in WV you would understand where I am coming from.

If you really want to see other parts of the world, by all means, go to a more national school and come back. Your parents are 50. Assuming retirement at 65 (yeah right, like that's gonna happen), you have 15 years to come back to your parents' practice, and they'll only become more successful. There's no reason to settle into WV so fast if you know your parents would be willing to take you on 10 years down the line.

And who knows, maybe you'll decide you don't want to take over your parents' practice and go elsewhere. You're better off testing the waters-you don't want to be sitting in WV when you're 45 regretting not having branched out.

Cole S. Law wrote:

motiontodismiss wrote:

Cole S. Law wrote:

motiontodismiss wrote:Do you really want out of WV that bad?

Btw I have no idea what kind of practice generates $500k to $800k in profit in WV but it's a declining market (sort of). It's time to branch out.

Hmmm....let me think...people injured in mine collapse. Jury awards $3 million. That's $1 million in compensation to plaintiff's attorney. Even if $500k was spent litigating (doubtful), there's 500k right there.

Those lawsuits take a lot longer than a year to litigate. Discovery alone can take more than a year.

Great. Maybe you should negotiate a couple of hundred med mal and personal injury settlements in the interim. I know that entrepreneurialism is strongly discouraged these days, but sometimes you have to be a rebel.

Easier said than done. It's not like med mal/PI cases settle overnight either.

If you want low-hanging fruit, try record expungements (dunno if they have such a thing in WV) or real estate closings.

Pastels wrote:

motiontodismiss wrote:How far are your parents from retirement? Chances are, when they retire they'll expect you to take over, and if you don't feel confident that you'll be able to (or you just can't stomach running your own business and having no steady paycheck-there's nothing wrong with that-I certainly can't), you really shouldn't.

If you really want to branch out, go ahead, but I suggest you get some work experience before going back to your parents' firm. That firm isn't going anywhere.

However if you're going to just go back to your parents' rather successful practice in WV, you don't need a prestigious JD, you just need a JD and pass the bar.

My parents are young, just turned 50 and I do not see any of them retiring any time soon. With that being said, I love the idea of owning my own business etc. but the main problems for me are the following...
1. Really would not mind branching out a bit and attending a school with some prestige and seeing what else was out there
2. I am 22, WV is not the most sexy place in the world and as a young person it has little appeal.

I know at 35 I will be loving life in WV because it is a great place to have a family, success is close to guaranteed as you can get etc. but at 22 it is hard to stomach.

I know most of you face palming right now as you read this but if you have ever spent any time in WV you would understand where I am coming from.

Where in WV are you from? I'm from Huntington (you know the fattest city in America and Jamie Oliver came to help us eat better, lol) I've lived here all my life so yea I understand, there isn't much to do here at all. Trust me I know how much young people want to leave (I chose to stay at 22, but for family issues, my dad was diagnosed with cancer my senior yr) But you keep coming back to that one statment that "I know at 35 I will be loving life in WV" you still going to end up coming back here. You can still branch out and stay in WV, hell I've been to Europe 6 times over the last 5 years and about to go back in Sept (granted you can't do that while in law school and it def sucks that I only get to see part of my family once a yr for about 10 days esp since there is a new baby now) But I agree with the poster that said you don't need a prestigious degree if you are ultimately going to come back to work at your parents firm. Is going away for LS really worth 100+K in loans just to come back here in the long run?

but I will also admit, Morgantown isn't all that great of a place either (maybe I am just bias because I am a Marshall grad, lol) but I have never been to keen on going to WVU, simply because its in Morgan-hole. So I'll agree with you on the not "sexy" aspect of your post. On the other hand, I do love the mountains, esp in fall. It's just so beautiful!

As far as WV is concerned, I have spent substantial time there. I have family in Elkins.

Places aren't boring and unappealing. People are. People who are always complaining that there's "nothing to do" are people that will be miserable wherever they are. Engaging and interesting people can be happy no matter where they are. I've had the good fortune to live in some exciting locales and some (to a gloomy pessimist) unappealing ones. The personality of the individual has far, far more bearing on their overall happiness than the number of "things to do."

What awesome experiences are you anticipating at a "prestigious" school that aren't available to a resident of WV?

Cole S. Law wrote:As far as WV is concerned, I have spent substantial time there. I have family in Elkins.

Places aren't boring and unappealing. People are. People who are always complaining that there's "nothing to do" are people that will be miserable wherever they are. Engaging and interesting people can be happy no matter where they are. I've had the good fortune to live in some exciting locales and some (to a gloomy pessimist) unappealing ones. The personality of the individual has far, far more bearing on their overall happiness than the number of "things to do."

What awesome experiences are you anticipating at a "prestigious" school that aren't available to a resident of WV?

+1 I've never been to WV, but this statement is 100% correct.