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I've been accepted to both Alabama and Georgia. Alabama has offered me a full scholarship, and Georgia has offered me tuition equalization plus $10,000/yr. I'm originally from South Carolina, and I'd rather end up in South Carolina or Georgia than in Alabama. My job prospects look a bit better with UGA than Bama, so I'm leaning towards UGA, but I'm not really certain those prospects are worth $5,000 more per year. Also, I'm mainly interested in public interest or government, and I already have a significant amount of student loans, so the private practice salary difference between the two schools, as well as the availability of the Atlanta market, are of secondary importance.

Paying an extra $5k a year is "chump change" in the context of law school debt. If you want the UGa degree, go there. In the long run, $5k wont matter, and UGa likely places better in SC than Alabama. However, both are regional schools that place in the SE, so maybe the difference is negligible.

What are the scholarship stipulations? I'd go with the one with the lower class rank cutoff (not necessarily the lower GPA cutoff). Both are fine schools and both will probably get you to SC if you have ties. UGA is better if you want Georgia.

If you want to work in South Carolina, go to South Carolina. If you're getting full ride at Bama, you'll get full ride at SC. Otherwise, those are both very good schools at very good prices, visit both and pick the one you like the most.

It pretty much came down to the same decision for me. UGA was offering 5k a year and Alabama was offering a full ride. I'm in state and go to undergrad at UGA but they wouldn't budge on their scholarship numbers. I've talked to several biglaw partners in Atlanta, and even the UGA grads said with the issues with debt and the economy that going to Alabama will not hurt your placement opportunities. With that information, and the differences in which the schools recruited me, as well as the much nicer facilities at Tuscaloosa, I'll be at Bama this fall. Obviously if you haven't been to the schools, go road trip before the deadline and get a feel for them yourself.