Top Law Schools

Anyone have experience with the University of St. Thomas-MN? I'm considering attending with a scholarship (generous considering my numbers) and I was hoping for some feedback on job prospects in the Minneapolis area and student life/housing comments and recommendations.

Thanks in advance.

Are you from MN or plan on practicing in MN? If so, its not a bad bet if you have $$$. However, a MN student will always have the edge on you, and a similarly ranked Mitchell student will likely get the offer over you. Since Thomas is fairly new it doesn't have much pull outside the Metro (no established alumni network).

The law school is in downtown Minneapolis (rest of St. Thomas campus is in St. Paul). It is a great facility. You are near some of (imho) the best neighborhoods (northeast and uptown).

It's more of an up-and-comer than Hamline, and it hasn't been around long enough to establish much of a reputation like William Mitchell or UMinn.

If you really, really want to practice in Minnesota and UST offers you a full ride, take it. Work insanely hard and try getting a transfer to UMinn after 1L. Otherwise, beware.

My understanding is that UsT is largely considered the second best law school in the state, regardless of WM's recent jump in the rankings. If you look at their placement stats over the last three years at the top firms in Minneapolis, the only school that consistently out-places UsT is Minnesota. The good thing about UsT is the amount of money they give out. This is how they have garneded a reputation for having highly qualified students, many of whom were accepted to the U but choose the reduced debt to attend UsT.



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Stats: 166/3.8
Acceptances: GULC, BC, BU, GW, Fordham, UCLA, UConn
Denied: Cornell, Chicago

UsT has placed students in the top firms, but WM has not been displaced by UsT as the 2nd best school in the state. Last year almost all the supreme court (MN) clerks were from WM (and none from UsT). The fact is that the TC is full of WM grads in every area (Big Law, small firms, govt, etc). WM grads hire WM students. Sure, if you are top 5% at UsT you will do just fine. However, the deeper you go into the class the harder it will be to find a job at UsT compared to WM.

Another thing to consider is that UsT gives out a lot of money (i think ~20% of the class receive full rides), and I think the stipulation is to maintain a 3.0 (at least that is what I was offered, compared to top 50% at WM). I might be biased as a WM student, but every lawyer/lay person I knew in the TC advised me to pick WM over UsT.

Informative wrote:My understanding is that UsT is largely considered the second best law school in the state, regardless of WM's recent jump in the rankings. If you look at their placement stats over the last three years at the top firms in Minneapolis, the only school that consistently out-places UsT is Minnesota. The good thing about UsT is the amount of money they give out. This is how they have garneded a reputation for having highly qualified students, many of whom were accepted to the U but choose the reduced debt to attend UsT.



************************************
Stats: 166/3.8
Acceptances: GULC, BC, BU, GW, Fordham, UCLA, UConn
Denied: Cornell, Chicago

Informative wrote:My understanding is that UsT is largely considered the second best law school in the state, regardless of WM's recent jump in the rankings.

This is incorrect. See ohnowtf's response above.