Part-Time Law: Stetson and FIU Law Forum

[timbs4339]

Some more stuff to think about:

Getting to be an in-house lawyer for a F500 corporation requires a law degree, sure. But a law degree is not sufficient. You need a career path after law school that gives you the training to become an in-house lawyer. Unfortunately, that's biglaw work. And if you want biglaw, you need to go to a biglaw school.

Now your work experience may give you a leg up for biglaw at the margins, but Stetson/FIU are not at the margins. They are long shots.

Your undergrad degree sounds like it was cheap and got you a great job. I'd say it had very good value. By those same metrics, neither of the schools you are considering pass the snuff test.

[usfvictor]

I don't want to be misunderstood, I don't want to be THE GC, but something as an Asst General Counsel or compliance attorney. I think i might have come off that I wanted to be THE GC in-house, I don't. My previous comments were in regards to the Asst GC's and the compliance attorneys I've worked with previously .

In regards to FIU, I do know someone that went there and got a good job, not great, but solid work coming out. I don't know any Stetson grads, but my next move is to try and talk to people that has gone/is going to the part-time program and see what their experiences has been like.

I appreciate all the comments even though for the most part yal think I'm crazy . I'm not fooling myself I know its a lllloonngg shot, but just depends on scholly $$.

[usfvictor]

Just a couple of things to keep in mind: I have friends at Stetson currently and some who graduated from FIU and have found employment, it certainly is not going to be easy but it is possible. I spent the last 4 years after undergrad working and getting my MBA part-time so I understand what it is like to quit your job to go full-time it’s terrifying. With that being said I’m so glad I did, I think a big part of law school is more than just classes, it’s the networking you can do through class-mates and getting to know your professors and getting involved on campus. Are you planning on keeping your current job if you attend Stetson? If so make sure when considering the Pros and Cons of going part-time/full-time consider the extra time you will spend in Law School (1 year- Opportunity Cost) and the interest on your loans for a longer period (assuming you take out loans for tuition). It might be difficult for you to gain summer employment/ internship/ externship experience if you have a full-time job currently. I wouldn’t count on a paid job over the summer but my friend who is currently at Stetson secured a paid position after her 1L so it is possible. Consider the time commitment on working full-time and going to school part-time. 1L grades are vital so it’s important your able to balance both without letting your grades suffer, you can’t go back.

As far as deciding between the two schools if you do decide the part-time route is for you. Do you want to live in Tampa or Ft. Lauderdale/Miami after graduation? Mostly likely you’ll find a job in close proximity to your school. If price is similar chose the school in a location that you prefer.

Good luck on your cycle, if possible reconsider the full-time option. Apply to other full-time programs in the state, if nothing else it could be used as leverage. For what it’s worth I had 3.40ish GPA /163 and Stetson only offered me $15K a year which made UF/FSU at sticker cheaper. Applications were down last cycle so cast a wide net and then evaluate your options.

I will be applying to both FSU and UF after I retake the LSAT, both are reaches, but I'f am able to get in I would definitely reconsider the full-time option and/or try to use as leverage. I'm acutally surprised Stetson didn;t offer you a full ride with your numbers though. I have read that they are weird with scholarship money though.

[usfvictor]

if anyone is interested in some light reading, i have my PS up for critique.

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 2#p5909352

[NR3C1]

if anyone is interested in some light reading, i have my PS up for critique.

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 2#p5909352

Well, since you are from Colombia, you can always go back if you end up saddled in debt with no job prospects...

And you are a father as well... Think about your family before pursuing your law school gamble. If the gamble does not pay--and with Stetson and FIU that is an almost certain possibility--you will put your family under a lot of financial stress.

[usfvictor]

well that added nothing lol, Couldn't you at least have critiqued my PS since you read it, point out good things/bad things?

And yep thats my way out if i don't get anything, moving back to Colombia

[BigZuck]

As someone who is T14 secure and worried about my ability to land biglaw and finishing with a high enough class rank to get a solid legal job I admire your confidence and faith in the virtues of good old fashioned hard work allowing you to attain the American Dream. Keep on keeping on my brother.

[somewhatwayward]

Neither UF nor FSU have part-time programs? That doesn't solve the half-assing both job and school problems, but at least your degree would not be from a TTT(T). Generally when an employer thinks it is value-added for an employee to get an advanced degree, they pay for, or at least subsidize, the cost of that degree. Is your company willing to do that? If not, I would take that as an indication about the likelihood of working there as a lawyer.

Also, you can't make predictions about your chances of employment at any company or firm based on the people currently working there if those people graduated more than 3-5 years ago, especially if they graduated 10+ years ago. It was way way way way way way way easier to get a job even ten years ago, not to mention 20 or 30 years ago. Graduates from TTTs still had a good shot at decent legal employment, even lucrative legal employment. Now there are some people at Harvard who can't find things, not to mention the bottom 50% of lower T14 schools.

[Lord Randolph McDuff]

Your job is more important than law school, so you can't do UF or FSU full-time. Between the two schools you mentioned I'd definitely take Stetson. Try to get a big scholarship though. From a financial standpoint, the money you spend at Stetson or FIU will likely turn out to be a complete loss. If after four more years at your current job you can go in-house with them, that's great. You are really limiting yourself though because who knows if you'll even want to work for the same company in four years. If you really want a JD and you can afford Stetson part-time, I suppose it isn't more or less stupid than your typical desire... just now that the job market is horrendous. GL

[usfvictor]

Neither UF nor FSU have part-time programs? That doesn't solve the half-assing both job and school problems, but at least your degree would not be from a TTT(T). Generally when an employer thinks it is value-added for an employee to get an advanced degree, they pay for, or at least subsidize, the cost of that degree. Is your company willing to do that? If not, I would take that as an indication about the likelihood of working there as a lawyer.

Also, you can't make predictions about your chances of employment at any company or firm based on the people currently working there if those people graduated more than 3-5 years ago, especially if they graduated 10+ years ago. It was way way way way way way way easier to get a job even ten years ago, not to mention 20 or 30 years ago. Graduates from TTTs still had a good shot at decent legal employment, even lucrative legal employment. Now there are some people at Harvard who can't find things, not to mention the bottom 50% of lower T14 schools.

Sorry took a while to respond lol as the previous poster noted UF and FSU don't have part-time options. My job does offer tuition reimbursement(which is what i think you are referring to) up to 5k/year. Not super great, but makes a dent in tuition. And i understand the market is tough right now and there are no guarentees in respect to employement (hell I'm a glass half-empty kind of guy) but i wasn't trying to make any predictions, just stating my previous expericenes.

[usfvictor]

Your job is more important than law school, so you can't do UF or FSU full-time. Between the two schools you mentioned I'd definitely take Stetson. Try to get a big scholarship though. From a financial standpoint, the money you spend at Stetson or FIU will likely turn out to be a complete loss. If after four more years at your current job you can go in-house with them, that's great. You are really limiting yourself though because who knows if you'll even want to work for the same company in four years. If you really want a JD and you can afford Stetson part-time, I suppose it isn't more or less stupid than your typical desire... just now that the job market is horrendous. GL

I'm hoping to spend very little money lol but geez complete loss? Thank you for the G/L we shall see what happens.

[lovelaw27]

This is the main reason people are telling you not to go to law school:

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/ ... 990b6_2_42

Also have a frank discussion with your employer about your chances of getting hired after law school by them. One of my friends was working in-house during law school. By 3L they had made it clear she had no chance getting hired by them after law school.

[timbs4339]

Also have a frank discussion with your employer about your chances of getting hired after law school by them. One of my friends was working in-house during law school. By 3L they had made it clear she had no chance getting hired by them after law school.

Great advice. Many a paralegal at a NLJ250 firm has gone to the wrong law school hoping to be hired at their firm as an associate, only to be given the cold shoulder after law school.

For any in-house counsel position your employer may require a few years of biglaw. Even if your experience could get you a job with them after that, your chances of biglaw from either school are almost zero.

[usfvictor]

This is the main reason people are telling you not to go to law school:

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/ ... 990b6_2_42

Also have a frank discussion with your employer about your chances of getting hired after law school by them. One of my friends was working in-house during law school. By 3L they had made it clear she had no chance getting hired by them after law school.

Appreciate the advice, I know the employment stats are terrible. However, I don't currently work in the legal dept of my company so can't really have a conversation with them yet lol.

[usfvictor]

Also have a frank discussion with your employer about your chances of getting hired after law school by them. One of my friends was working in-house during law school. By 3L they had made it clear she had no chance getting hired by them after law school.

Great advice. Many a paralegal at a NLJ250 firm has gone to the wrong law school hoping to be hired at their firm as an associate, only to be given the cold shoulder after law school.

For any in-house counsel position your employer may require a few years of biglaw. Even if your experience could get you a job with them after that, your chances of biglaw from either school are almost zero.

I don't know lol LST puts it at around 3% for biglaw. In any case, i understand the job market is bad. I'm focused on getting a legal education at a price that won't hamper my future. While I would love to do in-house at my current company while in school and after I graduate, if it doesn't happen, while disappointed, it wont be the end of the world. I'm not going to either school if I have to borrow alot to do so. If that ends up being the case then I will get an MBA .

[jess]

I don't know lol LST puts it at around 3% for biglaw. In any case, i understand the job market is bad. I'm focused on getting a legal education at a price that won't hamper my future. While I would love to do in-house at my current company while in school and after I graduate, if it doesn't happen, while disappointed, it wont be the end of the world. I'm not going to either school if I have to borrow alot to do so. If that ends up being the case then I will get an MBA .

This is wrong, sorry. Big law is impossible from Stetson. OCI is about 10 small firms that rarely take Stetson people anyway.

OP, I am thinking if you don't improve your LSAT score, you will end up going to Stetson or FIU anyway. I tried last cycle to convince people in the Stetson thread to run the other way and was largely ignored. I hope you realize the cost and the time is not worth it because it will not lead to worthwhile legal employment.

[usfvictor]

wanted to give an update on this(not that anyone asked ). I got accepted with schollys to both FIU and Stetson.

Choose Stetson with scholly(only stip is don't fail):total COA ~52K

My employer will cover up to an extra 5k a year through tuition reimbursement that's not included in total COA,simply because there are stipulations to the 5K, however the minimum given is 3k/year. With that included the Stetson COA is roughly 40K.

edit:since I'll be working while in school I will be making payments to my loan balances as I go, so hopefully by the time I graduate debt will be below 30K.

[untar614]

wanted to give an update on this(not that anyone asked ). I got accepted with schollys to both FIU and Stetson.

Choose Stetson with scholly(only stip is don't fail):total COA ~52K

My employer will cover up to an extra 5k a year through tuition reimbursement that's not included in total COA,simply because there are stipulations to the 5K, however the minimum given is 3k/year. With that included the Stetson COA is roughly 40K.

edit:since I'll be working while in school I will be making payments to my loan balances as I go, so hopefully by the time I graduate debt will be below 30K.

But did you ever have that talk with the legal department to see if they'd hire you upon graduating or if they'd require full-time legal experience first? That's something you really need to have figured out before you matriculate. 50 grand in debt may not destroy your life like FT sticker might, but it will still hurt while you have a family to take care of. Make sure it will accomplish anything first.

[usfvictor]

wanted to give an update on this(not that anyone asked ). I got accepted with schollys to both FIU and Stetson.

Choose Stetson with scholly(only stip is don't fail):total COA ~52K

My employer will cover up to an extra 5k a year through tuition reimbursement that's not included in total COA,simply because there are stipulations to the 5K, however the minimum given is 3k/year. With that included the Stetson COA is roughly 40K.

edit:since I'll be working while in school I will be making payments to my loan balances as I go, so hopefully by the time I graduate debt will be below 30K.

But did you ever have that talk with the legal department to see if they'd hire you upon graduating or if they'd require full-time legal experience first? That's something you really need to have figured out before you matriculate. 50 grand in debt may not destroy your life like FT sticker might, but it will still hurt while you have a family to take care of. Make sure it will accomplish anything first.

no i didn't. I don't work in that department and have had minimal contact in my role there with Legal. I'm hoping to try and transition into Legal in a couple of years and then have that convo. If i knew someone there I would, but my company isn't exactly small so i can't just go in and ask lol. Plus even if I could my keycard doesn't work on Legal's floor haha.. I do know they have at least one Stetson Grad as an AGC here though(worked in mid law prior to coming here according to LinkedIn lol)

[Ruxin1]

wanted to give an update on this(not that anyone asked ). I got accepted with schollys to both FIU and Stetson.

Choose Stetson with scholly(only stip is don't fail):total COA ~52K

My employer will cover up to an extra 5k a year through tuition reimbursement that's not included in total COA,simply because there are stipulations to the 5K, however the minimum given is 3k/year. With that included the Stetson COA is roughly 40K.

edit:since I'll be working while in school I will be making payments to my loan balances as I go, so hopefully by the time I graduate debt will be below 30K.

But did you ever have that talk with the legal department to see if they'd hire you upon graduating or if they'd require full-time legal experience first? That's something you really need to have figured out before you matriculate. 50 grand in debt may not destroy your life like FT sticker might, but it will still hurt while you have a family to take care of. Make sure it will accomplish anything first.

Have you heard of e-mail?

no i didn't. I don't work in that department and have had minimal contact in my role there with Legal. I'm hoping to try and transition into Legal in a couple of years and then have that convo. If i knew someone there I would, but my company isn't exactly small so i can't just go in and ask lol. Plus even if I could my keycard doesn't work on Legal's floor haha.. I do know they have at least one Stetson Grad as an AGC here though(worked in mid law prior to coming here according to LinkedIn lol)

[usfvictor]

Nope foreign concept

[eriedoctrine]

DO NOT go to those law schools.

[A. Nony Mouse]

I'm pretty sure the decision at issue was made loooong ago. Please don't necro old threads.