Temple Law ($$$) vs. Boston College Forum

[Nucky]

If you pull 40-50k from BC you're either a moron or have a heart of gold.

I agree that he should absolutely retake. Nothing to lose and possibly much to gain. But you guys are far too alarmist. There are plumbers in large cities who manage to service 300k debt on their homes. "His life is at stake!" "You're committing suicide!" Really? Have any of you stepped into the real world for even a moment? I know 150k buys a lot of ramen noodles, but it's hardly a crippling situation at a T25 law school(employment-wise). Get over yourselves.

Will OP look back and regret being lazy and not retaking for more money and/or T14? Of course, and frankly I'm astonished at the reluctance(or stupidity) to retake when he could completely change the course of his life with relatively minimal effort. But it isn't as if the guy is looking to pay sticker at Cooley. Give him(and me) a break.

35% of BC's class of 2012 did not have full time legal employment 9 months after graduation. Only 26.7% had biglaw or federal clerkships. Considering the bimodal distribution of salaries its a very safe assumption that most of the remaining students (41%) made between 40 and 60k.

But dude, just WORK HARD and INTERVIEW WELL. According to Nucky, those 75% of BC grads unemployed/underemployed just didn't work hard enough or were losers. Can't believe those guys didn't think of those things.

Wasn't BC the one who posted a job to their symplicity with a firm hiring for around 20-something thousand a year? I think they did and had actually at least 10ish BC 3Ls apply. It's amazing how clueless some 0Ls really are. It is truly that bad out there.

Not getting big law =/= under employed, first of all. That being said, yes, work hard, interview well and play the game. Law school, like life, is a competition. Is it a risky one? Sure. Should OP retake and seek to maximize his chances? Again, yes. But there is no law school I am aware of with a 100% big law/ fed clerk score. "WORK HARD and INTERVIEW WELL" and good things will happen. Countless people have done extraordinarily well from schools FAR worse than BC.

There are no guarantees in life. You can be a coward and take a 45k/year job you hate at a local company and "live the dream," or you can put your chips on the table and give law a go. Im the kind of guy that takes risks and goes after things. This had led to my success. Countless people told me I was crazy to gamble all my money and start a company but It paid off in spades.

In summary, yes, OP should retake, as I have said countless times. But also, there are no guarantees. Maximize your odds, and roll the dice when you feel ready. Personally, I'd roll the dice in OPs shoes(assuming retakes were maximized). I'm a confident guy. If you disagree, so be it. I hardly think it makes me uninformed, crazy, or similar.

[deadpanic]

If you pull 40-50k from BC you're either a moron or have a heart of gold.

I agree that he should absolutely retake. Nothing to lose and possibly much to gain. But you guys are far too alarmist. There are plumbers in large cities who manage to service 300k debt on their homes. "His life is at stake!" "You're committing suicide!" Really? Have any of you stepped into the real world for even a moment? I know 150k buys a lot of ramen noodles, but it's hardly a crippling situation at a T25 law school(employment-wise). Get over yourselves.

Will OP look back and regret being lazy and not retaking for more money and/or T14? Of course, and frankly I'm astonished at the reluctance(or stupidity) to retake when he could completely change the course of his life with relatively minimal effort. But it isn't as if the guy is looking to pay sticker at Cooley. Give him(and me) a break.

35% of BC's class of 2012 did not have full time legal employment 9 months after graduation. Only 26.7% had biglaw or federal clerkships. Considering the bimodal distribution of salaries its a very safe assumption that most of the remaining students (41%) made between 40 and 60k.

But dude, just WORK HARD and INTERVIEW WELL. According to Nucky, those 75% of BC grads unemployed/underemployed just didn't work hard enough or were losers. Can't believe those guys didn't think of those things.

Wasn't BC the one who posted a job to their symplicity with a firm hiring for around 20-something thousand a year? I think they did and had actually at least 10ish BC 3Ls apply. It's amazing how clueless some 0Ls really are. It is truly that bad out there.

Not getting big law =/= under employed, first of all. That being said, yes, work hard, interview well and play the game. Law school, like life, is a competition. Is it a risky one? Sure. Should OP retake and seek to maximize his chances? Again, yes. But there is no law school I am aware of with a 100% big law/ fed clerk score. "WORK HARD and INTERVIEW WELL" and good things will happen. Countless people have done extraordinarily well from schools FAR worse than BC.

Thanks for giving me a lesson on life and law school, but I'm a practicing attorney that has already been through it.

I just don't think you are grasping the numbers or the way debt is repaid. If you take out $155,000.00 in nondischargeable debt, the only way to service that is big law. At BC, you have about a 20-25% shot at that. That is a risky gamble. Especially if you ever want to, say, I don't know, take out other loans for a home or a new car.

You're using boomer logic: equating some anecdotal success stories like "I know a guy that went to a TTT and makes 6 figures" so you can too. No one here is arguing that BC is bad school - it isn't - but you obviously don't have a firm grasp on the current legal market. It is not big law or bust...it is that if you don't make big law, you likely make 40-50k, possibly 60k at the high end. You are just convincing yourself and everyone else that this guy makes, worst case scenario, 60-70ishk out of BC and that is not a worst case scenario at all. He has basically a 75% chance of not being able to pay back his loans.

[ChuggaChuggaChooChoo]

I enjoy this thread.

[sublime]

..

[Nucky]

You're welcome for the lesson. Glad to share my experiences. Lol. But look, I have no doubt that you have a better perspective than I do on the legal market. I guess I'm a gambler. Frankly, I have a tough time believing that 75% of BC grads make 40-50k. If that's true then I retract everything I've said. But I haven't seen anything to indicate that.

Anyway, I love my TLS peeps and really don't want to argue with you guys so I'll just leave it at that and we'll have to agree to disagree like gentlemen. Have a good weekend.

OP --- retake. Look what you've done to us!

[worldtraveler]

Some day I want to see an 0L say "I plan on being a slacker and graduating at the bottom of the class. I also have no social skills. Advice please."

[Nucky]

Damnit. Why didn't those in the Vale just think to work hard and interview well.

I know, right?!