Ole Miss Law Forum

[deadpanic]

This is the sense I got from people graduated from Ole Miss/ Miss College:

If your dad/mom is a partner at a law firm: you are guaranteed a job;
If not: then you are screwed.

I'm sure this is an exaggeration, but that's what I'm told. The only markets for OleMiss graduates that I know of are: Miss (mainly Jackson and the coast), Memphis, Atlanta, and some parts of TX. But when you go into Atlanta, you have to compete with Emory students; and of course the same with with UT students in Texas.

If your Dad or Mom is partner at a law firm, that would bode well for anyone regardless of which law school you attended. I don't think that would just be limited for Ole Miss. However, the "Who you know" comes greater into play for Ole Miss grads, I'll concede. If an Ole Miss law grad is up vs. a MS College law grad, the person whose family knows the partners better will probably get the job.

There is no reason to go to Mississippi College for law school unless you can't get into Ole Miss. I guess if you got a full ride with no stipulations and you know you want to work in Jackson, then maybe MS College would be fine.

[donzoli]

I go to Ole Miss currently as an undergrad and my roommate is in law school there.
He is happy with his decision. He went to UVA undergrad and is from Tennesse. Ole Miss has some pull with firms around Mississippi (ie Memphis) and is definitely the be all end all in Mississippi. That being said, you're in for a different world down here coming from Rhode Island. I don't think you want to stick yourself permanently in a place that you're not intimately familiar with. And Ole Miss can be very hard on outsiders (coming from an insider).
The law school also does NOT have very much money AT ALL to give for scholarships. They are building a new law school currently, which will be finished by August 2010, and will be amazing. Expect to see Ole Miss in the Top 100 immediately. It's the biggest building on campus and will blow your mind, and is massively expensive.
But the people are very nice, not cut throat, and the atmosphere is outstanding for a law school. So if you just watched Gone with the Wind and can't handle another year up in Yankee land, maybe you want to give it a chance. It can charm your pants off if you let it.

Is this true?

[Aberzombie1892]

I go to Ole Miss currently as an undergrad and my roommate is in law school there.
He is happy with his decision. He went to UVA undergrad and is from Tennesse. Ole Miss has some pull with firms around Mississippi (ie Memphis) and is definitely the be all end all in Mississippi. That being said, you're in for a different world down here coming from Rhode Island. I don't think you want to stick yourself permanently in a place that you're not intimately familiar with. And Ole Miss can be very hard on outsiders (coming from an insider).
The law school also does NOT have very much money AT ALL to give for scholarships. They are building a new law school currently, which will be finished by August 2010, and will be amazing. Expect to see Ole Miss in the Top 100 immediately. It's the biggest building on campus and will blow your mind, and is massively expensive.
But the people are very nice, not cut throat, and the atmosphere is outstanding for a law school. So if you just watched Gone with the Wind and can't handle another year up in Yankee land, maybe you want to give it a chance. It can charm your pants off if you let it.

Is this true?

Oh my, my, my, my, my, my....(that fat woman off of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre referenced - don't worry if you don't know)

No money for scholarships? check

Some pull with firms in MS (the same as MC)? check

Hard on outsiders? check

Top 100 immediately? ppppssssshhhh what? When I was reviewing the US News methodology, I glazed over the ". . . biggest building on campus . . . blow . . . mind . . . expensive" box.

While it is not competitive there, that is because the people have no clue what they are getting into.

Trust me from someone who:

1) Has a GF at Ole Miss (been to Ole Miss a billion times as a result)
2) Knows a lot of the current law students
3) talked with a lot of prospective law students during admittance day last year,

the people attending there assume that they will make $80,000 when they get out (essentially unrealistic expectations). They don't plan to do anything over their 1L summer and they have no clue how it all works. Now granted, that may be because like 5-8 employers show up for OCI. But still that's no excuse to at least understand what you are getting into. Most of them will end up twisting in the wind when they graduate because they thought something would be handed to them (I think the % employed at graduation is about ~50%).

[General Tso]

Top 100 immediately? ppppssssshhhh what? When I was reviewing the US News methodology, I glazed over the ". . . biggest building on campus . . . blow . . . mind . . . expensive" box.

.....

the people attending there assume that they will make $80,000 when they get out (essentially unrealistic expectations). They don't plan to do anything over their 1L summer and they have no clue how it all works.

God I hate seeing people from Ole Miss talk about the new building. Literally every student in that law school is telling everyone they know "yeah Ole Miss is ranked T3 right now, but as soon as the new building is finished, we will be in the T50." Just keep telling yourselves that...

And you are dead-on on the 2nd point. The careers office at Ole Miss is crap. They don't tell people what they need to do to succeed and as a result, their students have no clue what is going on.

[mstiger]

Top 100 immediately? ppppssssshhhh what? When I was reviewing the US News methodology, I glazed over the ". . . biggest building on campus . . . blow . . . mind . . . expensive" box.

.....

the people attending there assume that they will make $80,000 when they get out (essentially unrealistic expectations). They don't plan to do anything over their 1L summer and they have no clue how it all works.

God I hate seeing people from Ole Miss talk about the new building. Literally every student in that law school is telling everyone they know "yeah Ole Miss is ranked T3 right now, but as soon as the new building is finished, we will be in the T50." Just keep telling yourselves that...

And you are dead-on on the 2nd point. The careers office at Ole Miss is crap. They don't tell people what they need to do to succeed and as a result, their students have no clue what is going on.

If you hate seeing people from Ole Miss talk about the new law school building, you'll dislike most of the students attending Ole Miss.

I attended high school with a predominantly pro-Ole Miss crowd, and I've been around this pro-Ole Miss crowd for the majority of my life. They live in a bubble. For instance, Oxford is a great town. There's no denying that. However, to Ole Miss students and alumni, Oxford is not just a great town; it's, by far, the greatest town in the south. Even though Ole Miss is a publicly funded university, it's the greatest and most prestigious university in the state. When I visited the Ole Miss honors college out of high school, the student directing the tour claimed that the honors college was equivalent to an Ivy league education, and in some respects, greater than an Ivy league education.

When Ole Miss people explain something about their school, immediately double check their information through a third party or any objective source.

[MPMP]

Top 100 immediately? ppppssssshhhh what? When I was reviewing the US News methodology, I glazed over the ". . . biggest building on campus . . . blow . . . mind . . . expensive" box.

.....

the people attending there assume that they will make $80,000 when they get out (essentially unrealistic expectations). They don't plan to do anything over their 1L summer and they have no clue how it all works.

God I hate seeing people from Ole Miss talk about the new building. Literally every student in that law school is telling everyone they know "yeah Ole Miss is ranked T3 right now, but as soon as the new building is finished, we will be in the T50." Just keep telling yourselves that...

And you are dead-on on the 2nd point. The careers office at Ole Miss is crap. They don't tell people what they need to do to succeed and as a result, their students have no clue what is going on.

If you hate seeing people from Ole Miss talk about the new law school building, you'll dislike most of the students attending Ole Miss.

I attended high school with a predominantly pro-Ole Miss crowd, and I've been around this pro-Ole Miss crowd for the majority of my life. They live in a bubble. For instance, Oxford is a great town. There's no denying that. However, to Ole Miss students and alumni, Oxford is not just a great town; it's, by far, the greatest town in the south. Even though Ole Miss is a publicly funded university, it's the greatest and most prestigious university in the state. When I visited the Ole Miss honors college out of high school, the student directing the tour claimed that the honors college was equivalent to an Ivy league education, and in some respects, greater than an Ivy league education.

When Ole Miss people explain something about their school, immediately double check their information through a third party or any objective source.

Troll.

EDIT for explanation: While the pro-Ole Miss crowd might be biased, the sophomoric "Harvard of the South"/"It's not the grades you make it's the hands you shake" mentality isn't as common as you might expect, especially among top students. At least in my experience. The anti-Ole Miss crowd is just as over-the-top and one-sided as any of the most die-hard Rebels.

Ivy league is a real stretch, but Ole Miss has some great professors who could teach at top-notch undergraduate institutions if they wanted. I have no idea if the law school is the same, as I have only taken 1 class with a law school professor (for what it's worth, he was awesome).

[mstiger]

Top 100 immediately? ppppssssshhhh what? When I was reviewing the US News methodology, I glazed over the ". . . biggest building on campus . . . blow . . . mind . . . expensive" box.

.....

the people attending there assume that they will make $80,000 when they get out (essentially unrealistic expectations). They don't plan to do anything over their 1L summer and they have no clue how it all works.

God I hate seeing people from Ole Miss talk about the new building. Literally every student in that law school is telling everyone they know "yeah Ole Miss is ranked T3 right now, but as soon as the new building is finished, we will be in the T50." Just keep telling yourselves that...

And you are dead-on on the 2nd point. The careers office at Ole Miss is crap. They don't tell people what they need to do to succeed and as a result, their students have no clue what is going on.

If you hate seeing people from Ole Miss talk about the new law school building, you'll dislike most of the students attending Ole Miss.

I attended high school with a predominantly pro-Ole Miss crowd, and I've been around this pro-Ole Miss crowd for the majority of my life. They live in a bubble. For instance, Oxford is a great town. There's no denying that. However, to Ole Miss students and alumni, Oxford is not just a great town; it's, by far, the greatest town in the south. Even though Ole Miss is a publicly funded university, it's the greatest and most prestigious university in the state. When I visited the Ole Miss honors college out of high school, the student directing the tour claimed that the honors college was equivalent to an Ivy league education, and in some respects, greater than an Ivy league education.

When Ole Miss people explain something about their school, immediately double check their information through a third party or any objective source.

Troll.

EDIT for explanation: While the pro-Ole Miss crowd might be biased, the sophomoric "Harvard of the South"/"It's not the grades you make it's the hands you shake" mentality isn't as common as you might expect, especially among top students. At least in my experience. The anti-Ole Miss crowd is just as over-the-top and one-sided as any of the most die-hard Rebels.

Ivy league is a real stretch, but Ole Miss has some great professors who could teach at top-notch undergraduate institutions if they wanted. I have no idea if the law school is the same, as I have only taken 1 class with a law school professor (for what it's worth, he was awesome).

I don't give a frick about the Rebels. I don't give a frick about sports to be honest. My anti-Ole Miss sentiment does not originate from any allegiance to a rival school or any school for that matter. I attended a small college. I'm not a fan of any SEC school in particular.

I like Oxford, and the campus is beautiful. They do have some great professors. It's a really good school. I'm just giving a relatively unbiased opinion about Ole Miss, and from my experiences with Ole Miss and the students who attend Ole Miss, which is relatively extensive, I would advise anyone who is told that the law school will immediately be a top 50 law school, or even top 100, because of the new building to take that information with a grain of salt.

This is the mindset of the Ole Miss alumni I've encountered, and I would not be surprised if students who are attending Ole Miss or the counselors are selling the same BS they were selling when I toured the Ole Miss honors college.

[General Tso]

Troll.

EDIT for explanation: While the pro-Ole Miss crowd might be biased, the sophomoric "Harvard of the South"/"It's not the grades you make it's the hands you shake" mentality isn't as common as you might expect, especially among top students. At least in my experience. The anti-Ole Miss crowd is just as over-the-top and one-sided as any of the most die-hard Rebels.

Ivy league is a real stretch, but Ole Miss has some great professors who could teach at top-notch undergraduate institutions if they wanted. I have no idea if the law school is the same, as I have only taken 1 class with a law school professor (for what it's worth, he was awesome).

It's not really a question of faculty quality. Every major university is saturated with high quality faculty. There's a reason why all of the young professors at Ole Miss came from Harvard, etc., and that is because there are way too many PhDs in America. In the Bay Area, Harvard and Berkeley PhDs are teaching at community colleges.

And it's not that Oxford sucks or that the 'good ol' boy' network sucks. Ole Miss law grads just don't have that much of a job market to work with. Sure if you are top 30% and have connections like the guy who landed an 80k midlaw job in Jackson. But I know a lot of Ole Miss law people who were middle of the pack and below who are really struggling 2 or 3 years out of school. Just keep that in mind if you are considering this school.

[General Tso]

This is the mindset of the Ole Miss alumni I've encountered, and I would not be surprised if students who are attending Ole Miss or the counselors are selling the same BS they were selling when I toured the Ole Miss honors college.

Haha...did they tell you there were ranked by Readers Digest as 'one of the 3 best honors colleges in America?'

I read that article, and what it said was precisely this: here are three examples of cheap, high quality programs that purport to offer an "ivy league experience" at a fraction of the cost. It didn't say "we ranked and scored all honors colleges in America and these three scored the highest" or anything like that. It merely listed the SMBHC as an example.

[insidethetwenty]

I don't give a frick about the Rebels. I don't give a frick about sports to be honest. My anti-Ole Miss sentiment does not originate from any allegiance to a rival school or any school for that matter. I attended a small college. I'm not a fan of any SEC school in particular.

I like Oxford, and the campus is beautiful. They do have some great professors. It's a really good school. I'm just giving a relatively unbiased opinion about Ole Miss,

Wait, you have both anti-Ole Miss sentiment and you are unbiased? In other words, you are really just pretending to be objective.

and from my experiences with Ole Miss and the students who attend Ole Miss, which is relatively extensive, I would advise anyone who is told that the law school will immediately be a top 50 law school, or even top 100, because of the new building to take that information with a grain of salt.

I would agree with you on this. The new building is nothing more than a new building. Ole Miss will still be a T3 that places 80% or more of its class in a single state after the new building opens. Only trolls on the opposite end of the spectrum from you believe this.

This is the mindset of the Ole Miss alumni I've encountered, and I would not be surprised if students who are attending Ole Miss or the counselors are selling the same BS they were selling when I toured the Ole Miss honors college.

This makes you sound completely disingenuous. First of all, the Honors College is an undergraduate institution with no relation to the law school except that you can see the two buildings from each other and that one law professor teaches one class in the Honors College. The "BS" you were sold was largely hyperbole (i.e. the same as an Ivy). I'm quite sure that 99% of the Honors College's membership and leadership don't think they are equal to an Ivy. At best, the HC makes the Ole Miss educational experience comparable to a small, southern, liberal arts school such as Millsaps.

Second, the fact that you know some Ole Miss students and alumni and went on a tour of the Honors College doesn't give you anything close to an unbiased opinion on the Law School. It has clearly given you a completely biased and bitter one at that. You even admit yourself that "you would not be surprised", meaning that you have nothing but conjecture extrapolated from casual interactions with undergraduate students and alumni about the Law School.

If you are considering Ole Miss, disregard vague, largely uninformed notions of how "people at Ole Miss" are, and read the facts:

1. Ole Miss is located in Oxford, which is a great town blah blah blah, cheap tuition, blah blah blah...

2. You will have to do your OWN legwork because career services has gone down a LOT since the retirement of their former Director. She was incredible. The office there now sucks.

3. The possibility is that an Ole Miss grad could end up in Nashville, Memphis, Birmingham, Atlanta, Dallas, or in a good LLM program. The probability is that a person will be making $50k or less in Jackson. DON'T go to Ole Miss expecting to be pulling down $90k anywhere. Only the top 10% or so can even reasonably expect to get those jobs. This is probably similar to most T3/4's in the country, especially ITE.

4. If the money were equal or you had a big scholarship, Mississippi College in Jackson is a better deal. They have better placement across the board, especially in Jackson.

5. Glad-handing is good, but it only goes as far as Mississippi. Anywhere else in the country, people will say: "Mississippi? And you are wearing shoes?"

You see, Ole Miss isn't the rosiest opportunity in the T3/4, but nothing mstiger posted has anything to do with the Law School, it's just pent-up anti-Ole Miss bitterness from God-knows-what. For a lifetime Mississippian who wants to stay there and be in MS politics, it's a great deal. If you ever want to live or work elsewhere, you'll have a long row to hoe.

[General Tso]

If you are considering Ole Miss, disregard vague, largely uninformed notions of how "people at Ole Miss" are, and read the facts:

1. Ole Miss is located in Oxford, which is a great town blah blah blah, cheap tuition, blah blah blah...

2. You will have to do your OWN legwork because career services has gone down a LOT since the retirement of their former Director. She was incredible. The office there now sucks.

3. The possibility is that an Ole Miss grad could end up in Nashville, Memphis, Birmingham, Atlanta, Dallas, or in a good LLM program. The probability is that a person will be making $50k or less in Jackson. DON'T go to Ole Miss expecting to be pulling down $90k anywhere. Only the top 10% or so can even reasonably expect to get those jobs. This is probably similar to most T3/4's in the country, especially ITE.

4. If the money were equal or you had a big scholarship, Mississippi College in Jackson is a better deal. They have better placement across the board, especially in Jackson.

5. Glad-handing is good, but it only goes as far as Mississippi. Anywhere else in the country, people will say: "Mississippi? And you are wearing shoes?"

You see, Ole Miss isn't the rosiest opportunity in the T3/4, but nothing mstiger posted has anything to do with the Law School, it's just pent-up anti-Ole Miss bitterness from God-knows-what. For a lifetime Mississippian who wants to stay there and be in MS politics, it's a great deal. If you ever want to live or work elsewhere, you'll have a long row to hoe.

This is a really good post, and I agree with everything said here except point 4. If you have instate tuition, Ole Miss probably would be a better value than MC at any cost. If you have the creds to get a full scholly at MC you probably have a chance at finishing at the top of your class at Ole Miss. Sure it's a 10% chance but the payoff could be huge...before the recession, Ole Miss actually placed something like 8% of its class in NLJ250. Top of the class at Ole Miss >>>>> top of class at MC.

[deadpanic]

Top of the class at Ole Miss >>>>> top of class at MC.

Agree with this. At Ole Miss, at least you actually have the chance to go elsewhere with the degree (i.e. big law in ATL), although this is obviously a very difficult task & highly unlikely. At MC, you have absolutely no chance. And if you attend MC, you will forever have the stigma that you couldn't get in to Ole Miss for law school.

[Aberzombie1892]

Trust me, the last thing you can call me is an Ole Miss or Mississippi College troll but:

Mississippi College 2007 Graduates Employment Location
Graduates employed in-state 61%
Graduates employed in foreign countries 0%
Number of states where graduates are employed 17
New England (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT) 0.7%
Middle Atlantic (NY, NJ, PA) 0.7%
East North Central (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI) 0.0%
West North Central (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD) 0.7%
South Atlantic (DE, DC, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV) 13.0%
East South Central (AL, KY, MS, TN) 72.6%
West South Central (AR, LA, OK, TX) 10.3%
Pacific (AK, CA, HI, OR, WA) 1.3%
Mountain (AZ, CO, ID, MT, NV, NM, UT, WY) 0.7%
Employment location unknown 0.0%

Ole Miss 2007 Graduates Employment Location
Graduates employed in-state 59%
Graduates employed in foreign countries 0%
Number of states where graduates are employed 16
New England (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT) 0.0%
Middle Atlantic (NY, NJ, PA) 1.0%
East North Central (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI) 1.0%
West North Central (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD) 1.0%
South Atlantic (DE, DC, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV) 11.0%
East South Central (AL, KY, MS, TN) 80.0%
West South Central (AR, LA, OK, TX) 5.0%
Pacific (AK, CA, HI, OR, WA) 1.0%
Mountain (AZ, CO, ID, MT, NV, NM, UT, WY) 0.0%
Employment location unknown 0.0%

Mississippi College posts 14% in South Atlantic, 10.3% in West South Central, and 72.6% in East South Central (61% instate) - 17 states total.
Ole Miss posts 11% in South Atlantic, 5% in West South Central, and 80% in East South Central (59% instate) - 16 states total.

The data really doesn't suggest any real difference between the two.

MC places 10.3% in Article III Federal Judge Clerkships (11% total clerked) - 10.3%/11% is a pretty impressive ratio for any school.
Ole Miss places 3% in Article III Federal Judge Clerkships (19% total clerked)

I think that looking at the data, Ole Miss might do better on your wallet and ego.
MC does at least the same, if not better in all other areas (most likely a give and take, which would make them equal).

[General Tso]

Aberzombie I dont understand why you are focusing solely on region and clerkships as indicators of career prospects.

Looking at this (OLD) chart, Ole Miss used to place more in the NLJ250 than many other higher ranked schools.
http://www.law.com/pdf/nlj/20080414empl ... trends.pdf

I am not trying to be too pro-Ole Miss here, my criticisms still stand. 70% of their class is probably in deep trouble. But the top 10-15% at Ole Miss have pretty good options, relatively speaking. Much better options than MC, IMO.

[Aberzombie1892]

Aberzombie I dont understand why you are focusing solely on region and clerkships as indicators of career prospects.

Looking at this (OLD) chart, Ole Miss used to place more in the NLJ250 than many other higher ranked schools.
http://www.law.com/pdf/nlj/20080414empl ... trends.pdf

I am not trying to be too pro-Ole Miss here, my criticisms still stand. 70% of their class is probably in deep trouble. But the top 10-15% at Ole Miss have pretty good options, relatively speaking. Much better options than MC, IMO.

My reference to regions was to show that both schools have similar...prospects (if you want to call it that)...beyond the state border.

I know that Ole Miss posted about 4% more than MC in 2005.

If you have seen the 2009 chart, which I'm not posting the link because I'm sure you've seen it (and everyone else), times are different now.

I noted clerkships because Article III Federal Clerkships are generally regarded as the most prestigious 1st year out of law school job that one can get ( I don't want to clerk, but I agree). I was just showing a direct comparison between the two schools using data from the same year. It's pretty rare to find hard data between two non T50 schools from the same year that it's in a comparable format.

I was simply asserting that MC has more strength in different areas than Ole Miss, and vice versa, and that the two schools are pretty much interchangeable as a result (although Ole Miss is a better deal at its price and MC was out of its mind for offering a full ride contingent on top 20%).

[General Tso]

ah, I forgot...you are the "tulane=national reach" guy So that's where all the regional placement comes from.

please do post that 2009 chart, I have not seen it and am very interested.

[byron2008]

You guys have all provided a lot of good information about Ole Miss. I have a few questions that I would like to ask about the school, tuition/debt and employment prospects. I have been accepted at Ole Miss and would start there this fall. I live in Shreveport and I have family in Oxford so I am very familiar with the area and think that it's wonderful. That being said, I am originally from the Washington, DC metropolitan area and would like one day to return there or to another major east coast city. I know that attending Ole Miss would certainly dampen those prospects career-wise, but is it altogether impossible to land a job on the east coast with a JD from Ole Miss? I am unconcerned with pulling in a high salary, I would be just as happy making a moderate income, so long as it pays the bills. I have been reading a lot about the legal market recently and I understand that it is a nightmare finding a job, even for people who graduate from top schools. My major concern is debt. I would rather be broke without a JD than broke with a JD, no employment prospects, and a mountain of debt. For those of you who attend or who have graduated, could you give me a rough estimate of what it would cost to attend and to live in Oxford for three years? I calculated (based on other schools' data for living expenses) that the total cost would be around $115,000. Is this a fairly accurate assessment? If not, how far off am I? In any case, I'm beginning to wonder if, in this economy, law school is a good investment at all. I'm sorry for posing so many questions, but any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

[General Tso]

You guys have all provided a lot of good information about Ole Miss. I have a few questions that I would like to ask about the school, tuition/debt and employment prospects. I have been accepted at Ole Miss and would start there this fall. I live in Shreveport and I have family in Oxford so I am very familiar with the area and think that it's wonderful. That being said, I am originally from the Washington, DC metropolitan area and would like one day to return there or to another major east coast city. I know that attending Ole Miss would certainly dampen those prospects career-wise, but is it altogether impossible to land a job on the east coast with a JD from Ole Miss? I am unconcerned with pulling in a high salary, I would be just as happy making a moderate income, so long as it pays the bills. I have been reading a lot about the legal market recently and I understand that it is a nightmare finding a job, even for people who graduate from top schools. My major concern is debt. I would rather be broke without a JD than broke with a JD, no employment prospects, and a mountain of debt. For those of you who attend or who have graduated, could you give me a rough estimate of what it would cost to attend and to live in Oxford for three years? I calculated (based on other schools' data for living expenses) that the total cost would be around $115,000. Is this a fairly accurate assessment? If not, how far off am I? In any case, I'm beginning to wonder if, in this economy, law school is a good investment at all. I'm sorry for posing so many questions, but any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Not sure if this is an elaborate flame or what, but I wouldn't attend Ole Miss if your goal is big market east coast. You better be absolute top of the class if that is your goal. DC, NYC, Philly, Boston, etc. are heavily saturated, extremely competitive job markets. Those cities already have local schools that are far better than Ole Miss, and they have many crappy local schools that are comparable to Ole Miss. And they still have more than their fair share of unemployed lawyers right now.

And I wouldn't attend law school at all if it requires 115k debt. Only a T20 school is worth that kind of sacrifice, in my opinion.

If I were you, I'd try to think of creative and cost effective ways of boosting your resume. Get a graduate certificate in something that interests you (for instance, many UC Extension certificates can be completed totally online, at a total cost of around $4000). If not that, at least try to obtain some kind of skills or certifications in a field that interests you. Grad school is not the only way to land a better job, and these days it is both risky and overpriced.

[Aberzombie1892]

ah, I forgot...you are the "tulane=national reach" guy So that's where all the regional placement comes from.

please do post that 2009 chart, I have not seen it and am very interested.

Seriously? I never said either one had any form of "national placement." They are just the "two interchangeable programs of MS."

You guys have all provided a lot of good information about Ole Miss. I have a few questions that I would like to ask about the school, tuition/debt and employment prospects. I have been accepted at Ole Miss and would start there this fall. I live in Shreveport and I have family in Oxford so I am very familiar with the area and think that it's wonderful. That being said, I am originally from the Washington, DC metropolitan area and would like one day to return there or to another major east coast city. I know that attending Ole Miss would certainly dampen those prospects career-wise, but is it altogether impossible to land a job on the east coast with a JD from Ole Miss? I am unconcerned with pulling in a high salary, I would be just as happy making a moderate income, so long as it pays the bills. I have been reading a lot about the legal market recently and I understand that it is a nightmare finding a job, even for people who graduate from top schools. My major concern is debt. I would rather be broke without a JD than broke with a JD, no employment prospects, and a mountain of debt. For those of you who attend or who have graduated, could you give me a rough estimate of what it would cost to attend and to live in Oxford for three years? I calculated (based on other schools' data for living expenses) that the total cost would be around $115,000. Is this a fairly accurate assessment? If not, how far off am I? In any case, I'm beginning to wonder if, in this economy, law school is a good investment at all. I'm sorry for posing so many questions, but any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Your cost of living there is what you make it out to be - this is true at any school. You choose how much you pay in rent (by choosing where to stay), choose how much you spend on food (by choosing what to eat), choose how much you spend on gas (by choosing how far you stay from campus), etc. Heck you could live off of $500 a month of you choose to. That total cost seems a little high - but as I just stated, you can make it lower if you choose to.

Do you have any other connections to the coast?

I'm weary of you choosing Ole Miss when you know in advance that you don't want to be in MS or the surrounding states. If you had any stronger connections it would be more likely - ditto if you have excellent 1L grades (although you cannot predict these things). I do believe you could have a shot at the coast if you went for government - but that area is kind of unpredictable in that it's almost a crapshoot whether you will be able to secure a position there (especially with the competition in the more desirable cities on the coast).

What other schools are you considering?

[jeeptiger09]

You guys have all provided a lot of good information about Ole Miss. I have a few questions that I would like to ask about the school, tuition/debt and employment prospects. I have been accepted at Ole Miss and would start there this fall. I live in Shreveport and I have family in Oxford so I am very familiar with the area and think that it's wonderful. That being said, I am originally from the Washington, DC metropolitan area and would like one day to return there or to another major east coast city. I know that attending Ole Miss would certainly dampen those prospects career-wise, but is it altogether impossible to land a job on the east coast with a JD from Ole Miss? I am unconcerned with pulling in a high salary, I would be just as happy making a moderate income, so long as it pays the bills. I have been reading a lot about the legal market recently and I understand that it is a nightmare finding a job, even for people who graduate from top schools. My major concern is debt. I would rather be broke without a JD than broke with a JD, no employment prospects, and a mountain of debt. For those of you who attend or who have graduated, could you give me a rough estimate of what it would cost to attend and to live in Oxford for three years? I calculated (based on other schools' data for living expenses) that the total cost would be around $115,000. Is this a fairly accurate assessment? If not, how far off am I? In any case, I'm beginning to wonder if, in this economy, law school is a good investment at all. I'm sorry for posing so many questions, but any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

I met another intern last year on Capitol Hill and he had just graduated from Ole Miss Law, so hopefully that isn't an indicator for you.

[General Tso]

ah, I forgot...you are the "tulane=national reach" guy So that's where all the regional placement comes from.

please do post that 2009 chart, I have not seen it and am very interested.

Seriously? I never said either one had any form of "national placement." They are just the "two interchangeable programs of MS."

Just messing with you dude. Are you going to post the 2009 chart?

[Aberzombie1892]

Just messing with you dude. Are you going to post the 2009 chart?

Sorry the appellate brief I've been working on has me on edge.

Please note that the chart has been modified at its original source at least once, so keep that in mind.

http://pdfserver.amlaw.com/nlj/law%20sc ... page12.pdf

[insidethetwenty]

ah, I forgot...you are the "tulane=national reach" guy So that's where all the regional placement comes from.

please do post that 2009 chart, I have not seen it and am very interested.

Seriously? I never said either one had any form of "national placement." They are just the "two interchangeable programs of MS."

I suppose this was the point I was trying to make about Ole Miss/MC. Maybe for some purposes, having the Ole Miss name is important. As has been mentioned, Ole Miss has some pretty zealous alumni, especially in Mississippi. Outside of Mississippi, I bet you that 7 or 8 out of 10 lawyers couldn't tell you the difference between The University of Mississippi School of Law and the Mississippi College School of Law.

And I guess I was drawing heavily on those clerkships to say that MC = Ole Miss at even money. MC has a really good relationship with a couple of judges on the 5th Circuit. If a kid goes to MC and is the top of his or her class and wants to clerk, he or she can usually land on the 5th Circuit, though it's damn difficult with kids from UVA, Duke, Texas, Vandy and other southern T30s/40s all wanting to clerk on the 5th...

[byron2008]

I have also been accepted at LSU, Rutgers Camden, and Hofstra. I've been waitlisted at George Mason, which would be my first choice because I would pay in-state tuition and be able to live at my parent's house. My parents and stepparents all are working and/or have worked for the government. My stepmom works for a firm in DC, and I have contacts with other lawyers in the DC area. My mom worked on Capitol Hill for 25 years, and my stepdad was a lobbyist on the Hill, so maybe I can use some of the contacts that they still have to get my foot in the door in that market. It wouldn't be the worst thing in the world to have to stay in MS or LA, it just wouldn't be my ideal scenario.

[waverider]

Does anyone know if many out of state studetents gain residency status after the first year?

The Ole Miss website says that is is possible but is it likely?