Top Law Schools

There are certain schools like the obvious HYS and random others such as UVA, GUCL, MICH that are talked about constantly on TLS. I get this as many people here have the numbers for those schools. For someone shooting more in the 30-40 range what is everyones view on UNC? Im an NC resident, I love the campus and plan to practice in NC.....

TarHeel2010 wrote:Im an NC resident, I love the campus and plan to practice in NC.....

If all of these are true then UNC is probably the right choice for you, regardless of what anyone else thinks. There will be arguments against it, but most of those will be along the lines of "you should shoot for a higher-ranked school because it will give you better job placement". But it's likely that either 1) you can't get into a higher-ranked school or 2) T14-caliber numbers would also get you a significant scholarship at UNC.

So UNC is probably a good target to aim for. Not necessarily for everyone, but for you, yeah, probably.

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It seems that most people agree it has a solid reputation. It does very well in the NC market and has a little bit more prestige than its ranking suggests. If you want big-law you'll probably have to be top 10-15% of your class, maybe a little lower depending on the state of the economy.

At the same time, it does not have any kind of national reach.

If you are from NC and want to work in NC, it could be one of the best and least expensive options. I guess this is a combination of my personal opinion and at least what I have gathered to be the opinions of others on this site.

showNprove wrote:UNC's ranking does not reflect its reputation because its admissions office is incompetent. It really should be a solid Top 25 school, but not unless things change at admissions.

Hard to be "competent" when you're controlled by the state legislature to such a massive extent.

The only state school that can get away with a 60%+ quota is Texas. Being the size of several states helps in that respect.

Also being a NC native, I have to say that UNC is definitely one of the best values. It also has a very strong presence in the state, if that's where you plan to practice. The alumni network is also huge... but mostly because UNC grads are pretentious enough to think that only they have the right to wear that disgusting pastel blue color...

Sorry, I grew up near NC State, can't help but throw in a little disgust when I talk about UNC, even though I very much respect their graduate and professional programs.

If you live in NC, the $16k/yr is hard to beat; and that campus is extremely attractive, albeit parking is next to impossible to find.

I'm applying, and I hate the place, if that says anything.

Bedsole wrote:Also being a NC native, I have to say that UNC is definitely one of the best values. It also has a very strong presence in the state, if that's where you plan to practice. The alumni network is also huge... but mostly because UNC grads are pretentious enough to think that only they have the right to wear that disgusting pastel blue color...

Sorry, I grew up near NC State, can't help but throw in a little disgust when I talk about UNC, even though I very much respect their graduate and professional programs.

If you live in NC, the $16k/yr is hard to beat; and that campus is extremely attractive, albeit parking is next to impossible to find.

I'm applying, and I hate the place, if that says anything.

I'm a "new" resident. Originally from the midwest, and I fine the rivalry between UNC, Duke, and State amusing...its definitely no joke down here.....Ill be the loser at UNC wearing my ND Irish spiritwear proudly...

TarHeel2010 wrote: I fine the rivalry between UNC, Duke, and State amusing...its definitely no joke down here.....Ill be the loser at UNC wearing my ND Irish spiritwear proudly...

Go to hell. We beat you in football last year.

(I'm going to ND for law school, most likely)

Pearalegal wrote:

TarHeel2010 wrote: I fine the rivalry between UNC, Duke, and State amusing...its definitely no joke down here.....Ill be the loser at UNC wearing my ND Irish spiritwear proudly...

Go to hell. We beat you in football last year.

(I'm going to ND for law school, most likely)

Ha, i'll be the first one to tell you that the football program has long since seen its glory days.....but i still bleed blue and gold....

good luck in south bend....make sure you eat at Bruno's...best pizza.

I think you'll find that UNC students, undergrad and otherwise, have a closet full of carolina blue. As long as your ND shirt isn't too close to Duke blue, you might survive 1L, assuming the work doesn't kill you, of course.

carolina undergad here...
i really see unc and wake as peers, but people on this site (and probably around the state of NC) think that unc is so much better than wake. I think students coming out of either school at the same rank would have about equal opportunities. Of course if one gets accepted at both i would suggest he/she pick unc merely b/c it's likely it will be much cheaper, and not b/c i think unc allows for better job prospects. 30% of unc's graduating class of 2008 were unemployed at graduation, but it's so cheap that it's worth the risk. I also would say that if one wants to go into public interest, UNC would be more suitable, and if one was interested in clerkships, wake would be more suitable.

Bedsole wrote:Also being a NC native, I have to say that UNC is definitely one of the best values. It also has a very strong presence in the state, if that's where you plan to practice. The alumni network is also huge... but mostly because UNC grads are pretentious enough to think that only they have the right to wear that disgusting pastel blue color...

Sorry, I grew up near NC State, can't help but throw in a little disgust when I talk about UNC, even though I very much respect their graduate and professional programs.

If you live in NC, the $16k/yr is hard to beat; and that campus is extremely attractive, albeit parking is next to impossible to find.

I'm applying, and I hate the place, if that says anything.

.

I'm interested in why people trash the admissions office. They do seem incredibly slow and the application doesn't print etc. Apparently everyone has had the "UNC experience"? Care to share your anecdotes of ineptitude at UNC?

jackster2 wrote:I'm interested in why people trash the admissions office. They do seem incredibly slow and the application doesn't print etc. Apparently everyone has had the "UNC experience"? Care to share your anecdotes of ineptitude at UNC?

Fortunately I don't have an anecdote with the law school, but their undergraduate admissions office has issues...like a few years ago their undergraduate admissions office sent email acceptances to several thousand students that were actually still under consideration. They had to send emails to all applicants explaining the mistake. My brother had already been accepted so he was fine, but his friends received the "mistake" emails and were so excited, only to be informed a few days later that they were in fact not accepted.

Oh oh, can we share stories about the grads?

Well, I'd better not... as I am applying there.

ScaredWorkedBored wrote:

showNprove wrote:UNC's ranking does not reflect its reputation because its admissions office is incompetent. It really should be a solid Top 25 school, but not unless things change at admissions.

Hard to be "competent" when you're controlled by the state legislature to such a massive extent.

The only state school that can get away with a 60%+ quota is Texas. Being the size of several states helps in that respect.

I'm not talking about in-state quotas. The state legislature has nothing to do with UNC Law's slow-ass admissions, sporadic acceptances, and lack of a definitive strategy to secure top-quality students. Honestly, I think I could make UNC a top 25 school after one cycle. The holes in what they're doing are so apparent, and there is no explanation for why they are so deficient in that regard.

The state's power over the school has a lot of negative effects, but the poor performance of the admissions office is not one of them.

jackster2 wrote:I'm interested in why people trash the admissions office. They do seem incredibly slow and the application doesn't print etc. Apparently everyone has had the "UNC experience"? Care to share your anecdotes of ineptitude at UNC?

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najumobi wrote:carolina undergad here...
i really see unc and wake as peers, but people on this site (and probably around the state of NC) think that unc is so much better than wake. I think students coming out of either school at the same rank would have about equal opportunities. Of course if one gets accepted at both i would suggest he/she pick unc merely b/c it's likely it will be much cheaper, and not b/c i think unc allows for better job prospects. 30% of unc's graduating class of 2008 were unemployed at graduation, but it's so cheap that it's worth the risk. I also would say that if one wants to go into public interest, UNC would be more suitable, and if one was interested in clerkships, wake would be more suitable.

I am interested in clerking and probably staying in NC so Wake is a very attractive option to me but how do you reconcile UNC's apparently wide lead in portability, alumni network, and judge reputation scores?

tarheel87 wrote:

najumobi wrote:carolina undergad here...
i really see unc and wake as peers, but people on this site (and probably around the state of NC) think that unc is so much better than wake. I think students coming out of either school at the same rank would have about equal opportunities. Of course if one gets accepted at both i would suggest he/she pick unc merely b/c it's likely it will be much cheaper, and not b/c i think unc allows for better job prospects. 30% of unc's graduating class of 2008 were unemployed at graduation, but it's so cheap that it's worth the risk. I also would say that if one wants to go into public interest, UNC would be more suitable, and if one was interested in clerkships, wake would be more suitable.

I am interested in clerking and probably staying in NC so Wake is a very attractive option to me but how do you reconcile UNC's apparently wide lead in portability, alumni network, and judge reputation scores?

where are you getting info about a unc degree being more portability? i don't think either school affords portability. i'm not going to try to reconcile any differences between alumni base and judge reputation scores; i think despite any differences in these wake grads are just as easily able to get as good of jobs as unc grads.

I'm a North Carolina resident as well, and my feeling is that UNC is a very respected law school within this state. If I wanted to stay in NC after LS, I would have no hesitation at all about going to UNC.

PS Don't go there just because you love the campus, though. They're building an off-site law school that will be open in 1-2 years.

IMO Great school! Might go there.

ccs1702 wrote:

jackster2 wrote:I'm interested in why people trash the admissions office. They do seem incredibly slow and the application doesn't print etc. Apparently everyone has had the "UNC experience"? Care to share your anecdotes of ineptitude at UNC?

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Wow, that reminds me of what happened at the Kellogg School of Business two years ago.


http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2008 ... ected.html

http://archives.chicagotribune.com/2008 ... on_18dec18

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tropskys wrote:

Bedsole wrote:Also being a NC native, I have to say that UNC is definitely one of the best values. It also has a very strong presence in the state, if that's where you plan to practice. The alumni network is also huge... but mostly because UNC grads are pretentious enough to think that only they have the right to wear that disgusting pastel blue color...

Sorry, I grew up near NC State, can't help but throw in a little disgust when I talk about UNC, even though I very much respect their graduate and professional programs.

If you live in NC, the $16k/yr is hard to beat; and that campus is extremely attractive, albeit parking is next to impossible to find.

I'm applying, and I hate the place, if that says anything.

I attended NCSU undergrad and have already been accepted with $$ to Notre Dame. Waiting to hear back from Duke and UNC. No interest in Big Law here, Public Interest is my plan somewhere on the East Coast/Southeast. Recently engaged, so for my fiance job opportunities are better in the Triangle than in South Bend. I really hate UNC but if accepted I would take the time to visit the law school and think about it haha...

Being a recent NCSU graduate, I have to say +1 But I'm looking to stay in NC and would absolutely jump at the chance to pay in-state tuition for LS.

Someone above mentioned UNC admissions horror stories. No story I have tops the "you're in and now you're not" situation from a few years back, but I applied last year and literally got HUNG UP on by an admissions staffer. I applied in mid-December and by mid-April still hadn't heard anything (no complete email, nothing), so I gave them a call. I explained my situation, the lady says something like "I'll transfer you." Pause, and then *cilck*. I call back and reach the same woman, who doesn't even apologize! She even sounded annoyed that I called back. I mean, what did she expect me to do? To make matters even worse, the person she eventually transferred me to could only give me the standard "You'll know by May" response. UGH. Also, IIRC, their rejection letter is condescending as fuck.

PDaddy wrote:

ccs1702 wrote:

jackster2 wrote:I'm interested in why people trash the admissions office. They do seem incredibly slow and the application doesn't print etc. Apparently everyone has had the "UNC experience"? Care to share your anecdotes of ineptitude at UNC?

--LinkRemoved--

Wow, that reminds me of what happened at the Kellogg School of Business two years ago.


http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2008 ... ected.html

http://archives.chicagotribune.com/2008 ... on_18dec18

--LinkRemoved--

Wow, that is some kind of BS! IMO Northwestern should have bitten the bullet and accepted those 50. It would have hurt their stats some that year, but that's probably better than the PR nightmare a mistake like that causes.

Bump