Top Law Schools

Breakdown is pretty much like this:

UVA - no $
Notre Dame - some $
W&M - better $ & fellowship

(Going to UVA would cost a little over 3 times as much as W&M)

Question 1: Is ranking between these schools that big of a diff? UVA is in the top 10, I think - (I read that that really counts for a lot, though in this economy, that might just be splitting hairs).

Question 2: Is it harder to work outside the local area with a degree from one of the schools? I live close to NY, but I also have little personal preference to my future location. It just seems the big cities would be best in terms of job opportunities, but I don't have a completely set plan anyway. (NOTE: I've applied to a whole list of other schools, but mostly got waitlisted at my top choices, the next school on my list is Benjamin Cardozo which gave me a full scholarship)

To note: I'm interested in "soft" IP, if it is possible to be competitive without taking the patent bar (I don't have a background in science). I'm mostly interested in copyrights and trademarks for design based companies and creative businesses, i.e. art law, new media, etc.

UVA will hands down give you the best opportunities out of those three. Debt can be scary, but I would still go UVA.

if you're flexible about your type of law practice and you'd be happy in the Mid-Atlantic, W&M might be okay. Getting a job wouldn't be easy, but you wouldn't have the overhanging debt. Virginia, though, would seem to be TCR in general. Under no circumstances should you go to ND with only a mediocre scholly - you'd still have a lot of debt and be at a school where IIRC, ND students on TLS were saying you needed top 10 or 20 percent to get callbacks at OCI.

You live once, this shouldnt even be a question

wtf. uva all the way.

You can do IP litigation, especially copyright and trademark issues, without passing the patent bar.

UVa all the way. W&M is a very good school and seems like it would be a great deal, but if you want to be in a major city doing high-level IP work, UVa will open many more doors.

UVA. This isn't even a question unless you had a full ride from one of the other 2.