U Idaho Law or Phoenix Law Forum

[DarkstarDL]

I worked full time in a demanding job throughout my undergrad career and while studying for the LSAT. I came out with a subpar UGPA and a pretty average LSAT (156). The schools I wanted to go to are ranked in the 40 range, like ASU and the University of Utah. Unfortunately, that didn't pan out.

As such, I intend to transfer after the first year. The question now is where to go. I've been accepted to a number of T2/3 schools, but Idaho and Phoenix(T4) are the most attractive right now. Idaho likely has the edge in terms of academics, but Phoenix is a far more attractive geographic area.

Any advice? This is all considering I likely want to reapply at Arizona State/University of Utah/other similarly ranked schools as a transfer.

[Kobe_Teeth]

Idaho. Its the Yale of the Big Mountain region.

[A'nold]

Idaho. Its the Yale of the Big Mountain region.

[Kilpatrick]

Go to Idaho I guess. Don't go to Phoenix, that's not even a real law school. Don't go to law school intending to transfer. Did you do any research into this at all?

[flyingpanda]

Do not settle for a school you don't really want to go to banking on a transfer. Retake the LSAT and reapply.

[DarkstarDL]

I have done a fair amount of research. My circumstances are a little unique.

1) I am taking my fiance with me and she really doesn't want to go to Idaho. She has a tech background and job prospects aren't fantastic. She's willing, just not excited.

2) I've read the "Don't go to a school you're not willing to graduate from" phrase quite a bit. I think there is a lot of wisdom in it. However, I can't put school off another year because I already put in my notice at work! Also, I just can't. I have to go.

No to Phoenix Law seems pretty resounding... Anyone with experience related to either Idaho or Phoenix have input?

Thanks for the responses.

[amputatedbrain]

Phoenix is a joke of a school. They get almost as much hate as Cooley on this forum because of all their spam "personalized" e-mails they send out to everyone trying to trick dumb applicants into thinking "Candy" is doing them personal favors. Also I'm not sure if they're even fully accredited. Bottom line is at least Idaho is respectable, albeit low ranking, and has a whole state market all to itself. At the very least, if you got in there, there are other T3/T4 schools that aren't as embarassing as Phoenix you should be able to get into to as well.

[Kilpatrick]

I have done a fair amount of research. My circumstances are a little unique.

1) I am taking my fiance with me and she really doesn't want to go to Idaho. She has a tech background and job prospects aren't fantastic. She's willing, just not excited.

2) I've read the "Don't go to a school you're not willing to graduate from" phrase quite a bit. I think there is a lot of wisdom in it. However, I can't put school off another year because I already put in my notice at work! Also, I just can't. I have to go.

No to Phoenix Law seems pretty resounding... Anyone with experience related to either Idaho or Phoenix have input?

Thanks for the responses.

I don't blame your fiance for not wanting to live in Idaho. In the OP you said you got into a number of T2 schools, why aren't they in the running?

[BruceBarr]

I have done a fair amount of research. My circumstances are a little unique.

1) I am taking my fiance with me and she really doesn't want to go to Idaho. She has a tech background and job prospects aren't fantastic. She's willing, just not excited.

2) I've read the "Don't go to a school you're not willing to graduate from" phrase quite a bit. I think there is a lot of wisdom in it. However, I can't put school off another year because I already put in my notice at work! Also, I just can't. I have to go.

No to Phoenix Law seems pretty resounding... Anyone with experience related to either Idaho or Phoenix have input?

Thanks for the responses.

I don't blame your fiance for not wanting to live in Idaho. In the OP you said you got into a number of T2 schools, why aren't they in the running?

Because a 156 and a subpar GPA don't get you into T2 schools... despite what the OP said.

[jrobby6]

Well, coming out of idaho you can become like our agrarian ancestors and take hold of a potatoe farm.

[findlayswimmer28]

When I visited U of Arizona, the admissions lady said they accept a lot of transfers from Phoenix. I would call the admissions reps at the schools you want to transfer to and get their opinion.

[cartercl]

Phoenix is a joke of a school. They get almost as much hate as Cooley on this forum because of all their spam "personalized" e-mails they send out to everyone trying to trick dumb applicants into thinking "Candy" is doing them personal favors. Also I'm not sure if they're even fully accredited. Bottom line is at least Idaho is respectable, albeit low ranking, and has a whole state market all to itself. At the very least, if you got in there, there are other T3/T4 schools that aren't as embarassing as Phoenix you should be able to get into to as well.

Got on my nerves!

[A'nold]

You would think that U of I would have some decent respect in its own state......however, that school is struggling BIGTIME. It has absolutely no funding and the school is making their professors take furloughs (to reduce pay) and the prof's. are up in arms. The career services department is non-existent and it is the school's philosophy to tell students that it is their responsibility to find jobs. In fact, 2 and 3L's have basically refused to get back to the career services office about employment data despite a major effort by the school to find this out. Reason? Nobody is getting any work. Most of the 2 and 3L's that I have met that go to U of I are either trying to get into LLM programs or desperately trying to figure out how to open their own practice. The state gov. is on a pretty big hiring freeze. Firms have also decided to cut back on hiring U of I grads before graduation b/c of the poor bar passage rate (I think it is in the 70's right now). IF you get a job after passing the bar, you are looking at something like 30-40k at best I'd say for small firm work but those jobs are hard to come by.

The students at the tippy top seem to have job lined up with some decent midlaw type firms and a few "biglaw" firms's satelite offices in Boise. It's VERY rough.

Also, note that Concordia law school will be opening in Boise pretty soon. Everybody I've ever met at U of I law cannot wait to get away from the Moscow area and move to Boise. This law school will absolutely CRUSH U of I. I mean, it won't even be close. I think U of I is going to fall off the face of the planet here pretty shortly.

Also, there are some very shady grade curve and stacking things going on there. One section only has 2 people represented in the top 10% and the grade curve for one section was like a 3.0 compared to the other section's 2.7. That absolutely killed the one section and I know people that are going to be losing their schollies which require top 1/3 grades. Very disconcerting.