Help me decide! U of AZ vs Kent Forum

[StaraZee]

14k/year OOS at U of AZ. Only condition is that I remain in good standing, however it will be taken away if I'm able to achieve residency and qualify for in-state tuition.

30k/year at Chicago Kent, need to maintain top 1/3 of class.

Both schools are approximately 40k a year before schollies. As I will be financing this adventure entirely with loans, I would like to keep my debt to a minimum. However, Chicago-Kent's employment stats are lackluster compared to AZ and there is always the spectre of losing my scholarship and being forced to pay their exorbitant rates as a 2/3L. Is the lower T1/T2 gap large enough to justify an extra 50,000 in debt? Will a Kent JD condemn me to work cases for old ladies who slipped on peepee at the Costco? Help me before I ruin my future!

[DerrickRose]

You aren't Hispanic are you? (I'm only half kidding)

I very seriously considered AZ because it does really well in that state and I've always had a thing for the desert southwest. Tucson is beautiful and its a pretty fun town as well. With 14k a year that's not a bad choice. They really don't place well in California though, so be aware of that.

As for Kent, that scholarship is a scam. Top 1/3 is impossible to guarantee no matter how hard you work. They aren't terrible for Chicago, but they aren't great either.

[JCougar]

1) It is impossible to answer this question without knowing a) what kind of law you want to do, and b)where you want to practice.

2) I don't know where you get the idea that AZ has better employment stats than Kent. Both are about equal.

[MentalGopher]

I'm with JCougar on this one, personally.

Do you want to practice in the state where you're going to law school? If so, then I'd probably do U of A. Only problem is that the legal market in Arizona isn't exactly that great. Plus, Tucson doesn't really have a whole hell of a lot going for it. (I'll admit to a strong bias, since I'm a Sun Devil who's lived in Phoenix off-and-on for twelve years.) And the Phoenix legal market tends to be dominated by SDOC students because of their proximity and because of its reputation in the area.

I don't know as much about Kent, except that if you're thinking of practicing in Chicago, remember that you have a lot of competition from TWO T-10 schools in terms of jobs, as well as some higher-ranked schools throughout the Midwest. If you're going elsewhere, I might choose that one over U of A.

But again, it all depends on what you want to do with that J.D.

[General Tso]

AZ if you want to work in AZ

[StaraZee]

Thanks for the replies everyone. To clarify, ideally I would practice in Socal or the Southwest, although I didn't leverage any $ from San Diego, so I've set it aside for the purpose of this poll. However, I am from MN and Chicago would be closer to my family and is a city I could see myself living long term. I would like to practice tax/business law, and while Chicago is a huge market, it seems that there would be a lot more competition there from top schools (and a significantly higher cost of living). Additionally, I am a pale swede, so instead of Sheriff Arpaio demanding my papers, I only have to fear skin cancer from the constant Arizona sunshine.

[JCougar]

You should probably try to answer that question before starting law school, because each school will severely limit you to that area.

Kent has more competition, but there's also more opportunities in Chicago as far as legal market goes. That's kind of why it evens out with AZ employment-wise.

And if you really want to practice in SoCal, I don't think AZ is a good idea. You should see what San Diego is willing to give you if you want to do that.

[General Tso]

You should probably try to answer that question before starting law school, because each school will severely limit you to that area.

Kent has more competition, but there's also more opportunities in Chicago as far as legal market goes. That's kind of why it evens out with AZ employment-wise.

And if you really want to practice in SoCal, I don't think AZ is a good idea. You should see what San Diego is willing to give you if you want to do that.

this is correct...U of AZ does not place well in CA. Only go there if you are committed to working in AZ long term.