Prospects for FIU Grads Forum

[jrodz80]

I would love to attend either U Florida or FSU law schools! I have FIU (Florida International) as a "safe" or third option. I plan to practice in Florida. I calculated my LSAC GPA to be 3.14. I have yet to take a single LSAT PT. If I'm forced to choose FIU (a T4 school), can anybody tell me where I can find info on specific types of job placement for FIU grads??? Thanks!

[Grizz]

Just do really well on your LSAT so you don't have to worry about it.

[arundodonax]

Pre-recession:

[Grizz]

Pre-recession:

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Your images don't work.

[jrodz80]

I can see them just fine. Thanks for the stats!

[jrodz80]

BTW: I hear FIU is a fast rising Law School (founded 2000, ABA accredited 2004) with a many influential people behind it (US Rep Lincoln Diaz Balart among others), so it may not be as bad as other T4 schools are reputed to be. Plus you can never go wrong with living in Miami.

[arundodonax]

Stats don't lie.

(Except when the lie.)

[Grizz]

BTW: I hear FIU is a fast rising Law School (founded 2000, ABA accredited 2004) with a many influential people behind it (US Rep Lincoln Diaz Balart among others), so it may not be as bad as other T4 schools are reputed to be.

It's not as bad as Coastal or Barry, but that's not saying much. ITE, even median at UF and FSU are struggling. I would not recommend FIU. The above stats are from 2005, near the height of the boom. ITE, they are much, much worse. Furthermore, the only stat out of the above that you can't really massage is NLJ250 placement, which you can see is already low.

I doubt the school is "fast rising," and even if it were, it wouldn't help you in 2-3 years when you look for jobs.

Plus you can never go wrong with living in Miami.

Yes, you can. High cost of living increases debt needlessly.

[DerrickRose]

You have a better chance of getting a 56-game hit streak at FIU than Biglaw.

[jrodz80]

Hahahaha! Is the streak still alive?

[jrodz80]

BTW: I hear FIU is a fast rising Law School (founded 2000, ABA accredited 2004) with a many influential people behind it (US Rep Lincoln Diaz Balart among others), so it may not be as bad as other T4 schools are reputed to be.

It's not as bad as Coastal or Barry, but that's not saying much. ITE, even median at UF and FSU are struggling. I would not recommend FIU. The above stats are from 2005, near the height of the boom. ITE, they are much, much worse. Furthermore, the only stat out of the above that you can't really massage is NLJ250 placement, which you can see is already low.

I doubt the school is "fast rising," and even if it were, it wouldn't help you in 2-3 years when you look for jobs.

Plus you can never go wrong with living in Miami.

Yes, you can. High cost of living increases debt needlessly.

What I meant by this statement was about job prospects in the city. Even though FIU is a T4 school, there's a growing number of local firms hiring attys from there.

[Grizz]

What I meant by this statement was about job prospects in the city. Even though FIU is a T4 school, there's a growing number of local firms hiring attys from there.

FL is horrifically glutted, and ITE, I seriously doubt that more firms have been hiring from FIU more. In tough economic times, firms tend to recruit mainly from the top and cut out the less prestigious schools.

edit: "firms tend to recruit," not "schools"

[jrodz80]

I see you have the FL flag as your avatar. Where are you planning to attend/already attend/have attended LS?

[Grizz]

I see you have the FL flag as your avatar. Where are you planning to attend/already attend/have attended LS?

Planning to attend Vanderbilt. I'm from FL with ties to the industry.

[06072010]

I see you have the FL flag as your avatar. Where are you planning to attend/already attend/have attended LS?

Planning to attend Vanderbilt. I'm from FL with ties to the industry.

Florida paralegal?

[miamiman]

Radlaw knows a lot but even he doesn't have an insider's perspective on the SoFla lawfirm scene. I'll be brief: I have a parent affiliated with one of the major miami law firms. they don't recruit from FIU. I have spoken to managing/hiring partners at 2 other major miami firms; while they technically "visit" FIU for OCI, they do so only as a courtesy to the school (as you'll soon learn, schools beg law firms to come) and, more importantly, to evangelize the firm.

A quote verbatim from one partner: "We'll take their top kid. Or their #2. That's where we draw the line."

I think that speaks for itself.

[Mr. Matlock]

2 current TLS posters just finished up 1L, flhealth and rbgrocio. You might want to PM them and they can fill you in on how well their classmates are doing. It is a cheaper option at the very least.

[Grizz]

I see you have the FL flag as your avatar. Where are you planning to attend/already attend/have attended LS?

Planning to attend Vanderbilt. I'm from FL with ties to the industry.

Florida paralegal?

Paralegal/legal assistant for a solo, "office gofer"/legal assistant at a partnership. Not at the same time.

I have family who have worked for/are working for big firm, small firm, state govt., federal govt., and "midlaw," all in FL.

Radlaw knows a lot but even he doesn't have an insider's perspective on the SoFla lawfirm scene.

This. I won't say where in FL I'm from (someone could probably guess based on other threads), but it's not South FL. I know a few lawyers who have practiced there, enough to get a general idea of what goes on, but that's about it.

[jrodz80]

Radlaw knows a lot but even he doesn't have an insider's perspective on the SoFla lawfirm scene. I'll be brief: I have a parent affiliated with one of the major miami law firms. they don't recruit from FIU. I have spoken to managing/hiring partners at 2 other major miami firms; while they technically "visit" FIU for OCI, they do so only as a courtesy to the school (as you'll soon learn, schools beg law firms to come) and, more importantly, to evangelize the firm.

A quote verbatim from one partner: "We'll take their top kid. Or their #2. That's where we draw the line."

I think that speaks for itself.

Interesting! So they completely disregard any candidate who falls outside those parameters. How sad for FIU folks. It begs the question: What is the purpose of T4 schools? Damn those USNWR Rankings!!!

[miamiman]

I think this url gives you a telling look at what at least some miami law firms are doing ITE. Carlton Fields is hardly alone in this trend. From what I understand, all 4 of the incoming Stearns Weaver SAs are out of state students, including Chicago and GULC.


http://www.carltonfields.com/2010summers/


Not 1 UM or FIU student, let alone any from Nova, Barry, St Thomas

[jrodz80]

First, let me thank all of you who provided feedback! Your responses have opened my eyes to many things that I had not considered before!

I by no means consider myself to be one who settles for anything in life. I am certainly not about to start when it comes to my choice of LS. Nevertheless, we have our plans and desires that sometimes get railroaded by life and its circumstances. Many times we choose to stay the course and complete the task at all costs. Other times, we realize that it may be time to rethink our choices and take a different road. My reason for starting this thread was to get help in determining whether my worst case scenario (not getting in at UF or FSU but yes at FIU) was one where it would be worth it for me to carry on.

The reasons that have been offered for not choosing a T4 school like FIU, even when it may be the only real choice, are all compelling ones statistically speaking. Yet I have recently thought of other factors that cannot be measured on paper. Suppose that an aspiring attorney, who genuinely desires to practice law for all the right reasons (let's suppose that we all know what those are), tries his very best and only manages to get in at a T4 school. Now imagine that this person has no desire to work for "Big Law", "NLJ 250", have a judicial clerkship (state or federal), or any other endeavors like those. Suppose that all he wants is to practice law (either local/state govt. or private firm) and make sufficient money to cover his bills, debts (especially student loans), and have a little extra for savings and leisure. Here's my revised question: CAN SUCH A PERSON EXIST WITH A JD FROM A T4 SCHOOL?

P.S. This person is not actively pursuing a wealthy or lavish lifestyle, he just wants to make sure that he can make enough money to stay well above the rat race.

[06072010]

yes, it's doable. You need to minimize debt and only take out federal loans so you can IBR that shit.

[miamiman]

I know fiu students aren't getting biglaw. As far as small law, state gov, and other normal jobs, I can't speak to outcomes. Reach put to current students.