Picking safety schools? Forum

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ChriLa425

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Picking safety schools?

Post by ChriLa425 » Tue Aug 31, 2010 10:08 pm

Hi everyone!

I'm trying to narrow down my law school choices. Obviously I want to go to a school with an excellent reputation, but I also want to have safety schools that are still good choices when Harvard/Yale/Stanford decide to reject me :P Really, though, my list is long but it has a lot of the top 10 International Law schools and I think it would be best to have backups.
Last edited by ChriLa425 on Wed Aug 01, 2012 11:59 am, edited 1 time in total.

subgdubb

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Re: Picking safety schools?

Post by subgdubb » Tue Aug 31, 2010 10:14 pm

Don't worry about the rank of the school. Go to the school that feels right. Whether or not you end up becoming a competent lawyer does not depend on the school and most people don't care where you went to school a few years out. Its just a crutch.

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joeshmo39

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Re: Picking safety schools?

Post by joeshmo39 » Tue Aug 31, 2010 10:18 pm

Don't apply to American.

The U.S. news top 10 international law schools is worth nothing, ignore that list. Just go to the best school you can within reason (ie. consider location, where you want to work if you don't go international, where your family is, scholarship money).

Also international law is an elusive field, don't completely bank on it.

2011Law

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Re: Picking safety schools?

Post by 2011Law » Tue Aug 31, 2010 10:23 pm

joeshmo39 wrote:Don't apply to American.

The U.S. news top 10 international law schools is worth nothing, ignore that list. Just go to the best school you can within reason (ie. consider location, where you want to work if you don't go international, where your family is, scholarship money).

Also international law is an elusive field, don't completely bank on it.
This. Besides, with your stats GW makes way more sense as a safety, I'd only choose American vs. GW if it was full scholarship vs. no scholarship.

tgedamu

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Re: Picking safety schools?

Post by tgedamu » Wed Sep 01, 2010 12:08 am

I agree that one should pick the schools that feel right. (I suppose that entails some research). But what about the opinion that the higher the school rankings, the better the chance of getting a good salary (>50 k) once out of law school? During my LSAT prep course the teacher told us that applying to anything "less" than the top 30 law schools would jeopardize our future salary prospects. And some authors of books (such as the "How to get into the top law schools" seem to back that up). I am open however to the idea that nothing is set in stone. I am only just know researching different law schools. Still someone's opinion on the aforementioned would be helpful.

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St.Remy

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Re: Picking safety schools?

Post by St.Remy » Wed Sep 01, 2010 10:14 am

Your numbers do not guarantee you a spot at UVA. They give you a good shot, but it would be a mistake on your part to think of the school as a safety.

shmantieantie

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Re: Picking safety schools?

Post by shmantieantie » Thu Sep 02, 2010 10:10 am

subgdubb wrote:Don't worry about the rank of the school. Go to the school that feels right. Whether or not you end up becoming a competent lawyer does not depend on the school and most people don't care where you went to school a few years out. Its just a crutch.

+1

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bizjunkie4

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Re: Picking safety schools?

Post by bizjunkie4 » Fri Sep 10, 2010 11:14 am

Louisville!

JOThompson

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Re: Picking safety schools?

Post by JOThompson » Fri Sep 10, 2010 11:26 am

If this cycle is anything like the last, you should cast the safety school net widely. However, don't do American with your numbers.

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MrAnon

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Re: Picking safety schools?

Post by MrAnon » Fri Sep 10, 2010 3:10 pm

Following one of the posts above, we need to clarify once and for all that "International Law" is essentially a law school invention to draw in more paying customers. There is no practice in "International Law", no one practices "International Law" and there has never been such a thing as "International Law". The few courts of international law are not really binding on anyone who does not wish to participate in them. It is a concept that exists in law school classrooms only and it may allow you to spend many semesters abroad in Brussels, Ireland, Rwanda, or Mogidishu, but your post law school employment options will be the same as everybody else. And you can go to a school that has NO INTERNATIONAL LAW CLASSES and get a job at a human rights org after law school. Heck, you can get a job at a Human Rights Org tomorrow, without the law degree.

One more thing: Top 10 lists on school specialties are completely bogus. First, only a limited number of schools apply to be on those lists. The selection process after that is completely unclear. I have read that US News ONLY goes to schools of a certain ranking and asks them if they wish to be included. In other words, they bypass the T-14 because, let's face it, they get enough press. This gives the rest of the schools a lottery chance at getting their name in the prestigious US news and world report as having a wonderful specialty program in international human rights law, disability law, whatever. American's international human rights program is not better than any program put together by any school in the t14.

dissonance1848

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Re: Picking safety schools?

Post by dissonance1848 » Fri Sep 10, 2010 3:25 pm

3.65/174, and you are thinking of applying outside T-14? Someone is smoking a bit.

Listen up OP; rankings for specialities are basically bullshit. The strength is the school rep, end of story. Try to get into the best school you can, and then you will get as far as you can with regards to the part of law you want.

With a 3.65/174, you should apply to CCN on down, and don't ED unless its one of CCN.

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