Top Law Schools

My top choice is UGA. However, I want to compare two other schools.

GSU and UM are the same rank, 60. Both are expected to keep climbing in ranks. Previously, GSU was 65 and UM 71.

GSU is butt-tons cheaper (I've GA residency). UM supposedly has better placement by dominating the South FL legal market.

I think, out of the two, GSU is a better deal. I would work in either Florida or Georgia since I've lived in both states most of my life.

Get a 164/5. Go to UGA. GSU would be okay if you can go for dirt cheap and are cool with practicing somewhere in small-town GA. ATL is insanely competitive now. UM does not dominate South FL. It competes with UF and T25ish people who have connections to the area.

Number 1. Forget about rankings. A ranking of "60" is nothing to be impressed by and should not be a reason why you choose a school. It means nothing.

Second, UMiami sucks. They are overpriced and the class is gigantic. The Miami legal market is terrible. Shitlaw everywhere you look.

Retake the LSAT and go to UF or UGA. Dont waste your time at UMiami.

Hey, hey now! Like I said, UGA is my top choice (after talking to you, Rad Law ). I would be more than willing to retake the LSAT to get in. I will admit I was considering GSU for a while and am still toying with the idea.

I posed this question because so many friends selected UM-- and I was baffled. To me, it was an expensive, bad school. I thought maybe there was some information I wasn't privy to or something.

But you guys definitely cleared that up! While I have to guys on the thread, I also wanted to ask: does it make a difference to apply ED to UGA (next year)? Do they look at grad school grades, students who took a year off?

Thanks again!

reaisan wrote:Hey, hey now! Like I said, UGA is my top choice (after talking to you, Rad Law ). I would be more than willing to retake the LSAT to get in. I will admit I was considering GSU for a while and am still toying with the idea.

I posed this question because so many friends selected UM-- and I was baffled. To me, it was an expensive, bad school. I thought maybe there was some information I wasn't privy to or something.

But you guys definitely cleared that up! While I have to guys on the thread, I also wanted to ask: does it make a difference to apply ED to UGA (next year)? Do they look at grad school grades, students who took a year off?

Thanks again!

A couple of my friends went with UM and I was like lol wut. No I understand.

ED is not gonna matter really, as far as I've seen. They look at that other stuff, but it's almost entirely UGPA and LSAT. And for LSAT last semester, it was almost entirely whether you could hit 164.

UGA doesnt even have early decision as far as I've seen....

Really? Well, I suppose it's still good to submit ASAP if I have to wait next year.

Man, I just hope I hit that magic number this December. Thanks you guys!

I'm retaking in Dec as well for UGA, with GSU as one of my safety schools. I've heard a ton of good things about GSU from a couple people who work in the legal system in Atlanta. IMO its hard not to give GSU a good look if you want to work in Atlanta because its ridiculously cheap for GA residents, 11k or so a year tuition. Plus Atlanta is cheap as hell to live in anyways.

Sandro777 wrote:I'm retaking in Dec as well for UGA, with GSU as one of my safety schools. I've heard a ton of good things about GSU from a couple people who work in the legal system in Atlanta. IMO its hard not to give GSU a good look if you want to work in Atlanta because its ridiculously cheap for GA residents, 11k or so a year tuition. Plus Atlanta is cheap as hell to live in anyways.

But ATL is insanely competitive what with loads of UGA kids wanting to work there and tons from Duke/UVA/Vandy. GSU is not a great idea, especially when median at UGA is bad news.

Does being a URM help for UGA? A guy on the forums assured UGA for an AA female 3.3/157. I am shooting for a higher score than that of course, but just in case I hover at 160.

reaisan wrote:Does being a URM help for UGA? A guy on the forums assured UGA for an AA female 3.3/157. I am shooting for a higher score than that of course, but just in case I hover at 160.

URM helps a lot. Are you one?

Yep! I am a queer AA female with a 3.2. Aiming for at least 160 on the LSAT in Dec. Is 165 still the minimal score? Another queer AA female friend of mine has a 156/3.85. She should definitely get in if she applies ASAP, right? She could even get some money if she retakes the LSAT, right?

reaisan wrote:Yep! I am a queer AA female with a 3.2. Aiming for a 160 on the LSAT in Dec, but who knows. Another queer AA female friend of mine has a 156/3.85. She should definitely get in if she applies ASAP, right? She could even get some money if she retakes the LSAT, right?

Sorry. I have no clue about URM cycles.

No problem! I'm still going to shoot for a 164, though I'm very likely to fall around 160. For me, waiting a cycle and boosting my score while saving up some money won't be the worst thing I've ever done.

Would you be able to tell me more about UGA's job prospects? Do the majority end up in ATL despite out-of-state competition? If so, who seems to be winning the Biglaw jobs?

Finally, I know UGA is a regional school, and I can see myself living in ATL for a few years. Eventually though, I'd like to believe a lawyer can set sail to another state (who knows where life can take someone!). Will a regional school impact where you can practice (and salary range) once you leave their stronghold?

reaisan wrote:No problem! I'm still going to shoot for a 164, though I'm very likely to fall around 160. For me, waiting a cycle and boosting my score while saving up some money won't be the worst thing I've ever done.

Would you be able to tell me more about UGA's job prospects? Do the majority end up in ATL despite out-of-state competition? If so, who seems to be winning the Biglaw jobs?

Finally, I know UGA is a regional school, and I can see myself living in ATL for a few years. Eventually though, I'd like to believe a lawyer can set sail to another state (who knows where life can take someone!). Will a regional school impact where you can practice (and salary range) once you leave their stronghold?

UGA c/o 2009 got 15% biglaw. Probably a lot less now, as firms can have their pick of Duke/UVA/Vandy.

It's a lot easier to leave once you've established yourself and built a practice. However, at that point you may not want to leave, since you're established and built a practice. How regional a school is matters less and less as you go on.

Wow! And I'm sure that 15% was comprised of cum lade and up, huh? It's hard to believe GSU can output the same prospects.

Also, it's good to know a gal can eventually seek employment elsewhere. If marriage rights don't change in the next ten years, at least I can conceivably relocate. Would you have to work from the bottom up again?

Sandro777 wrote:UGA doesnt even have early decision as far as I've seen....

i dont think they do but they got back to me in 2 days last year regular decision

johndh wrote:

Sandro777 wrote:UGA doesnt even have early decision as far as I've seen....

i dont think they do but they got back to me in 2 days last year regular decision

When was that? My file will not be considered complete until December.

reaisan wrote:

johndh wrote:

Sandro777 wrote:UGA doesnt even have early decision as far as I've seen....

i dont think they do but they got back to me in 2 days last year regular decision

When was that? My file will not be considered complete until December.

about a year ago right around this time

rad law wrote:

Sandro777 wrote:I'm retaking in Dec as well for UGA, with GSU as one of my safety schools. I've heard a ton of good things about GSU from a couple people who work in the legal system in Atlanta. IMO its hard not to give GSU a good look if you want to work in Atlanta because its ridiculously cheap for GA residents, 11k or so a year tuition. Plus Atlanta is cheap as hell to live in anyways.

But ATL is insanely competitive what with loads of UGA kids wanting to work there and tons from Duke/UVA/Vandy. GSU is not a great idea, especially when median at UGA is bad news.

Great idea when compared to going to UMiami.

reaisan wrote:Wow! And I'm sure that 15% was comprised of cum lade and up, huh? It's hard to believe GSU can output the same prospects.

Also, it's good to know a gal can eventually seek employment elsewhere. If marriage rights don't change in the next ten years, at least I can conceivably relocate. Would you have to work from the bottom up again?

Depends on your job.

Dope! Thanks. I've been looking into BC as of today as well. It is way more expensive than UGA, but has considerable job prospects and places me in a city where I could eventually get married. I'm not likely to get any money from BC though. :T What are your thoughts?

And what would I need to score?

reaisan wrote:Dope! Thanks. I've been looking into BC as of today as well. It is way more expensive than UGA, but has considerable job prospects and places me in a city where I could eventually get married. I'm not likely to get any money from BC though. :T What are your thoughts?

And what would I need to score?

Wait whaat? 3.3 160, AA URM? You're looking at the t14 now.

flyingpanda wrote:Wait whaat? 3.3 160, AA URM? You're looking at the t14 now.

Ha! I don't want to get my hopes up. Its a 3.2 too, so maybe that dampens things. If you really think I have a shot at decent schools, could you tell me where? I hear Cornell likes diversity and research experience (which I have). What a great reach that would be!

Any schools from BC/BU and up?