Wake v UA v UTK v UGA Forum

[nchopeful87]

I'd like to minimize debt and my wife will be able to help out with the vast majority of COL. With the goal of practicing in the Southeast with some mobility, which would you pick and why?

Wake @ 20k a year
UA @ 15k a year
UTK @ 13k a year
UGA @ 20k a year



Thanks.

[athenian]

It's a tough call.

All four schools place really well within their respective states. None of them have particularly large cachet outside their borders. Your decision might come down to which state you're willing to settle down and live in. In that case I would recommend Wake, because North Carolina is less of a redneck backwater than Alabama and doesn't have anywhere near the number of hillbillies as Tennessee.

However, Charlotte's legal market to a huge nosedive when the economy went south (FWIW, so did everyone else's). Atlanta seems to be the bigger market and IMO, the better city to live in. In that case, Georgia places really well.

Alabama and Tennessee would get you decent jobs in those states, but both lack a big legal market... unless you want to count Birmingham or Nashville. Keep in mind that Tenn has to compete with the Vandy grads that do stay in-state. Safe to say, Vandy grads win nearly every time.

[jwaters]

I don't think you can really go wrong with any of those schools as long as you are fine working in their respective states. All of them are competing with higher ranked schools in their state except Bama, though UGA will give you access to a larger market (ATL). I don't think that the difference in cost is really significant either since you will be paying basically the same at each school. Therefore, I think that you're best bet would be to visit each school and see which one fits you the best. Also, try to leverage your scholly offers from each school against each other, you are almost guaranteed to get at least one of them to increase your offer. Good luck in your decision, I will be making a similar one with several SEC schools soon.

[Grizz]

Pick a state you want to live in. Go to school in that state. None of these are very mobile. Done.

[pokerlaw]

Did you apply to UNC too?

[nchopeful87]

Not yet. From what I can tell my odds at Wake are a lot better than at UNC because I'm out of state. I'm also drawn to Wake's smaller class size. I read a post a while ago that compared Wake and UNC's placement and, despite the fact that its classes are a lot smaller, Wake placed the same number (not percentage) in good positions.

[luckyme]

Not yet. From what I can tell my odds at Wake are a lot better than at UNC because I'm out of state. I'm also drawn to Wake's smaller class size. I read a post a while ago that compared Wake and UNC's placement and, despite the fact that its classes are a lot smaller, Wake placed the same number (not percentage) in good positions.

So Wake actually has better placement in NC? link?

[General Tso]

Pick a state you want to live in. Go to school in that state. None of these are very mobile. Done.

[luckyme]

Pick a state you want to live in. Go to school in that state. None of these are very mobile. Done.

^ says nothing regarding wake vs unc...cooley and MSU aren't very mobile, but most people would agree MSU is a better choice

[nchopeful87]

So Wake actually has better placement in NC? link?

From what I read in this thread it does seem that Wake has better placement than UNC, in NC.

[General Tso]

Pick a state you want to live in. Go to school in that state. None of these are very mobile. Done.

^ says nothing regarding wake vs unc...cooley and MSU aren't very mobile, but most people would agree MSU is a better choice

OP didn't mention UNC. In any event, OP likely already knows that she'd be crazy to attend a worse school unless costs are much lower.

[keg411]

I'd like to minimize debt and my wife will be able to help out with the vast majority of COL. With the goal of practicing in the Southeast with some mobility, which would you pick and why?

Wake @ 20k a year
UA @ 15k a year
UTK @ 13k a year
UGA @ 20k a year

Thanks.

Where are you currently in-state? Go there.

[williemayshayes]

Isn't Wake supposedly a little less regional than the other three SEC institutions? Seeing as how UNC grads dominate the state of North Carolina, one would think that Demon Deacon JD graduates are much more scattered across the region/country.

And hearing all this talk about picking schools based on what state you want to practice in...I had a question. Just HOW confined is one to the state his school is located in? And is this confinement mainly with respect to employment fresh out of law school, or for much longer term?

I understand that outside of the topmost schools, law schools are largely regional...more so as you move down the rankings. But are even top 50 schools like Georgia, Bama, etc. SO regional that a graduate from such a school, with high grades, cannot realistically hope to find employment in any big legal market if they were to really set their mind to it?

[ran12]

Isn't Wake supposedly a little less regional than the other three SEC institutions? Seeing as how UNC grads dominate the state of North Carolina, one would think that Demon Deacon JD graduates are much more scattered across the region/country.

And hearing all this talk about picking schools based on what state you want to practice in...I had a question. Just HOW confined is one to the state his school is located in? And is this confinement mainly with respect to employment fresh out of law school, or for much longer term?

I understand that outside of the topmost schools, law schools are largely regional...more so as you move down the rankings. But are even top 50 schools like Georgia, Bama, etc. SO regional that a graduate from such a school, with high grades, cannot realistically hope to find employment in any big legal market if they were to really set their mind to it?

If you set your mind to it, it can def be done. It's all about networking with the right people and putting in the extra leg work to get into a market you want.