Top Law Schools

I'm a college sophomore that's window shopping, so this isn't urgent but I'm just looking around for ideas as to where I should be targeting.

What I'm looking for is a work hard/play hard school somewhere warm. I hate snow and I hate the temperature being below 40. I'm also a sucker for southern hospitality and I just all around have never found a part of the south that I haven't loved. On the other side of the country, I could only tolerate Chicago, Baltimore and Boston in light amounts. And that's about it.

What I don't make up for in scholarships, I'm on my own paying. Obviously, the cheaper the better.

As for what I want to do after law school, I want to practice law. I want to move to a smallish town and work for a general practice. In other words, I guess I wanna be Atticus Finch (don't we all?). However, I'd really like to have a degree that could move around the south. I live in TN now, but maybe NC, maybe GA, maybe MS, maybe SC, maybe AL. And, it's not my primary reason for doing law, but I also want to get into local/state politics.

And a good football team is always a big positive in my book.

As for my stats: 3.5 GPA as a Economics/PoliSci major, loads of ECs

What schools am I looking at? From my research, these are the school's I have on my list currently:

-Emory (reach)
-Vanderbilt (reach)
-UGA
-University of Tennessee
-Alabama
-Arkansas (safety)
-South Carolina (safety)

Thoughts? Flames? Hearty laughs all around?

Theres nothing useful we can tell you until you take the LSAT.

And don't worry about the school, campus, football team. All that matters really is the job prospects and if they're worth what you're putting down $100k+ for.

lol@ having reaches and safeties without having an LSAT score

If football team is a goal, go with Alabama or Miami (FL).

... an SEC school? Not a good way to make you decision. You want a job, not an experience.

Edited for it not being in lounge.

paulinaporizkova wrote:lol@ having reaches and safeties without having an LSAT score

This. Have you been taking PTs to know what your approximate score will be? How do you know if any of these are reaches or safeties?

VictrixRapax wrote:If football team is a goal, go with Alabama or Miami (FL).

Egregious pro-Miami trolling.

OP: LSAT score is necessary for any kind of prediction. Browse the various forums a bit and you'll see why.

patrickd139 wrote: Egregious pro-Miami trolling.

Their history, location, and new coach suggest otherwise.

Well like I said, I'm just window shopping. My poli sci advisor specializes in the pre-law kids and thinks I'll score a mid-high 160s and if I really really work at it something in the 170s so I'm going off of that. I haven't taken a practice test myself but that's my goal, 165-170 with the same GPA.

Of course you'll have to take all of that with a grain of salt, but I don't have to tell you guys that.

rman1201 wrote:Theres nothing useful we can tell you until you take the LSAT.

And don't worry about the school, campus, football team. All that matters really is the job prospects and if they're worth what you're putting down $100k+ for.

+1000.

You could be F*cking miserable for 3 years and it would be infintely better than the coolest most fun law school with the hottest girls and best football team ever if you'd get a better job at the first school.

Remember, law school is 3 years, but the school you go to has a big impact on the rest of your professional career, which in turn effects the REST OF YOUR LIFE. Do some big picture thinking man.

RaiderInBlue47 wrote:Of course you'll have to take all of that with a grain of salt, but I don't have to tell you guys that.

No worries there. I'm pretty sure no one on this site is going to put stock in your hypothetical guess at an LSAT score. It's just not feasible to do so.

RaiderInBlue47 wrote:Well like I said, I'm just window shopping. My poli sci advisor specializes in the pre-law kids and thinks I'll score a mid-high 160s and if I really really work at it something in the 170s so I'm going off of that. I haven't taken a practice test myself but that's my goal, 165-170 with the same GPA.

NO. I have a GPA and other factors that would suggest I should make a MUCH higher score than I did. Take our word that you have to take many PTs to find your true LSAT score. DO NOT believe that just because your GPA is high you will do that well automatically.

RaiderInBlue47 wrote:Well like I said, I'm just window shopping. My poli sci advisor specializes in the pre-law kids and thinks I'll score a mid-high 160s and if I really really work at it something in the 170s so I'm going off of that. I haven't taken a practice test myself but that's my goal, 165-170 with the same GPA.

Of course you'll have to take all of that with a grain of salt, but I don't have to tell you guys that.

160 tops.

Nicholasnickynic wrote:

RaiderInBlue47 wrote:Well like I said, I'm just window shopping. My poli sci advisor specializes in the pre-law kids and thinks I'll score a mid-high 160s and if I really really work at it something in the 170s so I'm going off of that. I haven't taken a practice test myself but that's my goal, 165-170 with the same GPA.

Of course you'll have to take all of that with a grain of salt, but I don't have to tell you guys that.

160 tops.

Haha. ITT: we predict RaiderInBlue47's LSAT Score. Annnnnnd go!

patrickd139 wrote:

Nicholasnickynic wrote:

RaiderInBlue47 wrote:Well like I said, I'm just window shopping. My poli sci advisor specializes in the pre-law kids and thinks I'll score a mid-high 160s and if I really really work at it something in the 170s so I'm going off of that. I haven't taken a practice test myself but that's my goal, 165-170 with the same GPA.

Of course you'll have to take all of that with a grain of salt, but I don't have to tell you guys that.

160 tops.

Haha. ITT: we predict RaiderInBlue47's LSAT Score. Annnnnnd go!

LOL. I'm going with 160, too.

take some PTs and study for the LSAT before you start planning where you want to go to law school. it's pretty absurd to expect to score above the 90th percentile. BTW high 160s would be one of, if not the highest score ever to come out of there so manage your expectations. sounds to me like your poli sci advisor wants to get in your pants.

RaiderInBlue47 wrote:Well like I said, I'm just window shopping. My poli sci advisor specializes in the pre-law kids and thinks I'll score a mid-high 160s and if I really really work at it something in the 170s so I'm going off of that. I haven't taken a practice test myself but that's my goal, 165-170 with the same GPA.

Of course you'll have to take all of that with a grain of salt, but I don't have to tell you guys that.

Based on this I'm going with 156.

Also, UGA sticker > Emory sticker.

EricBerry wrote:hahaha, a fellow blue raider. MTSU FTW. take some PTs and study for the LSAT before you start planning where you want to go to law school. it's pretty absurd to expect to score above the 90th percentile. BTW high 160s would be one of, if not the highest score ever to come out of MTSU so manage your expectations. sounds to me like your poli sci advisor wants to get in your pants.

P.S. do i know you? lol

This post is full of win.

What's wrong with wanting to go to an SEC school? There are four T1 schools in the SEC, and one T18. If the OP wants to practice in Alabama, then I think Bama would be a good option and OP will get the experience he/she wants along with a pretty decent chance at getting a job in a region he/she likes.

Shoot for a 169-170 for Vandy, 165+ would be fine for a pretty nice scholarship at Bama I would think.

ndirish2010 wrote:What's wrong with wanting to go to an SEC school? There are four T1 schools in the SEC, and one T18. If the OP wants to practice in Alabama, then I think Bama would be a good option and OP will get the experience he/she wants along with a pretty decent chance at getting a job in a region he/she likes.

Shoot for a 169-170 for Vandy, 165+ would be fine for a pretty nice scholarship at Bama I would think.

Check out Vandy on LSN this year. With his GPA, he should aim for over 170. They look like they are trying to raise their numbers, and this guy is only a sophomore right now.

http://vanderbilt.lawschoolnumbers.com/stats

At least the guy knows what he wants compared to half the dimwits here who do nothing but trash on others.

A 3.5 is a solid GPA, it gives you the chance to get some serious scholarship money from the schools that make you happy if you put in the work for the LSAT.

Read through TLS when you get some free time. There is a lot of wisdom that can be found among the antics that is incredibly helpful and will help you make an informed, logical decision. TLS taught me more than anyone else I have consulted with in terms of the application process and what to expect going into and leaving law school. Best of luck, and crush the LSAT so that you may have a variety of options you like.

Go to Nova. GO SHARKS.

161

FeelTheHeat wrote:At least the guy knows what he wants compared to half the dimwits here who do nothing but trash on others.

A 3.5 is a solid GPA, it gives you the chance to get some serious scholarship money from the schools that make you happy if you put in the work for the LSAT.

Read through TLS when you get some free time. There is a lot of wisdom that can be found among the antics that is incredibly helpful and will help you make an informed, logical decision. TLS taught me more than anyone else I have consulted with in terms of the application process and what to expect going into and leaving law school. Best of luck, and crush the LSAT so that you may have a variety of options you like.

+1. I can honestly say that with out TLS
- I would probably be T2 instead of T1
-I would almost assuredly not be in the top half of my class
-I would never have known how to correctly negotiate a better scholarship.

and these are just hte things I can think of off the top of my head.