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I'm debating these three options. Significant scholarship $ and graduate fellowship from W&M bringing the total CoA (including living expenses) to about 20k per year. Nothing from Cornell or GULC, so it's about 70k per year for each. I want to work in either DC, Philadelphia, or New York after graduation... preferably DC. I also have Boston connections.

It depends what you want to do in addition to where you want to do it. Georgetown will be your best bet for DC, and Cornell for NYC, obviously. If you're Biglaw-or-bust, take the more expensive options.

My preference is definitely DC. I only included NYC because it's such a huge market and I'm merely open to the possibility of working there. I'm not Biglaw-or-bust, but I'm definitely private practice with 100k+ salary or bust.

In that case, Georgetown.

I should also mention that it's Georgetown part-time, if that makes a difference

Since you prefer DC over NYC, your better bet would be GULC over Cornell. However, W&M could also potentially get you DC as well.. it's just that the odds are less for that happening.

Personally, I'd take W&M with $$$ over GULC at sticker in a heartbeat. Probably take Cornell over W&M, but it's just going to come down to how risk adverse you are.

W&M can get you D.C. + the difference in those two debt totals is incredible. No brainier.

mrwarre85 wrote:W&M can get you D.C. + the difference in those two debt totals is incredible. No brainier.

Key word is can. I'm not exactly sure, and it'll matter on quite a few things, but I'm going to guess you're gonna need to be in the top 10% to really have a chance at making it into DC from W&M

If it's private practice, take WM and run! Or don't, so that they'll let me in. . . .

I think top 10% is a little harsh. W&M seems to place well in DC, though perhaps not always with BigLaw. Top 20% seems more accurate.

RPK34 wrote:

mrwarre85 wrote:W&M can get you D.C. + the difference in those two debt totals is incredible. No brainier.

Key word is can. I'm not exactly sure, and it'll matter on quite a few things, but I'm going to guess you're gonna need to be in the top 10% to really have a chance at making it into DC from W&M

A W&M alum told me the exact opposite. It is actually relatively easy to find something in DC because there are so many opportunities. Obviously I'm not talking about biglaw, but there is a general perception on these forums that finding a job w/a law degree is impossible in DC.

EDIT: Just saw your 100k salary stipulation. In that case, that may be difficult to do from W&M in DC.

fetalposition wrote:My preference is definitely DC. I only included NYC because it's such a huge market and I'm merely open to the possibility of working there. I'm not Biglaw-or-bust, but I'm definitely private practice with 100k+ salary or bust.

100K - student loan payments = probably more like 60K.

Take the full ride.

This might be helpful to you guys if you want a different perspective. It is from a W&M alum who currently works for a law firm on the east cost.

"It actually surprises me to hear you say that DC is a tough legal market to break into. I haven't heard that before, and in my experience it has been just the opposite, at least for W&M law students. The biggest chunk of W&M grads each yeah end up working in the DC area. This means that we have a great alumni network in the city, and I think it does give W&M students a leg up in interviews and when recruiters are looking at resumes. We have several big firms from the DC area come to interview on campus every year, and our students regularly place with them, even in this economy."

This is the geographic distribution of W&M grads:

http://law.wm.edu/careerservices/classp ... /index.php

Assuming most of "Middle Atlantic" is DC, it seems like around 20% of the class goes there.

fetalposition wrote:This is the geographic distribution of W&M grads:

http://law.wm.edu/careerservices/classp ... /index.php

Assuming most of "Middle Atlantic" is DC, it seems like around 20% of the class goes there.

I'm not sure what they are trying to say there. "Middle Atlantic" includes NY. However, WM also has a separate bar for "Northeast." Therefore, it is impossible to tell who goes where.

Desert Fox wrote:http://lawfirmaddict.blogspot.com/2006/ ... egion.html

Am I missing something here? W&M is placing 2.4% of its grads in MD, VA, and DC? And from that same site, BC places 5.5% of its grads into Boston?

http://lawfirmaddict.blogspot.com/2006/ ... on-ma.html

What am I missing here?

RPK34 wrote:

Desert Fox wrote:http://lawfirmaddict.blogspot.com/2006/ ... egion.html

Am I missing something here? W&M is placing 2.4% of its grads in MD, VA, and DC? And from that same site, BC places 5.5% of its grads into Boston?

http://lawfirmaddict.blogspot.com/2006/ ... on-ma.html

What am I missing here?

Into V100 firms. That doesn't quite cover big law, but it's a decent measure for big cities.

Desert Fox wrote:

RPK34 wrote:

Desert Fox wrote:http://lawfirmaddict.blogspot.com/2006/ ... egion.html

Am I missing something here? W&M is placing 2.4% of its grads in MD, VA, and DC? And from that same site, BC places 5.5% of its grads into Boston?

http://lawfirmaddict.blogspot.com/2006/ ... on-ma.html

What am I missing here?

Into V100 firms. That doesn't quite cover big law, but it's a decent measure for big cities.

Got it. It always seemed biased towards NYC firms to me, which is probably reflected by the fact that BC placed 5.5% in a very strong economy.

RPK34 wrote:

Desert Fox wrote:

RPK34 wrote:

Desert Fox wrote:http://lawfirmaddict.blogspot.com/2006/ ... egion.html

Am I missing something here? W&M is placing 2.4% of its grads in MD, VA, and DC? And from that same site, BC places 5.5% of its grads into Boston?

http://lawfirmaddict.blogspot.com/2006/ ... on-ma.html

What am I missing here?

Into V100 firms. That doesn't quite cover big law, but it's a decent measure for big cities.

Got it. It always seemed biased towards NYC firms to me, which is probably reflected by the fact that BC placed 5.5% in a very strong economy.

Yea the V100 is very NYC based.