Top Law Schools

Thoughts? 42k at Emory, 75k at SMU. I'd like to at least have the option to come back to Texas.

Emory

What do you want to do career-wise?

If you want to work in the DFW area, SMU. If not, Emory.

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Southwest or southeast.

Emory sent about 3% of its 2009 class to TX/LA/AR. 3%.

For an admittedly small sample of evidence: there are a total of 2 attorneys from Emory at the largest Dallas-based firm, Locke Lord Bissell & Liddell, and neither of them are partners. Compare that to the 37 SMU graduates currently working in that office.

Likewise, there are only 2 Emory attorneys, both associates, at V&E's Houston office. Granted there are only 6 SMU grads, but half of them are partners.

Emory may be a Top 25 law school, but it won't carry you to Texas. If you want a reasonable option of working in TX, I would take the money at SMU.

jdhakert wrote:If you don't want to work in Dallas: Emory. But if you want to work in Dallas: Emory.

I'm from Dallas and although a higher percentage of graduates from SMU work in Dallas than Emory (obviously), Emory grads will get a leg up with everything else the same. Plus Emory will carry wayyy farther.

LOL.


It's not Duke or UVA.

I think I would rather do midlaw than biglaw, and I don't have any strong desire to stay in Dallas; In fact, I'd rather work in Houston (or Austin, but that ain't gonna happen).

I am assuming that SMU will give me more of a leg up anywhere in Texas. The placement numbers do seem to suggest this, but I am curious as to how much of this is self-selection. Do attorneys in Texas even know that Emory is a "good school?"

I am leaning heavily toward SMU currently, but I just want to make sure that this is the right decision. To be honest, part of me wants to get out of Dallas for law school, but I'll most likely go wherever gives me the best shot at a decent job in Texas.

Thanks for the responses!

P.S., the tuition difference isn't pivotal since I am lucky enough to have parents who are willing to help me out, but it does play somewhat of a role in my decision, as I do not want to send them to the poor house.

If you want Houston, why didn't you apply to UofH?

I did... I just refuse to go there. I'd rather go to SMU and end up in Dallas than go to UH. It's not that I won't stay in Dallas, it's just that if I had equal opportunities in the two cities, I'd choose Houston.

If you're that dead-set on Texas, then SMU is a better bet than Emory. It's not a national enough school to justify going there over the school in the area you want to be.

timmah427 wrote:I did... I just refuse to go there. I'd rather go to SMU and end up in Dallas than go to UH. It's not that I won't stay in Dallas, it's just that if I had equal opportunities in the two cities, I'd choose Houston.

Just out of curiosity, why? Is it just the lackluster facilities, or the reputation of its UG? If you would prefer to work in Houston, it doesn't make much sense to not at least consider UH over SMU.

Marionberry wrote:

timmah427 wrote:I did... I just refuse to go there. I'd rather go to SMU and end up in Dallas than go to UH. It's not that I won't stay in Dallas, it's just that if I had equal opportunities in the two cities, I'd choose Houston.

Just out of curiosity, why? Is it just the lackluster facilities, or the reputation of its UG? If you would prefer to work in Houston, it doesn't make much sense to not at least consider UH over SMU.

Those are part of the reason. I grew up in Houston and have been around the campus/visited the law school, and it just doesn't seem like the place for me. Maybe I overemphasized my desire to work in Houston -- I would prefer it, but it's not a deal-breaker.

If Houston were to offer me a huge scholarship, that might change things. However, judging from the numbers on LSN, it doesn't look like they would match the net tuition that I would have to pay at SMU.

To be fair, it's much nicer being near the Park Cities than it is a shooting range.