Top Law Schools

WUSTL ($$) v. SMU ($$)

Any input would be much appreciated. Thank you so much.

-Texas is my target market coming out of law school.
-I have thoughts about working in Southern California or Colorado some day.
-Interests: Corporate/Real Estate/Oil and Gas
-Would like to do big law for several years after graduation
-I am one of those transactional law types...I never want to enter a courtroom if I can help it.

Seems like SMU hands down.

What's the actual cost difference? If it's minimal, no slight to WUSTL, but go to SMU. I don't think WUSTL has enough "name" to really make up for not being in the market you want to be in.

I'm from Dallas and know a LOT of people in biglaw in the city. I would take wustl for Dallas. Its reputation is very strong there and all of the attys I gave talked to about wustl think very highly of it.

crit_racer wrote:I'm from Dallas and know a LOT of people in biglaw in the city. I would take wustl for Dallas. Its reputation is very strong there and all of the attys I gave talked to about wustl think very highly of it.

This may be true, but most of the biglaw firms in Dallas are swarming with SMU alums. And the Dallas firms directly recruit SMU students.

Yeah depends if u already have connections to dfw or not. If so I think wustl is better but if not u will need SMU to establish ties

crit_racer wrote:Yeah depends if u already have connections to dfw or not. If so I think wustl is better but if not u will need SMU to establish ties

SMU is a strong regional school in the region he wants to work, WUSTL is a strong regional school where he doesn't want to work. Both place similarly in bigfirms. Seems like SMU is a no-brainer.