Akron Law vs. Duquesne Forum

[dconlon123]

I could really use some advice in deciding where to attend law school.

1.) I have family and friends in Pittsburgh -my wife is from a Pittsburgh suburb- and I plan to practice in Pittsburgh even though I'm not from there and don't have any business contacts.
2.) I would like to be a trial lawyer and work in Public Interest as either a defender or prosecuter for the early part of my career

----
I've been offered a full-ride at Akron Law and 8k per year at Duquesne.

What I like about Akron is obviously the large sum of money they offered and their nationally ranked trial program. Duquesne has a solid reputation in Pittsburgh and good teachers/facilities.

Any thoughts????

[pjo]

I would go to Duquesne. These are very similar schools except Duquesne has to compete with Pitt (although in a bigger market than Akron by itself in Akron). Don't bank on keeping the full scholarship to Akron. They're notorious for "stacking" their sections so it's guaranteed a large amount of ppl will lose their scholarship after the first year. Duquesne really isn't THAT expensive (like 25k/yr, no?) Plus if your wife is from there you really shouldn't have any trouble meeting people and making contacts. If your wife is a yinzer, you will be accepted into the culture no problem lol.

- Also FWIW, Pittsburgh is usually on most lists for developing cities / good cities for young professionals. Relatively low unemployment and home prices have steadily gone up in value through out the recession. Akron-Canton is usually on the "worst cities" list for all of the things listed above.

[dconlon123]

What about going to school in Akron -graduating with less debt- but seeking a job in Pittsburgh? Is a JD from Akron portable to a city like Pittsburgh? I think your response assumes I plan to stay in Akron. I agree with you Pittsburgh is often ranked as one of the best places to live in the US.

[ndirish2010]

Duquesne. Akron will not get you a job in Pittsburgh. Although TCR is to retake and go to Pitt in two years.

[The Gentleman]

You'll most likely lose that full ride at Akron after your first semester. The curve is brutal and I'm pretty sure they section stack. If you want to work in Pittsburgh, then go with Duquesne.

Although this is really the best advice...

Although TCR is to retake and go to Pitt in two years.

[MrAnon]

Don't go to Akron.

[njn3]

If you want an idea of how the legal market is in Pittsburgh...you have a situation where you have, in order of respect and renown in the city: (slightly exaggerated and maybe not 100% accurate but the essence is to give you an idea of how insular the market is):
1. t-14
2. well-known non t-14 schools with a national name like vandy, notre dame
3. Pitt
3.5/4. Duquesne

Despite the fact that Pitt now carries more prestige, and Duquesne is out of the top 100, lawyers around Pittsburgh will still recognize and respect the Duquesne degree. In fact, awhile ago (ok a pretty long while) it was seen by many as the more renowned law school in Pittsburgh.
You're job prospects won't be rosy, but they will be much better than coming from Akron.

Honestly the city of pittsburgh is still growing physically and economically and it remains one of the lowest cost of living cities that can offer as much as it does in terms of things to do, see, sports, entertainment, etc

while it sounds like Pitt would be the ideal option for you, if you need to go to one of those schools this year, pick duquesne...