Top Law Schools

I'm having a really hard time deciding on a school. I'm from Chicago and would most likely want to work and live in Chicago forever (did my undergrad in Michigan though). But, I also love LA and the Baton Rouge/New Orleans area and I know a lot of people down there and many who go to school at LSU.

LSU is offering me 14,080k a year renewable (with their cheap tuition and low CoL)
DePaul is offering me 20k a year renewable (high tuition and high CoL)
Loyola is offering me only 5k a year renewable (high tuition and high CoL)

I know I should just take Loyola off my list but I really enjoy the school.

I'm worried about the academic and career limitations DePaul may bring me, but at the same time I'm worried I'll have a difficult time finding a job after going to LSU. Does the cost of LSU offset this limitation? I just don't know!

Thoughts? PLEASE?

I can only speak about DePaul and Loyola but the rumors I have heard say that DePaul's scholarship retention rate is significantly lower than Loyola's. DePaul is offering me 18k/year and Loyola 5k/year and I think I would still rather go to Loyola... better campus, arguably better location, and better facilities. Plus that #98 ranking of DePaul's is scarily close to third tier territory. The most attractive thing about DePaul, to me, is the very strong alumni network.


If you want to practice in Chicago, go to a Chicago school is the mantra I have always heard.

I'm in a similar position with Depaul and Rutgers; I'd say go to LSU and enjoy the south.

aknecht wrote:I can only speak about DePaul and Loyola but the rumors I have heard say that DePaul's scholarship retention rate is significantly lower than Loyola's. DePaul is offering me 18k/year and Loyola 5k/year and I think I would still rather go to Loyola... better campus, arguably better location, and better facilities. Plus that #98 ranking of DePaul's is scarily close to third tier territory. The most attractive thing about DePaul, to me, is the very strong alumni network.


If you want to practice in Chicago, go to a Chicago school is the mantra I have always heard.

Yeah, I Loyola's facilities seem so much better. I just don't know if the facilities is enough for me to turn down the possibility of getting 60k.

Ahhh, so rough!

ChiCity22 wrote:I'm in a similar position with Depaul and Rutgers; I'd say go to LSU and enjoy the south.

I do like it there ( I was just down there for Mardi Gras) but my boyfriend is in his first year at the LSU law school and he likes it. But, I'm worried that if I pick LSU, I'll be picking it to be near him and I don't want that to be the reason I choose a school.

I mean, they are offering me money and it is ranked higher than DePaul, but it's not where I want to practice.

Haha, I'm terrified of making the wrong decision.

more help please!

none of the above, retake, seriously, unless you have a job lined up somewhere

/thread

dissonance1848 wrote:none of the above, retake, seriously, unless you have a job lined up somewhere

/thread

We know how a retake will land some jobs. /sarcasm

Go to Loyola, the debt will be worth it in the end. I'm from LA and LSU grads don't make more than 60-70k and that is if they are lucky.

StacyStrong wrote:

ChiCity22 wrote:I'm in a similar position with Depaul and Rutgers; I'd say go to LSU and enjoy the south.

I do like it there ( I was just down there for Mardi Gras) but my boyfriend is in his first year at the LSU law school and he likes it. But, I'm worried that if I pick LSU, I'll be picking it to be near him and I don't want that to be the reason I choose a school.

I mean, they are offering me money and it is ranked higher than DePaul, but it's not where I want to practice.

Haha, I'm terrified of making the wrong decision.

If you go to LSU you will work in Louisiana for most of your life. Almost every attorney around here is an LSU grad. They are only outnumbered in New Orleans by Tulane graduates. Throughout the state you may see some Loyola, ULL and out-of-state, but LA is very much a legal bubble, and if you go to LSU you will be trapped in it.
However, if you don't mind spending a large portion of your professional life in Louisiana, the LSU is probably the best option on that list. You can get in-state in your second year and pay next to nothing, and the alumni network WILL hire you if you can schmooze your way into the good ole' boy network.
I personally love New Orleans, and think that anyone with an open mind and a free spirit would be happy there, but to each his or her own.

EDIT: IHaveLawyers is correct about the LSU salary, however it is a pretty solid average, and if you can make connections by the time you graduate you can get that from the median of the class. The COL is very low around here and your debt would also be minimal. I currently live quite comfortably on much less than that.

Go to LSU. Loyola and DePaul are getting buried in the market right now.

Especially at this level of school ranking/reputation, and frankly anywhere outside of the Top 25, you NEED TO GO TO LAW SCHOOL WHERE YOU WANT TO PRACTICE.

You will NOT be able to find a job in Chicago with an LSU law degree. Similarly, I suspect that you will NOT be able to find a job in NO with a DePaul degree. Of course there will be exceptions to the rule, but I doubt that you want to take a chance at current tuition levels.

And not to sound negative, but in this market, you will not find a "quality" job from these schools anywhere outside the top 10% of graduates.

Please don't be offended by any of the advice in this reply--I only wish someone had offered this to me BEFORE the law school decision.

Geaux Ellishu

allamerican73 wrote:Especially at this level of school ranking/reputation, and frankly anywhere outside of the Top 25, you NEED TO GO TO LAW SCHOOL WHERE YOU WANT TO PRACTICE.

You will NOT be able to find a job in Chicago with an LSU law degree. Similarly, I suspect that you will NOT be able to find a job in NO with a DePaul degree. Of course there will be exceptions to the rule, but I doubt that you want to take a chance at current tuition levels.

And not to sound negative, but in this market, you will not find a "quality" job from these schools anywhere outside the top 10% of graduates.

Please don't be offended by any of the advice in this reply--I only wish someone had offered this to me BEFORE the law school decision.

This may be the best "first post" I have ever seen on TLS. Seriously OP, this is exactly how things are, so pick wisely.

I've pretty much taken LSU out of the running. It just doesn't make sense. (Also, I wasn't offended. I understand the limitations and the chance I'm making by going to schools of this "level")

I want to minimize the debt I'll be taking in but I also want to be able to try and get a decent paying job, so I'm trying to make the best choice. Haha.

Also, I honestly probably won't be making TOO much anyway considering the type of law I want to go into (possibly).

Is it just between DePaul and Loyola? Is retaking an option? I assume DePaul's 20k has a 3.2 stip?

Retaking is...sort of an option. I guess I COULD wait a year, but I really don't want to. I'd rather do well and then transfer. (I'm fairly confident in my ability to be in the top 10%).

And yes, there is the 3.2 stipulation.

Also, I can live at home if I wanted to for free to relieve some of the debt.

Why take LSU out of the running? It's cheap, in a pretty good college town, and is well regarded in Louisiana, East Texas, and Mississippi from what I've heard. I can't quantify it, but I bet you'll have better job prospects out of LSU than out of any school in Chicago that isn't U Chicago or Northwestern.

Because I don't want to live in the South after graduation.

StacyStrong wrote:Because I don't want to live in the South after graduation.

Well... there you go. Cross LSU right off the list!

StacyStrong wrote:Retaking is...sort of an option. I guess I COULD wait a year, but I really don't want to. I'd rather do well and then transfer. (I'm fairly confident in my ability to be in the top 10%).

In before this gets torn apart by current law students.

BarbellDreams wrote:

StacyStrong wrote:Retaking is...sort of an option. I guess I COULD wait a year, but I really don't want to. I'd rather do well and then transfer. (I'm fairly confident in my ability to be in the top 10%).

In before this gets torn apart by current law students.

Not a current law student, but 90% of people probably believe they are capable of being in the top 10%. I have the same attitude as you, I don't want to wait. I think if I put my nose to the grindstone I could raise my LSAT into the lower 170s, but I want to go to a school where I can hold my head high from graduating, not go somewhere in the hopes of transferring, and I think that's what most people would tell you.

Haha, I guess that sounded pretty bad. I KNOW it's really hard to do but I'm confident in my abilities. I realize it's a lofty goal and I recognize that I may not attain it, but I'd rather go in thinking I can do well than thinking I'll do poorly. Honestly, even if I could transfer, I highly doubt I would. I guess what I'm trying to say is, I'd rather try to transfer than wait and retake.

i had sent loyola a scholly negotiation email and they just replied saying loyola is offering me 7k in grant money which brings my aid up to 12k


making it easier to accept