Top Law Schools

So while the waiting to hear from Cornell and Georgetown (mostly for need based aid), I decided to finally start my thread.

I have no strong preference at present on practice area, though think I would prefer litigation. I DO have a strong preference to return to NY and get out of the Midwest. Chicago would be an acceptable but not ideal location.

I can deal with Ithaca as a location (and have family there to mitigate COL), and St. Louis is actually a more than acceptable location for me for law school for personal reasons. I am debt averse.

Obviously NY preference = Cornell. This seems pretty obvious at this point but final confirmation.

So the question is: Near full ride at WUSTL with desire to return to NY and possibly try and clerk, or load up on debt from Cornell? I have strong networking ties to a low level partner at a DC based Vault firm and two senior associates (nuclear family), one on the hiring committee, at a NYC based one. I don't know how far those connections will get me but thought they might be relevant.

Wildcard: If I went to WUSTL for that little I might go do a graduate degree at Cambridge following my JD and try and enter academia.

Full information is in my profile.

And please don't bother with "retake"

I would probably go with Cornell.

FuManChusco wrote:I would probably go with Cornell.

Even if it ends up sticker?

I voted Cornell because I'm in a similar dilemma (just replace WUSTL with GW) and I'm leaning towards Cornell.

Also why no BU/BC?

FiveSermon wrote:Also why no BU/BC?

I have $20k a year offer at BU. I'll add it to the poll.

I voted Cornell. Mainly because you seem like a cool dude and I think it would be awesome to have you around. Though I'm facing a really similar situation with BU so who knows if I even go. Whatever choice you make though, it'll be the right one.

Go to Cornell. See if you can get family help with COL (and live in the cheap places, even if they are small/kind of gross).

Take the T14. I prefer Cornell, but GULC is a great option. Cornell for NY, GULC for DC.

This is between C and WUSTL; Fordham has no place here.

It comes down to just how debt adverse you are versus your desire for employment in NY.

Personally, I would go to C just because I'd really want the employment %'s on my side, while WUSTL while a decent school will have serious difficulty breaking into NY in comparison.

Doesn't Fordham have better placement stats in Biglaw than WUSTL? If that is what the OP wants, I'd say WUSTL has no place to be in consideration.

Agree that based on OP's preferences this comes down to Cornell versus Fordham.

Was not expecting this overwhelming a response.

Arbiter213 wrote:Was not expecting this overwhelming a response.

Probably due to Cornell pwning the latest NLJ 250 rankings; had you asked this a few weeks ago, before those came out, I'd bet you would have seen different results (or at least not so overwhelming).

CanadianWolf wrote:Agree that based on OP's preferences this comes down to Cornell versus Fordham.

No, there's no reason for Fordham to even be discussed with only 60k. Fordham places better than WUSTL, but not $60k better. He'd still be in backbreaking debt coming out of Fordham if he doesn't get Biglaw, I can't say the same for WUSTL.

OP, I think you should be between Cornell (maximum Biglaw placement in NY) v. WUSTL (lessened debt load). I personally would go for Cornell, but try and get some money out of them!

Bump for more feedback/ editing in imminent Cornell offer tomorrow.

I am a WUSTL law grad and from the NY area. I loved WUSTL and a large portion of my class went big law (in an economy worse then this).

Let me tell you all something very serious. Everyone on this site mentally master*ates over one or two places in the polls like it means something. I will tell you this right now - if you want to practice in NY go to Fordham. Local alumni connections are the key to winning jobs, etc (if you are not in the top 10% of your class). A friend of mine that graduated Columbia the same year as me had friends in the middle to bottom of the class wo jobs. Think about that for a min while everyone is debating number 12 over number 19. And another thing - after your first job nobody cares where you went to law school.

Nonetheless avoid debt. Even if you go to big law chances are you will want to run away in three years. Better to be debt free.

Bottomline - you have to remember that the practice if law is not what it used to be. All the pied eyed nonsense on this board compelled me to respond. Avoid debt while going to a good school - Fordham, WUSTL are good schools.

I look forward to making someone on this board my associate slave for the next seven years of their lives when they graduate!

MarkPSUFan wrote:I am a WUSTL law grad and from the NY area. I loved WUSTL and a large portion of my class went big law (in an economy worse then this).

Let me tell you all something very serious. Everyone on this site mentally master*ates over one or two places in the polls like it means something. I will tell you this right now - if you want to practice in NY go to Fordham. Local alumni connections are the key to winning jobs, etc (if you are not in the top 10% of your class). A friend of mine that graduated Columbia the same year as me had friends in the middle to bottom of the class wo jobs. Think about that for a min while everyone is debating number 12 over number 19. And another thing - after your first job nobody cares where you went to law school.

Nonetheless avoid debt. Even if you go to big law chances are you will want to run away in three years. Better to be debt free.

Bottomline - you have to remember that the practice if law is not what it used to be. All the pied eyed nonsense on this board compelled me to respond. Avoid debt while going to a good school - Fordham, WUSTL are good schools.

I look forward to making someone on this board my associate slave for the next seven years of their lives when they graduate!

I'm not really sure how your logic leads to Fordham over Cornell. Care to explain that one?

MarkPSUFan wrote:I am a WUSTL law grad and from the NY area. I loved WUSTL and a large portion of my class went big law (in an economy worse then this).

Let me tell you all something very serious. Everyone on this site mentally master*ates over one or two places in the polls like it means something. I will tell you this right now - if you want to practice in NY go to Fordham. Local alumni connections are the key to winning jobs, etc (if you are not in the top 10% of your class). A friend of mine that graduated Columbia the same year as me had friends in the middle to bottom of the class wo jobs. Think about that for a min while everyone is debating number 12 over number 19. And another thing - after your first job nobody cares where you went to law school.

Nonetheless avoid debt. Even if you go to big law chances are you will want to run away in three years. Better to be debt free.

Bottomline - you have to remember that the practice if law is not what it used to be. All the pied eyed nonsense on this board compelled me to respond. Avoid debt while going to a good school - Fordham, WUSTL are good schools.

I look forward to making someone on this board my associate slave for the next seven years of their lives when they graduate!

obvious WUSTL bias

Arbiter213 wrote:

MarkPSUFan wrote:I am a WUSTL law grad and from the NY area. I loved WUSTL and a large portion of my class went big law (in an economy worse then this).

Let me tell you all something very serious. Everyone on this site mentally master*ates over one or two places in the polls like it means something. I will tell you this right now - if you want to practice in NY go to Fordham. Local alumni connections are the key to winning jobs, etc (if you are not in the top 10% of your class). A friend of mine that graduated Columbia the same year as me had friends in the middle to bottom of the class wo jobs. Think about that for a min while everyone is debating number 12 over number 19. And another thing - after your first job nobody cares where you went to law school.

Nonetheless avoid debt. Even if you go to big law chances are you will want to run away in three years. Better to be debt free.

Bottomline - you have to remember that the practice if law is not what it used to be. All the pied eyed nonsense on this board compelled me to respond. Avoid debt while going to a good school - Fordham, WUSTL are good schools.

I look forward to making someone on this board my associate slave for the next seven years of their lives when they graduate!

I'm not really sure how your logic leads to Fordham over Cornell. Care to explain that one?

did anyone even mention rankings? this is a discussion based purely on debt vs. employment prospects in NY. Fordham should be out.

Got 60k from Cornell in need based. I'm pretty sure this ends my cycle but thought I'd poll.

Congrats! I am a little curious how one qualifies for need based aid etc. Is there any chance you might be able to PM me with some details?