Top Law Schools

I need to make a decision asap. I am from Kentucky and would definitely have a law job here if need be. However, I would only like to use this as a fall back. Anyway, I am not sold on practicing law my entire life and would eventually like to get into real estate/run my own business. If I do practice law, I would like to live in the North East (ie - Connecticut, Mass., Rhode Island etc.)

The following schools are my final 5 and I am am clueless as to which one to pick. My parents will pay a little bit of tuition per year. Basically, if I attend WF or IU-B my parents will foot the entire bill and all CoL. If I attend Emory/BC/BU then I will have between 60-70K in debt for tuition and paying for my share of CoL.

With all of this being said, which do I choose?

Pick your favorite of BU/BC or pick the cheaper one if the small amount of money makes a difference to you.

If you really want to do real estate, I wouldn't bother with law school. Go get a real estate license and start hustling your ass off in that field.

bk187 wrote:Pick your favorite of BU/BC or pick the cheaper one if the small amount of money makes a difference to you.

If you really want to do real estate, I wouldn't bother with law school. Go get a real estate license and start hustling your ass off in that field.

The BC/BU debt is a bit frightening, tbh.

SrLaw wrote:The BC/BU debt is a bit frightening, tbh.

Even if you got a low salary (50k/year), you could be debt free in under 10 years easily.

If you take any of the debt free options, you have to accept that you have a high chance of not ending up in the northeast. Is 80k debt worth guaranteeing the northeast for you?

SrLaw wrote:

bk187 wrote:Pick your favorite of BU/BC or pick the cheaper one if the small amount of money makes a difference to you.

If you really want to do real estate, I wouldn't bother with law school. Go get a real estate license and start hustling your ass off in that field.

The BC/BU debt is a bit frightening, tbh.

60-70K in debt from BC/BU is not bad, and they place much better in the northeast than your other options.

Emory is the cheapest school that meets your criteria of being able to be mobile after you graduate. IU and WF are cheaper, but they don't travel.

Although I don't disagree with the person who wondered why you're going to law school at all.

ELS2010 wrote:Emory is the cheapest school that meets your criteria of being able to be mobile after you graduate. IU and WF are cheaper, but they don't travel.

Although I don't disagree with the person who wondered why you're going to law school at all.

Paying 60k for Emory versus 80k for BU/BC is foolish when someone wants the northeast. Emory has a bit of mobility, but not that much mobility and doesn't even compare to two schools that dominate the area.

Would Emory be worth the 60K more than Wake Forest? I am trying to narrow down the list. I believe IU-B and either WF or Emory can kind of be out of contention.

BC or BU

SrLaw wrote:Would Emory be worth the 60K more than Wake Forest? I am trying to narrow down the list. I believe IU-B and either WF or Emory can kind of be out of contention.

Emory is not worth 20k less than BU/BC that's why Emory should be out (this is generally true because BU/BC do far better than Emory but is also true in your case because you want the northeast). If you're going to pay, you should be paying for BU/BC.

bk187 wrote:

SrLaw wrote:Would Emory be worth the 60K more than Wake Forest? I am trying to narrow down the list. I believe IU-B and either WF or Emory can kind of be out of contention.

Emory is not worth 20k less than BU/BC that's why Emory should be out (this is generally true because BU/BC do far better than Emory but is also true in your case because you want the northeast). If you're going to pay, you should be paying for BU/BC.

If I were between Wake and Emory, which would be the better move? Thoughts on Iu-B?

If you don't want to be a lawyer for all that long but still want to go to law school, then go with the best law school at the least cost. That makes the most sense to me. Go to which ever school you like the best for the cost of nothing, then go move up north and do real-estate.

I personally would not pay that kind of money to just practice law for a couple years - in fact most wouldn't go to law school at all. But, I can understand why you may want to go, especially if you want to do real-estate law.

At any rate, go for the free degree if you do not want to use it.

EDIT: If you are going to go to Boston for law, BC/BU are seen as equals in the Boston Market - go to which everyone you like better. Personally, I am from the Boston area and would choose BC just because the name has more "prestige" all around in the New England area - but in reality they are the same.

SrLaw wrote:

bk187 wrote:

SrLaw wrote:Would Emory be worth the 60K more than Wake Forest? I am trying to narrow down the list. I believe IU-B and either WF or Emory can kind of be out of contention.

Emory is not worth 20k less than BU/BC that's why Emory should be out (this is generally true because BU/BC do far better than Emory but is also true in your case because you want the northeast). If you're going to pay, you should be paying for BU/BC.

If I were between Wake and Emory, which would be the better move? Thoughts on Iu-B?

Emory would travel to the northeast better than Wake, but it would be far easier from BC/BU.

mettasutta wrote:

SrLaw wrote:

bk187 wrote:

SrLaw wrote:Would Emory be worth the 60K more than Wake Forest? I am trying to narrow down the list. I believe IU-B and either WF or Emory can kind of be out of contention.

Emory is not worth 20k less than BU/BC that's why Emory should be out (this is generally true because BU/BC do far better than Emory but is also true in your case because you want the northeast). If you're going to pay, you should be paying for BU/BC.

If I were between Wake and Emory, which would be the better move? Thoughts on Iu-B?

Emory would travel to the northeast better than Wake, but it would be far easier from BC/BU.

Ok. Is Emory worth the 60K of debt over Wake?

SrLaw wrote:If I were between Wake and Emory, which would be the better move? Thoughts on Iu-B?

SrLaw wrote:Ok. Is Emory worth the 60K of debt over Wake?

Why do you keep wanting Emory? I just don't get it.

Either take the free ride to Wake/IUB or pay money to go to BU/BC. Emory would only be on the table if it were comparable in cost to Wake/IUB, instead it is barely cheaper than BU/BC so it should be ruled out entirely considering you want the northeast.

SrLaw wrote:
Emory is not worth 20k less than BU/BC that's why Emory should be out (this is generally true because BU/BC do far better than Emory but is also true in your case because you want the northeast). If you're going to pay, you should be paying for BU/BC.

If I were between Wake and Emory, which would be the better move? Thoughts on Iu-B?[/quote]

Emory would travel to the northeast better than Wake, but it would be far easier from BC/BU.[/quote]


Ok. Is Emory worth the 60K of debt over Wake?[/quote]

If you are going to pay 60K for Emory, why not pay the extra for 15K for BC where you don't even have to worry about how easy the degree transfers?

I voted Wake btw.

I am leaning towards Wake Forest. Does anyone have any thoughts on Wake? A

SrLaw wrote:I am leaning towards Wake Forest. Does anyone have any thoughts on Wake? A

It's a strong regional school, but don't bank on being able to get a job in New England easily without ties. Don't go unless you are absolutely fine with working in the southeast. I agree with bk187 that Emory should be ruled out entirely.

bk187 wrote:Pick your favorite of BU/BC or pick the cheaper one if the small amount of money makes a difference to you.

If you really want to do real estate, I wouldn't bother with law school. Go get a real estate license and start hustling your ass off in that field.

A legal background is very valuable in real estate, and right now it is incredibly difficult to make decent money as a new professional in the housing market. The benefits of a law degree in real estate are still there, but the opportunity cost due to poor real estate market is low. FWIW I currently work as a mortgage loan officer.

BU or BC. Anyone who says otherwise is a serious troll.

You say you want to live in the northeast, which basically eliminates all but BU and BC. Out of BC and BU, BC places slightly better in biglaw and is slightly cheaper. I would take that option.

Slevin Kelevra 2011 wrote:You say you want to live in the northeast, which basically eliminates all but BU and BC. Out of BC and BU, BC places slightly better in biglaw and is slightly cheaper. I would take that option.

And it has a far superior LRAP to BU's, if you change your mind and decide to go into gov't or PI.