Top Law Schools

i already re-took my score went up 8 points. so taking it again is off the table. Why do you say employment prospects are not good in DC coming out of Catholic? is it just its ranking? or competition coming from other schools?

retake. go up another 8 points. T-14. profit.

Combination of both. DC is one the most competitive markets to get a job and even students from GULC and GW have been left without jobs there. But at least they had the option of trying out NYC or Philly. I doubt Catholic even provides that much mobility. Plus the fact that there are so many schools higher on the DC food chain. GULC, GW, UVA, American, George Mason, U Maryland, etc will all get preference ahead of Catholic. That's the problem

Catholic would be able to get you to Baltimore, I think, if that is appealing. Has a good rep in the area and lay prestige in the Baltimore area too. Lots of Catholic people and lots of people who look there/go there for undergrad.

Overall, could do alot worse than going to Catholic. Just watch the debt.

Ok. Thank you everyone so far for your advice. I have a lot to think about.

If this gives anyone more information with which to help me- I don't think I will be aiming to work in BigLaw. I could more easily envision myself and a small or mid-sized firm and I have worked in the federal government before, and would not mind returning to that lifestyle with my JD. Is the competition from other schools still too stiff to be competitive at one of these places coming from Catholic?

mab1212 wrote:i already re-took my score went up 8 points. so taking it again is off the table. Why do you say employment prospects are not good in DC coming out of Catholic? is it just its ranking? or competition coming from other schools?

DC prospects aren't good at any school. Catholic is TTT. Don't go unless it's free.

mab1212 wrote:Ok. Thank you everyone so far for your advice. I have a lot to think about.

If this gives anyone more information with which to help me- I don't think I will be aiming to work in BigLaw. I could more easily envision myself and a small or mid-sized firm and I have worked in the federal government before, and would not mind returning to that lifestyle with my JD. Is the competition from other schools still too stiff to be competitive at one of these places coming from Catholic?

There is also the issue of the cost. You have a 75% chance of losing your scholarship at Catholic, and more like a 25% of losing your scholarship at Drexel. Added to the COL in DC, you may have difficulty servicing that debt on a lower paying job. And government jobs are, allegedly, very competitive especially in DC.

The 25% stipulation is very, very tricky. I don't know if Catholic is a school that stacks sections (puts all the scholarship recipients in one section, thereby guaranteeing that many scholarship students will lose their funding) but it is a possibility. Have you tried negotiating with Catholic to either get more money or drop the stipulations?

There is also the issue of the cost. You have a 75% chance of losing your scholarship at Catholic, and more like a 25% of losing your scholarship at Drexel. Added to the COL in DC, you may have difficulty servicing that debt on a lower paying job. And government jobs are, allegedly, very competitive especially in DC.

The 25% stipulation is very, very tricky. I don't know if Catholic is a school that stacks sections (puts all the scholarship recipients in one section, thereby guaranteeing that many scholarship students will lose their funding) but it is a possibility. Have you tried negotiating with Catholic to either get more money or drop the stipulations?[/quote]


I went to an interview at Catholic and got my scholarship increased from 9k to 13k with the same stips. I asked the admissions office again if there was a way they could raise my $$ and they said "not at this time" but there is a possibility that more funds can be allocated once all the seat deposits are in.

You don't just have to worry about GULC and GW, but also a big swathe of the T14 that's interested in working in DC, a bunch of students at the top of their T1 classes, American, Howard, George Mason, and all of the higher ranked better known schools surrounding DC in Virginia and Maryland.

It is also correct me if I'm wrong, but only the 4th biggest legal market in the country yet has the most top 50 schools.

Whatever1 wrote:Catholic would be able to get you to Baltimore, I think, if that is appealing. Has a good rep in the area and lay prestige in the Baltimore area too. Lots of Catholic people and lots of people who look there/go there for undergrad.

Overall, could do alot worse than going to Catholic. Just watch the debt.

If you want to work in Baltimore, you're much better off going to UMD.

HeavenWood wrote:

Whatever1 wrote:Catholic would be able to get you to Baltimore, I think, if that is appealing. Has a good rep in the area and lay prestige in the Baltimore area too. Lots of Catholic people and lots of people who look there/go there for undergrad.

Overall, could do alot worse than going to Catholic. Just watch the debt.

If you want to work in Baltimore, you're much better off going to UMD.

Definitely true, or even UBaltimore honestly. But I was just pointing out there are options for OP besides DC or bust.

snapdragon wrote:

mab1212 wrote:Ok. Thank you everyone so far for your advice. I have a lot to think about.

If this gives anyone more information with which to help me- I don't think I will be aiming to work in BigLaw. I could more easily envision myself and a small or mid-sized firm and I have worked in the federal government before, and would not mind returning to that lifestyle with my JD. Is the competition from other schools still too stiff to be competitive at one of these places coming from Catholic?

There is also the issue of the cost. You have a 75% chance of losing your scholarship at Catholic, and more like a 25% of losing your scholarship at Drexel. Added to the COL in DC, you may have difficulty servicing that debt on a lower paying job. And government jobs are, allegedly, very competitive especially in DC.

The 25% stipulation is very, very tricky. I don't know if Catholic is a school that stacks sections (puts all the scholarship recipients in one section, thereby guaranteeing that many scholarship students will lose their funding) but it is a possibility. Have you tried negotiating with Catholic to either get more money or drop the stipulations?

They do. I spoke to a Catholic 1L who transferred and she said they do stack their sections.

rebexness wrote:

mab1212 wrote:i already re-took my score went up 8 points. so taking it again is off the table. ?

retake.

You had to go there, huh?

Whatever1 wrote:

rebexness wrote:

mab1212 wrote:i already re-took my score went up 8 points. so taking it again is off the table. ?

retake.

You had to go there, huh?

Considering Catholic's career prospects, it's worth trying one more time.