T30 for Biglaw? Forum

[oyakodon]

Hi there TLS!

I'm a long-time lurker, but I'm finally in a position to post. I need some serious help! Here's my situation:

I've been accepted to Iowa, Emory, and W&M (sticker at each, but I'm expecting an inheritance during law school that should help offset some of the cost). My goal is biglaw. I'd prefer if possible to have biglaw in the south, especially Miami (I have a few ties there--my grandparents live there, for one)! But I'd be willing to settle for NYC if that's what it comes to. I guess I have expensive tastes . I'd also like an article III clerkship, and I'm very flexible about where I would do that.

Which of these schools is best with those goals in mind? A few caveats, because I've seen how these threads usually go. First, I won't retake. These are the schools I got into, and I'm happy with it. I went to an ultra elite UG, so I am quite comfortable with my prestige, thankyou! I can't retake the LSAT anymore, as I have an anxiety disorder and I have panic attacks when I take it, which inhibits my performance. Actually I'm very happy with my score, considering. Second, I know that none of these schools can guarantee me biglaw. However, I'm very confident in my ability to work harder and smarter than my classmates at these schools.

Ok, thanks in advance!

[Knock]

Hi there TLS!

I'm a long-time lurker, but I'm finally in a position to post. I need some serious help! Here's my situation:

I've been accepted to Iowa, Emory, and W&M (sticker at each, but I'm expecting an inheritance during law school that should help offset some of the cost). My goal is biglaw. I'd prefer if possible to have biglaw in the south, especially Miami (I have a few ties there--my grandparents live there, for one)! But I'd be willing to settle for NYC if that's what it comes to. I guess I have expensive tastes . I'd also like an article III clerkship, and I'm very flexible about where I would do that.

Which of these schools is best with those goals in mind? A few caveats, because I've seen how these threads usually go. First, I won't retake. These are the schools I got into, and I'm happy with it. I went to an ultra elite UG, so I am quite comfortable with my prestige, thankyou! I can't retake the LSAT anymore, as I have an anxiety disorder and I have panic attacks when I take it, which inhibits my performance. Actually I'm very happy with my score, considering. Second, I know that none of these schools can guarantee me biglaw. However, I'm very confident in my ability to work harder and smarter than my classmates at these schools.

Ok, thanks in advance!

http://top-law-schools.com/forums/viewt ... 1&t=150681. I'd take Emory, especially if you want to work in the south.

[bk1]

1. You are unlikely to get biglaw out of any of these schools. Aim for it, but be ready for other career paths since you have a 75%+ chance of not getting biglaw.

2. Your ultra elite UG won't help you that much (it may help a bit), but the biggest factors will be the school you go to and your grades. You have no control over your grades at this point and these schools aren't prestigious enough to make biglaw a likely outcome.

3. If you have anxiety disorder and panic attacks and can't calm them for an LSAT retake, what makes you think you can do it for law school exams?

4. Since you want the south you should go to Emory, but I hope that inheritance can cover at least half of your CoA because having more than 100-120k debt coming out of any of these schools is going to be soulcrushing.

5. If you truly want biglaw, then you really should retake/reapply and settle for no less than the T18 or so.

[lawyerwannabe]

3. If you have anxiety disorder and panic attacks and can't calm them for an LSAT retake, what makes you think you can do it for law school exams?

[rose711]

Hi there TLS!

I'm a long-time lurker, but I'm finally in a position to post. I need some serious help! Here's my situation:

I've been accepted to Iowa, Emory, and W&M (sticker at each, but I'm expecting an inheritance during law school that should help offset some of the cost). My goal is biglaw. I'd prefer if possible to have biglaw in the south, especially Miami (I have a few ties there--my grandparents live there, for one)! But I'd be willing to settle for NYC if that's what it comes to. I guess I have expensive tastes . I'd also like an article III clerkship, and I'm very flexible about where I would do that.

Which of these schools is best with those goals in mind? A few caveats, because I've seen how these threads usually go. First, I won't retake. These are the schools I got into, and I'm happy with it. I went to an ultra elite UG, so I am quite comfortable with my prestige, thankyou! I can't retake the LSAT anymore, as I have an anxiety disorder and I have panic attacks when I take it, which inhibits my performance. Actually I'm very happy with my score, considering. Second, I know that none of these schools can guarantee me biglaw. However, I'm very confident in my ability to work harder and smarter than my classmates at these schools.

Ok, thanks in advance!

1. Please don't set yourself up by assuming that you will work harder and smarter, or be smarter than your classmates. Every single person at your school will be assuming that and all of them will work hard. Just be prepared in advance that you may not get the grades you expect because of the curve.

2. Please make sure that you can deal with your anxiety disorder in law school. Law school is extremely anxiety provoking.

Combining #1 (assumption of doing well) plus #2 (panic attacks) may be an issue for you. I'm just trying to warn you to be prepared. Law school is a completely different experience than undergrad, no matter how prestigious the undergrad was.

I think that from any of those 3 schools you will need to do very well in your class to get biglaw. I am not familiar with the market in the south so I won't comment further.

Good luck!

[edit: I saw these points were already made but I thought I expressed them a bit differently. Or at least I'm reiterating what was explained above.]

[scammedhard]

I would take the inheritance money and stay far away from those debt traps...

[bk1]

1. Please don't set yourself up by assuming that you will work harder and smarter, or be smarter than your classmates. Every single person at your school will be assuming that and all of them will work hard. Just be prepared in advance that you may not get the grades you expect because of the curve.

This cannot be said enough.

[dakatz]

You are setting yourself up for complete and utter failure if you think you have the ability to work harder and smarter than your classmates. Everyone will go in thinking the exact same thing. There is no reason why you are special amongst that group. The moment you underestimate your competition is the moment they have already beaten you. Never go to a school under the assumption that you can outwork your class and finish at the top. 100% of students think they can hit the top 10%. 90% end up being wrong. Law school grades are far too variable to ever be correlated with how hard/smart you work. You could have one bad question and it completely changes your results. Don't assume anything.

[tittsburghfeelers]

Hi there TLS!

I'm a long-time lurker, but I'm finally in a position to post. I need some serious help! Here's my situation:

I've been accepted to Iowa, Emory, and W&M (sticker at each, but I'm expecting an inheritance during law school that should help offset some of the cost). My goal is biglaw. I'd prefer if possible to have biglaw in the south, especially Miami (I have a few ties there--my grandparents live there, for one)! But I'd be willing to settle for NYC if that's what it comes to. I guess I have expensive tastes . I'd also like an article III clerkship, and I'm very flexible about where I would do that.

Which of these schools is best with those goals in mind? A few caveats, because I've seen how these threads usually go. First, I won't retake. These are the schools I got into, and I'm happy with it. I went to an ultra elite UG, so I am quite comfortable with my prestige, thankyou! I can't retake the LSAT anymore, as I have an anxiety disorder and I have panic attacks when I take it, which inhibits my performance. Actually I'm very happy with my score, considering. Second, I know that none of these schools can guarantee me biglaw. However, I'm very confident in my ability to work harder and smarter than my classmates at these schools.

Ok, thanks in advance!

1. Doesn't sound like this is guaranteed.
2. Hope this doesn't mean that you're gonna do something that results in a long prison sentence.

[enron123]

I would have said I'm not debt averse or am receiving significant family help. Saying that you are expecting a loved one to die soon and thats how you will pay for LS? Questionable

If you get anxiety attacks from an exam that you have a good base score for anyway how the hell are you going to deal with LS exams/real life?

[loblaw]

I would have said I'm not debt averse or am receiving significant family help. Saying that you are expecting a loved one to die soon and thats how you will pay for LS? Questionable

Op didn't say they were expecting a loved one to die. They said they were expecting an inheritance. Estate dispersal can take a *long* time--let's not make assumptions.

[TyrodTaylor]

a standard age to receive trusts and things like that is 25... that could be the case

[ahduth]

1. Please don't set yourself up by assuming that you will work harder and smarter, or be smarter than your classmates. Every single person at your school will be assuming that and all of them will work hard. Just be prepared in advance that you may not get the grades you expect because of the curve.

This cannot be said enough.

I'm assuming a bottom 25% exit personally. I'll still be smarter though. (polishes fingernails)

[flcath]

Jesus, TLS, what's with the negativity? OP wasn't even a dick...

(1) Since it's sticker at each and you are cool w/ the south, you should CLEARLY go to Emory over the other two.

(2) At least consider not going to law school. Really, nothing good is happening in the legal industry these days.

(3) This is not my opinion, it's fact: the LSAT is a better predictor (higher r^2) of 1L grades than your undergrad GPA. My opinion aligns with this: I'd much rather be intelligent than hard-working here at law school.

(4) Biglaw won't be that hard to get out of Emory; the school's rep hasn't changed, they've just had some bad OCIs which will improve while you're there. Top third grades-wise will be competitive, w/ maybe a quarter of the class actually getting Biglaw/A3 clerkships.

(5) Don't talk in real life about how you'd like an Article III clerkship. At least not until you make law review.