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So I have recently been accepted off of the waitlist at Vanderbilt. I have already been accepted at Tulane, with a large amount of $$$, but not full tuition. I'm not sure what Vanderbilt will give me, but I will only probably will have a day to decide once they complete the processing of my package. I currently live in New Orleans. I'm interested in IP/Internet/Tech law, and I am not sure where I want to practice. How much of a premium do ya'll think it is worth to go to Vandy over Tulane?

I'm assuming you have the prerequisite technical background for IP.

How much debt would you be looking at from Tulane? Do want to work outside of LA?

About 70-80k the best I can determine. If I don't stay in New Orleans, I would probably be working outside of LA.

drywallr wrote:About 70-80k the best I can determine. If I don't stay in New Orleans, I would probably be working outside of LA.

Vanderbilt at sticker is pretty risky. If New Orleans is your preferred market to work in I would take Tulane. If you really wanted to work elsewhere in the south (or in NYC), I would take Vandy although it is quite the risk.

On the one hand, Vandy is very expensive, no question about it. But you have IP, which mitigates this somewhat, as IP is at least somewhat in demand.

On the other hand, while Tulane is cheaper, you don't seem like you really want to practice in LA.

No choices of intermediate Southern schools, like maybe Emory + $$?

No, I mostly applied to reaches+Tulane. I am still on the waitlist of some T-14s. Would Tulane really be better in job placement than Vandy in New Orleans? I'm also interested in international law.

drywallr wrote:No, I mostly applied to reaches+Tulane. I am still on the waitlist of some T-14s. Would Tulane really be better in job placement than Vandy in New Orleans?

Vandy would probably be better for NO than Tulane if you had ties to NO. However, Vandy isn't worth paying over 100k more than Tulane if your primary goal is to work in NO.

drywallr wrote:I'm also interested in international law.

This is largely a myth and nigh impossible to get out of either of these schools. I would recommend acting like it doesn't exist because that is basically the reality.

I have extensive ties to some countries in latin america, I was born in South America. I figured that would help for international law. Do you think a 100k premium would be worth it to work in a market like Houston or California?

drywallr wrote:I have extensive ties to some countries in latin america, I was born in South America. I figured that would help for international law. Do you think a 100k premium would be worth it to work in a market like Houston or California?

Do you have ties to Houston or CA?

What do you think international law is?

I may be wrong, but isn't Louisiana on the Napoleonic code and so it's significantly more goofy than practicing law elsewhere and hard to go outside of LA if you have the possibility?

I have ties to Houston. I imagine international law to be consulting type of work for NGOs or international law firms working in multiple international jurisdictions.

I used international a lot in my last reply. Wow.

Just because you mentioned "international law"...

You do know that only certain undergrad majors can take the patent bar, right?

And Louisiana still uses some aspects of Napoleonic for select areas of the law like family and certain contracts, but Tulane only offers civil curriculum as an elective. Also most of Louisiana law is now de facto common.

drywallr wrote:I have ties to Houston. I imagine international law to be consulting type of work for NGOs or international law firms working in multiple international jurisdictions.

There aren't a ton of opportunities to work for intl. orgs in a legal capacity. The ones that are there an incredibly hard to get.

As for intl. firms, there is work advising foreign corps. on US deals or doing intl. transactions, but only knowledge American law is required, and for nearly everyone who works in this area, you don't travel or speak a foreign language, you just sit behind a desk in an office in the States like everyone else. Foreign corps. hire your firm for knowledge of American law. If they wanted advice on deals conducted in France, they'd get French lawyers, etc.