Top Law Schools

3/4 scholarship at Alabama (40% stipulation) vs. ~5/8 at Richmond (no gpa stipulation). Cost of living difference negligible, but Richmond will end up costing me more, assuming I keep the scholarship at Bama. Not sure where I want to work. Somewhere in the South or DC (some connections in the latter location). WWTLSD?

Cheers.

TLS would say Alabama, primarily because it is ranked higher.

I'm not sure of the job prospects between the two.

The most significant factor probably is where you want to live & work after law school. Since you are undecided/open as to location, visit both schools & decide based on your comfort level with each.

Good advice. Anyone have any idea as to degree transferability between the two? Theoretically Bama's would be better, yes?

On the other hand - and just playing Lucifer's Lawyer here - would preferably like to not get shafted with law school debt following year 1 if I don't place top 40%. Thinkin out loud.

GentlemanJim wrote:Good advice. Anyone have any idea as to degree transferability between the two? Theoretically Bama's would be better, yes?

On the other hand - and just playing Lucifer's Lawyer here - would preferably like to not get shafted with law school debt following year 1 if I don't place top 40%. Thinkin out loud.

Transferability? Virginia is a crowded legal market, and thus I doubt Alabama would carry much weight there; on the other hand, Richmond is pretty unknown and would not carry much weight in Alabama.

I wouldn't go to Alabama if I didn't want to work in Alabama/Georgia/Tennessee/Mississippi (particularly Alabama), and I would not go to Richmond if I didn't want to work in Virginia (non-DC).

What is the total cost of attendance for each assuming you lose the scholarship to Alabama?

I'm cool with living any of those places, although SC would be more likely due to some contacts down there.

Anyway, based on my cursory calculations I would estimate roughly 41 (Bama) v. 27.5 (Richmond). Pretty unscientific, but there ya go.

GentlemanJim wrote:I'm cool with living any of those places, although SC would be more likely due to some contacts down there.

Anyway, based on my cursory calculations I would estimate roughly 41 (Bama) v. 27.5 (Richmond). Pretty unscientific, but there ya go.

I'm curious as to what a scientific math calculation would look like.

Anyway, it looks like Alabama is the winner here based on where you want to be.

GentlemanJim wrote:I'm cool with living any of those places, although SC would be more likely due to some contacts down there.

A couple friends of mine are from SC and went to UGA. They are finding it almost impossible to go back. Almost no one will talk to them because they didn't go to USC. Tiny and insular market.

That's disconcerting. I refuse to live in Columbia though.

I'd go with 'Bama. USNWR employment stats at graduation are 60% for Richmond, 73% for Alabama. Some say its just 13%, but to me, employment figures are everything. The two schools might equal out at the nine month mark, but there is a lot of gerrymandering going on around then (temp hires, etc). Also, barring being the exception to the rule, Richmond probably isn't a good enough school to get you into the DC area. However, if you like Virginia and you don't mind competing against the onslaught of UVa and DC grads, then Richmond might be the ideal choice for you.