Capital University vs. Saint Louis University??? Forum

[jefffog]

Which is the best choice. I currently live in columbus and most of my family is within 2hrs driving. is st louis that much better than capital? what are reasons to either go or stay?

[bk1]

Hope this helps:

http://top-law-schools.com/forums/viewt ... 9#p4314664

[jefffog]

thanks for the reply, but i already know im going to one of those 2 schools, its just a matter of figuring out which is going to be more beneficial (internship/job opportunities, better academics...etc)

[TommyK]

thanks for the reply, but i already know im going to one of those 2 schools, its just a matter of figuring out which is going to be more beneficial (internship/job opportunities, better academics...etc)

He was referring to #3, I imagine.

Go where you want to practice.

[romothesavior]

What is a Capital University? I've never even heard of it.

Don't go to SLU if you're not from St. Louis. And for Christ's sakes, don't be like one of the hundreds of other SLUsters that pick it for "health law," or w/e the hell that is.

[bk1]

Whichever one is cheaper or whichever is for the area you want to practice. SLU is a better school (it places about 15-20% more of its graduates into full time lawyer jobs compared to Capital, source: http://www.lawschooltransparency.com), however Capital is a better school for Columbus. If you want to work in Columbus then Capital, if you want to work in St. Louis then SLU.

That being said, I sincerely hope you are not taking out over $100,000 in debt to go to either of these schools and that any scholarships you are getting do not have stipulations on them. I also would advice that if you really want to practice in Ohio that you retake and reapply. Capital doesn't even place half of its graduates into full time lawyer jobs which makes it a ridiculous gamble to go there.

[Case2L]

I cannot speak for SLU, but I can advise you not to attend Capital, or any Ohio law school that is not OSU, Case, or Cincy (and among those you should only attend with money or in-state tuition). I'm sure someone on here will say "Capital places well in Columbus," and then proceed to give some anecdotal story of their friend's roommate's brother's cousin's cat who attended Capital and got a job, but there are nine - count 'em nine - law schools in Ohio and not nearly enough jobs to absorb all of the JD's these schools pump out every year. Capital places in Columbus merely because it is in Columbus; that does not mean in places well. Even if you have solid grades, you will still be fighting for the scraps left over by Ohio's better schools.

[romothesavior]

I cannot speak for SLU, but I can advise you not to attend Capital, or any Ohio law school that is not OSU, Case, or Cincy (and among those you should only attend with money or in-state tuition). I'm sure someone on here will say "Capital places well in Columbus," and then proceed to give some anecdotal story of their friend's roommate's brother's cousin's cat who attended Capital and got a job, but there are nine - count 'em nine - law schools in Ohio and not nearly enough jobs to absorb all of the JD's these schools pump out every year. Capital places in Columbus merely because it is in Columbus; that does not mean in places well. Even if you have solid grades, you will still be fighting for the scraps left over by Ohio's better schools.

I don't know a lot about the Ohio market, but this is almost certainly true. Too many schools and graduates, not enough jobs... certainly a recurring theme. Ohio ain't exactly a bustling legal market, either.

As for SLU, I don't go there, but I currently live in STL and I go to the other STL school. SLU is a decent enough school if you are from here. Most of the attorneys I work with this summer are SLU people, and most government and small firm folks are SLU grads. I'd even go so far to say that there is a bit of a SLU bias in St. Louis outside of the big firms. But if you're not from St. Louis or the surrounding area, forget it. The reason the school places decently in St. Louis is because the people who go there have connections. Overall, the law school class is way too big for them to place most of their students into the so-so St. Louis legal market, and unless you destroy your classes, you won't have the grades to go elsewhere.

So it sounds like your answer to this question is neither.