Going to Law School in Florida: Want to Practice in MA after Forum

[Miami781]

I live in Massachusetts going to a competitive private liberal arts undergrad college within the state.
I want to go to law school in Florida, either Miami, FSU, or Florida , but after graduation want to return to Massachusetts, take the Bar, hopefully pass, then practice here. I do want to live in Florida for good some day but after Law school do want to return back up North for my first job or so.

My question is would this be reasonable to believe I could go to a FSU or Miami then return up north to work.

Thanks

[MrPapagiorgio]

Changed my mind

[NoleinNY]

I live in Massachusetts going to a competitive private liberal arts undergrad college within the state.
I want to go to law school in Florida, either Miami, FSU, or Florida , but after graduation want to return to Massachusetts, take the Bar, hopefully pass, then practice here. I do want to live in Florida for good some day but after Law school do want to return back up North for my first job or so.

My question is would this be reasonable to believe I could go to a FSU or Miami then return up north to work.

Thanks

No.

Unless you have a guaranteed job lined up and all you need is a law degree from anywhere, don't go to a FL school (whether FSU, UM, or UF) if you don't plan on living and working in the South.

If not Harvard, aim for BC/BU (or some other NE T30).

[monkey85]

Anything is possible, but you will be putting more pressure on yourself to be a top performer at your Florida school in order for the MA firms to look at you.

If you know that you want to be in MA, I would suggest choosing from BU, BC, and (if an option) Harvard.

What is the draw to FL?

[Miami781]

I always wanted to do undergrad in Florida, ended up staying in Massachusetts, was hoping I could at least get 3 years down there getting my Law Degree.

I plan on applying to those 3 Florida Schools as well as

BU , Northeastern, and Suffolk

No way with a 3.5 I am getting into Harvard or BC

[HeavenWood]

Anything is possible, but you will be putting more pressure on yourself to be a top performer at your Florida school in order for the MA firms to look at you.

If you know that you want to be in MA, I would suggest choosing from BU, BC, and (if an option) Harvard.

What is the draw to FL?

I don't think this is necessarily true with strong ties. Then again, if you're sure you want to work in MA and can't get into a T14, why shouldn't you go to law school there?

[2014]

I really doubt that a Boston firm is going to take a UF/FSU/Miami/Stetson grad at median whose ties to the area are they went to UG there. If you even get interviews through mass mailing (because none of the firms will be at any of those OCIs) the first question they will probably ask you is "Why did you go to Florida for law school?" and your answer to that could very well undermine your connection to the city. Plus when you consider that they have probably 400 resumes rolling in from BU/BC/Harvard right in their back yard and maybe that many more from the other T14s that are close, I just don't see how you could ever be competitive without something killer on your resume that they can't resist.

The only way I would go to a Florida school in your case is if I had some sort of job lined up or an "In" to at least get an interview at a firm you like or if I was willing to work in probably Florida and at least the south.

[NoleinNY]

I always wanted to do undergrad in Florida, ended up staying in Massachusetts, was hoping I could at least get 3 years down there getting my Law Degree.

I plan on applying to those 3 Florida Schools as well as

BU ,Northeastern, and Suffolk

No way with a 3.5 I am getting into Harvard or BC

Northeastern and Suffolk are too weak to consider. Work hard for the LSAT, try to shoot for the 170s and get some kind of scholly at BU. Also consider some other T14/T30s that are in the Northeast like Cornell, GT, GW, etc. Hell, maybe even Fordham since you have those ties to MA.

Long story short: Bust your ass for the LSAT and then consider your options.

[monkey85]

No way with a 3.5 I am getting into Harvard or BC

While Harvard may be out, you can still get into BC and BU with that GPA.

Also consider some other T14/T30s that are in the Northeast like Cornell, GT, GW, etc.

+1 - I don't go to school in Boston but will be an SA there and went to one of those Northeast schools.

[071816]

I always wanted to do undergrad in Florida, ended up staying in Massachusetts, was hoping I could at least get 3 years down there getting my Law Degree.

I plan on applying to those 3 Florida Schools as well as

BU , Northeastern, and Suffolk

No way with a 3.5 I am getting into Harvard or BC

You don't go to law school to have fun in a new place. That's what undergrad is for. Go where you will have the best chance at getting a job in your desired region.

Going to law school in FL hoping to eventually work in MA is an atrocious idea.

Also this:

Long story short: Bust your ass for the LSAT and then consider your options.

[ggocat]

My question is would this be reasonable to believe I could go to a FSU or Miami then return up north to work.

With really good grades, yes. But your long-term goal of returning to Florida after practicing for some time in MA is probably less realistic. It becomes harder to switch states the longer you are into your career (unless, maybe, you work for the federal government).

[mrtoren]

Don't waste your time or money on any Florida apps. Like others have said, you missed out on your chance to have some fun in the sun. Without some serious connections, OCI will be a VITAL lifeline to getting a job and MA firms will not be at any Florida schools. And if you think cold calls will save you, stop right there. They rarely cut it these days. Focus on BU.

[Rock Chalk]

.

[ggocat]

OCI will be a VITAL lifeline to getting a job

On-campus recruitment has always been given more hype that it deserves. . . . Less than one-fourth of all students get a job through OCI.

http://www.nationaljurist.com/content/e ... al-job-now

20-25% isn't bad, but OCI doesn't work out for most students. OCI in a preferred market is certainly a factor to consider. More important, however, is that going to school in the student's preferred market will allow a student to build a network and work during the school year at a smaller firm. Unless OP can go to school significantly cheaper in FL (where scholarship money seems to be more plentiful compared to MA), staying local is ideal.

[dixiecupdrinking]

Take two years off. Go be a bartender in Miami. Study for the LSAT during the day. Take it a year in advance, study more and retake if you don't do as well as you could the first time. Get a 170, go to a T14, arrive tanned and refreshed, rock 1L year while your peers spent the summer before indoors reading Getting To Maybe.

Do not go to law school in Florida.

[YourCaptain]

Take two years off. Go be a bartender in Miami. Study for the LSAT during the day. Take it a year in advance, study more and retake if you don't do as well as you could the first time. Get a 170, go to a T14, arrive tanned and refreshed, rock 1L year while your peers spent the summer before indoors reading Getting To Maybe.

Do not go to law school in Florida.

This is some of the best advice I have ever seen on TLS

[Icculus]

Take two years off. Go be a bartender in Miami. Study for the LSAT during the day. Take it a year in advance, study more and retake if you don't do as well as you could the first time. Get a 170, go to a T14, arrive tanned and refreshed, rock 1L year while your peers spent the summer before indoors reading Getting To Maybe.

Do not go to law school in Florida.

This is some of the best advice I have ever seen on TLS

[Miami781]

this is amazing. I might just do this

[JamMasterJ]

Take two years off. Go be a bartender in Miami. Study for the LSAT during the day. Take it a year in advance, study more and retake if you don't do as well as you could the first time. Get a 170, go to a T14, arrive tanned and refreshed, rock 1L year while your peers spent the summer before indoors reading Getting To Maybe.

Do not go to law school in Florida.

This is some of the best advice I have ever seen on TLS

completely agree

[dixiecupdrinking]

Take two years off. Go be a bartender in Miami. Study for the LSAT during the day. Take it a year in advance, study more and retake if you don't do as well as you could the first time. Get a 170, go to a T14, arrive tanned and refreshed, rock 1L year while your peers spent the summer before indoors reading Getting To Maybe.

Do not go to law school in Florida.

This is some of the best advice I have ever seen on TLS

completely agree

Just two cents from a 2L who took some time off; I'm glad I didn't go straight from undergrad but do wish I did something like this with part of that time instead of working an office job. If you want to go live somewhere different and sunny and beautiful, no question you should go do it; you don't get these years back. But you also only get one shot at law school. Take your time and go to school when you're ready, at a school that makes sense for the right reasons. Don't compromise on both fronts (because I don't know about you, but living in Gainesville and studying civ pro does not really sound like the ideal Florida experience to me, and it isn't going to make you employable where you want to be in the long run).