Creating the best lawyer Forum

[cmartin5970]

I live in NC and have a 3.5 GPA with a 163 LSAT. I have applied to all the NC Law schools except for Duke. I was wondering what anybody knew about which school makes the best court-room lawyer. I do not want to work as a politician or corporate law, but instead more public interest as a public defender or for Legal Aid.

These are the schools I applied:

UNC
WFU
NCCU
Elon
Campbell
Richmond
Charlotte

[jackattack17]

For PI, with those numbers, and assuming you're IS, there is no other choice than UNC. Go Heels.

[cmartin5970]

Ive talked to a few alumni of NCCU and a few other lawyers around here and they all said that NCCU may not have the prestige but they create the best court-room lawyers and if my goals are to work as a public defender or something along those lines it would be my best choice due to the low low cost of tuition, the training and the relative reputation in the state of NC

[biglaw$]

they create the best court-room lawyers

You have got to be kidding me.

[biglaw$]

UNC (maybe)
WFU
NCCU
Elon
Campbell
Richmond
Charlotte

[dstars823]

UNC (maybe)
WFU
NCCU
Elon
Campbell
Richmond
Charlotte

+1

UNC or WFU with $$$$ but with your stats there really is no other better choice than UNC especially if we are talking sticker

[Grizz]

makes the best court-room lawyer

No law school does a good job of this.

[moandersen]

Ive talked to a few alumni of NCCU and a few other lawyers around here and they all said that NCCU may not have the prestige but they create the best court-room lawyers and if my goals are to work as a public defender or something along those lines it would be my best choice due to the low low cost of tuition, the training and the relative reputation in the state of NC

These alum you spoke with are obviously biased. TCR is UNC easy. In-state tuition is insanely cheap and you get the 'prestige' you certainly do not get with central.

[dstars823]

Ive talked to a few alumni of NCCU and a few other lawyers around here and they all said that NCCU may not have the prestige but they create the best court-room lawyers and if my goals are to work as a public defender or something along those lines it would be my best choice due to the low low cost of tuition, the training and the relative reputation in the state of NC

These alum you spoke with are obviously biased. TCR is UNC easy. In-state tuition is insanely cheap and you get the 'prestige' you certainly do not get with central.

+1

[vanwinkle]

Ive talked to a few alumni of NCCU and a few other lawyers around here and they all said that NCCU may not have the prestige but they create the best court-room lawyers and if my goals are to work as a public defender or something along those lines it would be my best choice due to the low low cost of tuition, the training and the relative reputation in the state of NC

These alum you spoke with are obviously biased. TCR is UNC easy. In-state tuition is insanely cheap and you get the 'prestige' you certainly do not get with central.

+1

[dextermorgan]

I live in NC and have a 3.5 GPA with a 163 LSAT. I have applied to all the NC law schools except for Duke. I was wondering what anybody knew about which school makes the best court-room lawyer. I do not want to work as a politician or corporate law, but instead more public interest as a public defender or for Legal Aid.

These are the schools I applied:

UNC
WFU
NCCU
Elon
Campbell
Richmond
Charlotte

WF is well known for being a litigation powerhouse. UNC is known for being PI focused. The rest aren't worth going to.

Edit: WF isn't worth going to at sticker (as opposed to UNC in state), but no one goes there at sticker.

[biglaw$]

WF is well known for being a litigation powerhouse lulz

[Veyron]

No school creates good courtroom lawyers. Look for one with a bunch of clinics in crim law and that gives a lot of credit for externships so you can learn courtroom advocacy in the field.

[vanwinkle]

No school creates good courtroom lawyers. Look for one with a bunch of clinics in crim law and that gives a lot of credit for externships so you can learn courtroom advocacy in the field.

This. Even one semester/summer of clinic or internship experience taught me more than I've learned in nearly three years of law school. I managed to learn a lot quickly by doing clinics and finding places to volunteer and earn pro bono hours.

[CanadianWolf]

UNC, WFU & NCCU.

[biglaw$]

UNC, WFU & NCCU.

[CanadianWolf]

I don't think that OP is seeking biglaw.

[biglaw$]

I don't think that OP is seeking biglaw.

That's probably a good thing considering UNC isn't exactly a perennial biglaw recruiting hub. Be that as it may, UNC is the only school worth attending out of the ones OP mentioned.

[moandersen]

UNC, WFU & NCCU.

I feel like with all your posts you would have somewhat legit things to say, but your answer says otherwise....

/mini rant

WF is hardly a lit powerhouse. The courses offered tend to be more lit focused than transactional, so maybe thats what you meant.

full disclosure: WF 2L

[Bronte]

Maybe someone should explain to cmartin5970 that the issue is not which law school "creates the best lawyer" but which law school provides the most law students with legal jobs. I think OP's a little in the dark about a number of basic TLS assumptions, like the fact that the legal market is in the shitter.

[Veyron]

Maybe someone should explain to cmartin5970 that the issue is not which law school "creates the best lawyer" but which law school provides the most law students with legal jobs. I think OP's a little in the dark about a number of basic TLS assumptions, like the fact that the legal market is in the shitter.

Wanting to be a trial lawyer is a very different proposition than getting most other jobs. Obviously OP needs to go somewhere where he doesn't pay a penny because aiming to be a trial lawyer is a crapshoot but otherwise, the normal recruiting rules don't apply.

[Flappy Scribbleneck]

UNC, WFU & NCCU.

I feel like with all your posts you would have somewhat legit things to say, but your answer says otherwise....

/mini rant

WF is hardly a lit powerhouse. The courses offered tend to be more lit focused than transactional, so maybe thats what you meant.

full disclosure: WF 2L

I have read some not-nice-things on TLS about WF, but according to the Go To Schools List, Wake does a better job than UNC of biglaw placement - I would be curious to hear from a WF student - care to comment moandersen?

[Bronte]

Maybe someone should explain to cmartin5970 that the issue is not which law school "creates the best lawyer" but which law school provides the most law students with legal jobs. I think OP's a little in the dark about a number of basic TLS assumptions, like the fact that the legal market is in the shitter.

Wanting to be a trial lawyer is a very different proposition than getting most other jobs. Obviously OP needs to go somewhere where he doesn't pay a penny because aiming to be a trial lawyer is a crapshoot but otherwise, the normal recruiting rules don't apply.

Criminal defense can be extremely competitive. In this market, getting any full time, JD-required job is competitive because it qualifies you for LRAP programs. Thus, students displaced from better schools inside and outside of any given market are clamoring for JD required jobs.

On another note, being a trial attorney is not a rare thing among those who actually do practice law. It's true that many people hold the misconception that being a lawyer means going to court. It's also true that even among "trial attorneys," the majority of cases settle and the majority of work is out of court. But that shouldn't lead to the opposite misconception that few lawyers are trial attorneys.

[moandersen]

UNC, WFU & NCCU.

I feel like with all your posts you would have somewhat legit things to say, but your answer says otherwise....

/mini rant

WF is hardly a lit powerhouse. The courses offered tend to be more lit focused than transactional, so maybe thats what you meant.

full disclosure: WF 2L

I have read some not-nice-things on TLS about WF, but according to the Go To Schools List, Wake does a better job than UNC of biglaw placement - I would be curious to hear from a WF student - care to comment moandersen?

I don't want to derail the thread. Post in the Ask a Law Student wf thread and you should get some good responses. Big law is def obtainable from wf

[dextermorgan]

WF is well known for being a litigation powerhouse lulz

Lol, out of state idiot.