Fordham sticker vs. U of Florida in-state Forum

[MilesDavis231]

My numbers are OK, not stellar: 3.7 from a decent undergrad (NYU) and 165 LSAT.
I do not wish to work in Biglaw; I'm interested in government work.
I'm from Florida and my father is a federal government lawyer in that state.
I'd have to take out significant loans for Fordham, but paying for UF would not be a problem.
Fordham= $75,000 a year UF= $16,000

The thing is, I like living in New York and UF, I understand, places pretty poorly (nonexistent-ly) in NY.
I'd be very happy in Miami if I could work there, but three years in Gainesville seems almost like purgatory.
Should I even consider Fordham? It's ranked higher than UF, but UF is the best school in the state while Fordham is the third best school within a five mile radius of itself. I like NY but I don't want to get trapped in a soul-sucking firm job with no hope of escape in order to meet my crazy-ass loan payments.

What do you think?

[checkster]

Florida and it isn't close.

[dingbat]

My numbers are OK, not stellar: 3.7 from a decent undergrad (NYU) and 165 LSAT.
I do not wish to work in Biglaw; I'm interested in government work.
I'm from Florida and my father is a federal government lawyer in that state.
I'd have to take out significant loans for Fordham, but paying for UF would not be a problem.
Fordham= $75,000 a year UF= $16,000

The thing is, I like living in New York and UF, I understand, places pretty poorly (nonexistent-ly) in NY.
I'd be very happy in Miami if I could work there, but three years in Gainesville seems almost like purgatory.
Should I even consider Fordham? It's ranked higher than UF, but UF is the best school in the state while Fordham is the third best school within a five mile radius of itself. I like NY but I don't want to get trapped in a soul-sucking firm job with no hope of escape in order to meet my crazy-ass loan payments.

What do you think?

Let's start with a basic question: Do you want to end up in Florida or in New York?
You can get a job out of Fordham that will allow you meet your loan payments and have a decent life, even without biglaw. However, do realize that living in NYC is different from visiting.
I'm sure some will call BS on this, but, you should think of your decision as a 10 year commitment.
Where do you want to spend the next decase of your life?

Keep in mind that while Fordham is 3rd in NY, the NY legal market is vast.
On that same note, UF may be the best school in FL, but if a T14 graduate is competing for the same job, many employers would gladly take the latter.
Outside of the T-14, they are the best regional school in their specific region.
Based on 2009 empoyment stats (latest available), Fordham places better in NYC than UF places in FL.

[MrAnon]

Don't get so dramatic about where you live for 3 years of law school. Sure its nice to live in NYC, but based on you saying Fordham has cost concerns, you probably can't afford to live in NYC either. law school is a professional decision about your future, no what makes you happy during the next 3 years.

[Brassica7]

Sounds like Florida is the way to go. Fordham does have better employment numbers overall, but I do not think it is worth the crushing debt. Plus, it sounds like you have some good connections to the Florida legal market, which may held in the job search. Why is Florida only $16,000? Are you able to live with family? I would much rather graduate for UF with 50k debt than Fordham with 225k. With Fordham's debt, you basically need biglaw to pay off the loans, so I think FLorida (where a job paying 50k could let you pay off the debt) is the less risky.

Also, like the poster above said, don't focus on the location of the school too much. This is three years of training that will lead to 40 years of work--base the decision around job prospects and debt. If you are studying hard in law school, you probably won't go out that much anyways.

[Bronck]

Florida and it isn't close.