AHH I don't know what to do! (Umaine or Rutgers Newark) Forum

[navy_jag]

I'm from New Jersey, but I don't necessarily want to live there. I've been accepted into Rutgers Newark (free ride). And UMaine, almost all of my tuition covered.

It seems employment stats from Rutgers are a bit better than UMaine, yet I don't want to live in Jersey.... Based off of 2010 employment stats for Maine it seems as if only 48% of the class went into private practice. . . This seems pretty low. Is there something I'm missing here?

What do you guys think? Median salary for Rutgers Newark is much higher as well.

I'd like to do JAG, yet I know it's so competitive that I can't count on it. I guess the question boils down to where would I like to practice when I graduate. . . and the answer to that is Maine/New England. Yet it seems as if graduating from UMaine there's still a decent chance I could end up unemployed.

Is there anything else I should consider? (Other than not going to LS at all, set myself up for that one).

[cpinker3]

If it was me personally, I would pick Rutgers Newark with the free ride over UMaine any day for several reasons. First, because Rutgers Newark is higher ranked in US news than UMaine (I guess I'm a ranking whore like most TLSers) Next, You have the free ride at Rutgers vs paying some tuition at Umaine. Either place you would be having to pay living expenses so it would be more practical to use what money that would be paying for tuition at Umaine for living cost in Jersey. Finally if I were you I would pick Jersey over Maine because even though you do not want to stay in Jersey, Rutgers would have better networking and job placement than Maine (especially in New York and the surrounding states) and because you are from Jersey you probably have family/friends you could fall back on during hard times if you couldn't find a job right out of law school.

As for the JAG program I wish you the best of luck if that is where life leads you. I am considering it too after law schools, however I was talking to a family friend who is a Navy JAG recruiter and he was saying as of right now JAG is only accepting around 4% of the applicants, which means that unless your family is well connected with high ranking JAG officers most of the slots would be filled with people coming out of the higher ranked schools unless you can be around the top 15% of your class and even then its almost a coin toss to get in.

[navy_jag]

If it was me personally, I would pick Rutgers Newark with the free ride over UMaine any day for several reasons. First, because Rutgers Newark is higher ranked in US news than UMaine (I guess I'm a ranking whore like most TLSers) Next, You have the free ride at Rutgers vs paying some tuition at Umaine. Either place you would be having to pay living expenses so it would be more practical to use what money that would be paying for tuition at Umaine for living cost in Jersey. Finally if I were you I would pick Jersey over Maine because even though you do not want to stay in Jersey, Rutgers would have better networking and job placement than Maine (especially in New York and the surrounding states) and because you are from Jersey you probably have family/friends you could fall back on during hard times if you couldn't find a job right out of law school.

As for the JAG program I wish you the best of luck if that is where life leads you. I am considering it too after law schools, however I was talking to a family friend who is a Navy JAG recruiter and he was saying as of right now JAG is only accepting around 4% of the applicants, which means that unless your family is well connected with high ranking JAG officers most of the slots would be filled with people coming out of the higher ranked schools unless you can be around the top 15% of your class and even then its almost a coin toss to get in.

Thanks so much for your reply, this feedback is great! Anything anyone else can add would be greatly appreciated. Isn't it true though that the NJ legal market is especially crappy? Although Maine's is a different type of market, I read that they have a smaller surplus of lawyers to jobs. I'm wondering if this is something I should consider as well.

[ralph_pootawn]

retake. If not, Rutgers. Much better alumni network and name recognition.

[navy_jag]

retake. If not, Rutgers. Much better alumni network and name recognition.

Cool.

These are the two I've narrowed it down to after factoring cost and ranking.

[navy_jag]

trying to go on-the-cheap.

[navy_jag]

More votes!

[rad lulz]

.

[navy_jag]

retake. If not, Rutgers. Much better alumni network and name recognition.

This, plus you're from NJ. Legal hiring has a pretty big homer bias, and you may get treated like an outsider in Maine.

I'll def consider what your saying. I was reading what you were writing about this in another thread. . . makes sense. I'm heading to both schools in a week. I'll see which one gives me a warm/fuzzy.

[IAFG]

retake. If not, Rutgers. Much better alumni network and name recognition.

This, plus you're from NJ. Legal hiring has a pretty big homer bias, and you may get treated like an outsider in Maine.

I'll def consider what your saying. I was reading what you were writing about this in another thread. . . makes sense. I'm heading to both schools in a week. I'll see which one gives me a warm/fuzzy.

Oh jesus christ. No. That's not how you pick out a professional school. It's not fucking college. Fuck.

[rad lulz]

.

[NYC Law]

Rutgers is really the only way to go if you want a shot at a decent job. Plus it's cheaper.

Either do that and suck it up, maybe move to a different part of NJ, or retake until you can get into BU/BC with some money.

[navy_jag]

Rutgers is really the only way to go if you want a shot at a decent job. Plus it's cheaper.

Either do that and suck it up, maybe move to a different part of NJ, or retake until you can get into BU/BC with some money.

Cool.

[NYC Law]

Rutgers is really the only way to go if you want a shot at a decent job. Plus it's cheaper.

Either do that and suck it up, maybe move to a different part of NJ, or retake until you can get into BU/BC with some money.

Cool.

42% of UMaine 09 grads got full time bar required jobs. Don't go to umaine.

Code: Select all

http://www.lawschooltransparency.com/clearinghouse/?school=maine&show=charts&class=2009

[stillwater]

retake. If not, Rutgers. Much better alumni network and name recognition.

This, plus you're from NJ. Legal hiring has a pretty big homer bias, and you WILL get treated like an outsider in Maine.

Edited.

[dixiecupdrinking]

There is really no good reason to relocate to Maine for law school.