Rutgers Newark v. U. of Maryland Forum

[Nick18]

Could use some advice from everyone! I am not really sure what type of law I would like to go into; I definitely don't need BigLaw to be happy.. I live in New Jersey now and I am perfectly content working here, although I would not be opposed to working in Maryland either. I would love to work in NYC but I realize that it is a long shot at either school. I am sort of leaning towards Rutgers Newark just because of the in state discount, but I also realize that Maryland is ranked significantly higher. How does U. of Maryland place in the NJ market? If I wanted to work in NJ, does it make any sense to go to U. of Maryland even though the ranking is much higher? I would be an out of state student the first year at Maryland, but the two years after that I could get in state discount and the tuition would be about the same at both schools. Can anyone help me with this decision?

[bk1]

Ranking is irrelevant. You want to work in NJ, go to Rutgers.

[timbs4339]

Rutgers.

[top30man]

Ranking is irrelevant. You want to work in NJ, go to Rutgers.

Where is that trolly Linsanity guy to say that Maryland places better in NJ than rutgers? But seriously OP, NJ loves the rutgers brand. If you want to work there it's not even close.

[kaiser]

Oddly enough, I know someone who had this same choice between RU Newark and Maryland. She knew she wanted to work in NJ, yet she decided to go to the school with the higher ranking. She now tells me that it was the worst choice she ever made. She finished top 20% at Maryland, can't get a single interview back in NJ, and just barely managed to find some small firm work in Baltimore. She is now stuck in Maryland, watching her loans skyrocket even as she makes whatever payments she can. She was never able to establish Maryland residency (despite the school's promises), so her loans are insanely high.

Moral of the story: Outside of the national schools, geography matters just as much if not more than rank. You want to work in NJ, so unless you are going to some top top school outside of NJ, your best bet is to stay in state. The in-state tuition only sweetens the deal. U Maryland is a foreign concept in NJ. Firms in NJ are very insular and are FILLED with RU and Seton Hall kids. Your prospects in Jersey are likely shot if you leave for anything other than a top school. Ignore the rankings, and don't be fooled into thinking that Maryland is "better" than Rutgers, especially when it comes to NJ.

[SnappleLlama]

If you want to practice in NJ, definitely go to the school that would endear you to the legal denizens of NJ. It's not like Rutgers is Cooley Law (or even Collie Law, which specializes in advocating the rights of Border Collies).

Rutgers is a decent school; don't let the US Gnus and World Report pseudo-stats give you pause (or paws, if you're an aforementioned Border Collie).

[romothesavior]

Total COA of each?

[Yazzinit]

Here's one: What if you don't care where you practice? Let's also put COA roughly the same ballpark, where a couple dollars here or there isn't enough to make up numbers about. Anyone know the employment statistics (as in, better reported ones besides from U.S. News or school websites) of Maryland's placement in MD (and lesser extent DC) versus R-N's placement in NJ? I'm curious. Thanks

[romothesavior]

Here's one: What if you don't care where you practice? Let's also put COA roughly the same ballpark, where a couple dollars here or there isn't enough to make up numbers about. Anyone know the employment statistics (as in, better reported ones besides from U.S. News or school websites) of Maryland's placement in MD (and lesser extent DC) versus R-N's placement in NJ? I'm curious. Thanks

My next question would be, where are you from?

[Yazzinit]

Here's one: What if you don't care where you practice? Let's also put COA roughly the same ballpark, where a couple dollars here or there isn't enough to make up numbers about. Anyone know the employment statistics (as in, better reported ones besides from U.S. News or school websites) of Maryland's placement in MD (and lesser extent DC) versus R-N's placement in NJ? I'm curious. Thanks

My next question would be, where are you from?

NY, but like I said, I'd be open to practicing anywhere. I'm guessing you're basing it off of possibly since I didn't grow up in those areas it'd be even tougher for me? I don't even have an NY job in my mind with these schools since that's not possible, hence why I'm open to practicing in the states they're locating in. I just wanted to find an assessment of MD/small chance of DC area job market vs north NJ R-N job market. Just looking for some honest outside opinions. Thanks again

Edit: Found out R-N gives instate if you sign a 12 month lease before classes start. R-N at instate vs UMD out of state would be the choice then, and I'm assuming R-N in state is the easy call here?

[Easy-E]

Here's one: What if you don't care where you practice? Let's also put COA roughly the same ballpark, where a couple dollars here or there isn't enough to make up numbers about. Anyone know the employment statistics (as in, better reported ones besides from U.S. News or school websites) of Maryland's placement in MD (and lesser extent DC) versus R-N's placement in NJ? I'm curious. Thanks

My next question would be, where are you from?

NY, but like I said, I'd be open to practicing anywhere. I'm guessing you're basing it off of possibly since I didn't grow up in those areas it'd be even tougher for me? I don't even have an NY job in my mind with these schools since that's not possible, hence why I'm open to practicing in the states they're locating in. I just wanted to find an assessment of MD/small chance of DC area job market vs north NJ R-N job market. Just looking for some honest outside opinions. Thanks again

Edit: Found out R-N gives instate if you sign a 12 month lease before classes start. R-N at instate vs UMD out of state would be the choice then, and I'm assuming R-N in state is the easy call here?

Yes. Assuming you want to work in NJ, which isn't as bad as people would lead you to believe, though I live in the 'burbs so what the fuck do I know.

[romothesavior]

NY, but like I said, I'd be open to practicing anywhere. I'm guessing you're basing it off of possibly since I didn't grow up in those areas it'd be even tougher for me? I don't even have an NY job in my mind with these schools since that's not possible, hence why I'm open to practicing in the states they're locating in. I just wanted to find an assessment of MD/small chance of DC area job market vs north NJ R-N job market. Just looking for some honest outside opinions. Thanks again

Edit: Found out R-N gives instate if you sign a 12 month lease before classes start. R-N at instate vs UMD out of state would be the choice then, and I'm assuming R-N in state is the easy call here?

Given how horrible the NJ market is right now, I would not go to Rutgers absent a scholarship in the full ride neighborhood.

[Yazzinit]

NY, but like I said, I'd be open to practicing anywhere. I'm guessing you're basing it off of possibly since I didn't grow up in those areas it'd be even tougher for me? I don't even have an NY job in my mind with these schools since that's not possible, hence why I'm open to practicing in the states they're locating in. I just wanted to find an assessment of MD/small chance of DC area job market vs north NJ R-N job market. Just looking for some honest outside opinions. Thanks again

Edit: Found out R-N gives instate if you sign a 12 month lease before classes start. R-N at instate vs UMD out of state would be the choice then, and I'm assuming R-N in state is the easy call here?

Given how horrible the NJ market is right now, I would not go to Rutgers absent a scholarship in the full ride neighborhood.

That's also what I'm trying to find out. I know the legal market as a whole sucks now, oversaturated, etc. But, is there a way to see really how each area is? School websites of course are quite inflated with their numbers and LST doesn't give enough detail. Is there a way to see how markets are for each region?