Top Law Schools

I have been accepted to New Hampshire School of Law, St. Louis Law, Syracuse, Rutgers-Newark and have been wait listed at Oklahoma, Hofstra, and Marquette. I was wondering if anyone could lend their opinions on what the best school would be, as far as money is concerned UNH has offered me 15k but other then that not many scholarships. I appreciate your advice

Don't go to any of these schools. If you must, go where you get scholarship money.

chiwachiwa wrote:Don't go to any of these schools. If you must, go where you get scholarship money.

Why do you say this?

Which part?

There is a substantial risk you won't be able to find a legal job from any of these schools. It needs to be emphasized that I mean ANY legal job, not just some "models and bottles" biglaw-type job. Many of the students from these schools are strapped with crushing debt and graduate with no job.

Getting a higher score on the LSAT can drastically improve your chances at getting into schools with better placement for graduates. Retaking the LSAT is probably the best advice you can get from TLS.

JVN30 wrote:I have been accepted to New Hampshire School of Law, St. Louis Law, Syracuse, Rutgers-Newark and have been wait listed at Oklahoma, Hofstra, and Marquette. I was wondering if anyone could lend their opinions on what the best school would be, as far as money is concerned UNH has offered me 15k but other then that not many scholarships. I appreciate your advice

Where are you from? These schools are all very local.

I know, personally, people from syracuse doing well, as well as, RU-N that do well in North Jersey/New York. Plus- you can get RU-N in state scholly all 3 years bc it is almost as easy as saying you live in NJ to admissions face-to-face

bdole2 wrote:

JVN30 wrote:I have been accepted to New Hampshire School of Law, St. Louis Law, Syracuse, Rutgers-Newark and have been wait listed at Oklahoma, Hofstra, and Marquette. I was wondering if anyone could lend their opinions on what the best school would be, as far as money is concerned UNH has offered me 15k but other then that not many scholarships. I appreciate your advice

Where are you from? These schools are all very local.

I grew up in Oklahoma and know a lot of people there, I went Stony Brook for my undergrad on Long Island, and right now am living in New Hampshire

Scottie2Hottie wrote:I know, personally, people from syracuse doing well, as well as, RU-N that do well in North Jersey/New York. Plus- you can get RU-N in state scholly all 3 years bc it is almost as easy as saying you live in NJ to admissions face-to-face

Define "doing well"

JVN30 wrote:

bdole2 wrote:

JVN30 wrote:I have been accepted to New Hampshire School of Law, St. Louis Law, Syracuse, Rutgers-Newark and have been wait listed at Oklahoma, Hofstra, and Marquette. I was wondering if anyone could lend their opinions on what the best school would be, as far as money is concerned UNH has offered me 15k but other then that not many scholarships. I appreciate your advice

Where are you from? These schools are all very local.

I grew up in Oklahoma and know a lot of people there, I went Stony Brook for my undergrad on Long Island, and right now am living in New Hampshire

Decide where you want to work after LS. Go to school there. None of these schools will place outside their immediate geographic region.

Syracuse is the best school on your list. You better be prepared to live in northern New York for the long haul and the chances of not getting a very good job, if any, are very very real.

Retake if possible

Scottie2Hottie wrote:I know, personally, people from syracuse doing well, as well as, RU-N that do well in North Jersey/New York. Plus- you can get RU-N in state scholly all 3 years bc it is almost as easy as saying you live in NJ to admissions face-to-face

Really hate these anecdotal success stories that give hope to people who in reality have a small chance of replicating said success.

noleknight16 wrote:Syracuse is the best school on your list. You better be prepared to live in northern New York for the long haul and the chances of not getting a very good job, if any, are very very real.

Retake if possible

I disagree with this and I know I asked for opinions but OU is ranked much better then Syracuse, is much cheaper (Syracuse would run me 60k a year), and I worked in a successful medical malpractice firm in OKC which was made up of OU graduates.

What's your GPA/LSAT? Any reason why retake is not an option?

chiwachiwa wrote:

Scottie2Hottie wrote:I know, personally, people from syracuse doing well, as well as, RU-N that do well in North Jersey/New York. Plus- you can get RU-N in state scholly all 3 years bc it is almost as easy as saying you live in NJ to admissions face-to-face

Define "doing well"

Know a Syracuse alum working lit boutique in DC and another who owns his own practice with multiple offices. Also, 3 RU-N grads, one is "Biglaw" and the other 2 work for small firms with average salary, but with instate tuition not a bad deal. Of course they could be lucky (idk where they finished). Any where you go you need to do well, bottom line, if you do well enough at most regional schools and keep your debt low as possible you should be alright.

Scottie2Hottie wrote:

chiwachiwa wrote:

Scottie2Hottie wrote:I know, personally, people from syracuse doing well, as well as, RU-N that do well in North Jersey/New York. Plus- you can get RU-N in state scholly all 3 years bc it is almost as easy as saying you live in NJ to admissions face-to-face

Define "doing well"

Know a Syracuse alum working lit boutique in DC and another who owns his own practice with multiple offices. Also, 3 RU-N grads, one is "Biglaw" and the other 2 work for small firms with average salary, but with instate tuition not a bad deal. Of course they could be lucky (idk where they finished). Any where you go you need to do well, bottom line, if you do well enough at most regional schools and keep your debt low as possible you should be alright.

This is wrong. You can finish below median at Columbia and the odds are still in your favor for getting biglaw. Compare that to some law schools were you can finish top 10% and still have a very good chance of striking out at OCI.

Richie Tenenbaum wrote:

Scottie2Hottie wrote:

chiwachiwa wrote:

Scottie2Hottie wrote:I know, personally, people from syracuse doing well, as well as, RU-N that do well in North Jersey/New York. Plus- you can get RU-N in state scholly all 3 years bc it is almost as easy as saying you live in NJ to admissions face-to-face

Define "doing well"

Know a Syracuse alum working lit boutique in DC and another who owns his own practice with multiple offices. Also, 3 RU-N grads, one is "Biglaw" and the other 2 work for small firms with average salary, but with instate tuition not a bad deal. Of course they could be lucky (idk where they finished). Any where you go you need to do well, bottom line, if you do well enough at most regional schools and keep your debt low as possible you should be alright.

This is wrong. You can finish below median at Columbia and the odds are still in your favor for getting biglaw. Compare that to some law schools were you can finish top 10% and still have a very good chance of striking out at OCI.

didnt mean schools far beyond the level of schools OP is deciding between genius. thanks for stating the obvious though, clears things up

Scottie2Hottie wrote:

Richie Tenenbaum wrote:

Scottie2Hottie wrote:
Know a Syracuse alum working lit boutique in DC and another who owns his own practice with multiple offices. Also, 3 RU-N grads, one is "Biglaw" and the other 2 work for small firms with average salary, but with instate tuition not a bad deal. Of course they could be lucky (idk where they finished). Any where you go you need to do well, bottom line, if you do well enough at most regional schools and keep your debt low as possible you should be alright.

This is wrong. You can finish below median at Columbia and the odds are still in your favor for getting biglaw. Compare that to some law schools were you can finish top 10% and still have a very good chance of striking out at OCI.

didnt mean schools far beyond the level of schools OP is deciding between genius. thanks for stating the obvious though, clears things up

This is why the advice of "retake," while being repetitive at times, is usually very spot-on. Why? Because OP does not need to be limited to his current list of schools if he puts in the effort to get a higher score!

JVN30 wrote:

noleknight16 wrote:Syracuse is the best school on your list. You better be prepared to live in northern New York for the long haul and the chances of not getting a very good job, if any, are very very real.

Retake if possible

I disagree with this and I know I asked for opinions but OU is ranked much better then Syracuse, is much cheaper (Syracuse would run me 60k a year), and I worked in a successful medical malpractice firm in OKC which was made up of OU graduates.

You asked for opinions. Yeah, if you want to like in Oklahoma, it's the best choice in your list. Overall, Syracuse is the best school (and that's not saying much).

Oklahoma is ranked 82 and Syracuse is 96. There's really no difference in those rankings so you gotta decide which is better on personal views and desires. You gave none in your post so I applied my own.

In order, this is what I suggest:

1) retake
2) seriously, retake
3) Oklahoma because you have contacts there (if you get in)
4) Rutgers
5) Syracuse

Ignore the others on your list, and please please please attempt to negotiate for scholarships. Please.

spleenworship wrote:In order, this is what I suggest:

1) retake
2) seriously, retake
3) Oklahoma because you have contacts there (if you get in)
4) Rutgers
5) Syracuse

Ignore the others on your list, and please please please attempt to negotiate for scholarships. Please.

I pretty much agree with this, but would have done 3 retakes rather than 2.

Based on your contacts & experience, Oklahoma seems to be the most promising for your future job prospects, in my opinion.

Scottie2Hottie wrote:

chiwachiwa wrote:

Scottie2Hottie wrote:I know, personally, people from syracuse doing well, as well as, RU-N that do well in North Jersey/New York. Plus- you can get RU-N in state scholly all 3 years bc it is almost as easy as saying you live in NJ to admissions face-to-face

Define "doing well"

Know a Syracuse alum working lit boutique in DC and another who owns his own practice with multiple offices. Also, 3 RU-N grads, one is "Biglaw" and the other 2 work for small firms with average salary, but with instate tuition not a bad deal. Of course they could be lucky (idk where they finished). Any where you go you need to do well, bottom line, if you do well enough at most regional schools and keep your debt low as possible you should be alright.

4 whole people who are doing well, and 2 who are doing average? Where do I sign?

This sounds completely directionless. How did you come upon this group of schools? You really need a plan before you set off to law school. There isn't one here.

Studying up and retaking is the only intelligent option you have. None of those schools are worth anything close to what you'll pay for them. Your odds of failing to find good work and being financially ruined by crushing debt are very high with any of those schools.