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Grew up in Seattle, mom's family lives in Denver and both parents are from there. I like the mountain west and wouldn't mind living there, but also want a realistic option of getting a job in the pacific northwest if I want to pursue one.

CU is attractive because it's cheaper (w/ scholarship) and has a strong environmental law program. UW is ranked higher in general, but is more expensive and less well regarded in terms of environmental law. What do you think?

Disregard environmental law rankings. If you want to go into environmental law, enjoy defending big oil from mass tort litigation - which is where the jobs and money are. PI/plaintiff side environmental groups aren't really hiring.

Given the circumstances I'd have to say CU, but only because UW is totally not worth it at sticker price. What's the total cost of attendance at each and what is your GPA/LSAT?

Would you get in-state tuition at UW? Could you live at home while you went there? If yes to both then UW seems like a good choice.

Don't worry about environmental law. Surely UW has good professors over there as well. Those rankings are established by faculty ranking other faculty in certain areas, so basically that means that that CU has some environmental law professors that publish a bunch and are well regarded by other faculty in the field. Not sure how this is really going to help you get a job in environmental law, although surely an argument could be made. Also, as I think fleming alluded to, the people that graduate CU and practice environmental law either make 40k helping the planet or 100k+ ruining it, so keep that in mind.

You just need to pick between UW and CU based on where you want to practice law. CU's way cheaper, so if your poor I'd go there no matter what.

UW b/c Seattle>>>>>>>Denver

How much total debt for each (tuition + cost of living)?

crit_racer wrote:UW b/c Seattle>>>>>>>Denver

No way man, Denver's a cool city. Not knocking Seattle but Denver has way better sports (you lost your NBA team to OKC...), weather (we have like 270 more days of sun than you do), and outdoor activities.

Both States are gorgeous, but Washington is probably prettier on the whole unless like the plains, and most don't.

crit_racer wrote:UW b/c Seattle>>>>>>>Denver

This is hilariously subjective.

tfleming09 wrote:Disregard environmental law rankings. If you want to go into environmental law, enjoy defending big oil from mass tort litigation - which is where the jobs and money are. PI/plaintiff side environmental groups aren't really hiring.

Given the circumstances I'd have to say CU, but only because UW is totally not worth it at sticker price. What's the total cost of attendance at each and what is your GPA/LSAT?

I would get in state at UW, so my total cost would be 129k. Total cost at CU w/ scholarship would be 114k. I would have to maintain a 2.9 to keep the scholarship. I have 95k saved, so for CU my debt would be 19k and for UW 34k. My GPA is 3.73 and my LSAT is 165.

I'm not completely wedded to the idea of environmental law, particularly because I'm worried about the only available jobs involving defending polluters. One of the reasons cost concerns me, though, is that I would like to mimimize my debt so that I have the option of taking a non-profit/public interest job. Of course, that's assuming that there will be any of them available...

skronk wrote:

tfleming09 wrote:Disregard environmental law rankings. If you want to go into environmental law, enjoy defending big oil from mass tort litigation - which is where the jobs and money are. PI/plaintiff side environmental groups aren't really hiring.

Given the circumstances I'd have to say CU, but only because UW is totally not worth it at sticker price. What's the total cost of attendance at each and what is your GPA/LSAT?

I would get in state at UW, so my total cost would be 129k. Total cost at CU w/ scholarship would be 114k. I would have to maintain a 2.9 to keep the scholarship. I have 95k saved, so for CU my debt would be 19k and for UW 34k. My GPA is 3.73 and my LSAT is 165.

I'm not completely wedded to the idea of environmental law, particularly because I'm worried about the only available jobs involving defending polluters. One of the reasons cost concerns me, though, is that I would like to mimimize my debt so that I have the option of taking a non-profit/public interest job. Of course, that's assuming that there will be any of them available...

In that case, disregard what I said about going to CU if you are poor.

Do you want to practice in Washington or Colorado? Ignore rankings. From what you said earlier I think you'd rather live in Washington. I'd go to UW.

Lord Randolph McDuff wrote:
In that case, disregard what I said about going to CU if you are poor.

Do you want to practice in Washington or Colorado? Ignore rankings. From what you said earlier I think you'd rather live in Washington. I'd go to UW.

I second this. Just go to wherever you want to work long term since cost is a lot less of a factor.