Top Law Schools

UNC is cheapest as I have in state tuition and some scholarship but I'd really like to hear thoughts on the schools not based on cost.
I don't want to stay in NC after school and I want to do government/public interest work after law school,most likely in DC, but I'd like to keep my regional options open so I want a school with national, not just regional, pull.
Any opinions on whether I'd be better off possibly performing higher in a class at somewhere like UNC (although that's certainly not a guarantee) vs lower performance at the higher ranked schools (also not a guarantee)?

Kennedy22 wrote:UNC is cheapest as I have in state tuition and some scholarship but I'd really like to hear thoughts on the schools not based on cost.

1) Since cost is/should be the biggest factor at regional schools, this is retarded.

Kennedy22 wrote:I don't want to stay in NC after school

2) Then UNC is out

Kennedy22 wrote:I want to do government/public interest work after law school,most likely in DC, but I'd like to keep my regional options open so I want a school with national, not just regional, pull.

3) Then all of these schools are incompatible with your goals and given criteria

Kennedy22 wrote:Any opinions on whether I'd be better off possibly performing higher in a class at somewhere like UNC (although that's certainly not a guarantee) vs lower performance at the higher ranked schools (also not a guarantee)?

4) Totally impossible to say, which is why this is something that would be dumb to count on.

All of this leads me to my final question: any retakes left?

I am just a 0L, also NC resident, but my older brother is a BC Law grad, turned down UNC and Wake because he wanted out of NC after grad and he ended up in DC. He has had no problems (4 years out). His advice for me during my cycle was to choose my school in the market I want to work in focus on employment. Just my .02.

Id go BC. He had no complaints and he was just above median.

What is your projected cost and/or debt at the 3 schools?

The advice of going to a school in the market is sound, but none of these schools are in your desired market.

Do you have scholarships for BC or WUSTL?

Neither of these schools truly have national reach. You might have a shot at DC through BC, but that would have to be through connections. If your not satisfied working in the Midwest or Boston, I wouldn't go either here.

BC for biglaw or generally, unless:
WUSTL if you want to stay around WUSTL.
UNC if you want to stay in NC.

tfleming09 wrote:

Kennedy22 wrote:UNC is cheapest as I have in state tuition and some scholarship but I'd really like to hear thoughts on the schools not based on cost.

1) Since cost is/should be the biggest factor at regional schools, this is retarded.

Kennedy22 wrote:I don't want to stay in NC after school

2) Then UNC is out

Kennedy22 wrote:I want to do government/public interest work after law school,most likely in DC, but I'd like to keep my regional options open so I want a school with national, not just regional, pull.

3) Then all of these schools are incompatible with your goals and given criteria

Kennedy22 wrote:Any opinions on whether I'd be better off possibly performing higher in a class at somewhere like UNC (although that's certainly not a guarantee) vs lower performance at the higher ranked schools (also not a guarantee)?

4) Totally impossible to say, which is why this is something that would be dumb to count on.

All of this leads me to my final question: any retakes left?

Agree 100%.

Elston Gunn wrote:

tfleming09 wrote:

Kennedy22 wrote:UNC is cheapest as I have in state tuition and some scholarship but I'd really like to hear thoughts on the schools not based on cost.

1) Since cost is/should be the biggest factor at regional schools, this is retarded.

Kennedy22 wrote:I don't want to stay in NC after school

2) Then UNC is out

Kennedy22 wrote:I want to do government/public interest work after law school,most likely in DC, but I'd like to keep my regional options open so I want a school with national, not just regional, pull.

3) Then all of these schools are incompatible with your goals and given criteria

Kennedy22 wrote:Any opinions on whether I'd be better off possibly performing higher in a class at somewhere like UNC (although that's certainly not a guarantee) vs lower performance at the higher ranked schools (also not a guarantee)?

4) Totally impossible to say, which is why this is something that would be dumb to count on.

All of this leads me to my final question: any retakes left?

Agree 100%.

I hate people on TLS. They are complete idiots.

I'm considering Wash U and BC, so I understand your confusion. But I will probably choose BC because I prefer Boston. Wash U is so nice that its tough to turn down. But i know I can be happy in Mass and I'm not sure about ST Louis.

bluesky11 wrote:
I hate people on TLS. They are complete idiots.

I'm considering Wash U and BC, so I understand your confusion. But I will probably choose BC because I prefer Boston. Wash U is so nice that its tough to turn down. But i know I can be happy in Mass and I'm not sure about ST Louis.

Tell me what was wrong with my analysis, good sir.

tfleming09 wrote:

bluesky11 wrote:
I hate people on TLS. They are complete idiots.

I'm considering Wash U and BC, so I understand your confusion. But I will probably choose BC because I prefer Boston. Wash U is so nice that its tough to turn down. But i know I can be happy in Mass and I'm not sure about ST Louis.

Tell me what was wrong with my analysis, good sir.

Sorry. That was supposed to be a pm (I wasn't paying any attention to what I was doing).

Anyway, I understand what you're trying to say. But saying that BC and Wash U are incompatible with the OP's goals is a little hyperbolic.

bluesky11 wrote:
Sorry. That was supposed to be a pm (I wasn't paying any attention to what I was doing).

Anyway, I understand what you're trying to say. But saying that BC and Wash U are incompatible with the OP's goals is a little hyperbolic.

OP wants to do PI work in DC and wants a school with a national reach. These schools aren't PI powerhouses, they are expensive since they appear to be at sticker, and all place regionally.

The most important thing, if you're not attending a top school, is to go to a school in the region you want to practice in AND keep debt low, especially for PI work. Taking out 200k in loans only to hope to find a qualifying LRAP position or rely on IBR/PSLF is dumb. PI work worth doing has been hit harder than big law and is harder to get.

I didn't say these are shitty schools. They're not. But they're not good choices in this situation.