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mikeseltz wrote:I'm considering applying to Belmont Law during the next admissions cycle and I'm reaching out to the wisdom of crowds for help making a decision.

Here's my unique, non-trad situation. I'm just about to get out of the Army and will eventually use the GI Bill to attend law school and get an MBA. Cost is not a concern. My day job career goal is to become a legal professional (general attorney, contracting officer, etc) in one of the branches of the U.S. Government. Starting salary is not a concern. With veterans hiring preference, my only requirement to get a federal law job is a law degree and bar admission in any state. Prestige, employment statistics, and location are not a concern.

The primary reason I want to attend Belmont is to become an entrepreneur in music business (festival organizer, record label, artist management, booking agency, etc). It seems that the specialized curriculum, alumni network, and name brand in the entertainment industry makes Belmont uniquely suited to my interests and goals. Although many could reasonably argue that law and business degrees aren't necessary for a career in the entertainment industry, it seems to me that they are very useful and maximize one's opportunities. In addition to being able to be everything to my clients, I would also be able to invent, or be an early adopter of, the newest and most profitable business models in the entertainment industry. In addition to the typical entertainment law and music business curriculum in the JD and MBA programs, I would also be able to take some music recording technology courses at Belmont.

So, TLS, given my situation and goals, does Belmont sound like a good choice?

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kwais wrote:Belmont actually has a really good program in Federal Music Festivals. Sounds like it's right up your alley. I think you should go.

mikeseltz wrote:The primary reason I want to attend Belmont is to become an entrepreneur in music business (festival organizer, record label, artist management, booking agency, etc). It seems that the specialized curriculum, alumni network, and name brand in the entertainment industry makes Belmont uniquely suited to my interests and goals. Although many could reasonably argue that law and business degrees aren't necessary for a career in the entertainment industry, it seems to me that they are very useful and maximize one's opportunities. In addition to being able to be everything to my clients, I would also be able to invent, or be an early adopter of, the newest and most profitable business models in the entertainment industry. In addition to the typical entertainment law and music business curriculum in the JD and MBA programs, I would also be able to take some music recording technology courses at Belmont.

Band A Long wrote:

kwais wrote:Belmont actually has a really good program in Federal Music Festivals. Sounds like it's right up your alley. I think you should go.

LOL.

timbs4339 wrote:A federal attorney position is not likely from a school like Belmont even with veteran's preference. These positions are highly competitive and from what I understand tend to discount or eschew the veteran's preference in favor of more traditional legal hiring factors like school rank and grades. JAG is not really even a possibility- I know a veteran from a top 6 school who struck out at JAG.

There are a lot of positions in the federal government that aren't attorney positions, but are the same pay grade and require or prefer a law degree and bar membership. Many fed jobs hire prior feds or military exclusively. I'm not interested in JAG or staying in the Army.

mikeseltz wrote:The primary reason I want to attend Belmont is to become an entrepreneur in music business (festival organizer, record label, artist management, booking agency, etc). It seems that the specialized curriculum, alumni network, and name brand in the entertainment industry makes Belmont uniquely suited to my interests and goals. Although many could reasonably argue that law and business degrees aren't necessary for a career in the entertainment industry, it seems to me that they are very useful and maximize one's opportunities. In addition to being able to be everything to my clients, I would also be able to invent, or be an early adopter of, the newest and most profitable business models in the entertainment industry. In addition to the typical entertainment law and music business curriculum in the JD and MBA programs, I would also be able to take some music recording technology courses at Belmont.

Forgive me for being blunt, but none of this really makes any sense. You are speaking in generalities and it sounds like you cobbled together a bunch of statements from school promotional materials. A law degree, especially from a school lightly regarded like Belmont, is not a backdoor into the entertainment industry. That will take years of hustling around bars and concert venues, signing up acts, and hoping one strikes it big. Unless you have a plan for exactly what you are going to do with the law degree that will better help you achieve your goals, do not waste your time and the GI Bill on Belmont.

mikeseltz wrote:As long as I'm a member of the bar with a law degree, I can get a federal law job and pursue music on the side.

tfleming09 wrote:

mikeseltz wrote:As long as I'm a member of the bar with a law degree, I can get a federal law job and pursue music on the side.

LA FLAMA BLANCA

kalvano wrote:LOL at not caring about prestige for federal hiring.

mikeseltz wrote:

kalvano wrote:LOL at not caring about prestige for federal hiring.

From what I've been told by federal recruiters, as long as I meet the qualifications of the position, my veterans preference trumps all else except someone with more veterans preference. My understanding is that any exceptions are illegal.

Veterans preference doesn't apply to positions above GS-12, SES, or the judicial and legislative branches.

tfleming09 wrote:

mikeseltz wrote:As long as I'm a member of the bar with a law degree, I can get a federal law job and pursue music on the side.

LA FLAMA BLANCA

rad lulz wrote:The white flame?

mikeseltz wrote:

kalvano wrote:LOL at not caring about prestige for federal hiring.

From what I've been told by federal recruiters, as long as I meet the qualifications of the position, my veterans preference trumps all else except someone with more veterans preference. My understanding is that any exceptions are illegal.

IAFG wrote:I love threads like this. "Assume a bunch of things that aren't true. I am not open to evidence refuting my assumptions. Is this a good plan?"

rad lulz wrote:

IAFG wrote:I love threads like this. "Assume a bunch of things that aren't true. I am not open to evidence refuting my assumptions. Is this a good plan?"

Assuming I become a GC to a F500 corporation or a Wachtell partner, is law school a good idea?

rad lulz wrote:

IAFG wrote:I love threads like this. "Assume a bunch of things that aren't true. I am not open to evidence refuting my assumptions. Is this a good plan?"

Assuming I become a GC to a F500 corporation or a Wachtell partner, is law school a good idea?

timbs4339 wrote:

mikeseltz wrote:

kalvano wrote:LOL at not caring about prestige for federal hiring.

From what I've been told by federal recruiters, as long as I meet the qualifications of the position, my veterans preference trumps all else except someone with more veterans preference. My understanding is that any exceptions are illegal.

Veterans preference doesn't apply to positions above GS-12, SES, or the judicial and legislative branches.

Fed attorney jobs are excepted service positions and are not required to automatically hire veterans over non-veterans. While it will provide a boost, this will be trumped by the competitive nature of federal government hiring right now and the low job prospects of a Belmont degree. With a degree from Belmont, you are not getting hired as a federal government attorney over a kid from say, Vandy, with no veteran's preference.

Even if your scenario was true 1) there are a ton of veterans at much higher ranked law schools who want these jobs, 2) they can set position "qualifications" at anything they like, including "excellent academic record" which allows them to use grades/law school as factors.

mikeseltz wrote:

timbs4339 wrote:

mikeseltz wrote:

kalvano wrote:LOL at not caring about prestige for federal hiring.

From what I've been told by federal recruiters, as long as I meet the qualifications of the position, my veterans preference trumps all else except someone with more veterans preference. My understanding is that any exceptions are illegal.

Veterans preference doesn't apply to positions above GS-12, SES, or the judicial and legislative branches.

Fed attorney jobs are excepted service positions and are not required to automatically hire veterans over non-veterans. While it will provide a boost, this will be trumped by the competitive nature of federal government hiring right now and the low job prospects of a Belmont degree. With a degree from Belmont, you are not getting hired as a federal government attorney over a kid from say, Vandy, with no veteran's preference.

Even if your scenario was true 1) there are a ton of veterans at much higher ranked law schools who want these jobs, 2) they can set position "qualifications" at anything they like, including "excellent academic record" which allows them to use grades/law school as factors.

It's true that federal attorney jobs are excepted service and are therefore hard to come by for anyone. However, there are a lot of legal jobs in the federal government that start at $60-$75k and are in the competitive service, where veterans preference does apply such as contracting officer, paralegal, policy/program analyst and many others where legal skills are considered very useful but the position itself is only tangentially related to law. Again, I emphasize my goal isn't to be a federal attorney, just to make the same amount of money I'm making now, stay in one place, have a cool side job in music business, put in my 40 and call it good.