Top Law Schools

Got into Tulane with a 20k/yr scholly, stip is 3.0, parents are gonna cover the rest. Given their employment numbers is it worth it. I'm fine living in LA/TX/OK/AR making 70k+/year

http://www.lstscorereports.com/?school=tulane

I think you should strongly consider LSU as well.

http://www.lstscorereports.com/?school=lsu

I don't know how likely it is that you'd make $70k/yr out of either of these schools, but if you could get that $20k/yr matched at LSU, you'd be going there for free.

cahwc12 wrote:http://www.lstscorereports.com/?school=tulane

I think you should strongly consider LSU as well.

http://www.lstscorereports.com/?school=lsu

I don't know how likely it is that you'd make $70k/yr out of either of these schools, but if you could get that $20k/yr matched at LSU, you'd be going there for free.

You presume that he is a Louisiana resident.

OP: FWIW the curve is a 3.3, so you would have to be in the bottom 25% or so to lose the scholarship (really have it cut in half for a year with a chance to get it back).

Tulane's placement is not great, but not terrible either. If you are dead set on living in New Orleans (permanently) or have Louisiana ties (although for Louisiana outside of NOLA LSU is a better choice) think about Tulane, otherwise look elsewhere (i.e. Bama, Houston) if you just want to live in the south.

dextermorgan wrote:

cahwc12 wrote:http://www.lstscorereports.com/?school=tulane

I think you should strongly consider LSU as well.

http://www.lstscorereports.com/?school=lsu

I don't know how likely it is that you'd make $70k/yr out of either of these schools, but if you could get that $20k/yr matched at LSU, you'd be going there for free.

You presume that he is a Louisiana resident.

OP: FWIW the curve is a 3.3, so you would have to be in the bottom 25% or so to lose the scholarship (really have it cut in half for a year with a chance to get it back).

Tulane's placement is not great, but not terrible either. If you are dead set on living in New Orleans (permanently) or have Louisiana ties (although for Louisiana outside of NOLA LSU is a better choice) think about Tulane, otherwise look elsewhere (i.e. Bama, Houston) if you just want to live in the south.

I don't really see how that matters. Their employment statistics, depending how you interpret them, are either as good or way better; and the COA is $80,000 cheaper. I'm also unsure that Tulane has better placement outside LA than does LSU--my gut says both are about equal, but what's strange about Tulane's stats is that 29% of the employed students have an "unknown" state.

For me, personally, I don't see why anyone would attend any private school outside T-14 without massive merit aid, and especially when the employment prospects are equivalent or worse as compared to a neighboring state school.

Offering $20k/yr only puts Tulane's COA equal to LSU's. And if OP can get $20k/yr from Tulane, he can likely get that matched at LSU or better.

cahwc12 wrote:

dextermorgan wrote:

cahwc12 wrote:http://www.lstscorereports.com/?school=tulane

I think you should strongly consider LSU as well.

http://www.lstscorereports.com/?school=lsu

I don't know how likely it is that you'd make $70k/yr out of either of these schools, but if you could get that $20k/yr matched at LSU, you'd be going there for free.

You presume that he is a Louisiana resident.

OP: FWIW the curve is a 3.3, so you would have to be in the bottom 25% or so to lose the scholarship (really have it cut in half for a year with a chance to get it back).

Tulane's placement is not great, but not terrible either. If you are dead set on living in New Orleans (permanently) or have Louisiana ties (although for Louisiana outside of NOLA LSU is a better choice) think about Tulane, otherwise look elsewhere (i.e. Bama, Houston) if you just want to live in the south.

I don't really see how that matters. Their employment statistics, depending how you interpret them, are either as good or way better; and the COA is $80,000 cheaper. I'm also unsure that Tulane has better placement outside LA than does LSU--my gut says both are about equal, but what's strange about Tulane's stats is that 29% of the employed students have an "unknown" state.

For me, personally, I don't see why anyone would attend any private school outside T-14 without massive merit aid, and especially when the employment prospects are equivalent or worse as compared to a neighboring state school.

Offering $20k/yr only puts Tulane's COA equal to LSU's. And if OP can get $20k/yr from Tulane, he can likely get that matched at LSU or better.

Because out of state students pay $17K off the top at LSU. That means it won't be free even if they match (which they won't, LSU doesn't give very good scholarships to out of state students). Tulane does have better placement out of the state than LSU because 1. they have more alumni scattered around the country and 2. they have a common law curriculum option (whereas LSU, while offering common law classes, is heavily civil law based). As for where the OP is interested: LA is a wash (unless he wants NOLA), TX is a wash (and neither are great options), AR is going to lean to Tulane because they have a lot of alumni there for some reason (although I would still recommend a school in the state), and OK I have no idea about. I never said LSU wasn't a good option, just that he is unlikely to "go for free" unless he is a Louisiana resident.

goblen555 wrote:Got into Tulane with a 20k/yr scholly, stip is 3.0, parents are gonna cover the rest. Given their employment numbers is it worth it. I'm fine living in LA/TX/OK/AR making 70k+/year

Are you from LA or a surrounding state?

Sure, why not? Worst comes to worst, you have fun for three years and get an advanced degree.

OP, I need to know more about you so that I am give you tailored advice (where do you have ties?).

Generally, if you don't have ties to Louisiana, you probably won't get a job outside of the greater New Orleans area. That's important because if you don't have those ties, going to LSU is pointless because employers in Monroe/Shreveport/Baron Rouge won't be particularly interested in you versus people with those ties. This holds true for schools like Ole Miss and Alabama as well. Realize that I'm not saying that it's -impossible- to break this trend and get a job in those cities without ties; I'm simply saying that the odds of getting a job in those areas are stacked heavily against you.

That leaves New Orleans, which seems to be the one city in Louisiana where (1) LSU isn't as competitive and (2) out of state students don't seem particularly disadvantaged here vs. how they are treated in other parts of the state. Tulane, in contrast to LSU, does very well in New Orleans. However, regardless of how well Tulane does there, there are only so many jobs available in the city. Fortunately, most of Tulane's students return to where they have ties to, and that helps significantly with placement.

I asked earlier about ties. If you have ties to somewhere in Louisiana, especially outside of New Orleans, and you were comfortable working in those locations, LSU would be the appropriate choice. If you don't have ties to Louisiana but would consider New Orleans and you have ties to other out of state regions (including the southeast) and would consider returning to them, Tulane. There are other hypothetical situations, but you cannot count on them until you have your grades.

I'm a Tulane Alum, so I can answer specific questions about it if you PM me.

No.

Hell no. They put a stip on that scholarship and it aint even full-ride.

goblen555 wrote:I'm fine living in LA/TX/OK/AR making 70k+/year

LOL, no.

The 43% of Tulane's class that is unemployed would love to be making $40K a year, let alone $70K. That's not to mention that with only ~10% of the class in big law or federal clerkships, a significant portion of the people who are employed are making way less than $70K. You need to adjust your expectations, or, if you want to have a good shot at making more than $70K/year, you need to go to a school that places lots of students into big law firms or prestigious government jobs.

43% unemployed? You know that's not true.

OP, you cannot reasonably expect to make $70k outside of GTown, as it's a laughable notion even at schools ranked as highly as Vanderbilt. Even if you make GTown on up, it's still not guaranteed (as many Virginia/Michigan/Duke grads will tell you).

goblen555 wrote:Got into Tulane with a 20k/yr scholly, stip is 3.0, parents are gonna cover the rest. Given their employment numbers is it worth it. I'm fine living in LA/TX/OK/AR making 70k+/year

Who makes 70k a year as a lawyer? Very few people. You have heard, I'm assuming, of the BIMODAL distribution of salaries in the legal profession. Top grads from top law schools (read: not Tulane) get paid $120-$160. Most others earn $40 to $50k.

Hardly anyone makes $70k.

If you're fine making $40 to $50k, then Tulane is your kind of school.

Didn't want to bring back an old threat but Tulane worth it? No, just no.

somewhatwayward wrote:

goblen555 wrote:I'm fine living in LA/TX/OK/AR making 70k+/year

LOL, no.

The 43% of Tulane's class that is unemployed would love to be making $40K a year, let alone $70K. That's not to mention that with only ~10% of the class in big law or federal clerkships, a significant portion of the people who are employed are making way less than $70K. You need to adjust your expectations, or, if you want to have a good shot at making more than $70K/year, you need to go to a school that places lots of students into big law firms or prestigious government jobs.

17% are unemployed.

nebula666 wrote:

somewhatwayward wrote:

goblen555 wrote:I'm fine living in LA/TX/OK/AR making 70k+/year

LOL, no.

The 43% of Tulane's class that is unemployed would love to be making $40K a year, let alone $70K. That's not to mention that with only ~10% of the class in big law or federal clerkships, a significant portion of the people who are employed are making way less than $70K. You need to adjust your expectations, or, if you want to have a good shot at making more than $70K/year, you need to go to a school that places lots of students into big law firms or prestigious government jobs.

17% are unemployed.

Only 140 out of 241 graduates have full-time, long-term jobs that require bar passage and only 24 of these people are at either mid or big law firms.

TooOld4This wrote:

nebula666 wrote:

somewhatwayward wrote:

goblen555 wrote:I'm fine living in LA/TX/OK/AR making 70k+/year

LOL, no.

The 43% of Tulane's class that is unemployed would love to be making $40K a year, let alone $70K. That's not to mention that with only ~10% of the class in big law or federal clerkships, a significant portion of the people who are employed are making way less than $70K. You need to adjust your expectations, or, if you want to have a good shot at making more than $70K/year, you need to go to a school that places lots of students into big law firms or prestigious government jobs.

17% are unemployed.

Only 140 out of 241 graduates have full-time, long-term jobs that require bar passage and only 24 of these people are at either mid or big law firms.

He said 43% of their class is unemployed. That isn't true.

nebula666 wrote:

TooOld4This wrote:
Only 140 out of 241 graduates have full-time, long-term jobs that require bar passage and only 24 of these people are at either mid or big law firms.

He said 43% of their class is unemployed. That isn't true.

True. He should have said 43% aren't employed in jobs that required that 3 year degree or the cost of tuition and in that 43% the 17% don't have jobs at all are included. He could have also mentioned that Tulane neglects to disclose salary info, likely because less than 10% of the class makes anywhere near six figures (and looking at the breakdown, I'm guessing 50k is more than the median salary).