I want to be a... Forum

[Prosecutar]

Hello, before anyone replies about over saturated job market and T-14 attending only, Please read the information below:

I am currently an undergrad student studying finance at a very recognizable school in NYC. I have various banking/accounting internship exposure and a GPA that fluctuates between 3.6 and 3.7.

I DO NOT know how my LSAT looks like because I have never taken a practice test or real test. However I practice timing section 1-2 per day. If it helps my score overall fluctuates between 149-158 for now.

I have my mind set on attending law school after college. However I will not be doing so for the big law position straight out of school. I am very interested in obtaining either a judicial clerkship or getting a job as a prosecutor right after graduating from law school.


Can anyone advise what would be good steps for me to take in order to make that dream come true? I have looked at Brooklyn law, Seton Hall, Rutgers Newark that report amazing clerkship and public service(not to be confused with public interest)placements; However I find more and more posts during my research on the internet that constantly "shit" for the lack of a better word, on these schools. Plus recent employment stats of only 73% in Brooklyn law are scary to look at as well.

Can anyone recommend any schools that are very well known for placing their students into public service/judicial clerkships upon graduation? Preferable states where I would like to practice law once are graduate include, but not- limited to: New York, New Jersey, Pensylvania, Illinois, Massachusets and California.

Thank you in advance and apologeze for any confusion caused

[Br3v]

Your next step to get yourself closer to your goal is to study for the LSAT, keep a strong GPA, and get into the best/most affordable school you can. Honestly.

[Prosecutar]

Thank you for your replies.

It is very generalized answers however. Can anyone maybe point out some legit school names that have good placement in the categories I described in my question?

[justonemoregame]

NYU and Columbia

[dingbat]

Hello, before anyone replies about over saturated job market and T-14 attending only, Please read the information below:

I am currently an undergrad student studying finance at a very recognizable school in NYC. I have various banking/accounting internship exposure and a GPA that fluctuates between 3.6 and 3.7.

I DO NOT know how my LSAT looks like because I have never taken a practice test or real test. However I practice timing section 1-2 per day. If it helps my score overall fluctuates between 149-158 for now.

I have my mind set on attending law school after college. However I will not be doing so for the big law position straight out of school. I am very interested in obtaining either a judicial clerkship or getting a job as a prosecutor right after graduating from law school.


Can anyone advise what would be good steps for me to take in order to make that dream come true? I have looked at Brooklyn law, Seton Hall, Rutgers Newark that report amazing clerkship and public service(not to be confused with public interest)placements; However I find more and more posts during my research on the internet that constantly "shit" for the lack of a better word, on these schools. Plus recent employment stats of only 73% in Brooklyn law are scary to look at as well.

Can anyone recommend any schools that are very well known for placing their students into public service/judicial clerkships upon graduation? Preferable states where I would like to practice law once are graduate include, but not- limited to: New York, New Jersey, Pensylvania, Illinois, Massachusets and California.

Thank you in advance and apologeze for any confusion caused

I can't comment on most of this, but make sure that in your research you distinguish between federal and state clerkships. My impression is that places like Seton Hall and Rutgers are going to place their students as clerks in state-level trial courts (there seem to be a TON of state-level trial clerkships in NJ). I'm not knocking state clerkships (I did one), but these positions are (generally) very low paid and do not open the door to future employment opportunities the way federal clerkships do. They also don't require/hone the same kind of writing/research skills as state appellate or federal clerkships. Schools outside of the T-14 that advertise "amazing" clerkship placements are almost never talking about federal clerkships, and hence their placement numbers can be quite misleading.

NJ is an exception to the common wisdom that state clerkships don't lead to other opportunities. I don't know about PI/PS, but I do know that what passes for biglaw here hires most of their fresh associates from state clerks, not grads.

That being said, OP should not consider Rutgers or Seton Hall unless absolutely committed to NJ (and Rutgers is better for public service) AND be aware that the job market, especially for public service, is terrible. This state has 3 times as many law schools as it needs and a cost-cutting governer mandating a hiring freeze

[timbs4339]

You said you don't want a biglaw position straight out of school. Unfortunately, unless you are planning to get a federal judicial clerkship or a job as a DOJ prosecutor or maybe state AG in financial or consumer crimes, it is unlikely you will ever get biglaw. If you want to get on the biglaw track at some point, then you have to get on early.

If you are fine handling lower level criminal stuff, then your goal should be to minimize debt and I wouldn't go to any school lower than Brooklyn and wouldn't go to Brooklyn for more than $10K per year.

[Tiago Splitter]

Please don't let your desire to work in public interest serve as an excuse to get a poor LSAT score. The LSAT is just as important for someone like you as it is for someone who is BigLaw or bust because for you it will be the primary tool in minimizing debt.