New York Employment-Minnesota VS. lower ranked NY schools Forum

[Vpassarelli]

I am a New York resident that would like to remain in NY after law school. In the region, I've been accepted to Hofstra and St. John's (waiting to hear from Cornell) and yesterday got into Minnesota.

Since it is ranked so much higher, would attending Minnesota give me better options in NY after graduation? Not necessarily in "BigLaw" but the market in general?

Or, in this case, is it better to attend a NY school even if the ranking isn't as high?

Any help appreciated! Thanks.

[empyreanrrv]

It looks like Minnesota "can" get you back to New York, but I think the general rule of thumb is to always choose a school in the region you plan to practice. What are the stipulations on your scholarships at Hofstra and St. John's? What would be the total CoA for your three schools? What are your numbers?

[Vpassarelli]

Hofstra: 40k/year St. Johns: 35k/year both have top 40% stips. I would stay where I am and commute to both of those schools.

I think I'll get money from Minnesota, but I just got in yesterday and my admissions packet with that info didnt come yet, but they're estimating around $61,000 COA.

I am a 167/2.6 with 5 Years WE and a Masters with a 3.97. I am not going to re-take and when it comes to NY I want corporate law (which I know is hard to get), but would be satisfied as an ADA in Manhattan or something to that effect. Also got into Maryland and was WaitListed at Notre Dame and Brooklyn.

[romothesavior]

As before, the answer is retake.

[empyreanrrv]

Neither of the two New York schools are good, but you have a large scholarship and if you are prepared to drop out, the only thing you'll lose is time. St. Johns seems to place a little bit better than Hofstra-- if you aren't going to retake the LSAT you might as well go to St. John's and drop out after the first year if you aren't in the top 5%, cause biglaw isn't happening. If you are going to pull the trigger, at least be prepared to pull the plug too.

[star fox]

Are you able to sit out a cycle and shoot for a higher LSAT?

Trying to crack NY in a non-T14 non-New York school or anything below Fordham within the area is going to be major challenge.

[somewhatwayward]

I am not going to re-take and when it comes to NY I want corporate law (which I know is hard to get), but would be satisfied as an ADA in Manhattan or something to that effect. Also got into Maryland and was WaitListed at Notre Dame and Brooklyn.

Manhattan DA's office is as competitive as big law. The other boroughs' DA's offices are not far behind. This is not a backup option, especially since there have been lots of cuts recently. I see a lot of 'oh I wil be satisfied with an 80K/year mid-law job' or 'oh i will be satisfied with an ADA position.' These statements demonstrate extreme ignorance of the legal hiring market. If you can say to yourself 'oh I will be satisifed with 40K/year in insurance defense or a non-law job' then you show that you understand a bad, but unfortunately likely, outcome from the schools you are considering.

[Paul Campos]

I am not going to re-take and when it comes to NY I want corporate law (which I know is hard to get), but would be satisfied as an ADA in Manhattan or something to that effect. Also got into Maryland and was WaitListed at Notre Dame and Brooklyn.

Manhattan DA's office is as competitive as big law. The other boroughs' DA's offices are not far behind. This is not a backup option, especially since there have been lots of cuts recently. I see a lot of 'oh I wil be satisfied with an 80K/year mid-law job' or 'oh i will be satisfied with an ADA position.' These statements demonstrate extreme ignorance of the legal hiring market. If you can say to yourself 'oh I will be satisifed with 40K/year in insurance defense or a non-law job' then you show that you understand a bad, but unfortunately likely, outcome from the schools you are considering.

[Cobretti]

I am not going to re-take and when it comes to NY I want corporate law (which I know is hard to get), but would be satisfied as an ADA in Manhattan or something to that effect. Also got into Maryland and was WaitListed at Notre Dame and Brooklyn.

Manhattan DA's office is as competitive as big law. The other boroughs' DA's offices are not far behind. This is not a backup option, especially since there have been lots of cuts recently. I see a lot of 'oh I wil be satisfied with an 80K/year mid-law job' or 'oh i will be satisfied with an ADA position.' These statements demonstrate extreme ignorance of the legal hiring market. If you can say to yourself 'oh I will be satisifed with 40K/year in insurance defense or a non-law job' then you show that you understand a bad, but unfortunately likely, outcome from the schools you are considering.

Quoted by Campos, nice

[09042014]

Neither of the two New York schools are good, but you have a large scholarship and if you are prepared to drop out, the only thing you'll lose is time. St. Johns seems to place a little bit better than Hofstra-- if you aren't going to retake the LSAT you might as well go to St. John's and drop out after the first year if you aren't in the top 5%, cause biglaw isn't happening. If you are going to pull the trigger, at least be prepared to pull the plug too.

Wasting a year of your life on a 1/20 shot, including racking up an not insignificant amount of living expense debt, is fucking retarded.

If you only want to work in big law, don't go anywhere but T14.

[hephaestus]

As before, the answer is retake.

If you won't, what is the reason?

[Vpassarelli]

So no? Minnesota wont make a significant difference?

[stillwater]

So no? Minnesota wont make a significant difference?

No.

[Vpassarelli]

I am not going to re-take and when it comes to NY I want corporate law (which I know is hard to get), but would be satisfied as an ADA in Manhattan or something to that effect. Also got into Maryland and was WaitListed at Notre Dame and Brooklyn.

Manhattan DA's office is as competitive as big law. The other boroughs' DA's offices are not far behind. This is not a backup option, especially since there have been lots of cuts recently. I see a lot of 'oh I wil be satisfied with an 80K/year mid-law job' or 'oh i will be satisfied with an ADA position.' These statements demonstrate extreme ignorance of the legal hiring market. If you can say to yourself 'oh I will be satisifed with 40K/year in insurance defense or a non-law job' then you show that you understand a bad, but unfortunately likely, outcome from the schools you are considering.

I didn't mean it that way. Through my research and talking to over 20 alumni of St. John's I was told their alumni network places well in NYC DAs offices.n I by no means meant it was easy or I wouldn't have to excel in school

[Vpassarelli]

So no? Minnesota wont make a significant difference?

No.

Thank you

[bizzybone1313]

I am not going to re-take and when it comes to NY I want corporate law (which I know is hard to get), but would be satisfied as an ADA in Manhattan or something to that effect. Also got into Maryland and was WaitListed at Notre Dame and Brooklyn.

Manhattan DA's office is as competitive as big law. The other boroughs' DA's offices are not far behind. This is not a backup option, especially since there have been lots of cuts recently. I see a lot of 'oh I wil be satisfied with an 80K/year mid-law job' or 'oh i will be satisfied with an ADA position.' These statements demonstrate extreme ignorance of the legal hiring market. If you can say to yourself 'oh I will be satisifed with 40K/year in insurance defense or a non-law job' then you show that you understand a bad, but unfortunately likely, outcome from the schools you are considering.

Quoted by Campos, nice

Lol. I bet tomorrow Campos is going to create a new blog post based on this thread.

[guano]

I didn't mean it that way. Through my research and talking to over 20 alumni of St. John's I was told their alumni network places well in NYC DAs offices.n I by no means meant it was easy or I wouldn't have to excel in school

That's probably more than the number of St. John's grads who place well in the NYC DA's office

[romothesavior]

I am not going to re-take and when it comes to NY I want corporate law (which I know is hard to get), but would be satisfied as an ADA in Manhattan or something to that effect. Also got into Maryland and was WaitListed at Notre Dame and Brooklyn.

Manhattan DA's office is as competitive as big law. The other boroughs' DA's offices are not far behind. This is not a backup option, especially since there have been lots of cuts recently. I see a lot of 'oh I wil be satisfied with an 80K/year mid-law job' or 'oh i will be satisfied with an ADA position.' These statements demonstrate extreme ignorance of the legal hiring market. If you can say to yourself 'oh I will be satisifed with 40K/year in insurance defense or a non-law job' then you show that you understand a bad, but unfortunately likely, outcome from the schools you are considering.

I didn't mean it that way. Through my research and talking to over 20 alumni of St. John's I was told their alumni network places well in NYC DAs offices.n I by no means meant it was easy or I wouldn't have to excel in school

Yet you referred to it as a backup plan of sorts. So... yeah I'd say somewhatwayward nailed it.

[rad lulz]

--ImageRemoved--

[reasonable_man]

Oy vey.

[althalius]

St. John's over Hofstra, definitely. With your LSAT score you may be able to get into Fordham, which would obviously be your best bet.

I actually think Minnesota is a fair option, however, over those two schools. It's a much higher-ranked school with off-campus BigLaw interviewing in New York (a joint venture with WUSTL, UCLA, USC, Wisc.) through which you could get a job if you were in the top 20% of the class, esp. because of your prior NYC connections. If you are really set on BigLaw, you could also transfer to NYU or Columbia by getting in the top 15-20% of your class at a T20, as opposed to top 1% at lower-tier New York schools. Finally, Minnesota is based in a city with decent BigLaw options in its own right; a couple of those firms (Robins Kaplan, Dorsey & Whitney) have offices in New York that might be somewhat easy to transfer to or interview at. Worth a second look imo.

[ndirish2010]

Don't go to Minnesota at sticker and don't go there with no prior connections to the state.

The correct answer is retake and hope you can ED NU.

[guano]

St. John's over Hofstra, definitely. With your LSAT score you may be able to get into Fordham, which would obviously be your best bet.

I actually think Minnesota is a fair option, however, over those two schools. It's a much higher-ranked school with off-campus BigLaw interviewing in New York (a joint venture with WUSTL, UCLA, USC, Wisc.) through which you could get a job if you were in the top 20% of the class, esp. because of your prior NYC connections. If you are really set on BigLaw, you could also transfer to NYU or Columbia by getting in the top 15-20% of your class at a T20, as opposed to top 1% at lower-tier New York schools. Finally, Minnesota is based in a city with decent BigLaw options in its own right; a couple of those firms (Robins Kaplan, Dorsey & Whitney) have offices in New York that might be somewhat easy to transfer to or interview at. Worth a second look imo.

Of course, if you don't make it into the top 20, you're fucked. And you probably won't be top 20%

[rad lulz]

Is guano dingbat?

[reasonable_man]

St. John's over Hofstra, definitely. With your LSAT score you may be able to get into Fordham, which would obviously be your best bet.

I actually think Minnesota is a fair option, however, over those two schools. It's a much higher-ranked school with off-campus BigLaw interviewing in New York (a joint venture with WUSTL, UCLA, USC, Wisc.) through which you could get a job if you were in the top 20% of the class, esp. because of your prior NYC connections. If you are really set on BigLaw, you could also transfer to NYU or Columbia by getting in the top 15-20% of your class at a T20, as opposed to top 1% at lower-tier New York schools. Finally, Minnesota is based in a city with decent BigLaw options in its own right; a couple of those firms (Robins Kaplan, Dorsey & Whitney) have offices in New York that might be somewhat easy to transfer to or interview at. Worth a second look imo.

Of course, if you don't make it into the top 204%, you're fucked. And you probably won't be top 20% 4%

Fixed that for ya...