Top Law Schools

I'm sure this has been posted a gillion times but I don't have the time to scroll through several pages in an attempt to find it. I am a Florida resident who has been accepted to both UF and FSU law for the fall. There have been no scholarships provided by either as of yet. I have always wanted to go to UF just for the sheer reason of wanting to say I did but I find myself liking the atmosphere and climate of FSU law more than UF. I just fear that picking FSU over UF may be a mistake due to the clout that the UF name holds in the state. Has anyone else been in this spot and can argue why one school is better than the other? Or has anyone chosen FSU over UF and why?

Don't go to either unless you can get out of there for like $75k debt

Also JAG and government lawyer jobs aren't really what I would call "unconventional"

Also don't go to law school hoping to do international relations. Law school isn't a good avenue for that

rad lulz wrote:Don't go to either unless you can get out of there for like $75k debt

Also JAG and government lawyer jobs aren't really what I would call "unconventional"

Also don't go to law school hoping to do international relations. Law school isn't a good avenue for that

This. At my T6 you had people lining up to interview with JAG. Don't even get me started on the civil agencies.

I can give you a few reasons why I chose UF but I really liked FSU when I visited.

Gainesville is cheaper than Tallahassee and I like Gainesville muuuuch more than Tally. I like the college town atmosphere and I don't feel unsafe anywhere in the city.

Stronger alumni network and reputation regardless of rank.

Better facilities at UF except for the student lounge/cafeteria which is super nice at FSU. FSU just feels outdated and some may like the plantation owner style building but I thought it was kind of crappy.

Closer to home for me by a couple hours, which becomes pretty significant over three years of traveling there and back.

SEC sports

They are pretty comparable and I think you can make the decision based on purely personal reasons. I would try to keep your debt low if you can.

Not to mention that FSU gives you great access to the State capital government during the school year for internships.

J-e-L-L-o wrote:Not to mention that FSU gives you great access to the State capital government during the school year for internships.

It's not too hard to find summer employment in Tallahassee has a UF student but most people don't want to pay extra to live there over the summer. I know a couple people who are doing that this summer though.

I understand that but having experience during the year frees your summer for trying to get real jerbs

That's the negative of Gainesville being a college town.

UF vs FSU is a hard question for Florida students.

It's a bit of a crap-shoot as far as which one is better. UF is a bit cheaper, but for the purpose of part time work during 2L and 3L school year, FSU has more to offer (both in terms of crappy part-time legal jobs and crappy part-time regular jobs). As far as in state pull for employment, they are pretty on par. In general, there is an extremely small percentage of people who miss out on instate jobs solely because of a UF vs. FSU distinction.

HOWEVER, UF IS CONSIDERED THE SUPERIOR SCHOOL, and I have no idea why. SERIOUSLY, I cannot point to any solid metrics, but UF is considered to be superior. I have worked for approximately two years in the legal field in FL, and across the board, lawyers have told me the following 1) they are both good schools, and it doesn't really matter, and 2) UF is a little bit more prestigious.

Here is a link with each school's historical rankings. http://www.prelawhandbook.com/law_schoo ... 00_present

As you can see, FSU has closed the gap considerably. I hope this helps.

jangag wrote:It's a bit of a crap-shoot as far as which one is better. UF is a bit cheaper, but for the purpose of part time work during 2L and 3L school year, FSU has more to offer (both in terms of crappy part-time legal jobs and crappy part-time regular jobs). As far as in state pull for employment, they are pretty on par. In general, there is an extremely small percentage of people who miss out on instate jobs solely because of a UF vs. FSU distinction.

HOWEVER, UF IS CONSIDERED THE SUPERIOR SCHOOL, and I have no idea why. SERIOUSLY, I cannot point to any solid metrics, but UF is considered to be superior. I have worked for approximately two years in the legal field in FL, and across the board, lawyers have told me the following 1) they are both good schools, and it doesn't really matter, and 2) UF is a little bit more prestigious.

Here is a link with each school's historical rankings. http://www.prelawhandbook.com/law_schoo ... 00_present

As you can see, FSU has closed the gap considerably. I hope this helps.

I am in a similar boat as the OP. Worth noting though that UF is roughly 21k/yr while FSU is 18k/yr. Small difference, but there it is.

probably because UF is seen as a better academic school across the board. But who knows...

I am a Florida native so I know how the UF vs FSU battle goes.

Don't go to either school without a scholarship. I very much enjoy UF, but I also enjoyed my trip to Tally. Both schools are well represented at the bar -- UF graduates do seem to have a stronger alumni support group, and really seem to enjoy talking about how UF is the "better" school. That's personal anecdote and well-known stereotype though.

But seriously, don't go to either school without a scholarship.