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No ties to TX, but strong desire to live/work in the state (COL preferences and have visited). Which school gives me a better chance at Texas biglaw/midlaw/small law?

Haven't gotten any $ from UT, but expecting to get something from their scholarship matching program. Will I be able to use my Columbia acceptance to negotiate with UT for $?

Or....am I crazy to even think I'll have a chance at TX firms without TX ties?

Thanks!

Given that you've never lived in Texas, I'd take Columbia. Your chances at getting Texas biglaw are probably better from UT given that you don't have ties, but the employment numbers at Columbia are so much better that I think it makes more sense. Better to go to Columbia and be stuck with NYC biglaw if you strike out in Texas, than to strike out from UT and be stuck with shitlaw/starbucks.

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Wait till you get a scholarship offer, then come back and ask this question. It will depend on your order of preferences. Are you biglaw or bust? How debt averse are you?

Do you prefer:
TX biglaw > any biglaw > TX any firm or
TX biglaw > TX any firm > any biglaw?

wiz wrote:Wait till you get a scholarship offer, then come back and ask this question. It will depend on your order of preferences. Are you biglaw or bust? How debt averse are you?

Do you prefer:
TX biglaw > any biglaw > TX any firm or
TX biglaw > TX any firm > any biglaw?

I think this is spot on

Also, if you have no ties to TX how can you be so sure that you love it so?

You're a little crazy to think you have a chance at a Texas firm with no Texas ties. I came to UT with almost no connections to state. I'm top-20% and on Law Review, which got me a ton of interviews at OCI. But as soon as they found out I was from out-of-state, you could palpably feel the interest level dropping.

That said, if you wanna have any real chance at all, you gotta at least go to UT. Just do a better job than I did of making it look like you LOVE Texas.

Moultdog wrote:You're a little crazy to think you have a chance at a Texas firm with no Texas ties. I came to UT with almost no connections to state. I'm top-20% and on Law Review, which got me a ton of interviews at OCI. But as soon as they found out I was from out-of-state, you could palpably feel the interest level dropping.

That said, if you wanna have any real chance at all, you gotta at least go to UT. Just do a better job than I did of making it look like you LOVE Texas.

This is pretty ominous. I'm considering Texas from out of state with no ties. Is the fact that you came to the flagship university in Texas and are now looking for jobs in Texas worth nothing? What are you supposed to do, dress up like you're defending the Alamo?

You'd be crazy to go to UT unless they drop you a near full-ride and Columbia doesn't. Yes, it would be cool to be in Texas biglaw, but you're looking at maybe top 1/3 getting it @ UT versus top 2/3 getting SOME kind of biglaw from Columbia.

This advice is subject to the standard disclaimers...if you're stupid wealthy or are concealing some other low-probability background fact, things might be different.

BeenDidThat wrote:You'd be crazy to go to UT unless they drop you a near full-ride and Columbia doesn't. Yes, it would be cool to be in Texas biglaw, but you're looking at maybe top 1/3 getting it @ UT versus top 2/3 getting SOME kind of biglaw from Columbia.

This advice is subject to the standard disclaimers...if you're stupid wealthy or are concealing some other low-probability background fact, things might be different.

If you're stupid wealthy, then Columbia at sticker probs makes even more sense.